SHE

Seven

I was putting on my Nike roshes, getting ready for my morning run. 

It was a beautiful day outside, sun glazing my skin. I smiled, quite happy with the day already.

Warming up was needed, but after that I started running, enjoying the chilly breeze. 

Not long after I felt a presence behind me. And somehow I felt I had to get as far away from the person as possible, so I started running faster.

But so did the darkness behind me. It became faster and I just couldn't keep up. It seemed like a dark cloud and by now it had overtaken me.

I couldn't see the sun anymore, it felt like the darkness was trying to swallow me whole.

Dark arms came out of the darkness, grabbing my neck and squeezing it. I struggled to breathe, but I was still fighting it. 

"Who are you?" I choked out. 

The owner of the hands was laughing, scaring me. I could barely hold on anymore.

And then the person came closer. I furrowed my brows. It was me. 

The other me used my confusion as a weakness, squeezed my neck even harder. 

"Just give up, Ruby," she smiled, "it's easier."

I tried to fight back, kicking and hitting, trying to do anything to stop this.

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"Give up," she whispered, her face even closer now.

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I sat up in a second, looking around me, trying to catch my breath. What the hell?

My hands automatically made their way to my neck, trying to remind myself it was just a nightmare. But I still couldn't stop shaking.

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Right, my phone. Someone was calling.

"Yeah?" I said, massaging my temples, trying to calm the headache that was currently trying to attack me.

"What's wrong, darling?" Eden asked, her voice concerned.

Her voice brought a smile to my lips. A weak one, but still it was something.

"Nothing, just sleeping," I looked at my fingers, still seeing them shake.

"Come downstairs," Eden told me. 

I was at my door in seconds. Without thinking about it, I unlocked and opened the door. 

She was standing there, her side resting against the doorframe, while she was looking at me, smiling, her eyes looking into the darkest places of my mind.

"Do I have to ask again?" she asked, analyzing me. 

"Wh-" I stuttered, avoiding her gaze, "what?"

 "You're shaking," she stated, taking a step forward, grabbing my hand in hers.

She was so warm, so collected. It brought a smile to my lips.

"Just tell me what's wrong," her eyes were burning holes in me.

It was just a nightmare and I wanted to tell her, but I had feeling this nightmare was more than that. Something was going on in my mind, my body. I wasn't being myself. 

She placed a strand of hair behind my ear, cupping my cheek. 

"I'm not dropping it this time," she said bluntly.