Entangled | Zayn Malik

Chapter Three

Last night was dreadful. You know that feeling where you're physically exhausted but your mind just won't shut off? It's like you're lying there, unable to move because you're so damn exhausted. But your mind, your mind seems to be moving just fine. Faster than usual actually, like it's running a marathon. Almost feels like your head isn't even attached to your body.

I had another nightmare. Only this time I wasn't being chased in a dark street. It was the school corridors like yesterday. I ran and ran and ran but the thing was right behind me as always. Then of course my legs gave in and everything around me turned black. It was like the sky was raining thick, black paint all around me. It didn't touch me, but it surrounded me until all I could see was darkness. Usually when the darkness takes over I wake up, but not this time. This time the darkness parted like the red sea in front of me and a house came into view.

Not just any ordinary house, it was a mansion. The black paint transitioned into a dark sky and the air felt bitter. There was a frightening stillness in the air, but somehow I felt calm. I was no longer being chased and it was just me, alone, standing in front of this mansion.

It was dark and derelict and looked to be about four stories high, with a few broken windows in certain places. The top floor of the mansion had metal bars covering the windows. Which made me wonder, was this a prison? A mental asylum? Some kind of school? Whatever it was, it gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I could feel my calm exterior starting to crack the more I looked at the sight in front of me. Then I heard that all too familiar sound - something being dragged along the ground. I didn't know where it came from. It was quiet enough for me to know it wasn't right beside me, but loud enough to know that it wasn't too far away.

I don't know what came over me, but I didn't want to run anymore. I wanted to locate the sound and face it head on. Someone once told me;

"If you put a face on your fears then you can fight it, then you can beat it."

So that's what I tried to do. But as soon as I attempted to move, the mansion in front of me crumbled down to nothing with a thunderous sound. Rubble and dust began to fill the air around me, entering my body and coursing through my blood. I choked and started coughing, I couldn't breathe.

This is it, I thought, this is what's going to kill me. My body felt heavy and everything around me turned blurry as my legs gave way and I fell backwards onto the hard concrete. My head bounced harshly off of the ground with a sickening crack. Pain engulfed my whole entire being, every single part of me ached. Then everything went black and I jolted awake, coughing and spluttering, sweating and crying.

Again, the nightmare had woken me up this morning a few minutes before my alarm was due to go off. I went for a shower and thoroughly checked my head for any signs of injury. I was sure I'd put my hand on my head and be met with my blood but I found nothing. There were no wounds, no pain, nothing. But It felt so damn real. I quickly got dressed and made my way to work, stopping on the way for a well needed coffee boost.

—

The rest of the morning passes quite quickly as it's now third period when Mr Hedshaw walks into the main office looking a little panicked and flustered.

"Ladies I need your attention please, we have a bit of a situation." His black-grey brows furrow as he speaks.

The office falls silent as everyone turns to face him, signalling him to continue.

"Now I don't want to alarm anyone but Ms Carden has alerted me that Darryl Breylin hasn't returned from a bathroom break," He glances down at his watch. "He was let out of class half an hour ago and hasn't come back." He says, wiping a drop of sweat from his head with the sleeve of his suit jacket.