City Of Dreams

Forty-Six

I walk through the busy streets of LA.

Voices around me swirl in a mixture of sound above my head.

Except one voice that is always there.

She seems to be missing.

I look down at my phone, greeted with a blank screen.

"You don't even have any phone numbers in your phone. Why would you get a message?"

I sighed, putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Oh how I missed that voice of yours."

I chuckled, turning my face back up to see where I was going.

She laughed too.

Silence filled the air around me as the voices in the streets seemed to fade.

"I heard a rumor today."

I scoff.

"You're a figment of my imagination. You don't hear anything that I don't."

The silence returned.

"Well...word on the street is, Addie and Chris are having an affair back in NYC."

I flinch.

"Chris?"

She curses under her breath.

"Jackson! Not the other Chris!"

I nod.

"That's not true. Addie loves Oak."

She hummed.

"But would she still love the man who got her kids taken away and drove her best friend out of the state?"

I blink.

"But I did that! Oak didn't do anything to make me...leave."

"Listen here you little shit..."

He towered over me again.

"I want you out of our lives."

I motioned to the room.

"What the hell do you think I'm tryin to do?"

I said, my southern accent seeping through.

He raised an eyebrow.

"You...are a bitch...you've been using Addie this whole time...and I'm sick of it..."

He said between deep breaths.

"I was wrong ok?! Just let me fix it!"

I took a step back, beginning to feel anxious with the big man.

"If you were in my position...trying desperately to protect everyone you love...what would you do?"

He walked closer, bringing my anxiety back.

"I would tell the authorities...and not lie to everyone..."

I shake my head, taking another step back.

"Would you?"

His face scrunched up and before I could react, he brought his hand up and slapped me across the face, sending me stumbling backward.

His hand recoiled and his eyes widened when he realized what he did.

"I-I'm sorry..."

He paused, looking around again.

"Just...don't come near me...or my family ever again."

I blinked, breathlessly.

He stomped out, slamming the door and leaving me backed against the wall, my hand over my face and a stinging in my cheek.

"You were saying?"

I stumble over a bit of concrete that was bent upwards.

"That doesn't make sense! Addie wouldn't do that! And Chris is married. He wouldn't do that either. Would he?"

She appeared next to me, in a different outfit than before.

I chuckled to myself about how ridiculous this whole situation is.

My fucking hallucination clone chick.

This is what I get for watching all those musicals with the weird conscience character.

She rolled her eyes, walking next to me.

"Maybe you should ask them..."

I sighed.

"I see what this is...you're trying to make me go back!"

She scoffed, pawing at the air with her right hand.

"I'm the one that made you leave, dummy. Why would I be the one to make you go back?"

I shrug.

"Well...I'm not going to."

She shrugged.

"Alright."