‘’Brien, are you all right?” Britt asks
“yeah, I guess, I guess not really” he breathes heavily , feeling like he is going to have a panic attack , the last four days were absolutely crazy. She reaches his hand and squeezes it for support, then he looks straight into her big blue eyes and sees the very definition of peace and comfort.
He feels a strange urge to speak , open up to her and tell her everything he has been through the last few days.
“I’ve just heard that my childhood friend was found dead” he says
“I’m so sorry” she says . she pulls him and hugs him so tightly , she is warm, he hugs her . he is amazed at the range of conflicting emotions he is feeling at that moment; fear, pain, excitement, attraction, respect and trust. Tears sting in his eyes.
They are in the middle of the hallway , everyone is staring at them but he doesn’t care. After few seconds , she pulls herself away from him. looking at each other without saying a word she gently takes his hand again and says:
“let’s skip the rest of the classes”
Britt and Brien get in her car , she drives for half an hour , during the journey they both share silence, not an awkward but cool comfort silence. The car stops and Britt steps out of it, Brien does the same then she walks and he follows her till they reach an old crooked bridge. She sits on metal concrete ground; He walks over and plops down beside her.
“so” she begins “you know that you are a horrible liar”
“me?!” he is surprised
“yup, about yesterday” she explains “ when you appeared out the blue and you said that you were exercising”
“aww, that” he says and his body shivers and a hunted look drops on his face.
“ I need more explanation, don’t you think ?”
“you may not like me if you know any more” he sights
“don’t worry, I won’t judge you, promise”
He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and starts talking: “ok, you may think I’m crazy or I’m under drugs but believe me everything I’m gonna tell you, has actually happened” he stops for awhile and starts again “ the last few days, I’ve been manipulated like a doll; that has little arms, a big baby head , dead soulless eyes . I’ve started sleepwalking and waking up in strange places , I feel a jumpiness like a panic attack and I can’t breathe . blackouts, really bad anxiety , it’s like I’m dreaming or like I’m in a freaking bad nightmare where I see these faces, deeply dark faces of shadows hunting me and there is this darkness crawling over me, I can see it and feel it every day, surrounding my heart and making a prominent scar” he stops again and takes another deep breath “ but the worst part, I think I may have killed my friend”
