Night Visions

Chapter Seven- Ky Slover

*the boy in the photo: Toby Slover*

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I can't sleep tonight. My mind keeps circling around the house; from my younger brother, Toby, to my aunt, Lisa. Toby is having a dream about being an all-star NBA player and Aunt Lisa is thinking about her case this week, since she's a lawyer. I lay in my bed and put my arms under my head. It's pretty cold outside during this time of year in Chicago. The moonlight sends a streak of light in my room. I get up and walk over to the window. I slide the window up and let the breeze strike my face. Chicago looks peaceful at night. Some people are working late at Lenny's Diner, which is my favorite diner in Chicago. Some of my friends and I go and eat there after school. The wind blows on my coffee-brown hair. I squint my ocean blue eyes that are starting to water from the wind.

I mainly belong with the popular crowd and so do all of my friends. It's not so bad, I mean, my friends like me and the girls love me. I actually enjoy hanging out with them. But I make some room for Lily, since me and her are good friends, though it seems like she doesn't like my friends. Lily isn't the popular type, not that I want her to be. She can hang out with whomever she likes, it's not my choice. She mostly hangs out with Skylar, Katie, and Sara. They're pretty cool girls, I'll admit.

Me and Lily go back. I still remember, in the 7th grade, when we went to the Elementary schools and me and Lily got paired up with the same 1st grader. We became friends and hung out a lot. That was when I realized how much Lily loves basketball, and we played so many times, I lost count of how many times she beat me. Sure, I'm a couple inches taller than her. I can make easy slam dunks. But afterwards, she got used to my height, then she never lost a game with me. My friends thought it was embarrassing that I lost at basketball to a girl who's shorter than me. Once we made it into high school, we went our separate ways. We didn't play as much basketball, we didn't sit together at lunch, and we made our own friends. We still talk. I have classes with her and we paired up as partners.

We had a lot of fun. I'll admit it. I miss walking with her. I miss seeing the determination in her eyes whenever she had the ball. I miss talking with her at lunch, feeling like I can tell her anything. I miss seeing sweat break out on her forehead, and when the wind blows perfectly on her beautiful brown hair. Did I just think that? Okayyy. I need some sleep.

I look at my clock. 3:26 a.m. Right when I'm about to go back to bed, I hear screaming from outside. I rush back to the window and try to make out where it came from.

What was that? Where did it come from?, I think. Oh, never mind. It was just someone's thought.

Yeah, you heard me. None of my friends know this, neither does Lily, but, I can read minds. Sometimes, I don't even try to. People's thoughts just seem to find their way into my head. You wouldn't expect that from the most popular guy in school.

I try to make out who it was and which house it came from. My eyes lead to, Lily's house.

Is she alright? I hope it's just a nightmare. Or...maybe it was a Night Vision.

Lily always has Night Visions, as she calls them. I always "hear" her panicking in her sleep and having awful visions of people dying. It's way worse than you think. One time I came close to asking her about them and telling her about my ability, but she doesn't want to talk to anyone about it, not even her mom or Skylar, so I never told her.

I was actually quite happy because I never knew there were other people who have these weird abilities.

I focus on Lily's room, to see if she's okay. I pick up on her thoughts and I listen silently.

Oh, no. Skylar? Why did it have to be Skylar, Lily's closest friend.

Lily and Skylar share history together. I've sometimes mistaken them as sisters. If Skylar died, Lily would never live with herself. It would be like half of Lily is gone. This can't happen, but there's nothing I, or anyone, can do about it.

My eyes lock on Lily's house. She's crying now. Why Skylar? It would have been better if it were me. I'm not as important to Lily as Skylar is. I look down at my hands. I wish I can go comfort her, make sure she's okay.

Wait. What? What am I saying? 

I close the window and walk back to my bed. Well, what a wonderful night it has been. Lily had another Night Vision, but was more horrifying than the other ones and I'm having even more trouble sleeping now.

I sigh. My mind relaxes as I start to drift off to sleep, but I can't stop thinking about the things that might happen tomorrow, or Lily. Ugh, me and my stupid mixed emotions.