Invisible

Invisible Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Breaking Glass

(Mason) 

I know I’m dreaming. I know this is another nightmare, but the panic and fear racing through my body feels too real to ignore. Images flash through my mind. Dark hallways, glass breaking, footsteps. The roar of blood rushing through my body makes it hard to hear the intruder. My head whips back and forth as I search for him, as I search for Olivia. I don’t know where she is!

Not running is painful. I want to barrel through the house screaming her name until I find her.

All of a sudden, I’m outside, standing in the street, staring at a nondescript sedan filled with shadows. My feet carry me closer, against my will. The shadows start writhing. I fear they are going to come after me. Sweaty hands reach for the car and it takes me a moment to realize they are mine. I try to pull them back. Get away from the car. Run.

Olivia’s face breaks through the haze of shadows.

My fingers are tearing at the handle, beating against the glass. I scream her name, no longer caring if I am quiet. She reaches for me. I can’t get through the door! I scream her name again as her face begins to disappear. I can’t stop screaming. I can’t stop her from disappearing!

“Mason!” someone shouts at me. Their hands claw at me, trying to keep me from saving Olivia.

“Mason!” the voice hisses again. I can’t see them, but I strike out, desperate to get away and reach Olivia.

“Mason, please,” a gentle voice whispers in my ear. The ache in the voice breaks through my panic, making me listen, recognize.

The dream’s power dissolves. My eyes snap open to find Olivia hovering over me…no sitting on top of me. Confusion sets in as I realize she has my arms pinned to the bed and is sitting on my chest with her knees on either side of me. I’m too disoriented to really enjoy the moment.

“Olivia?”

“Are you awake?” she asks.

My eyebrows knit together. Am I? Would I be in this position with Olivia in real life? It takes me a moment to answer. “I think so?”

Olivia collapses on top of me. “Thank goodness!”

“I’m sorry I woke you again.”

“It’s okay,” she says. “It just scared me. What were you dreaming about?”

“Someone had broken into the house. They took you, I think. It was confusing and frightening.”

Olivia blows out a shaky breath. “You’re telling me. I thought you were never going to wake up. You were scaring the living daylights out of me, Mason!”

That last part comes out a little angry and she follows it up with a punch to my shoulder. She rolls off of me and sinks into the bed looking exhausted. I’m about to ask her what exactly happened, but when I turn to face her, my mind goes completely blank at the site of a bruise forming on her cheek.

“Olivia, what happened?” I demand.

She sighs. “You were having another nightmare. Don’t you remember? It was awful. You were screaming for me and thrashing around like a crazy person. I couldn’t get through to you at all.”

“No,” I say angrily, “what happened to your face?”

Olivia turns to scowl at me. “You whacked me when I tried to wake you up and knocked me off the bed. Thanks for that.”