Dream Phantom

Chapter Twenty-two

A curly blonde with dark roots was staring in the mirror, her azure eyes tinged with pink from crying. She slammed her manicured hands against her reflection, a yelp of anger escaping her neon pink lips.

"You're ugly! Why are you so ugly?" she cried, her knees buckling beneath her. The white tiled floor was cold against her bare legs. She was all alone. She lifted her left hand and stared at her bare fingers. He had asked for the ring back. She didn't even have the inexpensive ring to remember him by.

"You should have kept the ring," she whispered to herself. She banged her legs against the floor as a growl of frustration erupted from her.

She closed her eyes and the sound of little girls singing together filled her ears.

"You're so ugly. Go away, ugly! You're too ugly!"

Her lips began to tremble as the girls' voices continued to mock her, assaulting her like a machine gun.

"No," she shook her head and slapped her hands against the tiled floor before covering her ears. "No, I can't hear you. I don't want to hear you!"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the taunting voices. She was s preoccupied with drowning out the children that she didn't notice the gray wolf standing near the shower. His lips curled upward, revealing his fangs. Before she could open her eyes, the wolf sprang forward with a growl.

Dani awoke covered in her own sweat.

"Bad dream?" Calvin asked. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the sofa she was sleeping on, his eyes glued to the television as he watched a documentary on dolphins.

"What time is it?" Dani croaked.

"Almost three in the morning. No, your hubby isn't back yet," Calvin said, popping some Doritos into his mouth.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked him as she sat up.

"I couldn't leave you in the living room alone. Jax was pretty adamant about me protecting you."

Dani snorted, "As if you're some superhero."

"Hey, I know a few moves. I may not be built like Vin Diesel but I'm tough enough."

"Sorry, I just had a really weird dream."

"I know. I could hear you talking in your sleep. You must've touched one of your customers again."

"Probably, and she must've been bullied as a child. There was something strange in the dream..."

Calvin chomped another Dorito as he waited for her to continue.

"There was a wolf in the dream."

"A wolf?" the bag of chips crinkled as he set it aside and turned towards Dani. "Has he been in any of your other dreams?"

"It has."

"Are you...are you pregnant?" the question came out like an accusation and Dani felt a twinge of guilt.

"Do you have to ask like that?"

"Sorry, it's just...you know what mom said about you getting pregnant. Don't you care at all that your life may be in danger?"

"You believe what she said?"

"Of course I do. I don't have the ability to pass this curse on. You do. She said he'd come after you if you became pregnant."

"She doesn't even know who he is."

"That's the problem, Dani. He's some phantom that has the power to manipulate your dreams. The only person that can do that is death. That's why I'm freaking out here. He's kind of a big deal whoever he is," Calvin explained. He sat across from her, "Has anything else happened that's been strange?"