Don't Breathe |✔

3

At some point last night, I fell asleep, still laying on the floor of the kitchen, my robe billowing out at my sides, and my feet curled underneath me. I woke up sometime before noon and finally stood up to get something done.

I didn't want to risk getting shut down again, so I waited till 2o'clock to call in and report Jack as missing. And I was successful, they started looking for him and hopefully he'll be back in my arms by this time tomorrow.

Maybe by then this stupid cold will be gone too. I think I got it from sleeping on the floor with only a thin bathrobe and Silvey's small figure for warmth, and for crying my eyes out for hours on end.

Another coughing fit started and I stumbled into the bathroom to get some Benadryl. I located it in the mirror cupboard and filled a Dixie cup with water. I swallowed the medicine and washed the bitter taste down with the water.

The water in my throat came back up along with another round of coughs. I brought my elbow up to my mouth, catching the spittle that I was hacking up. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes, as the coughs became more intense.

A minute later, my throat stung, the coughing finally subsiding. I wiped my eyes and breathed heavily as I walked back into the living room. Plopping on the couch, I squeezed my eyes shut and massaged my temples.

When I opened my eyes back up, they zeroed in on the arm of my robe. It was red. Red with blood. I blinked rapidly.

Was I coughing up blood? I didn't think I was that sick...but here is this, this blood on my sleeve. And now, it was everywhere, not just on my sleeve anymore.

It dripped down the walls, collecting in thick, black pools around my feet.  Silvey's fur clung to her back in disgusting strings. My nose wrinkled and my stomach heaved at the putrid stench wafting up from the floor boards.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Confusion swept over me. I looked at my arm, the blood was gone. The floor, the walls, Silvey, they were all clean.

But, it looked so real...and now I was even more perplexed. Even if the blood wasn't real, and I didn't cough it up, I hallucinated it...but I'm not sure if that's any better.