Warm Bodies

A body like his

I'm not allowed outside of my room past 8 and it was 6:30 and I hadn't eaten I text him and tell him to wait for until after 8:00. I set on my bed and wait for his text and when I get it I smile.

My mom calls us down for dinner and to my delight, she made me some noodles with chunks of flesh in them while the rest of the family had pork chops and mac and cheese. I lick my lips hungrily and I shove forkful in my mouth successfully burning my tongue. once I was done I helped my parents clean up. when we were all done I go upstairs and lock my door. I put on a pair of sweatpants. I put on a hoodie and then I put on a pair of fuzzy boots. I open my window and look down I push off my screen and look down. there was a small ledge on my window and then underneath was the roof of the back porch. I climb out of my window and then stand on the ledge the

ledge was right at the top of where the top of the back porch roof starts. I jump down gracefully the snow making the roof slick I slip a little but regain my balance. I make small steps to the side and I jump off gracefully and only end up falling on my face.

I lift my hood to keep the wet snow out of my hair. I walk along the siding of the house and use my phone to call Austin.

"Hey," I say

"Hey, you outside?"

"Yeah, I can't get in front of my house so meet me down near the bus stop," I say into my phone as I start to walk away from my house and down the street to the bus stop.

The call ended and I make the short walk down to the bus stop and set I shiver as I freeze a little. I stand near the bus stop sign and wait for him to get there. I see him running across the street. he was wearing a hoodie with a heavy jacket over it. he had on a thick pair of jeans, he had on a beany and when he got under the street light you could see the angry purple and blue bruises and busted lip.

When he reaches me he smiles but all I could do was shake. shaking I rub my arms trying to be warmer. The snow was melting through my hoodie but I don't complain. being around Austin makes me feel warm anytime I see him I feel like I could feel my heart beat again until I realize its all just my imagination because I am dead.

"Hey Austin," I say through my chattering teeth.

"here,"  he says and he peels off his heavy coat and wraps it around my shoulders

"thanks," I say to him as I wrap it around my shoulders.

"so what happened?"

"let's go to the park,"  he says taking my hand and intertwining our fingers.

He pulls me beside him and we walk for a minute until we reach a small seat of benches and we set beside one another. I look at his bruises and then finally I sigh and stat my demand.

"Tell me who did it Austin no more excuses!"

"Alright fine my dad," he said.

"why?" I say gingerly poking one of his bruises.

"he got drunk last night," he says.

He grabs my hand before I poke another one. instead holds both of my hands in his hands, he puts them up to his mouth and he blows his breath on them. The heat warms my freezing cold hands.

When he pulls away he doesn't let go of my hand but he holds my hands in his. after we talked for a while we walk back to my house. I go climbing up the ladder I had set up next to my the roof of the porch. I put one of my hands on the rung and Austin clears his throat. I get down and give him a hug and he hugs me back.

"thanks letting me talk to you," he says to me as he hugs me.

"your welcome. I'll see you on the bus tomorrow," I say to him and I let go of him and climb up the ladder and go into my room.

I open my window and realize I still have his jacket on. I take it off and put it in my bag. I jump on my bed but only jump back off. my hoddie makes my bed wet from the snow. I strip off my hoodie and put on a T-shirt and a new pair of sweatpants and look at my bed. I do the most stupid things. I throw my covers over the wet spot and turn on my computer I lay down and watch my computer until I fall asleep.

I jolt up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I look around and see only my computer playing a video from a youtube game player. I woke up from a dream. more like a nightmare. I have never in my life seen a woman who was so terrifying in every way. She had white hair and was looking down at me in a mahogany casket. she had on a black dress and a crooked smile

"you want to be back to a body like his. come to find me." is the only thing she said

The cold nips my legs and I pull my covers back over my legs. I lay down but I can't sleep I grab my phone and text Austin.

"hey are you up?"

"yeah, why?" he texts back almost imminently

"I had a really bad dream and I don't want to go back to sleep you wanna call."

"yeah, ill call you in a second."

"okay." text him back

It is a few minutes before my phone rings in my hand. I answer the call and we talked he ask me about my dream and I tell him a made-up dream. I am still a little shaken about it. We talk until I hear my mom knock on my door. I end the call and get up I grab my clothes and take a shower.