Night Terrors

3

Ivy

My entire body was stiff when I woke up. The pain in my neck was still there, even through the dream was over.

The room was dark, and I could hardly make out the pastel color of the quilt that was draped over me.

I was shocked, quite fortunately. I've had nightmares before, except none of them left me terrified even as I woke. I could feel my bones still as they rattle and shake.

A cold hand grabs my wrist, right where Andy had in my dream, and I nearly scream. I tremble slowly, my heart reaching a racing beat.

The fear has still not left my chest, even though I turned to see Andie sitting besides me.

"Andie what the hell?" I mutter, yanking my wrist towards my hips.

"What?" she asks so innocently, the red light shining from my bedside lamp illuminating the side of her face. Her grey eyes had a gleam of blood red in them, and her pupils were small even though the lighting in the room was dim.

"Don't grab my wrist, okay?" I complain, yelping as a sharp pain engulfs the base of my neck.

"Are you okay?!" she darts, instantly reaching her cold fingers to the base of my neck, her palm supporting my head as my neck tenses in sudden pain.

She lowers me down onto the pillow as I groan in pain. I lift up my arm, noticing as a soreness floods my wrist. I raise up my wrist, my hand limp, so I can check for bruising. Through the faint light, I can make out the dark stains that look like fingers against my now pale skin.

I turn white.

The bruises are in the exact same place that Andie's fingers gripped my skin in the nightmare.

A nightmare... I assure myself. That's all it is.

Andie hands me a glass of water, and I can see every detail in the ceiling above me.

Andie stands up, turning towards the wall.

Staring into the water, I ask her, "where are you going?" My voice is soft and weak, and my fingers tremble against the smooth glass of the cup.

"I'll be right back," she assures me, my eyes making out her reflection in the glass.

I swear I can see her grin back at me as I raise the glass to my lips.

I look up, and she's gone.