When We Met

Thirty Three

|Donovan|

There's a hand choking me, the fingers digging into my skin like a drilling machine getting holed up into a wall. Another pair of hands pulls me to the ground, while a separate set tears the dress from my body. With a bruised neck, I find it impossible to let out even a whimper. And suddenly, the ground opens up and a heavy body crushes on top of me, causing a shiver of excruciating pain run through me. The world darkens as I realise that I've stopped breathing.

There is this in-between state, when you know that you're dreaming and at the same time, you can hear a distant voice trying to pull you out of whatever that's holding you in its clawed clutches. I was in that vivid, desperate state. And the worst part was that I couldn't move. Sleep paralysis is the most scary feeling; a feeling that makes you internalise your helplessness to such an extent that it becomes a part of you.

I remember letting out a loud scream before my eyes split open. I'm a wrecked mess, and my body is shivering with fear and excessive amount of sweat. Two arms wrap around my shoulders and I yank them away, screaming louder. The sudden coldness on my feet tells me that I had jumped off the bed.

"Okay, okay! I won't touch you. Calm down."

I know that voice. I bloody know that voice. I'm with someone I know.

The lights turn on and I squint my eyes abruptly. The intensity of the same is something new to my corneas and I can feel the burn till the very last nerve in my body. Or maybe I'm just exaggerating. I think I've temporarily lost my senses.

"Open your eyes, Cheryl. It's okay. You're okay." The voice gets closer until I can feel the presence right next to me. I open my eyes slowly and find him looking at me with concern evident in his demeanor.

Somehow, I start breathing normally. My heart stops pacing erratically and I find it easier to concentrate on something that isn't a nightmare.

"Hey." Dylan smiles at me and his bloodshot eyes make me feel miserable. How many times did I wake him up like this?

"Hi." I say and immediately burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!" I melt into his open arms and sob like a baby.

"Are you mental?!" He plants a kiss on top of my head and entangles his fingers in my hair. Just the way I like it.

"A little." I try to joke and his chest rumbles with laughter.

"Little is good. It's great, actually."

This time, it's me who's laughing. He holds me close to him and gently rubs my back. I immediately feel at home and give out a sigh of relief.

"What's the time?" I ask without moving.

"I think it's five in the morning. You wanna get some fresh air?"

"How many times did I wake you up like this?" I let out the question that had been bothering me ever since I woke up.

"Hey?" He pulls away to look at me with a frown on his face. "You didn't wake me up. Instead, I woke you up. Okay? You don't have to worry about things that don't matter."

"But it does matter! It matters to me! I can't stand all this, okay? I can't just keep on wrecking you up because I can't get over something."

"Did you even listen to yourself, Cheryl? You sound ridiculous. I know where you're going with all this bullshit, so let me make it very clear before you decide to hit rock bottom. I am here to share your nightmares, Cheryl. I am here to stay. Nothing, I repeat, nothing will change that for me and it's high time you make your peace with it. And if you can't, then tough luck. Because I love you."