PRISTINE SCARS

NIGHTMARE FUEL

Agni  stayed at home for the next week. He had to, he caught a cold severe enough to make him unable to get up from bed for two days.

But after he got well, he welcomed the alone time in his house. He lived in a separate house, alone, though his parents lived in the same city, and hostel just wasn't cut out for him. He loved his house, it was not big, compact, and cozy just like he liked it, he always felt comfortable here, sleep cane easy to him in his house.

Except the last two days. He had trouble falling asleep, and woke up in the middle of the night when he did fall asleep. The reason was the same for the first few times he tries to sleep, he remembered the two figures backstage, the fact that she hadn't called to check on him didn't help. Then the things he saw under closed eyelids began to change.

He began to see eyes, clear gray ones, piercingly looking into his own, accompanied by a voice as rich as smoke

"I always thought you were boring, seems I was wrong"

These words echoed around in his head, rattling his resolve, he felt afraid, frightened, he had bared himself, to someone he didn't even know, and going by what she said, to someone harmful to him, or more accurately, his shell. He decided to stay away from her at all costs, but still the eyes followed him in his dreams, his dreams were his own, but the eyes always watched him, a passive, unnerving observer.

He was in his underwear all those seven days, a light loosening for his shell to heal
He had to get his act together. The day he went back to college was looming. But one thing kept pestering him, even more than her kissing his best friend, he had been hoping that had been a mistake, or a misunderstanding, but even Manik hadn't called.

Manik was the only friend he had.
Sure, he was in good terms with everyone, but Manik was his only friend, ever since seventh grade. He had gone away for sometime after that incident in seventh grade, but they had met again three years later and had started exactly where they left off. He had always been protective of Agni, not that he needed it, but he had been, then again, he was the only one who was close enough to know, really know, about him.

The fact that the only one who knew him, hadn't even called to inquire, at least about his health, hurt. The feeling that he may have been abandoned, hurt more.

The day came. He walked into his classroom before anyone else, as usual, and picked up the seat by the window, as usual, and lied down and began preparing himself for the role he had to play today, the possible scenarios that he would face and the propable lines he had to say.

Then he felt a tap in his shoulder and he looked up by reflex.

Looked up into the gray eyes which had fueled his nightmares.