Dreamless Nights

Chapter 1: right after

"GET BACK HERE EMERALD EYES!"
I was running as fast as I could, my heart pumping in my chest, lungs burning. I could feel my head pounding, a sharp pain coming from the place my right eye used to be. How I'm still alive is beyond me. I was so close to getting out of this horrible place. I could see the blurred exit nearing closer to me. I dare not to look back as that never goes well in any situation. Before I could get to the door I trip on something. I fall to the ground, groaning in pain. Before I could get up I feel something grab my arm, I try to yank my arm away but whatever is holding it has an iron grip. I look back to see what's holding me and I manage to make out a figure of a person. The person looks terrified, clearly in shock from something in front of him. I turn to look at what seems to be troubling him so much and I have to rub the tears away from my remaining eye and what I see makes me want to vomit. Before me is what I can only assume is the wall rider viciously killing Mr. Blair. I try to let out a scream but I'm in so much shock that nothing comes out, so I'm just sat there with my mouth gaping open. The man that stopped me squeezes on my arm causing me to look back at him. I realize that I know him, both of us decided that we need to expose this place. "Ashley?" I can barely make out that he says my name. I nod my head so he knows that I heard him, he continues "It's me, Waylon Park!" He looks relieved to see me, this makes me hive a small smile. I reach out to grab his hands " I can't believe you're alive!" I say through tears. We start to move into a hug but before I could embrace him, I begin to feel light headed. Everything around me starts to become blurry, I must finally lost enough blood to cause me to pass out. Waylon is saying something by I can't make out his words as everything around me goes dark.

I wake up suddenly, being thrown forward. I let out a scream, not knowing what just happened. I feel my head pounding, but the sharp pain where my right eye should be has subsided and doesn't hurt as much. I feel someone put their hand on my arm, yanking me up, this causes me to jump. "Careful now, I'm not going to hurt you ok?" I look over to see where the voice came from. I see that it's from a man with messy black hair. I look him up and down and notice that he has holes in his shirt and is also missing a finger from each hand. My heart rate accelerates "Who are you? What happened?" I say, my voice shaky. He brings one of his hands down taking hold of one of mine and he looks me in the eye "My name is Miles Upshur, the person driving the car is your friend Waylon Park, him and I carried you to my car after escaping the hell that is Mount Massive." He spoke in a calm and soothing voice, it made me feel safe "You passed out from blood loss, when we got you in the car I sat in the back with you as Waylon drove off. I grabbed my first aid kid that I had in the back tried my best to bandage you up properly." I reach my free hand up and feel the bandages around my right eye. I swallow hard as I try to calm myself down. "We're almost there." I can hear Waylon say from the front. Where was it that we were going, the logical part of me thinks a hospital, but my emotional side hopes not because I don't think I want to be around doctors after what happened to me. We pull into a driveway and Waylon turns off the car. Was this his house? Miles opens his door and gets out while Waylon opens my door and helps me out. He limps over to the door and rings the bell. "Just a minute!" A female voice says from inside the house. The sound of the door unlocking can be heard and then the door opens revealing a woman in pajamas looking tired. "Sorry but we have some guests." Waylon says almost sobbing. The woman stands in shock, tears forming in her eyes, before she could speak Waylon hugs her tightly and sobs into her shoulder. "I thought I would never see you again, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry." He looks back up at her and the lock eyes, and then they kiss. Confused I then see something around her ring finger, a golden ring. This must be Waylon's wife, Lisa. Both of them step inside and Lisa ushers Miles and I inside. I give her a light smile acknowledging my gratitude. She helps Waylon walk over to the living room where he basically falls onto the couch, moaning in pain. Miles and I stand in the doorway awkwardly as we didn't know what to do. All of us were bloody messes having either been punched, stabbed, or cut into. "Please sit, both of you look like you have been through hell and back." Lisa gestures over to the other couch. Both Miles and I walk to the couch and sit down, and I for one have not felt this comfortable. "If it's not too much to ask, may we please get some water to drink?" Miles asks quietly. Lisa jumps up "Absolutely, would you like anything to eat as well?" Miles shakes his head "I don't think I can eat after what I've been through, but thank you." She nods and looks over to me "anything I could get for you Ashley?" I was surprised she knew my name, Waylon must have mentioned our names to her "uh, may I please get some toast with butter on it, thank you" I say quietly. She smiles at me "ok, I'll be right back with the water and your food shortly." She gives us all a warm smile and then walks over to the kitchen. I look around the room and see pictures of Waylon and his wife, one from their wedding day and some from casual dates. I also see pictures of their kids, two boys. Looking at how happy Waylon looks with his family makes me feel warm inside. I look over at the two other men that are in the room and they both look half dead. I sigh and close my eye and feel myself start to tear up for what seems like no reason at all. I feel someone start to rub my back trying to comfort me. I open my eye and look over to see that it is Miles, tears falling down my face. "Hey, we are safe now, we got out and are safe." He gives me a warm smile and I give him a small smile back. Suddenly something is placed in front of me, it's my toast and water. Lisa looks down at me and gives me the warmest smile I've ever seen, it makes me feel warm inside, Waylon was definitely a lucky man. "Thank you Lisa, I can't thank you enough for being so nice to us for suddenly showing up here out of nowhere." She just shakes her head "No don't worry about, you have been through so much just like my husband so you deserve to rest." I smile back at her and take a sip of my water, it felt so good going down, it's been a full day since I've had actual water. I let out a small laugh and Miles looks at me "What's wrong Ashley?" He asks me, I look over at him smiling "I just haven't had water for more than a day, I never knew how much I actually appreciate water." He smirks and takes a sip of his water and then almost jugs it all but has to stop so he can breath. He lets out a long sigh and then starts to chuckle "You are right, this is heavenly." We both laugh together, I haven't laughed like this in such a long time, and after what just happened I needed this. I then take a bite of my toast and I have never thought toast had so much flavor to it. "Miles you have to have to have some if this toast, it tastes so good." He chuckles and takes the toast from my hands and takes a bite and smiles "Dang who knew toast could be this good." Both Miles and I were laughing over toast now and it felt refreshing. Waylon was sitting with his wife and she was playing with his hair. "Hey Lisa? Can you help me up the stairs please, I want to try and take a shower." Waylon said sitting up. Lisa  smiled and helped him up "sure honey, but I think it's best you take a bath so you don't put more weight on you bad leg." He nodded and they both left to head upstairs. And with that Miles and I were left alone downstairs.