Silenced by the Night

Nightmares

There was a pressure in my arm, like someone was pulling me to get into something. I turned to face the person that was pulling me. Caroline stood there holding the tight rope on my arm while Nathan was being pushed in a car. And suddenly starting to drive of; driving far from all of us, away from me. Caroline turned my head to face her and fired a gun in front of me.

I sat up awakened by my dream, gasping for air. That was a huge nightmare, this was the first time I had a nightmare. I went back to sleep and saw another dream. I was hoping that it wasn’t another nightmare.

Nathan was standing there apart from me. Smiling so innocently, but he was sitting so far from me that it was hard to tell what was going on. Caylah approached him and sat down beside the space beside him. He gave her a smile then kissed her afterwards.

My position happened again. Nightmares kept coming back to me. It was so awkward how Caylah kissing Nathan became my nightmare.

My head was aching while I was in school. The teacher looked so confusing. Alice was staring at me so awkward. But the nightmare was playing on my mind over and over again. The feeling of Nathan hiding something from me grew stronger.

“Are you OK?”

Alice patted my back gently. The bell rang making me feel so relieved. Paige approached me down the hall holding a thick envelope on her hand. But what will she say if I told her about my nightmares? That would be horrible.

There was blood everywhere on my door. Hand prints made of blood, a knife soaked half part in blood. There was a duffel bag under the single bed beside the window; there was a hand print made of blood on it. Most of all it was Nathan’s. Sneakers and boots were scattered on the foot of my bed. I opened my door and saw drips of blood leading down the stairs. A body was lying lifeless under the stairs. The hair was covering its face. I rushed over to it and saw his face; the gorgeous face that was always with me everyday.

The event kept happening. Now my gasp was heavier and sharper. I stroke a hand through my hair and looked at the empty bed by the window. I needed Nathan. There were such things that made me troubled. I went back to sleep, peacefully without any nightmares.

My door burst open revealing Paige holding my shoulder bag.

“Time for school, you’re not gonna be absent because Nathan is gone”

“Nate has a family reunion and it’s for his own good”

“You miss him, do you?”

“I really do”

She handed me my bag and skipped downstairs. Her trail reminded me of the trail of blood going down the stairs. That dream was so painful to remember. It was my worst nightmare.

“Ellie, take a shower; we’re going to school together”

My head was turning; why was I dreaming about that? And most of all, why did Nathan looked a little older? Like the age of 16.

Paige walked with me to school; walking past Nathan’s house and hearing laughter and yells inside it reminded me of the time with my dad.

“Ellie, are you OK?”

“Yeah, I just miss Nathan”

“Maybe you should go and visit him”

“No, it’s best to stay away from his family while they’re having a reunion”

My hair was longer, my skin was lighter. I was wearing my red sun dress; I looked like a 15 year old, a freshman in high school. There was a honk downstairs; I looked through my window and saw Nathan’s family car. A moving truck was following them. Caylah went in my room holding a small piece of paper.

“Horrible isn’t it? Seeing the only person you’re close to leave”

A tear streamed down my face while I was staring at the car leaving.

“Yeah, I know your answer. And by the way Nathan left this for you”

His hoodie was thrown in front of me. The blue hoodie he had always wanted to buy when we were going somewhere. His scent was imprinted on the clothing. I couldn’t believe he left me his most favorite thing.

“Oh and by the way my comment for him: He was a great boyfriend”

I stood up my eyes were tearing up. My body was sticky from the sweat. I turned to the empty bed and still missed Nathan tossing and turning on the bed. I walked towards it and sniffed his scent on the covers and the pillow. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him. I felt like I was nothing without him. Why was it like this? Why were my nightmares about him being taken away from me? Being with Caylah? Why were they like that? What did she mean by ‘He was a great boyfriend’? Nathan isn’t hiding a secret is he? If he is hiding a secret he would have told me. There was something that was happening that I did not like; something so uncomfortable to me.

Whispers were going down my head in the Saturday morning; an early Saturday morning. It was only a week since Nathan visited me, why was I so depressed?

Caylah kept giving me glares while I was sitting on the couch all on my own. Nathan’s voice kept echoing in my head; he was saying small but amazing things to me. There was fire in her eyes while she was staring at me. It’s been a year since we last talked; but she told me something last night in my dream that felt so uncomfortable. Was that in real life? Did someone sent that dream to me to let me know about something? Was it Caylah or Nathan’s biggest secret? Is Nathan really hiding something?

Paige was sitting on the grass in the backyard staring at the purple sky. She was the only person who understood nightmares. She had nightmares as a child until now.

“Hey Ellie”

I sat down beside her and looked to where she was looking.

“Paige do you ever had nightmares that have the vision of… like… the one you love being taken away?”

“I had tons, why did you ask?”

“Because I kept getting nightmares about Nathan being taken away”

“They’re all normal; but I’ve never had a nightmare of the one I love being murdered”

That was my third nightmare. But why did that dream come to me. Why was my dream about Nathan being tortured? It was a torture for me as well.

What was the message of that dream?

Why were my dreams so awkward?

I’ve never had these dreams before. Did the nightmare last night really happened?

Caylah was the one who was always in the dream. She was always there. Standing beside Caroline, behind her or at the end of the hallway or staircase; she would be there. Was it time for the both of us to talk?

Maybe it was time for the both of us to get over what happened last year. It has been too long. But no, she’ll never accept my apology. Neither even me, I won’t do that. I got dropped out of school because of her. Nathan didn’t feel comfortable around the house because of her.

Nathan was embracing me in a hug when the door burst open. Caroline stood there with Caylah beside her. She pushed Nathan out of the room and pulled me all the way downstairs. There was a car waiting outside, my bags inside the trunk. Caylah pushed me inside and locked the door. The car started and arrived at the airport. A family was waiting in the tunnel. I cannot be sent away with this family. I was pushed inside the plane before it took off without Nathan.

My breath was sharp as I stood up. That was my worst dream ever.

Is our friendship troubled?