Run (Excerpt)

Mary

"Honey, Honey!" Firm hands rock my shoulders. My mom's face is an inch away. "You better wake up."

"I got it, I got it... I'm awake," I turn on my side. 

She glares, "I got to leave for work." I nod "I won't always be here to wake you. Breakfast is set downstairs."

"Thank you," I close my eyes.

"See you," she kisses my forehead before she leaves.

"Bye," I try to smile but even my face feels exhausted. I turn to find the cool side of my pillow. It feels relaxing and smoothing and impossible not to drift into a different world.

It's almost pitch black until a warm orange flame flickers in the distance. Streaks of yellow twirl up.

A breeze. No, I shake my head, what am I thinking. I walk forward, and I could start to feel it. The scorching heat warms my skin.

I see more now. Gravel crunches underneath my slow and weary steps. The sky drains any colour.  The dusty cement buildings are broken and cracked up, stone missing everywhere.

The building's remains lie on the ground. Specks of black and grey debris fall from the sky. There wasn't any grass or green, just dirty gravel or charcoal-coloured dirt. 

My heart clenches and I gasp. I struggle to breathe through my nose. There was absolutely nothing in this...place. The air was debris and smoke and the charcoal aroma of burning ash and rubble. 

My head stings, I grunt. Something rocks back and forth in my head,  banging...a knocking sound.

"Hey," A soft, male voice says. I flinch at firm hands squeezing my shoulder.

"There is something banging in my head," I say and he nods.  " You can hear me?!" 

He scrunches his nose. "Of course, I can. Dear, are you ok?"

I shake my head, "yea, I'm ok."

"Come on," he said softly. I look up at him and nod. Why was he so tall? He didn't even have to stretch his arm to touch my shoulder as he guided me.

He turned the corner, and we reach a grey-stoned building. There were no windows or doors, except for a square opening in the wall. The building was surprisingly intact, in comparison to the other run-down buildings. He ducks in, and I just walk through to be greeted by another cluster of people.

They all smile. One old lady bends down, her hand on my shoulder, "Hi sweetie."

"Ma'am" I nod.

"Don't run off again," she says softly.

"Yes ma'am," she returns a smile.

I look around to everyone else. Five people sit around the table.  There's an old man, a young girl with vivid red hair,  an old woman with emerald green eyes, a young man with a stubble beard and a little boy who hides behind him. I didn't know what to think of everyone.

"Where's Mary?" I say. I question myself... this is me. But not. I feel everything that she is feeling. That I am feeling? But... I'm not controlling what I do.

They all look down. "Honey, we don't know." The old lady said. "Don't worry she'll be ok, she's with Him, now you're a little dirty, go wash yourself up."

I somehow knew where I was headed. I walk to the side where there was a curtain and went to the other side. There was a small bucket of water and an abundance of towels beside a floor length mirror. 

I go to that, to be startled by what I see. I touch my face, my hands are small. It was a little girl. It was.... me? Me as a little girl. Now that I think about it I never saw any pictures. Lily and Rose had baby pictures, but they were stored in the attic. I somehow knew that this was me when I was seven I think.

My tangled and messy black hair fell to my shoulders. My cheeks were red, and there are faint dark circles under my eyes. Dirt marks were on my collarbones and forehead. I touch the mirror. Everything feels so real. I splash some water onto my face. It was a very soothing and relaxing feel.

I closed my eyes. What is this? There's a tugging thought in my head, everything felt so familiar. I take the towel to wipe my face. And I start towards the curtain I stop. I hear something. I stay and listen.

"WELL SHE" Is all I make out, it was a male voice, that said it angrily.

"Shush! We don't want her to hear anything!" The old lady whispers. But I hear it. And I hear faint buzzing in the distance.

I realize something, there was a door to the outside behind the second curtain, which I find myself running out of. The cool of the outside suddenly hits me. They must have heard me tripping over pots, as I hear, "Cora! Cora!" I hear. So it is me... was me?

Then I see it. I must have seen it before. I feel myself whimper out a "Mary!" There's a man with a girl draped in his arms. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a dark gaze. I follow him as he finds a bed, quiet and worried. My brain is going crazy, with different thoughts rattling in my head that wasn't mine... well were mine? It feels like my future and past thoughts have spun out of control.

He puts the girl down on one of the gurneys. Her temple was red and sweaty, which her blond hair clings to. I close my eyes. The man looks at me, "I'm sorry."

I start to sob, backing up against the back wall, I slide down to the ground, and I bury my head in my knees. I start to rock. "No."

"Honey..." a concerned voice.

"No!" I say louder.

"Hey..."

"No, no, no, no, make it stop!"

"Sweetie it's --"

"Stop! No! Mary! NO!"

"NO!"

"Hey! Hey!" Someone rocks my shoulder.

"NO!" I blink. I'm sitting up. I see Hero, she is at the side of my bed, her hands on my shoulder. I close my eyes. Darkness. I open my eyes again,
Hero furrows her brow and watches me with wide-eyed concern. I breathe heavily and fast, my chest tightens. Up and down. Until I find my restless voice again, "Hero..."

"Come on," she helps me up and guides me downstairs. I sit and try to relax in the chair. She brings me a cup of tea, which I must admit relaxes my body. Then sits opposite of me, she sighs and looks at me. And I start to cry. "Hero, what is happening?"

"Cora, what did you dream about..."

"Was it even a dream?! It felt so real!" I  stuttered and shrank into the chair. "I was little... I was 5 and... Mary..."

Her reassuring face was grim, "Mary." She said to herself. Bringing her hands up to her face, she brushed her hair back and sighed. "you're remembering."

I grimace. No wonder they were familiar, it happened.

"These are memories, you were five when all of this... these things happened. The more you sleep it off, and stop taking the pills the more you'll remember, it will all come back. As it pains me to say... all of it will."

I sigh. What have I gotten myself into?

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Thanks for reading, what do you think?? This was one of my Nanowrimo ideas I never finished...

Continue?? Ideas???