Taylor for the Night

Chapter 14 Déjà Vu

The tires squealed as we pulled into the Jones' driveway.

As soon as the engine stopped, I grab my mom's shoulders and turn her to face me.

"Mom, you need to calm down. It's not good for your health!" I try reasoning with her, pleading with her not to do anything stupid.

She just stares at me in the same zoned off gaze from the house, before jumping out of the car and slamming the door harshly behind her.

I jump out of the car as fast as I can, but alas! My foot got caught in the seat belt! In a literal whirl of a moment, I find myself twisting around, falling through the open door, and landing with a loud thud on my back.

I let out a sharp breath as the back of my head makes a loud SMACK! with the cement only point seconds later.

I grab my head, groaning and wincing in pain. Slowly, I stumble to my feet, but I end up doubling over in pain and falling to the ground again. I must have given myself a nasty concussion.

I try standing up again and this time was somewhat successful. Slowly, in a foggy haze, I try to walk towards my mother. But, my 'walking' is like that of a drunk man...I am going every which direction and stumbling over my own feet!

I saw a movement....a blur...in front of me....right as the screaming and fighting broke out....

"TAAAAYYYYLORRRR!"

I heard Grace scream my name....saw her running towards me.....everything looked and felt like slow motion...and then my knees buckled underneath me...and I fell to the ground...hitting my head again.

I struggled to stay awake, I knew I had to stay awake. But my head was pounding, begging me, tempting me to fall asleep. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist it forever.

I heard yelling in the background and the sound of sirens approaching, but I still couldn't comprehend what was happening.

For a split second, I saw Grace's face hovering over me crying and whispering for me to stay with her. I meekly smiled at her trying to focus in her eyes. But strangely enough she was beginning to look more and more like Alex.

In fact, even her voice had seemed to have morphed into Alex and I felt like I was there again. In the past. Lying in the grass of A.J.'s front yard with Alex staring down at me.

I blinked my eyes trying to come back to reality, but still his voice and his face was there. The memory seemed to be real! I felt like I was re-living that entire nightmare again. The pain. The sounds. Alex.

Alex.

Alex had saved me at that party. He had been there. He had saved me.

And then a thought I had never thought before hit me....

'What was Alex doing at the party that night?'

And with that final thought, I lost the battle against the pain, and I slipped into darkness.