Nightmares

Chapter eight: Harper

I heard a voice above me and I looked up to see the boy with sapphire blue eyes from the other day. I startled, I thought I'd been alone here. I cursed myself for being so careless, what if it had been someone dangerous?

In the dim light, I saw him sink next to me as he watched me. I blinked back my tears and took a deep breath.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I replied.

Damn it. I hated people seeing me cry, and this boy had seen it twice now. I didn't even know him. Why was he talking to me? Couldn't he tell I'm a mess?

Though he looked rough too. His clothes were slightly crumpled; and his eyes shone with something other than moonlight. Nevertheless, those eyes still told me I couldn't hide from him, feeling a little exposed, I waited for him to say something.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

I smiled weakly. "No. No I can't."

He nodded once in understanding and looked out over the scenery. As we both waited for the other to speak, I noticed how his eyes seemed to catch everything.

"I'm Harper, by the way." I said.

"Carter." He replied, turning back to look at me.

I watched him, concerned, something seemed... off.

"Are you okay?"

"Been better. It's the night, isn't it? Everything seems different at night."

"Does it?" I asked.

"Yeah. Dark and gloomy and dangerous. But beautiful too." Carter told me.

I watched him for a few minutes, noticing how he slurred his words, and something clicked.

"Beautiful?" I asked.

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you." Grabbing my hand in his, we ran over to a place of proper darkness.

I started to panic, what was I doing? I was all alone, in the dark with a drunk stranger in a place where no one would hear me if I screamed. Oh shit.

"What are we doing here?" I asked him.

"Shh." He told me in a whisper, pointing to the sky. "Look."

I looked, up at the sky where the stars twinkled. They were so beautiful.

Carter sank down on the grass to look up at them properly and I sat down next to him.

"Wow." I said.

"Beautiful, right?" Carter asked.

"Yeah. There's so many, but how? I can't see stars from where I live." I told him.

"The lamplights make the sky too orange to see them. You need a place of true darkness to see these kinds of stars." He told me.

"What other kinds of stars are there?" I asked him.

"All kinds." He told me. "Everyone can see stars; you just have to imagine them."

I gazed back at the stars.

"I'm imagining them?" I asked hesitantly.

He laughed softly, "No. No these are quite real."

I watched him as he smiled and found myself smiling back.

"I knew you could smile." He said.

"You've been watching me?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Maybe a little." He said with a wink.

I smiled self-consciously. "What have you seen?"

He shrugged. "I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Well, when you do, please let me know." I said, "I've been trying to figure it out for years and I'm still no closer."

He smiled. "Noted."

We watched the stars for a moment in silence.

"So why are you up at this time of night?" I asked him.

"I suffer insomnia." He said. "Being up at this time of night is normal."

I nodded in understanding.

"What about you? Do you suffer it?" He asked me.

"No. I just couldn't sleep. Too much to think about." I said, taking a cigarette out of my pocket and lighting up. Taking a breath, I sighed and watched the smoke blow away.

He laughed softly. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

We were quiet for a few minutes, just watching the stars.

"You should go home, it's not safe out here." I said.

Carter scoffed. "Of course it's not."

I wondered what he meant by that. What had he seen?

I stood up, "You coming?"

He grumbled under his breath.

"Come on, I'll take you home. I need to make sure you get in safe." I told him.

"Fine. Fine." He muttered, standing up and taking my hand. "Come on, I live this way."

We walked towards his house, and he grumbled as he tried to find his keys. I waited patiently.

"Now how will I know you've got home safe?" He asked, watching me.

"I'll be fine." I told him.

He watched me challengingly, "Yeah right. I'm not buying that. Want to stay on the couch and go home tomorrow?" He asked me.

I watched him, was he crazy? No way I was going into his house, we had met only three hours ago.

"What?" He said, a slight slur in his voice.

"I'll get you to the couch, but then I'm leaving." I told him straight.

"You're going to walk home in the dark?" He asked me, narrowing his eyes.

"So you do." I snapped at him.

"And so I know better than anyone how dangerous it is." He snapped right back.

I backed off.

"So how will I know you've got home safe?" He repeated his question.

I sighed before an idea struck me.

"I'll give you my number. Then I'll text you the minute I get home." I told him.

He regarded me.

"Fine. Gimme your phone."

Handing it over, I watched as he typed in his number. He handed me my phone back and watched me.

"The second you get home, promise." He asked, giving me a meaningful look. He looked scared.

"Promise." I told him.

He grabbed me suddenly.

"Don't talk to anyone, stick to the lit streets, and if you feel a tingling in the back of your neck, no matter how small, run. Okay?"

I wasn't sure if it was just a drunk man being dramatic, but something in his eyes made me scared.

"I promise."

He let go, and as I walked away, I could feel his gaze burning into my back, and I wondered what had happened to make him so frightened.