Can You Hear the Stars Calling?

Bittersweet Confrontation

He's here. He's here. He's here. He's here. He's here. I couldn't stop the thoughts from pouring out. Help me. Help me. Help me, please. Over and over again they came.

It rushed toward me. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Please! Make it all stop!

I turned my body over onto my stomach, trying to crawl away. Bile suddenly rose in my throat and a panic shook my frame. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die. I-I-...

I can't do anything. I can't run. I can't hide. He's about to get to me. Die. Die. Die. I'm going to die. Die

I gave up. Whatever fire I had in my heart the last time I saw him flickered out in a puff of smoke.

Time seemed to slow, but I felt every millisecond ticking away as time ran out.

Instead of continuing to crawl away, I stopped, too afraid of him to even try to save myself. I curled up on my side against the door and wept, hugging myself tightly. Trying to protect myself from the inevitable. My eyes squeezed shut. Help. Help. Help. Panicked thoughts repeated over and over again in pleading mantra. 

Terror paralyzed my senses. I suddenly felt nothing and everything at the same time. I was numb with fear.

Time regained began speeding up. I was awake the entire time, but holes began to dot my memory. 

I was on the ground, curled up and shaking. But then, suddenly, I was being shaken by something else.

A muffled voice shouted something but everything was too unfocused to understand. No! No! No!

Thunder boomed again and again. Every time seeming to grow louder and closer. It chased me into my own mind, closing the space between the outside world and my conscious. No. No. No! Stop!

At some point after the third thunder crack I remember instead of being curled up on the ground, I was lying on my back on something hard and flat. I was still wheezing, trying to take in any air.

How I got there, I had no idea. When I'd hit the hard surface, it felt like those dreams where someone is falling and falling and then right before they hit the ground, they wake up. At this point, my thoughts were too incoherent to understand. They were a jumbled mix of terrified screams and pleading. Or were those screams real?

But this time when I hit the surface, I felt the impact as I hit the ground. The bile in my throat suddenly flowed out of my mouth down the sides of my face.

I tried to take in air, but it blocked my airway. I couldn't breathe. That snapped me out of whatever was keeping me locked in place.

My body turned over and vomited. Everything I'd been holding in came flooding out. The fear, the shock, the anxiety. It took everything out of me and suddenly, I was struggling to keep upright.

I felt my body swaying and the last thing I remembered was falling.

***

A warm and gentle breeze caressed my face. The sounds of chirping drifted with in it.

The air freckled goosebumps on my skin exposed skin.

What time is it? Lazily, my mind worked to figure out when it was. Where it was.

Before I really had time to figure anything out, I stopped myself. No...we can...we can wait a bit longer.

I didn't want to know what I couldn't think of. Just a bit longer. Just a little bit more sweet ignorance.

I drifted back to sleep.

***

The next time I woke up, the sun shone brightly through my eyelids. A warm glow rested on my face with it. It was late in the day.

I slowly stretched my arms up and held them there, turning my wrists around. My muscles felt a little stiff. The taste in my mouth was stale and dry.

My content feeling turned into slight annoyance and sadness. Even if it felt so good to lie around all day in the sun, I'd have to face whatever it was that happened last night.

I dropped my arms to my chest and opened my eyes to the world. I was in my room at Milo's house.

I was still here, safe. Did Milo fight Mateo? But then, what about when I saw Mateo standing at the end of the hall? Where was Milo?

No matter how clouded and scary it all seemed, I was still here, safe and sound. I didn't even know how to go about recounting everything. I didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

I sighed. Now came the hard part. I'd put it off as long as I could. I'd slept as long as I needed. Time to wake up.

Setting off, I threw back the covers feeling anxious but refreshed at the extra sleep. Again, I was in an old T-shirt and flannel pants, but these were different than the ones I'd put on last night.

Just another piece of the puzzle. I sighed to myself.

I walked to the door and listened, but couldn't hear anyone moving. No pots and pans banging. No radio on. No Sam and Milo at each other's throats.

I cautiously stepped into the hall and down to the kitchen. Then I started to the hear whispering. It came from the living room.

I tip toed closer and leaned carefully against the wall next to the doorway.

"...just don't know what to do..." Milo whispered.

"Come on, Milo," Sam answered back. "She can't help it," She paused. "You didn't see that night like I did. What those men did to her."

"And you don't know what I saw last night!" He snapped back, still in a hushed tone. "She needs help, Sam. Real help from a real professional."

I'd never heard Milo so angry.

Silence hung in the air before Sam said, "Don't you think I know that, Milo? Don't you think I've seen how she is? I-" There was a pause. "I don't know what to do, okay? I know what she needs, but that piece is after her! How is she supposed to get help when he's using every bit of his power to track her down? I just...don't know..." she trailed off.

Milo sighed as if he didn't know what to say. I leaned my head back into the wall and closed my eyes. Nothing was going to stop that piece after all. I quietly sighed. This needed to stop.

I opened my eyes and stepped into the open, revealing myself to Sam and Milo. They jumped and stared from the two couches. I'm sure they were anxious to know how much I'd heard.

"Lynn, how long-" I cut Sam off.

"Listen," I started. "This isn't going to go away. And...I know how hard everything is right now. Really. But I just can't stay in the dark about everything," My voice rose in anger. They both stared waiting for me to continue. "I need to be able to work this out with you together," I sighed more quietly. I walked toward them and put a hand on both of their knees, kneeling to the floor. "Please."

They both gave each other worried looks, Sam's the most anxious. Milo gave a slight nod of his head. Heaving a sigh, Sam looked to me. She reached out her hand and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear.

She spoke gently. "Okay," Grabbing my hand, she held it tightly. "Let's all figure this out."

Author's Note: 

I will now be updating only on Mondays. I need time to think the plot through carefully and decide where I want to go from there. Thanks for your patience everyone :)