Midnight Grey

Chapter 2 School Begins

The words of my book enter my mind as a soft melody, flowing like the slender notes of a piano song and make my muscles go limber. I am about to fade into a pleasant slumber, when I realize its time to head out. Triumph courses through me for I believe I've gotten back to my routine and the dream will no longer affect me or at least, I hope.

As I head down the sidewalk, I avoid eye contact with random people. My head slumps over as my feet drag across the ground. My arms cross over my chest, signaling I am closed off, I'm uninviting. Over time with walking like this, the voices of the crowd have become mumbled in the background of hazy scenery; my solitary focus is on my desired destination. Today however, a particular conversation seems to catch my undivided attention.

"I'm telling you Matt's party was pretty fun." The girl's voice is light and filled with a sort of spunky energy.

"Well, maybe I'll go with you next week. If not to have fun than at least to keep you out of trouble." The familiarity of his honey voice sparks my interest instantly.

My hands fall to my sides and as if I am imagining him now, there he is. In the grass, he is leaning his toned body against the trunk of a maple tree, unobservant of how his bronze skin appears in the sunlight as he smiles at this petite, spikey haired brunette.

I'm in a trance. I am moving, but in a slow haze as if I've walked back into my dream.

"I won't get into trouble." She says as she waves her hands in protest.

"I'm sure." His grin widens.

"Um, someone is staring at you." She crinkles her tiny nose in my direction.

He turns to glance at me and his playful smile changes to a serious expression. I gaze into his piercing blue eyes with my mouth falling open. Then, I trip.

Before I hit the pavement, my hands go out in reflex. My palms instantly sting from the loose rocks cutting into them, and my chest burns as my backpack smashes me down into the concrete.

"Hey are you okay?" Footsteps scrunch through the grass coming quickly towards me; his eyes are filled with concern. He kneels beside me as I painfully push myself up onto my knees.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I scuff, rapidly brushing my dirty, skinned palms on my thighs as my face heats up in embarrassment.

He gives me an amused but welcoming smile and offers his hand to help me up. The warmth from his hands almost make me forget the burn from my fresh scrapes and causes my bones to melt.

As we stand, our eyes lock and my heart begins twanging like a giant elastic band.

Then a cold shiver rushes down my spine as a flashback of his fading gaze floods my mind. I cringe and pull my hand away from his grasp. "Um...Thank you...I...I have to go to class." Turning I start running away from the image of his death, from him.

I keep sprinting as everything goes silent around me. The settle tapping of my footsteps are quiet compared to the heavy panting of my breath going in and out. My heart thumps loudly in my eardrums and the pulse of blood rushes through my temples. The rush of wind lifts my hair as I strain to force the memory out of my head.

My thoughts start to wonder to the question if I truly am going insane, if I'm hallucinating. Almost like I was walking on a solid path, but somehow, the road cracked and something came up from below, creeping up inside me and pulling me down into the darkness. I'm stuck facing this beautiful angel, which will ultimately lead me to something that will pierce my heart like several pin knives. The pain will grow, but I'll have to live with the agony. The worst part is I cannot get back to my reality. I'm stuck in my hallucination. Though even with my emotions growing darker, I force myself out of my head to return to my surroundings which pass as quick as my thoughts arriving in class before anyone else.