Between the stars and the sky

2- D r e a m s & R e a l i t y

The faint aroma of alcohol and antiseptics stirred me awake. My eyes fluttered open, vision still cloudy. Beams of sunlight cascaded through the curtains and cast it's light over my face. My initial reaction was to shield my face from the sun but my arm didn't move. It was like I couldn't communicate with my own body.

"She's waking up." A muffled voice called out.

I couldn't hear either, it was very patchy and faint but I could make out some words.

"Shut the curtains, and put her back to sleep NOW! She can't wake up."

I couldn't hear exactly what they said but it bbb came from a distinctive, older, dominating voice who carried on barking orders with a voice of authority. That's when he came to view, I mentally cursed myself as my vision had not gone back to normal and it was still very grainy. However, I could make out some of his features, pepper gray hair and a warm caramel tan. His eyes looked nervous and well as they say,

'The eyes are the window to the soul'

Even though I could barely see, his eyes were full off melancholy and something else, a hardness? They painted a million memories all stained with blood and tears. Whoever this man was, he had seen things and done things that I probably wouldn't want to know of. Yet, the glimmer of care in his eyes confused me. I didn't even know him, yet something in his face felt so raw and familiar.

"Go to sleep Aleah." he whispered.

Aleah? Who in the world...yeah no, last time I checked that was not my name.

With that last thought, my eyelashes crashed shut just as I felt the cold jab of a needle on my side.

~~

"WAKE UP WOMAN!" A voice screamed, " You could have at least told me you were coming over."

My eyes opened now instantly and I immediately sat up. Wait what? My body, it's fine. Huh. My vision was perfectly clear and my shoulder, it was better than ever. My tee wasn't even soaked in orange. Yeah orange, like the blood I saw? My eyes trailed to the front door, where Kenji was staring at me like I was some specimen he was dissecting, until he spoke.

"Uh, why are you looking at yourself like you've never seen yourself before?"

My throat was dry, and more importantly why was I in Kenji's apartment? Was I not just in some weird dude's place and wait,
I rushed off the plush, neon sofa and stumbled to the window. It was dark outside, the silver coin high in the clouds and the stars perfectly aligned in the night sky, reflecting its moonlight. I opened the window and it was definitely Kenji's apartment, as I could smell the wafting aroma of tobacco hanging in the air from the grandma's balcony next door. Yes I know weird but she was for sure, one lively grandma.

"Gurl, get your ass over here and have some of this right now."

I turned around and Kenji was holding out a glass of water for me. I hesitantly sipped it and gradually my throat cleared up. My head however was still heavy as though there was a weight pulling it down.

"Did you bring me here?" I asked hoarsely.

"WHAT? I came in to MY home and there you were looking all dead on MY sofa," he stated adamantly, "I nearly choked on my latte if that's even possible, when I saw YOU!"

"Wait so I was here?"

"Did you pay attention to anything I just said?" Kenji snapped.