No Coincidence

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

She was running through a brightly lit hallway. As she came to a cross roads she stopped. She could hear the voices of those she loved floating up from all the different hallways. The footsteps behind her got louder and she glanced over her shoulder. The way she’d just come was now blanketed in dark. There seemed to be a cold breeze coming from that way and she felt the goose bumps rise on her skin. As the hair on her neck stood on end she turned back to the cross roads. She had a choice to make. She could only choose one hallway and in turn only one room to go into and save that person.

Who did she want to save? That was easy, everyone.

Who could she save? She had no idea. Who should she save? She was clueless. As a shiver ran down her spine she quickly closed her eyes did a small 360 turn and ran one way. As she started to run she opened her eyes and saw the doors already passing by. Each one someone she loved, each one calling out to her, each one she passed. Without warning to her brain, her body stopped at a door. Slowly she turned towards the door. She saw the lights a couple doors down begin to flicker. Too slowly of her liking, her hand reached out and grabbed the handle. She turned it and almost fell into the room. As the light outside the door flickered she slammed the door and bolted it closed.

She turned in the dark towards what she assumed was the rest of the room. Suddenly a light lit a figure curled up in the corner. At first she thought it was just a bunch of rags, then she saw the middle of it rise and fall and she realised she was watching someone breathing. She took a step closer until she was almost on it and crouched down. She reached her hand out and watched the being flinch. After slightly drawing her hand back she reached out again, like one does when first meeting an animal. She reached up and moved the long dirty hair out of their face. As she looked into their face she gasped. Dropping the hair she started to scramble back towards the door. The figure rose and started towards her. Now she could see the sharp claws extending on from the fingers as they flexed their hands. Swallowing Ava hit a wall. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips and she tried to go further back. T

he figure stood straight as it continued towards her. It now stood at just over six feet. Ava felt the tears rolling down her face and swallowed, awaiting whatever it was the figure was going to do to her. It stopped in front of her and just like her it crouched. Then just like her it moved a piece of hair out of her face. Unlike her it smiled and she saw the rows of sharp teeth crowding the upper and lower jaw. The hand that held her hair moved to the back of her neck and started to pull her forwards. As she got closer she looked into their eyes and a sob rose up and out of her throat. She knew this person. And she loved them. They moved their head closer and down a little that’s when she realised they were going for her neck.

“Only you can save him.” said a big deep voice. Ava now understood what she had to do. So, willingly, she offered her neck and braced herself for the pain. She felt the figure nuzzle her neck then without warning he dug his many teeth into her neck…

Ava woke up screaming. Matt was sitting beside her on her bed and before she could stop it she flinch away from him.

“Hey,” he started. “Its okay, it’s over. It was just a bad dream.” Ava swallowed and looked over him. She saw his hands ended with the same finger nails they had last night. She could only see one set of sparkling white teeth in his mouth. And he was clean, his hair short. Ava suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him close. After a slight hesitation she felt his arms circle her and hold her tight.

“It’s over, it’s okay.” He kept whispering in her ear as she sobbed into his shoulder. Ava buried her face in the crook of his neck and cried. When the tears had subsided and the sobbing had stopped Ava pulled away to look at his face. After first wiping her face for any stray tears or snot she looked up at him expecting to see pitting burning bright in his eyes. Instead she saw something she didn’t quite understand. Before she could stop him, he pulled her into his lap and held her tight. He buried his face in her hair and all Ava could do was wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tight.