RAINDROPS

Chapter 22

When the trunk closed I felt betrayed, more betrayed than I've ever been. But I didn't get a lot of time to think about it. Suddenly it felt like I was falling. I stretched out my arm, grabbing at anything to keep me from going down. It didn't work, I was grasping at nothing but air.

'Don't tell me this is another hallucination.' I mutter to myself. The darkness consumes me. I keep falling, but I don't have the energy to scream. I'm all alone and I abandoned the only person who actually wanted to help me. Jack was right, I can't believe Nick did this to me. Does he really want to kill me? I thought... I thought he... I feel myself choking up.

Then suddenly I hit ground. Or whatever it is that I'm hitting. I don't feel pain or anything I just stopped falling. Against what my senses are telling me I stand up. My eyes are starting to get used to the light and I can see what surrounds me. I'm not in the trunk of Nick's car anymore. I'm back at my house. 

Before I can breath freely I hear a noise. I can't exactly make out what it is, but it's coming from above me. It's probably not a good idea to check ik out, but I'm doing it anyway. It's my house, I have the right to be here. As I make my way up the stairs the sound becomes clearer and I can make out what it is. Someone is crying.

As I follow the sound I finally realise where it is coming from. Immediately a sort of sense of deja vu comes over me. This has happened before, although no one was crying then. The sound is coming from the bathroom, the same bathroom I first met Nick in. This can't be a good sign right? But I can't help myself, I need to know. I do the same as I did then and get the baseball bat from the closet. As I slowly open the door I see a hunched over figure on the spot Nick was sitting last time. It's a guy, but I can't figure out who it is. He's facing the wall.

'Hello?' I ask warily, as I slowly walk toward him. He doesn't respond. His body is shocking from the crying. I can almost hear his tears falling on the floor. Who is this guy? Why is he crying? Why is he here? It shocks me to see someone like this. It reminds me of how I cried when I found out my parents died. What happened to him? I come even closer and touch his shoulder in a calming gesture. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm so sorry.' he says. He doesn't seem to be paying attention to me. He's just talking to the wall. His voice sounds somewhat familiar, but I can't seem to place it. It sounds raspy and dull, as if he's been screaming and crying for a long time. 'I shouldn't have...' he chokes up. This only urges me to say more.

'Can I help you?' I ask, not knowing what else to say. He still doesn't respond. It's like I'm not even here. Am I not really here though?

'I just wish there was a way to turn everything around, to go back and change everything I did. If I never met you, maybe this wouldn't have happened.' He has his hand on the wall. I don't understand what he's talking about, what wouldn't have happened? 'I would trade places with you within a heartbeat, but I can't. I can't do anything. I'll have to live the rest of my life knowing that you hate me, but that's okay. I deserve it.'

'What no!' I yell out, touching his shoulder again. 'Who could deserve something like that. This isn't right!' He still doesn't notice me and thus doesn't respond. What he says next finally makes me realize who is sitting in front of me. Something I should've probably realised earlier.

'I'm really sorry Al.' he says. I immediately take my hand off his shoulder staggering back a couple of steps. It can't be... The baseball bat slips out of my hand and loudly clatters on the floor. I turn around and run as fast as I can. I make it down the stairs and frantically curse myself for not realising earlier. I have to get out of here.

The front door flies open and a big man comes into my sight. I realise it just a second too late, because I run into him at full speed. It takes another second for me to realise who it is, Nick's dad. I saw him in a vision before. Is that vision happening now?