Broken Pieces

chapter five

Nadine held me close to her as I cried my eyes out. She came as soon as I called her and told her I needed her. I couldn't help but cry as I explained everything that happened today, from the incident at the local diner, to the heartbreaking news the doctor shared with me. I cried so much that at a point, I felt like my tear ducts weren't able to produce more tears.

My head was on Nadine's thighs as she raked her fingers through my hair while humming a tune.

"Are you okay?"
She looked down at me when I didn't respond, that's when I noticed her eyes were puffy. Seem like she's been crying too, but silently.

I sat up next to her and rested my head against the headboard.
"I don't know, am I?"

She took my hand in hers and squeezed it slightly, "everything is going to be fine, it has to."

I pulled my hand away from her and rubbed my face, "how?"

She was about to respond when her phone started ringing. She took it out of her pocket and rolled her eyes before picking up the call.

"Hello mom....yes I know....I know I'm grounded but Grace needed my help....yeah....yeah whatever, bye."

She huffed and dropped her phone carelessly on my bed.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you were grounded, I shouldn't have asked you to come."
My voice came out raspy so I cleared my throat.

"Are you kidding?! I don't care, you are my best friend and you needed my help, I just can't leave you hanging, besides, I told her that you needed my help and she totally understood, though I'm still grounded, I'm only allowed to visit you."

I smiled at her, "thank you Nadine. I love you."

She pulled me in for a hug, "I love you too Gracie cakes."

She pulled away from me and got up, "are you hungry?"

I nodded, "a little bit. What are you gonna order?"

She scoffed, "I'm not ordering, I'm preparing it myself."

After my mom, Nadine and Devin are the only ones who have stood by me through these tough times, and I love them both with my whole life. 

"Have some rest while I prepare dinner." She said and closed the door behind her.

All the stress of the day came to me in full force, so I lay down, and a few seconds later I began to feel sleepy.

****
My eyes opened slowly to blinding lights, making me snap them shut for a few seconds, when I felt my eyes would be able to adjust to the light, I opened them again and blinked a few times to let them focus. When I totally regained my focus, that's when I took in my surroundings. I was lying on the floor of a room, which I don't recognize at all. The walls were painted grey and there was not a single furniture. The room was just....empty and, gloomy.
Where the hell is this place? What am I even doing here, alone. Wait....ALONE?! I stumbled up on my feet and looked around the room.
"Nadine! Nadine!!" I screamed from the top of my lungs but all I heard in response was the echo of my own voice. Just then, a door across the room caught my attention so I ran towards it and tried turning the knob but it was locked.
"Someone help me!! Is anyone out there?! Please help me if you can hear me! Please!"

Frustrated tears ran down my cheeks when I heard no answer. I continued to turn the knob until it finally fell off, and just then, the lights went out. My whole body was trembling in fear, and I was finding it hard to breathe. I sat down on the floor and pulled my knees to my chest as I rocked myself back and forth.
I noticed a movement a few feet from where I was sitting, so I squinted my eyes to get a better look in the pitch dark room, but it was no use.

"Hello? Is...someone there?"
I could hear my rapid heartbeat in the silent room. I walked further and that's when I noticed....a silhouette. The same one I saw walking past my bathroom a day ago. My eyes went wide and I began to back away, I noticed he was walking towards me so I started moving backwards slowly.

"Please don't hurt me....I'm begging you....I don't know what I'm doing here, I don't even know how I got here in the first place..."
My back hit against the door as it continued coming closer to me. I held up my hands in an attempt to stop it from coming any further, but it kept coming, and as soon as it came right in front of me, it passed through me.....

"Leave my body!!!! Let me go!!! Please come out of me!!!!" I screamed out loud and that's when I noticed I was back in my room. My body was drenched in sweat and my hair was sticking to my forehead. I rested my back on the headboard while trying to catch my breath. It was just a nightmare. I took deep breaths in and out with my eyes closed, and when I finally caught my breath, I opened my eyes.
My eyes then caught something across from me, and when I squinted them to get a better view of what it was, I screamed so loud my throat began to throb.
The same silhouette I saw in my dream, was standing right in front of me....in my room.

Suddenly the door opened and Nadine ran towards me,
"Grace? I heard you screaming, what happened?"
She switched on the light and sat down beside me.

My eyes were closed tightly while I held onto Nadine,
"Look behind you Nadine, someone is there...."

"Open your eyes Grace, no one's here, it's just the two of us."
She tried to take my hands away from my eyes but I shook my head.

"Just look properly....I saw it, he was standing right here."

"Listen to me Grace, there's no one here, please take your hands away from your eyes and see for yourself, I wouldn't lie to you."

I hesitated for a while before finally taking my hands off my eyes, I looked around the room, behind the curtains, and even under the bed, but I didn't find him.

"I swear, I saw him. He...h.."
I pulled at my strands in frustration.

Nadine got up and stood beside me,
"First of all, I heard you screaming, were you having a nightmare?" She took my hand and led me to the bed.

I nodded, "yes...I can't even begin to explain it...but in the dream, I saw a silhouette....I think he was trying to hurt me....then when I woke up, he was standing right here....in my room!"

She rubbed my back in soothing circles, "it's just a nightmare, okay? But it's over now."

"You don't understand....it was the same silhouette I saw walking past the bathroom."

Nadine looked confused for a few seconds before regaining her composure, "God, Grace, you need rest. Come on, let's go to bed, you'll forget about it."

"Why are you acting all casual about this? How can I sleep when a stupid silhouette keeps bugging me? You don't believe me right?"

She sighed, "of course I do Grace, I just think that you need rest, you are very stressed out, I mean, you've been going through a lot lately. Please just sit down."

Maybe she's right, I hardly ever rest, and all these might be as a result of lack of rest. I sat down next to her and pulled my blanket around me.

"Are you still hungry? I made spaghetti. I came to call you down to eat but you were asleep, I didn't want to disturb you so I left, though I kept yours in the microwave, do you want me to heat it up for you?"

I shook my head, "I'm not hungry anymore. Wait....what time is it?"

She looked at her phone, "6:15am"

"I'll just...go back to sleep, when I wake up, I'll heat it up before I go to work."

She nodded, "it's okay. You should go to sleep, I'm going to prepare for school."
She planted a kiss on my cheek before leaving my room.

This ain't song for the broken hearted...
No silent prayer for the faith departed....
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd, you're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud....

😄😄That song has been stuck in my head.
Does anyone know the show the song is from? Comment down below!

Anyways I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter? I don't know about you guys but this is my favorite chapter so far!
Don't forget to tap that star button if you enjoyed it!!💖