Page 36 of Diluted Truths

I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I was in a forest and couldn’t see past the trees. They were everywhere and towered so high I couldn’t see where they ended. They completely obscured the sky, but the moonlight filtered through the branches. I stood abruptly. I couldn’t stop. I needed to keep running. I took off through the trees. I needed to run as fast as I could. My thighs burned from the exertion but I kept pushing myself. I could hear footsteps. Were they in front or behind me? Was I chasing someone or was someone chasing me? Why couldn’t I remember?

“Jackie!” the voice yelled again. Who was it?

As I turned to look, there was suddenly a figure. It was far off, I couldn’t make out any features. Whoever, or whatever, it was, was tall. Very tall. He stood, with his head tilted slightly to the side. It looked to me, observing. As I took a step forward, it mirrored my movements.

Interesting.

I raised my right arm, and it copied. Then my left, and once again it copied me. Slowly I walked forward, hoping to get a good look when it suddenly charged me. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I ran so hard and for so long I could barely breathe. I stopped to take a breath. I had been running as fast as possible for so long I lost track of how far I have gone. I couldn’t stop for long. I couldn’t let him catch up, or maybe I had to catch up to him? I-I couldn’t remember.

Why couldn’t I remember?

Will

The moment I heard Jackie’s scream I ran into the living room to find her thrashing on the couch in her sleep. She looked in pain and let out another blood-curdling scream.

Fuck, I needed to wake her up. I ran to the couch and kneeled in front of her and started shaking her, in hopes of waking her up.

“Jackie! Wake up!” I said as I continued to shake her.

She still didn’t wake up and let out another scream. I shook her harder, needing to get her to wake up. I hated seeing her so scared, even asleep.

“Jacqueline!” I yelled while I palmed the side of her face. That did the trick. She shot up immediately, her brown eyes wide in fear and she took in the room around her.

“Who are you?” she asked, but looking in the corner.

I followed her line of sight to see nothing. “Jackie, it’s Will. Can you look at me?”

She still stared into the corner. “Where are my shoes?”

“Jackie,” I said as I framed her face and forced her to meet my eyes. “Who are you talking to?”

I saw the fog dissipate in her gaze. I could see her coming back to herself after her nightmare. “I-I don’t know. What’s going on?”

I sighed in relief.

There she was.

“You were having a nightmare, I woke you up.”

She nodded slowly as she looked around the room.

“Do you remember what your dream was about?” I asked, curious what had caused her so much fear.

She shook her head this time. “I-I don’t know.”

“Are you okay?” I was concerned about her. She seemed so shaken, even after being awoken.

“Yeah, I think so. Just…I’m just confused, I guess,” she responded, slightly out of breath.

I nodded as I stood up, letting go of her face in the process. “Cool, cool, cool. Ummm…” There is the stuttering teenage boy that always comes out around her. “I’ll just head back to…”

Jackie interrupted me. “Will, can you stay?”

“What?” I asked.

I heard what she said, but I must be misinterpreting her. Did she really want me to stay?

She cleared her throat as she scooted over on the couch. “Can you lay with me, just until I fall asleep? I… that dream… I don’t know, I just feel off and I don’t want to be alone.”