Storyteller

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, adjusting to my surroundings. Matt’s hazy figure became clear. He was curled up on the couch, shaking from the cold. His hair was matted on his forehead with sweat and his arms were crossed against his chest.

I slid out of bed, careful not to place any weight on my left ankle. I wobbled my way over to the couch, wary of my hurt ankle, but as I sat down, I realized that my ankle was not throbbing or swollen. As I shook my head, Matt stirred in his sleep. He convulsed in his sleep as if he felt his nightmares like I felt mine.

Suddenly, he jerked up and was breathing heavily. He rested his head on his forearms, which were lying on his knees. He took generous deep breaths, calming himself down. After a couple of moments, he glanced up at me with his frightened eyes. They told stories that couldn’t be told by him.

“Are you alright?” I timidly asked.

He rubbed his temples and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, agitated.

I got up and ran the sink in the kitchen. The water bubbled as I gathered some in a cup. “Drink some water. It should help,” I held out the cup with a shaky hand. He took it with both hands and gulped it down. He gave it back as he wiped his chin on his arm. “What did you dream about?”

He looked up at me with curious eyes. “Nothing.” I dropped the cup into the sink and turned to stare back at him. He quickly asked, “What did you dream about?”

I hesitated. “The past.”

“I’m guessing it’s not pleasant,” he straightened his back and put his feet onto the floor.

I coiled up on the opposite side of the couch. “Why would say that?”

“I,” he paused, thinking about how to word his sentences. “I saw you sleeping.”

 

Matt:

“That,” I smiled, “came out a little weird.” She returned a small smile and looked over at the window. I hadn’t realized before, but it was dark in the apartment. “What’s your past like?” The room’s atmosphere turned damp, the room looking a little darker than it was a couple of moments ago.

Rena didn’t look over at me. We sat there in silence as the question sank in. “I think you should go.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as she shut down my question. I nodded and stood up. She didn’t make an effort to turn my way. “You should,” I paused, “get some sleep.” I walked over to the door, but before I could reach the handle, I felt her eyes on me. I turned.

“Don’t you get it? The reason why you can’t sleep at night is my reason, too.”

It took me a while to understand what she said. I slowly returned to the couch, her eyes locked with mine. “Why can’t I go to sleep at night?” I folded my hands as I sat down.

“Because you know once you close your eyes, you’re dragged into that one place you made sure to leave behind and you can’t wake up.”

I tried to swallow. “That may be why you can’t sleep at night, but it’s not why I can’t,” I lied, my palms clamming up.

“I saw the way you slept. You can’t just make those memories disappear.”

I knew I was in a vulnerable spot. I needed to get out of here. “Just forget I brought any of this up, okay?” I blurted out harshly. She shrunk farther into the couch, her eyes wide. “Wait, I’m sorry. I- I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

She pulled her hair behind her ears and shook uncontrollably. I leaned forward, extending my arm. “Don’t touch me,” she gritted her teeth.

I rubbed my eyes and stood up, embarrassed. “I’m really sorry.” I walked out the door, heat rising to my cheeks.

Everything I built up with Rena was gone. Just like the dreams we dared to dream.

  1. nothingbutadreamer posted this