Lucid (4 page)

Before I could reply the howling started. He was up in a blur of movement. Placing his hand on my back he began to push me toward the edge of the clearing.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you out of here what does it look like?”

“There's no point. I've been getting killed in my dreams for a long time. The sooner I die the sooner I can wake up. The sooner you go back to doing... whatever it is you do when I'm not busy dreaming you up. So don't worry about me just get yourself out of here so you don't get killed too.”

Instantly I regretted my words. As soon as they left my mouth his face became hard like a mask. Gone was the gentle and warm Deegan. It was replaced by a Deegan that looked like the words coming out of my mouth had disgusted him. Like
I
disgusted him.

He pressed himself closer until his face was right in mine. I could feel his warm breath on my lips. My heart picked up into a rapid staccato, that I was certain he would be able to hear it was so loud. But his eyes never left mine as he spoke.

“I will
not
let you die Mercy.” The way his voice caressed my name, with his thick accent, caused chills to break out on my skin. Before I could even react to his closeness he had already grabbed my hand once again and taken off through the woods, with me in tow.

He was as fleet footed and agile now as he had been the previous night while fighting that large monster. His feet seemed to pick out the path effortlessly even at our breakneck pace. He dodged low hanging limbs and trees with ease, even as I tumbled and used every effort I could muster to stay on my feet after him.

“Hati preserve me... you are the
slowest
human I have ever seen!” he snarled before spinning around and hoisting me onto his shoulder.

When he took off again, he made it obvious he had been going slow for my benefit. But even the jarring sensation of moving over the ground at such a reckless break neck speed couldn't block out the feeling of his arms holding me against him. The warmth hummed through my skin like static, and it was all I could do not to put my face to his neck and inhale his scent. He was trees and the forest and earth. No cheap cologne, nothing artificial. It sent my body into overdrive.

Winding my fingers into the fabric of his shirt I held on as tight as I could. In the attempt to make it easier for him to carry me. His stride didn't slow or change for what felt like forever. One long leg after the other he pushed us further through the forest. I couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. Him desiring to protect me got my blood racing, but it was a losing battle. Night after night, surely he could not protect me the whole time.

Eventually his stride began to slow, and the trees that blurred past my vision began passing at a less dangerous speed. When he finally came to a stop he slung me off his shoulder and onto the ground. All the air rushed out of my lungs and I was left gasping to try and catch my breath.

“What... the hell... is your... problem!” I barely manage to get the words out through my gasps for air.

“My
problem
is YOU!”

My whole body flinched at the loud roaring shout as he spun around to face me. His aggressive stance clearly showed that whatever gentleness he had earlier was gone. The Deegan that had calmly sat with me in the forest was gone. Replaced by the asshole from the night before. The veins were visible on his tanned arms, the muscles flexing slowly like he was trying to contain himself.

“Are you trying to die? Is that what this is?”

“I don't
want
to die but what do you expect me to do.”

He was silent standing there like a brooding angry monster.

“So you just give up?”

“After three years of dying every night yeah I do. I wake up worse off when I run.”

He let out a long sigh and slumped to the ground in front of me. I braved his rage and looked into his eyes. But there was no rage to be found there. Only a sorrow that I could not quite place.

“I have seen a lot of things in my life Mercy. I do not wish these things on you. But I do not... wish you dead either.”

“I guess its a good thing these are just dreams then, huh?”

“They will not be dreams forever.”

His soft whispered comment set my nerves on edge. The only reason he could even know about the things that were beginning to happen in my waking hours is because I dreamed him up. If only it were so easy to dream up the answers as to what was wrong with me.

“Mercy... if I tried to help you... would you try? To survive I mean.”

“I don't see how you could help-”

“Would you try?”

His eyes were unreadable but his voice, it was tender beyond even the words he spoke. It was all I could do to nod my head in a quiet reply to his desire to help. He positioned himself next to me so that we were leaning on each other for support. And it was sitting like that with his comforting presence by my side that I slipped back into oblivion.

Chapter 8

When the blackness slowly receded and left me lying in my room, I could still feel the warmth of the places that Deegan and I had come in contact. Those places hummed with the memory of our closeness. My body which usually felt exhausted and heavy with fatigue, was for the first time in a long time, light. I had slept. Without dying, without even seeing the monsters that haunted my dreams. Twice Deegan had saved me from a fate I thought I would never escape.

Slowly I slid my body out of bed but there was no accompanying nausea, that usually sends me running to the bathroom. There is only the slight pang of hunger, my body telling me it wants breakfast.

Glancing around my room I wonder, at the pictures on my wall. Deegan has given me a chance. A chance to be that girl again. The one that's happy.

It is a weird feeling, to be so close to what I would consider as my deathbed. Only to find hope in the same dreams that were so intent on taking my life. And while I should not trust Deegan since he is one of them. One of those things that are...
other.
I cannot help but trust him. The warmth of his presence leaves no room for the fear.

The shrilling buzz of my alarm interrupts my thoughts and lets me know its time to get ready for school. Hitting the off switch I throw on some clothes and make my way downstairs.

Making a beeline for the cereal, I filled the bowl and sat down at the table. I couldn't believe I had gone over three years without eating any cereal. Never had my marshmallow cereal tasted so good in my life as it did now. I quickly finished it off and poured myself a second bowl, which I took more time enjoying.

The things in my life that most people would take for granted are a stark reminder of how close I thought I was to dying. And if Deegan continued to haunt my dreams and shield me from the darker things that killed me. I would live every moment to the fullest. Especially since he didn't get to live at all. He doesn't get to live at all... I quickly push the thought out of my mind before it has a chance to overcome me.

When I step outside the door the silence assails me. Immediately I know that something is not right. Rushing to my car I shut myself inside and rev the engine, to break the silence. My breath makes small puffs in the chilled air. But nothing comes out of the woods. No monsters like the ones from the day before show themselves.

Slowly I back my car out of the driveway, wary that something could jump out at any moment. The paranoia from the day before taking a violent hold on me now that I have left the safety of my house. However I make it to school with no problems. I am beginning to wonder if everything really is just in my mind. If I never saw the monster that attacked me in my car.

I slowly work my way through the crowd to the front door of the school.  Weaving back and forth, I work to avoid all the pairs of shoes that block my path. But right next to my locker are a now familiar pair of red chucks and a pair of... white Nike's?

“Hey Mercy.”

Shit
.  Even Ethan's
shoes
are white. How prince charming can you get without being cliche.
 

I risk a quick glance at Olivia who just shrugs as if to say 'How the hell should I know', before turning my gaze at Ethan.

“Hey Ethan... what's up?” Tucking the stray auburn curls that were floating about my face, I began fidgeting under his warm friendly gaze.

“I just thought I'd stop by and hang out a bit before class... if that's okay?”

“Yeah it's just...” I risk a second glance at Olivia who is keeping her expression decidedly neutral before turning back. “Unexpected,” I offer with a smile.

“Well, I'd say its been a long time coming. I mean I've been trying to get to know you for what... five weeks?”

“And why is that exactly? Why Mercy.” Olivia interject swiftly cutting him off.

“Err... Cause she seems nice? I hoped we could be friends? She doesn't seem like the other girls.” He gave a slight nod at the mention of other girls, and Olivia and I both glanced at the direction of his nod.

“You mean she isn't a condescending stuck up bitch?” Olivia let out a little sigh. “Yeah I can agree with that.”

The stuck up cheerleaders in questions were giving us their worst glares at having stolen their new toy. But Ethan seemed immune to the attention he was getting from
most
of the female populace wandering down the hall.
 

“But that doesn't mean I like you,” Olivia finished with a scowl. I knew I had to get him out of here before she spouted something crazy. Something like 'I'm a  witch and I'll hex you'.

“Okay Livs... give him a break...”

“If you could see his Aura you wouldn't like him either,” she responded flatly.

Too late... Dear God, why me? For all Olivia's awesomeness this witch thing was getting out of hand... I mean an Aura? Really?

“Okay time for class! See you later Livs.” I put my hands on Ethan and begin steering him away from Olivia before she can say anything more embarrassing than just the mention of Auras.

As we take our seats in Mythology I finally work up to the nerves to look at Ethan's face after the Aura comment. He had a huge stupid grin plastered on his face as he slowly took his seat.

“Auras? Really... Mercy my dear, your friend sounds crazy.”

Olivia is a lot of things... including what I consider my family. There is no way I can sit there and let him talk about her like that. Definitely minus points for prince charming.

“Shes not crazy. Livs is the
sanest
person I know.”

“You believe her then? That she sees Auras.”

“I believe in her... if that means I believe she sees Auras then I guess I do.”

He regards me calmly for a moment before he finally speaks. “You're a good friend Mercy.”
“No I'm not. Olivia is the one that's too good to me.”

I turn away from Ethan, and face the front of the class. He brings it all back. That the last three years have been hard. That outside of school I haven't had time for Olivia. I haven't had time to be as good to her as she has tried to be for me. Even if her methods are unorthodox at best.

Slipping my phone out of my pocket I pull up Olivia's name and start typing.

Mario's @ 4

My hand hummed with the slight vibration shortly after my text was sent... Olivia was always prompt with a response.

K

“Now, Now miss Clarke. No phones in class.” Mr. Shadar's nasally hiss slid across my nerves like nails to a chalkboard. And when I brought my eyes up to meet his the fear took over in full force. My whole body shot up in the panicked need to run. Every fear I'd ever had while getting eaten alive was standing there in front of me. In the way his scaly skin pulled and slithered over his frame. Mr. Shadar's dark eyes were thin slits in a field of  pebbly charcoal green skin.

“Miss Clarke is everything alright?”

In the quick instant blink of my eyes, Mr. Shadar the teacher suddenly came back into focus and the scaled lizardlike monster was gone. Blinking a few more times brought the rest of the classroom back into focus. Everyone including Ethan was staring at me like I was the crazy one. Not the man who had just been a snake.

A shudder ran through me and I waved my phone in front of my face. “Nurse... I'm going to the nurse.” I slipped past Ethan's halfway standing body and rushed out the door before anyone had a chance to question it. Before anyone had a chance to stop me.

The last words I heard as I rushed out of the room were, 'what a freak', and honestly whatever was wrong with me, I couldn't agree more.

Chapter 9

The scenery blurred around me in a never ending stream of dull grays, as I dashed through the schools hallways. It was during class so three was no one to witness my breakneck race down the halls to escape. As the lockers and tiled floor blend together, my panic rises. I am awake. I should not be seeing these things. These
monsters
. Outside of this dream dying I would consider myself a sane person. I don't have a
history
of crazy. Yet here I am thinking...
knowing
that my substitute teacher is a lizard.

I slip out the front doors of the school building and make my way toward my car. I have never skipped before but today feels like the perfect day to start. The low hung clouds threaten rain, and in the chill fall air it might even amount to ice. I slip into my car unnoticed, but now what do I do? If I'm going to skip school because of these monsters, there is only one thing to do. Only one place I want to go, only one person I want to see.

So I pull out of the schools parking lot and head home. Home to where my bed is. Home where I sleep, where I dream. And my dreams are the only connection I have to
him.

But even as I slide into my bed the paranoia assails me. What if I can't find him. What if it's different during the day. The warmth of my covers tucked around me and the danburite necklace warm against my skin, lull me into a slumber where I will find out soon enough if my knight will be there to rescue me.