Myself.
Opening my eyes in the darkness, I try to feel my way to something, anything that will give me some sort of sign as to where I am or how I can make it back to her. My hands desperately slice their way through the empty space surrounding me, but I come up with nothing. Determined to find her, I take off running, searching.
“Rochelle!” I shout. “Speak to me! Let me know where you are, Angel!”
A deafening silence closes in all around me. I need to find her, hold her in my arms, know she’s alright. That she is safe.
“Rochelle!” I call out only to hear an echo. “Angel! Answer me!”
Nothing.
Angry, I scream as loud as I fucking can until the last bit of breath leaves my lungs.
A beeping noise sounds at my right, and I turn quickly. A light, far off in the distance, blinding, piercing, just like before, beckons me closer. I run to it and hear hushed whispers as I approach. My eyes adjust to the space. Six figures come into view. They’re huddled around something in the middle of the room. I walk forward slowly, and the first one speaks.
“She’ll never survive, never stood a chance. I am surprised she made it this far.”
No. She has to survive. She can’t leave me. I won’t be able to breathe without her.
“I can’t believe we are losing her,” a woman weeps.
Fuck. No. Stop. You’re lying.
The words begin to come out of my mouth, but as I go to speak, to yell, to scream - I can’t make a noise. Nothing comes out. I’m left paralyzed in fear.
“She’ll never make it through. I believe in miracles, but this one will take more than that!”
Take it back! Damn it! Make it stop! Someone make it stop!
But the voices continue.
“Someone needs to tell, Hunter.”
I want to yell, tell me what, but I have no voice.
I’ll save her. Just move. Let me see her. Let me see my Angel.
“What about Rochelle?”
What about her?
I fight to get through the group of people but my feet are stuck in place. Glued to one spot on the floor, I’m forced to watch, to listen, and not be able to do anything to help my Angel.
“She’ll never make it,” someone says again. “Poor girl, she didn’t stand a chance!”
* * *
“No!” I yell. I bolt upright in bed drenched in sweat.
Rochelle startles next to me in bed. I turn quickly, pulling her into my arms and letting out a whimper that surprises both of us.
“What in the world,” she asks as she wraps her arms around me. “What is it, Hunter?” she whispers, but my mind is fucked still trying to make sense of a damn nightmare I never expected.
Something totally new to me since I haven’t had a bad dream since I was a kid when nightmares used to torture me day and night for years after my parents died. But shit, it was so real. Too real. I thought I lost her. Forever. Just like I lost them.
But she’s here, with me, in my arms. After a moment, my heart begins to calm.
Once my heart settles, and I realize she’s where she belongs. In my arms. In my bed. All mine, to cherish. I waste no time doing just that.
