Reflecting Hearts - Ch. 10 - Kaleidoscope of Dreams and Treachery

My sleep was deep, and my dreaming was vivid, blurring the edges of my consciousness. Mirages were all around me, a world caught between realities—a foreboding feeling wrapped around me like a second skin. I walked toward a light. It flashed rapidly, and suddenly, Zeke stood before me, his presence commanding yet fractured. His face cracked as if he was shattering glass, and his evil smirk spread across his face like the Cheshire cat while his neck was bent unnaturally.

“Abigail,” his voice sang, but his mouth did not move. I searched his face, but his eyes looked through me, and torment shot through my heart. I grasped at my chest, both hands curled together.

“Zeke?” Doubt crept into my mind as I pressed the imposter for answers, desperate to uncover the truth. The dream world shifted and swirled around us like a kaleidoscope, and my vision became blurry. Unable to sustain my balance, I fell to the ground on my knees, with my hands landing violently.

He stepped closer, standing over me with cold, dead-looking eyes. Yet, despite his detached look, he reached out to help me. I reached my hand out to him, but no matter how far I stretched, I couldn’t touch him. It was as if a barrier kept us apart. “I need you to understand, Abbie,” an echo urgently called, but his mouth did not move again. My brows furrowed, fear creeping in. “Understand what? …Zeke? What’s happening? …Hello?”

The world vibrated like the rumbling of thunder or an earthquake—the loud sound boomed through my ears. “I’m-I’m not-not-not who-o-o-o you think I am,” a quivering tendril taunted.

“No, none of these monstrosities are Zeke!” I managed to stand back up.

“None of us. Not he or he or he,” the tendril repeated as more appeared, and the broken version of Ezekiel reappeared.

“Nor me,” a voice called behind me. I turned around and stood in front of what seemed to be the real Zeke. I tried to touch his face, but he stepped back quickly.

“Abbie! Abbie!” Zeke’s voice woke me up, pushing my hair back from my face as I tried to push and shove him away. “Hey.. hey. It’s okay, shh…” he called as he wrapped his arms around me.

I was sobbing and trying to make sense of my reality. I cried in bursts, and he tried to soothe me. “It was just a dream. Shh… I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

We sat on my bed for a few minutes until I calmed down. Finally, my eyes adjusted to the room cloaked in muted darkness, and I took in the warmth of his body around me. I pulled away from him, and he grabbed my face in his hands.

“Are you okay?”

Was I? I replayed the dream in my head. I knew what I felt for him and what I thought he felt for me, but could I really say I knew him? His arms rubbed my shoulders as he waited for me to answer. I looked over at his face, full of concern, with eyebrows raised and wide-eyed pupils. “What time is it?”

“It’s just after midnight.”

I laid back on my side. I didn’t know the answer to his original question, but I knew I was still tired. He put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer as he lay down. As much as I loved the feeling of his touch, why did he always do it to soothe or, perhaps, seduce me? He never talked about the problems that caused my distress. Despite my surmising, I couldn’t resist the soft kisses placed gently on my shoulder. Eventually, I fell back to sleep.

His hand was brushing up and down my arm the next time I woke. “Hey baby, wake up.” His breath tickled my ear, and I blinked away drowsiness, turning to face him. The shadowy silhouette of his face came into view, and I managed in a sleepy murmur, my voice laden with confusion, “Zeke, what is it?”

A low chuckle escaped his lips, as smooth as the surrounding darkness. “Come with me,” he coolly called as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

As I pushed myself to sit up, the blanket slid down, and I glanced at the window, where a sliver of moonlight cast a glow upon our faces. His eyes gleamed with quiet excitement, a secret that he was about to share with me.

“Where are we going?” I was confused and sleepy as my mind tried to anchor itself in reality. Or maybe it was trying to understand my confusion of the boy taking me somewhere unknown.

“You’ll find out. Trust me; you won’t want to miss this.” His voice, both playful and mysterious, piqued my curiosity even further. His hand extended toward me, a silent invitation I accepted. The world around me solidified as he helped me stand, and I realized this wasn’t another dream. As confused as I may have been, I couldn’t resist his offer.

Once we had reached the main floor of my building, he pushed the door open, and a gust of brisk air encircled me. He draped his jacket over my shoulders, and I realized he had thought ahead.

His motorcycle awaited, a powerful beast of metal and chrome. With helmets secure on our heads, he brought the engine to life with a throaty roar. I swung a leg over the seat, settling in behind him. He revved the engine, and I stretched my arms around his waist, the fingers of both my hands wrapping together.

As we sped away, the world blurred, and the wind whipped through my hair. Adrenaline rushed through me, replacing my sleepiness and making me forget that dreadful nightmare. During every turn, I clung tighter to him. The university faded away as the scent of saltwater teased my senses, a hint at the destination he was taking me to. Crashing waves grew louder, a melodic sound that drew us closer to the beach. He drove me out to a secluded spot, and it amazed me that the bike below us did not get stuck in the sand, going easily across to the pier. I recognized where we were, Ephemeral Beach. The last time I had been there was with Emily during sunset. With the moon and stars above us, we were alone with them as our only witnesses.