Drained chapt. 3

Drained

Chapt. 3

In the distance, I hear Eric calling my name; at the tone of his voice, my heart sinks slowly into a deep hole I've had all my life. The rushing of my blood nearly drowns his voice out but it keeps echoing in my mind. I increase me pace, biting hard on my lip and breathing slowly. It has to be Shadow....no one else knows my disturbing dreams.

I jump when I feel warm fingers clasp around my shoulder, sending waves of heat throughout my body. My heart lurches.

"Will," they say, "you okay?"

I blink at the sound of his voice. It wasn't Eric.

I jump around to see my best friend, Jack standing before me. His dark, oily hair is slicked across his forehead, forcing the glasses low on his nose. His eyes were a compassionate brown, soft like a teddy. A few unattended pimples has sprouted out on his skin as he stands over me like a gloomy shadow. He smiles.

"Yes," I nod quickly, then glance around him. Eric was gone as if he'd been blown away by the chilly wind, all in a matter of moments.

"You looked mad," Jack chuckles, sliding his glasses back up the ridge of his nose, "what's up?"

"Nothing, just kind of fussy at the poplars," I glare at them but my icy stare only strike their turned backs. I meet Jack's eyes again and smile, "want to hang out tonight?"

His eyes brighten, lifting the heavy weight of guilt from Eric disappear, "sure! I'll come over around eight, okay?"

Abruptly, I peer around Jack again. "Sure," I nod then turn away.

***

As I arrive back to class to retrieve my things to go home, a pretty, colored note sits upon my desk. My heart nearly leaps out of my chest when it reads 'From Eric' on the front. I tear it open and began to read, my heart pounding as a smile spreads onto my face.

Dear Willow,

I think about you constantly, unable to shove you from my thoughts. Your eyes and smile haunt me, dragging me down into the pit of love I never knew existed. Your eyes glow and shine.......only when you peer into a guy's pants, haha! You little hoe! Love, Eric.

My whole entire being freezes. My heart ceases to a slow beat and my mind stops its rolling thoughts. I drop the note onto my desk and slip my bag onto my shoulder.

"Why haven't you left yet, Will?" I blink and turn to see my teacher gathering her things and beginning to head to the door.

"Sorry," I whisper, fighting the urge to bawl into tears and crumple onto the floor, "I got caught up in something."

"It's alright, we all do." Not like me, I think.

I nod as she motions me out the door and we exceed to our separate ways. When I arrive to my car, far from the school, I notice Eric laughing and grinning with his new guy friends. His eyes lock with mine and he smiles a me, a sweet glitter shines in his eyes. I felt a tear drip down my cheek as I quickly shove the key in the ignition.

I see Eric frown and pull away from his group and slowly begin to stroll to my car; a strange shift of worry and compassion strikes his expression.

By the time the car roars with life, he's thirty feet from me and I almost hit him. I zoom out of the school parking lot, leaving him in the dust of confusion.

Tears were blurring my vision and I almost hit one of the lawn decorations in our front yard. I grab my bag from the back, bundle myself together, and slip out of the car. I glance up and gasp, dropping my stuff and it crumbles at my feet. Eric, leaned back against my front door, was sitting on my front porch steps, frowning.

My heart freezes and my face flushes, burning my teary eyes.

He crosses his arms over his chest and mutters, "you almost hit me with your car."

I sniff and nod, a tears escaping from the dark chambers in my eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asks, standing from his place and strolling to stand before me.

In response, another tear falls.

He catches it with his finger and it rolls down to his palm. He stares at it briefly the meets my eyes again, "tell me."

"You should know!" I yell, shoving passed his and storming to my house. He follows, his pace quicker then mine and he gets in front of me again.

"I don't," says Eric, kissing away another tear.

"Your stupid note!" I cry, pushing him away and try to escape to my bedroom. Before I could unlock it, he's already there, opening it as if it weren't locked at all. He steps aside to let me in and I storm in, throwing my bag onto the bed and grabbing a pillow.

"Now tell me---"

I swing my pillow and slam it into his groin.

He chokes on his words, biting on his lip as he slowly sinks to his needs and groaning. "What was that for?" He snaps, frowning.

"For calling me a hoe!" I yell and smack the pillow in his face. He tumbles onto the floor and I stand. I get down and straddle him then start trying to smack him.

"What the hell!" He snaps, grabbing my wrists and giving me a dark glare, "you're insane!"

"Get away!" I yell, trying to break free of his iron grips but his touch was so soothing I didn't want to pull away.

"I didn't call you a hoe," he whispers softly, "you're beautiful and amazing, I'd never call you that."

Tears burn my eyes as my heart softens from the look in his eyes. They're filled with love and understanding. "If you didn't then who did?"

He gently lifts me off him and sitting up, brushing his hand over my cheek, "probably a stupid prep," he growls.

Suddenly, I burst into tears, "everyone hates me!" I cry, standing up and pacing. My heart was thundering against my rib cage and my mind was whirling painfully.

Eric stands also and jerks me into his arms, "you're beautiful," he whispers in my ear, rocking me in his arms as I sob uncontrollably into his chest, "I don't hate you. Neither does Zoe or your friends."

My crying abruptly stops. A weird sensation tumbles inside me as I lift my head to find his glittery eyes. My heart stops as my breath is stolen away by his beautiful face.

"Will," he whispers, squeezing me, "I love you. I'd never hurt you."

A sliver of uncertainty growls inside me but he kisses my forehead softly and the feeling disappears. "I must go," he says against my forehead and pulls away from me.

I gasp, my heart sinking and I nearly leap on top of him. "No! Please don't go."

"I must, Willow," he runs a hand through his brown hair, "it's......my job."

"Job?" I cock an eyebrow, stepping towards him and gazing up into his eyes.

"It's my job to deliver dreams," he glances away then back at me, "a grim reaper, sorta, ya know?"

I frown, "you deliver my dreams?" My face flushes. He's the one that delivered all my strange dreams? Or the nightmares that I received from my parents were slaughtered.

"I don't deliver normal dreams," he shakes his head, sighing, "I deliver nightmares...."

I squeak but quickly ignore it, "oh....really?"

He nods, glancing away again, "I don't decide the dreams; I just deliver them."

I give him a faint smile to reassure him that I was okay with the idea, "it's alright, Eric," I say, hugging him.

He pulls me close, burying his face in my hair, "I love you, I'm sorry for all your pain."

I pull away, cocking an eyebrow but he just smiles, kisses my forehead, then almost instantly his place is absent.

***

That night, I dig into my nightstand, before bed and flip through the first couple pages. After the strange dreams began, I realized I should keep this journal. I began writing after the third dream because I couldn't recall the first or second, all I knew is that they were the worst.

I shake my thoughts away and flip it open to the first page. On the white cardboard to the left I write in dark pen: He's real......and he's in love with me. I gulp as a dark eerie feeling rushes over me as I close the notebook, set in back into my nightstand, and then lay down, only to find myself screaming hours later.