Sequel: Attero Vicis ›
The Wasted Days.
Breakfast Together.
I jolted awake in my bed and swiped at the sweat lining my forehead. I sat there, wide eyed, and staring out in front of me. I wasn’t seeing anything though. The white was still flooding my eyes.
How many times can you have the same dream? I’d already seen this terrifyingly colorful nightmare twice tonight. I’d seen it once the night before.
“I’ll never sleep again.” I whispered to myself before I felt the sobs racking through my body. I was shaking, and I couldn’t even figure out what was so terrifying about all of this.
Somehow I managed to sit there all night, crying, until the sun was coming up in my window. It warmed the half of my body facing it before I positioned myself to face my un-curtained window. I smiled as the sun grazed over my pale skin. My head tilted backwards and I smiled to my ceiling with my eyes closed.
A phone rang in the background, but I didn’t care. Not until what sounded like my front door blew open and the ringing stopped immediately. I cautiously got out of the bed, ever reminding myself that every time this happened it was always only Jared. I inched my way, barefoot, down the stairs. The cold hardwood floors making shivers run up my spine.
“Salem! Come get the phone!” His familiar voice yelled and I walked faster so that soon enough I was padding around the corner into the kitchen, where Jared was leaning against the counter talking to whoever was on the phone. “Yeah, she’s right here.” His voice was soft, and mental signs went up. What had happened? What was wrong?
He passed the phone to me and I took his place, leaning gently against the counter. “Hello?” I asked, pressing the phone lightly to my ear.
“Hey, honey. Did Jared break in again?” My mom’s smooth voice floated to my ears.
“Yeah, I guess I was sleeping in again.” I muttered through a yawn. I moved the phone so it was cradled in between my shoulder and the side of my head. I used both hands to try to lift myself up onto the counter. My legs ached and I just wanted to sit down, and the chairs were too far away. “So, what’s up?”
“Does something have to be wrong for me to call my precious daughter?” She asked as I struggled to lift myself up. I did this all the time, why couldn’t I manage to get myself up there now?
“Yeah, mom. Actually there does.” I muttered, biting my lip.
I was too busy trying to get myself onto the counter to notice Jared coming closer. “It’s good news this time, though.” My mom said, trying to lighten the mood. I felt hands wrap around my sides and lift me up onto the counter, alleviating the pressure I’d been putting on my toes.
“Thank you.” I whispered away from the phone. He only nodded back before reaching into the cupboard again.
“We’ll be home by tomorrow, hun.” I heard the smile in her voice. I looked down to my feet as I crossed my ankles.
“Cool. Hey, uh, next time you have a trip…” I paused not wanting to sound upset. “Can you remember to go grocery shopping the day before?” I asked, glancing over at Jared, who had a spoon in a peanut butter jar. He looked wide eyed up at me, before motioning towards the multiple spoons in the sink.
“At least I’m not double-dipping?” He shrugged, smiling nervously. I rolled my eyes and nodded, also smiling. I couldn’t help it around him.
“Oh, yeah, sorry, honey!” I heard Riley bark in the background. “Listen, I have to go. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, bye, mom.” I reached behind me to hang up the phone. “So, where’s Lexa and why are you here so early?” I questioned Jared, who was finishing off another spoon of peanut butter.
“Well,” He flicked the spoon loudly into the sink, “Alexa called me around five in the morning to tell me that she thinks she has whatever you have.” He frowned a little, walking towards me. “But,” he was now a foot from my face, “I know that you aren’t sick.” He flicked my nose.
My hands reached up, holding my crinkled nose. “What?” I raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t have the flu.” He stated.
“Sure, whatever you say, dumbshit.” I mumbled, jumping from the counter.
“You look tired.” He sighed. I nodded in his direction, walking through the house. “I don’t want to leave you…” I turned to look at him with my head cocked to the side. What was he saying? He had to leave. “But you know, I swear Mrs. Carters wants to murder me or something already. She wouldn’t take it nicely if I blew off her class again.”
I laughed as I reached the stairs. “No, she wants to neuter you, Jare.”
“Sure, sure.” He waved me off before realizing what I said. “What!?”
“You, Lexa, PDA, and Mrs. Carters,” I listed off on my fingers, “don’t mix.” I smiled as I stood on the second step.
“Meanie face.” He murmured before heading for the door. “Sleep, Salem. I’ll see you later.” I leaned over the stairwell, watching as he disappeared around the corner. I smiled, just because I knew how much he cared.
How many times can you have the same dream? I’d already seen this terrifyingly colorful nightmare twice tonight. I’d seen it once the night before.
“I’ll never sleep again.” I whispered to myself before I felt the sobs racking through my body. I was shaking, and I couldn’t even figure out what was so terrifying about all of this.
Somehow I managed to sit there all night, crying, until the sun was coming up in my window. It warmed the half of my body facing it before I positioned myself to face my un-curtained window. I smiled as the sun grazed over my pale skin. My head tilted backwards and I smiled to my ceiling with my eyes closed.
A phone rang in the background, but I didn’t care. Not until what sounded like my front door blew open and the ringing stopped immediately. I cautiously got out of the bed, ever reminding myself that every time this happened it was always only Jared. I inched my way, barefoot, down the stairs. The cold hardwood floors making shivers run up my spine.
“Salem! Come get the phone!” His familiar voice yelled and I walked faster so that soon enough I was padding around the corner into the kitchen, where Jared was leaning against the counter talking to whoever was on the phone. “Yeah, she’s right here.” His voice was soft, and mental signs went up. What had happened? What was wrong?
He passed the phone to me and I took his place, leaning gently against the counter. “Hello?” I asked, pressing the phone lightly to my ear.
“Hey, honey. Did Jared break in again?” My mom’s smooth voice floated to my ears.
“Yeah, I guess I was sleeping in again.” I muttered through a yawn. I moved the phone so it was cradled in between my shoulder and the side of my head. I used both hands to try to lift myself up onto the counter. My legs ached and I just wanted to sit down, and the chairs were too far away. “So, what’s up?”
“Does something have to be wrong for me to call my precious daughter?” She asked as I struggled to lift myself up. I did this all the time, why couldn’t I manage to get myself up there now?
“Yeah, mom. Actually there does.” I muttered, biting my lip.
I was too busy trying to get myself onto the counter to notice Jared coming closer. “It’s good news this time, though.” My mom said, trying to lighten the mood. I felt hands wrap around my sides and lift me up onto the counter, alleviating the pressure I’d been putting on my toes.
“Thank you.” I whispered away from the phone. He only nodded back before reaching into the cupboard again.
“We’ll be home by tomorrow, hun.” I heard the smile in her voice. I looked down to my feet as I crossed my ankles.
“Cool. Hey, uh, next time you have a trip…” I paused not wanting to sound upset. “Can you remember to go grocery shopping the day before?” I asked, glancing over at Jared, who had a spoon in a peanut butter jar. He looked wide eyed up at me, before motioning towards the multiple spoons in the sink.
“At least I’m not double-dipping?” He shrugged, smiling nervously. I rolled my eyes and nodded, also smiling. I couldn’t help it around him.
“Oh, yeah, sorry, honey!” I heard Riley bark in the background. “Listen, I have to go. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, bye, mom.” I reached behind me to hang up the phone. “So, where’s Lexa and why are you here so early?” I questioned Jared, who was finishing off another spoon of peanut butter.
“Well,” He flicked the spoon loudly into the sink, “Alexa called me around five in the morning to tell me that she thinks she has whatever you have.” He frowned a little, walking towards me. “But,” he was now a foot from my face, “I know that you aren’t sick.” He flicked my nose.
My hands reached up, holding my crinkled nose. “What?” I raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t have the flu.” He stated.
“Sure, whatever you say, dumbshit.” I mumbled, jumping from the counter.
“You look tired.” He sighed. I nodded in his direction, walking through the house. “I don’t want to leave you…” I turned to look at him with my head cocked to the side. What was he saying? He had to leave. “But you know, I swear Mrs. Carters wants to murder me or something already. She wouldn’t take it nicely if I blew off her class again.”
I laughed as I reached the stairs. “No, she wants to neuter you, Jare.”
“Sure, sure.” He waved me off before realizing what I said. “What!?”
“You, Lexa, PDA, and Mrs. Carters,” I listed off on my fingers, “don’t mix.” I smiled as I stood on the second step.
“Meanie face.” He murmured before heading for the door. “Sleep, Salem. I’ll see you later.” I leaned over the stairwell, watching as he disappeared around the corner. I smiled, just because I knew how much he cared.