Ugly Things

I didn’t dream that often, but when I did I remembered them. This one was eerie in its own way, so much so that I woke up shrieking and sweating. My heart pounded so hard in my chest that I thought it was going to burst through, as I clutched the sheets in my hands until my knuckles turned white.

I managed to get out of bed and walk into the bathroom. I leaned my head against the mirror above the sink and turned on the water, my green eyes staring back at me. I ran a hand through my messy hair and let out a low breath.

“It wasn’t real,” I said, my voice raw. I wondered whether my mom heard me. If she did she didn’t seem too concerned. “Damnit.” I ran a clammy hand down my face.

All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed, go to sleep, and get through tomorrow without anything bad happening. I splashed some water on my face and left the room. Maybe I would pass out as soon as I hit the pillow. I could only hope.

I lay against the cool sheets for what seemed like hours before I looked at the clock on my bedside table, the red numbers blinking angrily at me. I pulled the covers over my head and shut my eyes.

It was 2:45AM.

____

The next time I opened my eyes it was later that morning. I glanced at the clock. I had fifteen minutes to get dressed and get to school. I was dreading it. Maybe I could find Aria when I got there and tell her about my dream. She’d probably tell me I was being stupid.

I dragged myself out of bed and got ready, then headed downstairs to find the kitchen and living room empty. This didn’t surprise me in the least because I knew my mom would be out early for work.

I grabbed my keys from the coffee table and wondered how they had gotten there. I didn’t drive home yesterday. Maybe Caleb had gone back to the school to get my car and he returned it.

I left the house with ten minutes to spare. The ride to school was at least five, so I’d have some time to find Elias if need to. He needed to know that it was over. He had to know it wouldn’t last; he was the teacher, after all.

As I got to the school, parked and got out, I saw Aria running toward me. I leaned against my car and waited for her to get to me. She looked very disturbed about something.

“The principal wants us all to get to our homeroom immediately.” She had that worried look on her face. “Something happened.”

I didn’t over think this at all, didn’t let my mind go into that paranoid state. I followed her, and as I entered the building, I was startled by a pair of arms going around me. I stared into grey eyes and my heart thundered in my ears. The panic I felt was real which only meant one thing.

That dream wasn’t just a dream.

I squeezed my eyes shut as Caleb’s voice flooded into my ear. Soft and warm, it caressed my brain. I opened my mouth to say something and stopped. I couldn’t announce to the entire lobby what happened, even if I was scared.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” I lied. I untangled myself from him and hurried down the hall. I found an empty stall and slammed the door, sat on the toilet, and shoved part of my sleeve from my shirt into my mouth to muffle my cry.

“Tate!”

It was Aria. I watched her come closer to where I was. I didn’t want her to find me like this. I prayed she didn’t. I lifted my feet gently off the floor. This new position was very uncomfortable, but if it made her leave I was fine with it.

I heard another voice, a different one, speaking to Aria. The stranger’s voice was shaken. I opened my eyes to stare at the graffiti on the door and listened. Nothing would have prepared me for what I heard.

“They found a body buried in the field.”

Aria gasped. “Are you serious? Who was it?”

“I don’t know,” said the other girl. “I just heard some teachers talking.”

My body was shaking so badly that my foot slipped and knocked into the side of the toilet. I hissed, stumbled out of the stall, and fell into the sink. I clutched the wall beside it and stared at the two of them.

Aria was frowning at me. She didn’t seem mad. “What happened? Are you okay?”

I shook my head, took a long breath, and collapsed onto the disgusting bathroom floor, trembling from the tears and the horrible feeling in my gut.