Nightmare

I leaned back onto my bed, resting my arms behind my head getting comfy, staring up at the ceiling above me, before letting me eyes slide closed, taking a deep breath, sighing inwardly. In the darkness that I saw, Jimmy’s face slowly began to vaporize; his smiling, joyous face that seemed to always bring a smile to my face as one occupied my lips, curving them upward.

Thinking about Jimmy, seeing what type of guy he seemed to be, it made me a bit sad to know that he was no longer here in the underworld. I really wished that he were still here, in the house for real, as a vampire, so I would be able to get to know him and see what he was like in his living stance.

I also thought about how he had said that he didn’t see the guys anymore, how they were such good friends. It was obviously painful for Jimmy to think about that—he had looked so hurt when he had told me that. But for the rest of the guys, I could only imagine that it was just as painful.

Jimmy was their best friend, someone that was always there with them, like family. They were all a family. And to lose him as they had… I couldn’t imagine that. I had never really had friends that were like family to me; I didn’t know what it was like to loose a friend that meant so much to you.

I could never imagine what it was like to lose a brother…

“Starr? Starr, are you even listening to me?”

I opened my eyes to see a pair of jade eyes staring back into mine. I glanced down to see that Zacky was hovering over me. And he didn’t look too happy.

“What are you doing?” He asked clearly irritated.

“Well, I was visualizing the backs of my eyelids, Mr. Vengeance,” I replied smartly. “That was, until you so rudely interrupted me.”

I watched as Zacky’s mouth hung open slightly, probably unable to believe I had said that. “Oh, I interrupted you?” He asked. “What about you not even listening to me?”

“Zack, I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said very nonchalantly.

I knew I was testing him, but I really didn’t care at the moment. Ever since he had dragged me out of that room and back to mine, which was over an hour ago, he had been here lecturing me like he was my father or something. Come to think of it, my own father didn’t even lecture me as Zacky had been.

I began to get up, moving out from underneath him, but he quickly grabbed onto me, pushing me back onto the bed, holding onto my wrists, and pinning me down with his body.

“Zack, what the hell—?”

“Why did you go in there?” He cut me off.

“None of your damn business,” I told him.

“Starr, why did you go down there?” He asked again. “I told you not to, didn’t I?”

“Zacky—”

“Didn’t I?”

I sighed. “Yeah, you did, but—”

“Then why did you go down there?” He repeated for about the hundredth time.

I sighed again, staring into his eyes for a moment, debating on what my response should be. I could continue with the keeping it all from him, making him even more angry as each moment passed by; I would do that because he tried to keep me away from the room, as well as Jimmy, who wanted to, and was trying to talk to me. On the other hand, I could give in, telling him about talking to Jimmy, his friend who I know he misses and would probably lie to know that he’s okay.

“I saw Jimmy,” I said softly.

Zacky face crunched up confusion for a moment, then it went completely blank, like he had just seen a ghost. His mouth was opened slightly in shock, his eyes staring into mine, as he seemed to have frozen for the time being.

“What?” He finally whispered.

“I went back because I saw Jimmy the last time I was there,” I repeated. Zacky just continued to stare, so I took that as my cue to continue. “The night that you found me down there, I was about to go to sleep, but then someone knocked on my door. When I opened it, I saw a blur racing around the end of the hall. I thought it was Brian playing a stupid joke, so I followed him.

“I followed him though the house, to that room. But by the time that I realized it wasn’t Brian, I came face to face with a spirit. But then you came in, so I only got to see him. But he kept surfacing in my mind and in my dreams. I wanted to know who he was, so I asked Zofie…

“But Zofie didn’t know anything, but she offered to help with her ability. So I took her down there, but when we got there, he was waiting for me. And… then he did his ability of sharing thoughts, or whatever it is, so I talked to him.”

“You…” Zacky still wore that shocked expression. “Talked to Jimmy?”

I nodded slowly.

Zacky slowly got off of me, sitting at the edge of the bed, across from me. He looked down at the floor, looking as if his mind was swamped with too many thoughts and feelings for him to handle at the moment.

I sat up as well, keeping my eyes on him, waiting for his next move, not sure what to expect.

“You really talked to Jimmy?” He finally asked, his voice quiet, lifting his eyes so his gaze met mine.

Again I nodded. “Yes.”

He nodded as well in response.

“He misses being here with you guys,” I said, hoping to make him feel better. “But he sees that you’re all doing okay, so he’s happy about that.” I chewed on my lower lip, not sure if I should ask the question burning in the back of my throat, and decided to. “Why did you want me stay out of the room so much, Zack?”

Zack continued to stare at the carpeted floor, looking as if he were thinking hard about something. “We don’t know what happened to him, Starr.” He swallowed hard, sighing and looking at me. “We know that he died, but we don’t know how, or why… we have no idea what happened to Jimmy. That always worried me, and I didn’t want you down there because of that. Whatever it was that happened to him, it happened in that room. That’s why no one goes in there, why no one ever mentioned it.”

I understood now the reason for Zacky’s fear of me being in there. Not knowing what happened to a friend would naturally scare me, especially if they had vanished from a room in my house. Hell, if that were to happen to me, I probably wouldn’t be able to ever step foot in that house again, knowing a friend had died being taken from there without a trace.

“I’m sorry, Zacky,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to anger you by going back there after you told me not to. I wasn’t deliberately trying to do it. I just felt like I had to go back there once more. And I see why now. But again, I am sorry.”

Zacky shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. It’s good to know that Jimmy is okay. I’m gad that his sprit still remains here in our world.” He looked up, staring at me. “Please help him, Starr. I don’t know why he came to you, or what’s gong on, but whatever it is, please let his spirit rest. Of all those here in the underworld need your guidance, please help Jimmy.”

I nodded, taking his cold hand in mine. “You don’t even have to ask that, Zacky.”