Going Down In History

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you are asleep and in a dream, yet you can hear exactly what is going on around you? I was having one of those right now. I didn't know where I was, or who was here with me, but I could hear voices. Voices that added to the intensity of my dream.

I was walking down the streets of San Diego, just looking for something to do, walking to kill time and not giving a care in the world. It was probably about two in the morning and I was focusing on staying away from the loud noises that only could be one thing; a bar, and more than likely, a bar fight.

My hands were shoved in my pockets and I was staring at the ground a few feet ahead of me as I walked, not wanting to draw attention to myself as I did so. The night was warm but there was a slight breeze in the air that sent a wave of goosebumps through my body.

I passed by bar after bar, not ever looking up or around me for directions. I knew where I was going, just not logically. There was a feint beeping sound I could hear off in the distance. It wasn't anything important, it was just there.

I finally looked up ahead of me to see a fight that had broken out a few feet in front of me. I did the spectator thing and stood up on my toes to see who it was. And to my surprise, I knew both of them. I screamed for them to stop, screamed for the crowd to move and screamed at what they were doing: killing each other.

The crowd didn't budge, I don't even think they heard me. I doubted they even noticed I was there, they were all too entangled in the fight. I watched as both of the guys in the fight lunged at each other, both having knives. I watched in horror as they cut each other up, never stopping, but always getting injured.

I tried screaming again for them to stop. No sound was coming out and that's when I realized that the sounds of the spectators, the sounds of the two men and my own voice were fading out. The only sound was that slight beeping.

I felt an arm grab my shoulder and pull me back into an alley. I couldn't see the strangers face, though it didn't matter. I knew at once who it was.

"Do you see why you need me now?" Hissed a voice much like my own. My back was pressed against the wall of a building and the stranger was hidden in shadows. I still couldn't make out the face.

I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself in this sort of situation. I know I needed her, but it was so much of an inconvience to me and my mental state. No words were coming out of my mouth, though I was speaking. All I could hear was the beeping, which was growing louder and louder.

"You know you need me. So as long as your mentality stays where it is, I'll be here." The figure stepped into the light and I was right about who it was: Me, well, not me.

She was prettier than I was, her skin was flawless, her hair wavy without any hair out of place, the way I dreamed of doing mine, but have never been able to do so I just straighten it. She was curvier, her waist a bit thinner than mine and accented by the most perfect clothes I could hardly dream of possessing. She was perfect, I was not.

I couldn't bare to look at her, everything that I wanted to be and never would be. I felt small in comparison to her shining glory. I let out a deep sigh and looked to my feet because it wasn't her. Everything hurt me to see what she was. She didn't even exist.

"Sweetie, you can have all of this. You know what you have to do. Break up with the teacher, go home and live a happier life." A knot formed in my throat. What would I do? Break up with him and become practically perfect, or live with him and be happy? There was obviously no need to make any sort of decision.

I kept my mouth shut because there was no use trying to speak when I wouldn't be able to anyway. The beeping was becoming even louder, almost to a point where it was painful. I could tell things were starting to fade, I was waking up.

"Just keep in mind what to decide." She was fading, everything was fading and blurring into a mist. The beeping was to a painful degree now, for that was all I could hear. Light started seeping into my vision, light as white as white could be. It was painful.

My eyes opened slowly, only to crash shut again. The light was so blinding that it hurt my head to even open them. I groaned and lifted my hand to try to put it over my eyes, only to feel something attached to it.

My eyes slowly crept open again, this time my vision became clear and they became used to the light. I turned my head to the left to see a machine monitoring my heart. Now I knew where the beeping was coming from.

My head swiveled to the right to see what else was there. I saw my arm hooked up to an I.V. packet that was latched on a stand next to the bed.

But the most important thing I saw was him. He sat in a chair, his head leaning on his hand, his mouth open slightly, letting soft snores through it. My heart ached for him to wake up. I just wanted to talk to him, hear his voice, take in his scent and just be near him.

I sighed and rested my head back on the pillow, every once in a while catching glances of him, just hoping that he would stir and wake up. The door opened and a nurse, who I took to be mine, walked in holding a clipboard with some papers on it.

"Good morning Charlotte. It's nice to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?" She gave a soft smile that only contrasted her tired looking face that much more.

"I'm feeling alright. My head is pounding and my chest hurts a bit." I returned her soft smile and glanced at the person that was occupying the chair next to me.

"Yeah, you suffered through quite a concussion. And that mark on your chest is going to probably leave a scar, but you should be okay." She looked at him and another smile appeared on her face. "He's been sitting here since you were admitted. Hasn't left the room at all, not even to get something to eat or go to the bathroom."

"How long exactly have I been here?" I never took my eyes off of him. My heart swelled to know that he'd been here the entire time. That he had saved my life and wasn't going to leave.

"This will be your third day admitted here." The nurse replied, looking at her clipboard and back at me. My jaw dropped. Three days I had been here. Three days being unconscious and immobile.

"He's been here for three days?" I gaped at him. Nothing on earth would stop this man from being here and I knew that, but tears filled my eyes knowing that he had never left my side.

"Yeah, he's been worried about you. Pacing around the room, desperately waiting for you to wake up. Broke all of the nurses hearts. You've really got a keeper there, I wouldn't let him go for anything. Hang onto him or someone else is going to snatch him right up." She gave me a wink, walked over, checked the machines, said a goodbye and left the room. All in one swift motion.

"Yeah," I whispered to myself, "I've really got a keeper." I smiled and never took my eyes off of him. He began to stir and my smile grew bigger.

"Charlie? You're awake!" He jumped to his feet and was on me in a heartbeat, hugging me and not wanting to let go.

"Hey Chris." I smiled warmly and pulled his head in for a kiss. I was never going to let this man go.