A Forbidden Love

"Ellie?" A soft voice called my name. My bunk being pushed down as someone sat on the bed. My eyes fluttered open to see Syn sitting beside me.
"What do you want, Syn?" I grumbled.
"I'm so sorry." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever, Syn." I rolled over. Syn's hand on my shoulder rolled me onto my back.
"I'm so sorry, Ellie." His eyes brimmed up with tears. I sighed.
"If I accept your apology, will you leave me alone?" I asked, irritated. Brian came closer.
"Ellie, I'm so sorry." He shook his head lightly.
"I get it, Syn. You're sorry, I know that. Now, just leave me alone. I'm tired." I yawned. Brian's hands on my shoulders tightened. "Brian, you're hurting me. Let go." I whimpered.
"I'm so sorry." He said as he loosened his grip on my shoulders, his hands sliding up my neck slowly. His brown eyes staying on my hazel green eyes.
"Bri?" I said his name softly. "Brian, are you all right?" I asked him, worriedly. There was something not right in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Ellie." His voice cracked as his hands tightened around my neck. I gasped loudly as the air was cut off. Clawing frantically at his hands, trying to pry them away so I could breathe properly again.
"Bri..can't.....breathe.....Let.....go!" I choked out, clawing at his hands still. Just weaker. Tears spilled over as Brian frowned.
"I'm so sorry, Ellie." He shook his head lightly, tears trickling down his face as his hands tightened more around my neck. I coughed, unable to breathe. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you."

You don't have too! Just let go of my neck, please! I thought. My hands loosened around his, my eyes slowly shutting as I felt myself disappearing. Sinking into the darkness that engulfed me. All I could see was Brian. Tears trickling down his face as he towered over my limp body, hands wrapped around my neck as he strangled me with all his strength.

"I'm sorry, Ellie." He chanted, slowly fading away as did my life.

A bright flash was all I could see for a minute, then the sight before me froze. Everyone was there, everyone I loved and cared for deeply. All dressed in black as tears trickled down their faces. Johnny and Lacey holding each other, tears streaming down their faces. Jimmy and Leana crying as well. My Dad and Mary were there, along with my mother. Ashleigh and her Dad too. Val was in hysterics as she cried on Zacky's shoulder, him chanting the word no over and over. Matt was hunched over a coffin as he cried. Wait, a coffin? Am I in there? I'm dead? What the hell!

My eyes then settled on the cold, dark brown eyes that stared at the coffin, clapping his hand on my brother's shaky shoulder. I walked up to Matt, opposite side of Brian as I glared at him.

"I'm so sorry about Ellie, man. She was a wonderful, beautiful, free spirited woman." Brian said.
"That she was." Matt nodded, wiping his snotty nose. "Who would do this to her?" Matt asked, looking at Brian with sad tear filled eyes. I snorted, though they couldn't hear me. Just ask the guy in front of you, Matt.
"I don't know, dude. Whoever it is should rot in hell for what they've done." You really should, Bri.

As my burial ended everyone left in a large group. Crying as they walked away in the light rain. I stood beside my grave as I watched them with sad eyes that turned dark when Brian walked my way. Staring at my grave with a smirk, kneeling down.

"I know it wasn't your time, Ell. But, bye-bye." He smirked, placing a single red rose against my tombstone.

A sharp pain shot through me as I tumbled down into the fiery depths of hell. Fire and screaming everywhere. Blood and limbs thrown about the place as victims were slowly tortured, blood curtling screams echoing off the fiery blaze called walls. Frightening, deformed monsters growling and snarling at you. Ripping flesh from your bones as they attacked you for only their enjoyment. The feeling of your skin boiling off your very bone was a 24 hour thing. Your mouth dry as dirt, no water to be seen. The fire all but dried it all up. This was my afterlife now. A place I'll burn, with no peace forever.

I jolted awake, sweat coating my skin, sitting up straight in my bed as I looked around frantically. The navy blue curtain beside me shut and the comforting sounds of snores and Jimmy's sleep talking surrounded me.

I sighed heavily as I ran my fingers, shakily, through my hair. It was just a dream, I kept telling myself as I tried to slow down my heart rate. I slid out of my bunk and walked to the front of the bus, carefully since it was in motion, and poured myself a cold glass of iced tea. I headed towards the very front of the bus and sat in the passenger seat next to Zacky, who was driving the bus as he sipped at his coffee.

"What are you doing up at this hour? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked, yawning. I shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep." I yawned. Damn yawns really were contagious.
"Nightmare?" He asked. I nodded.
"Can say that again."
"Wanna talk about it?" He asked, glancing my way quickly.

A loud yawn came from behind us and the sound of the fridge door slamming shut made me turn to see Brian in just his boxers, pouring himself a glass of iced tea as well. I rolled my eyes as I faced the road, sighing.

"We'll talk about it later." I said, gulping my iced tea. Zacky nodded.
"Dude, pull over." Syn said, coming up behind my seat. My seat of all things! "I'll take over from here. You look fuckin dead on your feet." Zacky nodded as he pulled over and switched with Syn. I gave Zacky a look and he made a head motion towards the bunks. I gave a quick glance at Syn as he started up the bus again, then fake yawned loudly.
"I'm fuckin tired as hell. That nightmare did a number on me." I mumbled, getting up. I saw Syn frown from the corner of my eye.
"Goodnight." I heard him say before walking away with Zacky.

I started to crawl up into my bunk, above from Zacky's, until Zacky took hold of my ankle, making it impossible to crawl up now. I looked over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. He grinned, tugging at my ankle.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" He asked in a whisper since everyone was sleeping.
"Uhm, into my bunk?"
"Nope. You're bunking with me tonight since you had a bad dream and I want to keep the bad dreams away." He smiled. "Also, you never told me what your nightmare was about anyway." I giggled softly as Zacky took hold of my waist and helped me down. I crawled into Zacky's bunk and he crawled in after, pulling the blankets over us as I snuggled up beside him. His colgone and cigarettes filling my nose. "So, what was the dream about?" He whispered, trailing his fingers along my arm, raising goosebumps.
"It was terrible, Zacky." I whispered. "It was about Syn."
"Syn? What happened?"
"He..he killed me, Zacky." Tears welled up in my eyes as the dream played over in my head. Zacky's arms around me tightened.
"How'd he kill you?" He asked, his voice thick with some weird emotion I couldn't pick out.
"He..he strangled me. He just kept repeating, I'm so sorry. Or I'm sorry, Ellie. His eyes were weird too, I can't even begin to describe it." I took a deep breath, hiding my face in Zacky's chest. "I've never been so scared of a dream. I'm really freaked out from it."
"It's all right, Ell. You're safe with me, I won't let him or anyone or anything in this world hurt you. I promise." Zacky kissed my forehead. I smiled at him as he smiled back.

Zacky's lips were on mine then. It took me by surprise but as soon as I realized what was going on, I wrapped my arms around Zacky's neck as I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. We pulled away, breathless, after a few minutes. Zacky's striking green eyes glowing as he tried to catch his breath, a smile making its way across his face. I gave him a dimpled smile.

"I'll get you, Muffin Man!" We heard Jimmy mumble in his sleep. Zacky and I laughed as quietly as we could.
"Get some sleep, Ellie Bellie. I'll keep the nightmares away." Zacky said, running his hand across my arm as he held me.
"Goodnight, Zackers." I told him, shutting my eyes as I snuggled closer to him.
"Sweet dreams, Ellie." Was the last thing I heard before falling into a dreamless slumber.