Come Back to Me
Nightmare again
"I didn't know Mel hadn't talked to you." He adds.
"Well, she hasn't so.." Alex looks at me and it looks like he is going to say something, but hesitates and sits back.
"Can I ask you something?" He asks.
"Sure.."
"The last few nights I've heard you screaming in your sleep.. Mel told me you get continuous nightmares. What are they?" I shift on the couch,feeling uncomfortable. I never talk about my nightmares.
"Is it the same nightmare?" He asks again.
"Yeah, up until four days ago." Alex turns to face me and rests his arm on the back of the chair.
"Tell me."
"Every night for as long as I can remember I can hear a baby screaming, and I don't know where I am but it feels like someone is holding me and running, and it hurts. Every night I wake up, sweating and sore like I've done a marathon. But, since that day.. It's been a lot worse, like, the screaming is even louder, and the running is even faster.. And then I hear gunshots and I hear her, and I feel myself falling back and landing on her.. I.. It doesn't stop. I can't sleep.." Alex is staring at me intently, deep in thought.
"And you've had this every night?"
"Yep.." He scratches his head and sighs.
"Don't you think that's maybe it's not a nightmare but a memory?"
"A memory? Of me being taken? I've thought about it, but, i was only a few hours old.. How could I remember that?"
"It's possible. I've seen this kind of thing before. I know someone,who could maybe help you decipher it."
"A therapist?" I ask doubtfully.
"No a hypnotherapist. She can make you dream it's but remember that day more clearly. You were only a baby but it is possible."'
"Maybe.l I don't know.."
"Think about it." He rubs my leg and smiles, and turns back to the tv.
During the film I've sat up rather than lying down. Alex and I are only an inch apart, and he does the dreaded arm rest on the back of the couch just behind my head move.. Which I can never figure out if it's a move or just a comfortable position. I can feel myself drifting off, can't stop yawning. Alex puts his arm round my shoulder and pulls me into him, my head resting on his shoulder, hugging me tightly.
"I know you're not yourself right now, and your life has been turned upside down but promise me that you'll get better? If not for my sake then for toms cause I'm a little more forgiving than he is. I've left you to your own devices but I guarantee you that if he finds out how much weight you have lost he'll force feed you pizza for the rest of your days!" I laugh, and I can firmly believe that.
"Ok.." I whisper. He rests his chin on my head, and I can feel myself falling asleep. Alex shifts and instead lies down on the couch, pulling me down beside him.. My head is on his chest and his left arm is wrapped round me.
The screaming again, the running, the pain shooting through my neck, the grip getting tighter, and the gun shots, but the screaming is getting even louder. I startle as Alex shakes me, calling my name.
"Amy!!" He shouts again. I'm out of breath and need to sit up for a second. Alex sits up beside me.
"You've been screaming for the last minute.. You ok?" He pulls my hair away from my face pulls me into him, cuddling me till I feel a bit calmer and my breathing is back to normal.
"Come on, back to sleep.." He pulls me down again and I can already feel myself drifting off.
"Well, she hasn't so.." Alex looks at me and it looks like he is going to say something, but hesitates and sits back.
"Can I ask you something?" He asks.
"Sure.."
"The last few nights I've heard you screaming in your sleep.. Mel told me you get continuous nightmares. What are they?" I shift on the couch,feeling uncomfortable. I never talk about my nightmares.
"Is it the same nightmare?" He asks again.
"Yeah, up until four days ago." Alex turns to face me and rests his arm on the back of the chair.
"Tell me."
"Every night for as long as I can remember I can hear a baby screaming, and I don't know where I am but it feels like someone is holding me and running, and it hurts. Every night I wake up, sweating and sore like I've done a marathon. But, since that day.. It's been a lot worse, like, the screaming is even louder, and the running is even faster.. And then I hear gunshots and I hear her, and I feel myself falling back and landing on her.. I.. It doesn't stop. I can't sleep.." Alex is staring at me intently, deep in thought.
"And you've had this every night?"
"Yep.." He scratches his head and sighs.
"Don't you think that's maybe it's not a nightmare but a memory?"
"A memory? Of me being taken? I've thought about it, but, i was only a few hours old.. How could I remember that?"
"It's possible. I've seen this kind of thing before. I know someone,who could maybe help you decipher it."
"A therapist?" I ask doubtfully.
"No a hypnotherapist. She can make you dream it's but remember that day more clearly. You were only a baby but it is possible."'
"Maybe.l I don't know.."
"Think about it." He rubs my leg and smiles, and turns back to the tv.
During the film I've sat up rather than lying down. Alex and I are only an inch apart, and he does the dreaded arm rest on the back of the couch just behind my head move.. Which I can never figure out if it's a move or just a comfortable position. I can feel myself drifting off, can't stop yawning. Alex puts his arm round my shoulder and pulls me into him, my head resting on his shoulder, hugging me tightly.
"I know you're not yourself right now, and your life has been turned upside down but promise me that you'll get better? If not for my sake then for toms cause I'm a little more forgiving than he is. I've left you to your own devices but I guarantee you that if he finds out how much weight you have lost he'll force feed you pizza for the rest of your days!" I laugh, and I can firmly believe that.
"Ok.." I whisper. He rests his chin on my head, and I can feel myself falling asleep. Alex shifts and instead lies down on the couch, pulling me down beside him.. My head is on his chest and his left arm is wrapped round me.
The screaming again, the running, the pain shooting through my neck, the grip getting tighter, and the gun shots, but the screaming is getting even louder. I startle as Alex shakes me, calling my name.
"Amy!!" He shouts again. I'm out of breath and need to sit up for a second. Alex sits up beside me.
"You've been screaming for the last minute.. You ok?" He pulls my hair away from my face pulls me into him, cuddling me till I feel a bit calmer and my breathing is back to normal.
"Come on, back to sleep.." He pulls me down again and I can already feel myself drifting off.