Day

My memories like to flit around in my dreams. Sometimes they're vivid, like the deaths of my mother's and John's. Other times, they are just murky pieces. My dream starts with a girl. She sits on the edge of the building, swinging her legs back and forth in the air, undisturbed by the fact that she's twenty stories in the sky.

As I step closer to the girl, she turns her head towards my direction, a soft smile curved on her lip. Her dark hair is pulled back into an elegant but simple ponytail, flaunting the natural beauty of her face. Her gold flecked eyes are analyzing every movement I make.

"Day," she says, smiling as if I were an old friend of hers.

"Who are you?" I whisper as I come closer to the beautiful girl.

"I thought you'd remember," says the girl, tilting her head to the side. My heart races at her gaze.

"Are you real?" My hand is extending to touch her shoulder.

The girl shrugs, pulling away. "I can't tell myself." A mischievous smile grows on her lips. "Let's find out." She tilts forward and launches herself from the edge of the building.

"No!" I'm screaming as the girl plummets towards the streets, where hands made of shadows grasp her ankles, dragging her down until she is swallowed by darkness.

I'm still staring down at the streets below, searching for the body that has miraculously disappeared. Where'd she go?

Creak.

The floor underneath me suddenly groans at my weight. Tiny fractures grow underneath my feet, spreading out like a spider web. Lines begin to merge, creating tiny chasms that further compromise the amount of weight this roof can endure.

The gray concrete floors begin to crumple to dust. I scream as I fall, the air mercilessly howling in my ears. Everything turns dark.

All I can think about is escaping. The streets are dark, only lit by dim street lights. The air smells rotten meat and blood. I cringe at the scent.

There's a young captain pointing his gun at me. "Freeze. Stay where you are," he commands. "Hands up. You're under arrest for theft, vandalism, and trespassing."

My voice sounds rough and hoarse, although with a rawness of childhood. "You're not going to take me in alive."

"I'd be happy to take you in dead, if you prefer," says the captain. His eyes glow in the moonlight, making me realize that he has the exact same eyes as the girl from before.

I can't control myself. My head is screaming for me to stop, but my hands defy me, grabbing ahold of the knife. I pull it out from my belt, throwing it towards the captain's chest with all my might. I don't see where it lands, but I know I never miss a target. The man stumbles and falls to the ground. He doesn't get back up.

Did I just kill someone?

I didn't mean to.

Did I?

Frantic thoughts race in my head as I run in the sewers. I run blindly through the maze, going west, where the sewers lead into the ocean. Somehow, I manage to slip past the gates like water, flowing into the ocean.

I am greeted with waves of fresh, salty water. I choke on it before beginning to swim. I have to get out of here as fast as possible. Just after a few strokes, I feel exhausted and drained of energy. My arms are stiff and refuse to keep moving. The ocean's tossing me around like I weigh nothing, as if I were a mere rag doll.

Something cold grasps my ankles, pulling me under. I fight, gasping for air as water sloshes into my lungs. As dark spots grow in my vision, the girl appears again, her eyes filled with tragedy. "Why did you kill him? He was my brother. He was a good person. How could you?"

"I'm sorry," I choke out. "I'm sorry."

The girl looks at me coldly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You deserve to die," she whispers, her hands shaking.

And I take in my last breath before I sink

down,

down,

down.

"Day, wake up," says a familiar voice, shaking me. I jolt awake, gasping for air. "Another bad dream?" asks Eden, who sits at the foot of my bed.

Sweat drips down my brow and my chest heaves. My hair feels damp. I shake my head wordlessly. "It was real," I whisper. I look at my younger brother, who's staring at me with puzzlement. "It was a memory of something…something I did in the past."

"I'm sure it was just a dream," he says reassuringly.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I killed someone, Eden. I'm a murderer."