Okay, I couldn't resist. I had to put up more. :3 I have an addiction, what can I say?
"Michael?" Addy called out groggily.
She couldn't remember what happened. Had she fainted? She was lying down again, a cool towel on her forehead. She blinked a few times, trying to focus. She felt the weight of Michael's body as he sat down beside her. She looked up at him, quite surprised to see that he was shirtless once again (not that she minded in the least). He was wearing a very strained expression. Something was wrong. She frowned.
"What's the matter?" she asked gently, forcing herself into a sitting position. "Are you alright?"
He stared at her a moment longer before he took a deep breath and looked away. He picked up the washcloth that had fallen from her forehead.
"Your knees are bleeding," he told her. "You should change out of your jeans."
Addy looked down at the bloodstained frays and said dazedly, "Uh… yeah, yeah… Hold on just a second."
She dug around in her suitcase for a moment before heading to the bathroom. As she wiggled out of her jeans and slipped into her girl style boxer shorts, she checked herself over. She had dozens of small scrapes and cuts all over her body. She pulled on a tank top and folded her dirty clothes. Her brow was still furrowed. Michael was acting strange. He had something on his mind. Whatever it was seemed to be really bothering him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed when she returned, leaned forward staring at the floor. She sat down beside him and watched him for a moment, chewing her lip. Should she say something?
"Michael?" she said quietly, putting her hand on his arm.
He looked up at her, seemingly waking from his stupor. He looked at her in confusion, like he didn't understand why she looked so concerned. He gave her a small smile.
"My apologies," he replied. "I find more and more often that I am lost in my thoughts." He took her hand and got to his feet. "Sit back. I'll take care of you."
Addy did as he asked, hoping he wouldn't notice her blushing. His voice sounded almost… sultry; especially with the strong sexual undertone of his last statement. She wondered if he was aware that he was doing it. She leaned back against the headboard and sighed heavily. He was seducing her and he didn't even know it… Michael sat down again and carefully slid his hand under her right calf, dabbing carefully at her bleeding knees. His grip on her leg was gentle. She was secretly thankful she had shaved her legs the day before. He had that crease in his forehead again, that look of deep concentration. He switched to her other leg. She tried not to focus on the sting of the cold cloth or the way his hand was cradling her calf. She closed her eyes. This was insane. She felt his fingertips brush across her thighs, checking over the rest of her cuts. His touch was light. It made her skin tingle. She imagined the tickle of his hands across the small of her back, stomach, chest; his heavy breathing in her ear, lips caressing her neck… She clenched her jaw shut in a vain attempt to force it away. It was wrong of her to think that way about him – masochistic even. She knew damn well he could never reciprocate the feeling.
Michael glanced up at Addy. He couldn't read her expression. Her brow was furrowed. She looked like she was concentrating very hard on something… but what? He returned his gaze to the leg in his hands. He swallowed hard and wiped away some dirt from her scraped thighs. Her legs were smooth, her skin hot. She was blushing again. The extra color in her cheeks, the lighting… it looked like she was glowing. As always, he wondered why she was blushing. She had said embarrassment… Was she embarrassed that he was touching her bare legs? It took a moment for him to realize that there was nothing left for him to clean. How long had he simply been running his fingers across her skin?
"I…" He had to clear his throat before he could speak normally. "I'm finished."
Addy let out a long breath and looked at him. After a moment she smiled tentatively. "Thank you, Michael."
She stared at him for a few long seconds. He seemed confused still. She felt a little confused herself. She rubbed her eyes and sighed heavily. She could hear music playing. Where was it coming from? Welcome to Mystery – what in the hell?
Her eyes lit up. "My phone!" she said excitedly, toppling off the bed in her haste to get up. Before Michael could help her to her feet she was scrambling toward her suitcase.
"Hello? Hello?" she said frantically.
"Addy?" It was McKanna. "Addy, where the hell are you? We called the fucking cops! Everyone is looking for you!"
Everything suddenly hit her. She sat down on the floor with her legs folded under her and covered her face. She wanted more than anything to stop the tears, but she couldn't.
"What's wrong angel?" McKanna asked softly. "Are you all right? Is everything okay?"
"No," she choked out. "I don't know… I can't even begin to describe it. You'd think I've gone mad. You wouldn't understand it. I don't understand it. I'm scared. I'm terrified…" There was a brief moment of silence.
"Is this anything to do with your night terrors?"
"It has everything to do with my night terrors. We never should have joked about it all... I know we were just trying to feel better about it, but wasn't there always that little nag at the back of your mind that it was some kind of foreshadowing? No matter what you did you couldn't shake it and some days it would just pick at you and pick at you until it felt like it was all you could think about?"
"Fuck, Addy. No wonder you were such a nervous wreck sometimes. This has really been consuming you, hasn't it?"
"For a good reason. It's all real. On my soul it is. It's happening right now."
"It's… What do you mean it's happening?"
Addy wiped her cheeks and tried to calm down. "Do you remember the night I woke up screaming bloody murder? I told you I saw people that weren't people?"
"Yes… Vaguely. You're telling me… it's the zombie apocalypse?"
She laughed. "No, no… Not zombies. Not yet. It's much different than that. Has anything weird been happening back home?"
"Now that you mention it, there have been an increasing number of murders and disappearances. That's why we were so worried about… Wait, are you telling me all this shit that's happening is like the shit you dream about? How is that possible? You dream about some pretty weird things. And not like cool weird. I mean freaky, horror story weird. Things that would make H.P. Lovecraft piss his pants. Please tell me you aren't serious. You're too quiet. Addy, you're scaring me!" Mckanna's voice was increasing in pitch and she was talking faster. She sounded almost as terrified as Addy felt.
"It's okay. I know it sounds mental, but… I don't know how much time I'm gonna have good signal on my phone so I need to wrap it up. I just want you to know how much I love you and if I ever did anything to upset you in any way, I'm so sorry. I appreciate everything you've done for me so much. I can never thank you enough. I just wanted to say that… if I never see you again –"
"Wait, what? What do you mean?"
"If I never see you again… I want to thank you for making me a part of your family. Thank you for accepting me when… when everyone else pushed me away. You really are the one person I know can make me feel better with just one hug and we don't even have to say anything. We can just sit in the same room for hours in silence and enjoy each others company and feel the love."
"What are you talking about? You're coming back. You have to come back." Addy could hear McKanna's voice cracking. She was crying.
"I-I can't. I'm so sorry. I wish I could. More than anything I wish I could."
"Why can't you? Who's stopping you?"
"I just… can't. There's something I have to do. If there's any way that I can help stop this I have to. I just… need you to promise me something."
"Yeah…" McKanna sounded reluctant, still in tears.
"Just stay at home for a while. Get something to protect yourself with. Spread the news to the rest of us. Tell Brooklyn to text me. Don't trust anyone outside our circle. Anyone could change."
"Change? What do you mean change? Protect ourselves from what?"
"Please just do it. Things aren't safe anymore. I don't think I can explain why. Keep to yourself and lie low and you'll be safer."
There was a long silence. Addy might've thought McKanna had hung up were she not able to hear her sobbing on the other end.
"Okay," she finally said. "Until I see you again…"
"You'll be waiting…?"
"I'll be waiting." Addy heard a short laugh from the other end.
"Keep the couch made up, yeah?" She let out a laugh of her own, but it came out as more of a sob. She smiled, but it was twisted by her agony. She finally spoke again. "McKanna, I have to go now, okay?"
"Please… be careful. And good luck with whatever you're doing. I trust it's something important."
"I love you infinity plus one."
"I'll miss you muchly much. Addy?"
"Yeah…"
"If… If we don't see each other again in this lifetime… I want you to know how proud I am of everything you've done. You're a beautiful person and I'm blessed to call you my soul friend. I love you so much. You saved me from myself."
Addy's heart felt like it was being torn from her chest. Could she not hold onto anything in her life? It all seemed to slip between her fingers like smoke.
"I love you. I'll see you as soon as I can."
"Goodbye Addy…"
"Goodbye McKanna. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
She had to hang up before she heard anything else. Her phone slid from her hands and she covered her face with them. The one person who understood her completely… she was never going to see her again. Before she lost it completely she had more calls to make. She squeezed her eyes shut as the phone rang, trying to at least momentarily cease her tears. She knew he wouldn't be home. He never was. Still… She hadn't spoken to him for some time. She had to before it was too late. She got the answering machine.
"Dad? Hey, it's… it's Addy. I uh… I just wanted to say…" Her voice cracked and she took a deep breath. "I love you. And I miss you… so much. Um… I know I haven't seen you for a while… and I don't know when I'll see you again. I love you okay? Bye."
She hung up and took a deep breath, shaking her hands as though she could shake it off. Just one more. She could do it. She heard Michael get off the bed and looked over at him when he knelt down beside her. He almost looked like he was sad for her. He cupped her face in his hands and she shut her eyes, choking on the sob she was trying to hold in.
"You don't have to do it all right now," he said softly. "Take a moment to rest. There is no need to further distress yourself."
She laughed shortly and shook her head, opening her eyes to look into his. "I have to. I don't know if I'll get another chance."
Michael nodded in understanding and leaned his forehead on hers. "At least come sit on the bed then."
