Chapter 6: Aftermath

…

I looked around me at the dilapidated barn. For some reason I couldn't fathom I was terrified of the barn. There was something not right here. As impossible as it seemed the place felt alive. A slight hissing was coming from the walls. Ominous creaks and groans filled the empty space.

"Jenna."

I whipped my head around but no one was there. I was alone. As I felt something grab my shoulder I screamed and began running for the doors. As I approached a small fire started. What was at first one piece of straw soon became a wall of flames. I flinched back before hitting them and fell to my bottom. I looked around me in horror, desperate for an escape. I bolted upright to the exit in the back. The fire raged on ahead of me. Everywhere I turned the flames went six feet high. I was trapped. The ceiling groaned as it threatened to cave in on me. The barn had quickly filled with smoke and I began coughing as the clean air was sucked from the room. The heat was unbearable. I sagged to my knees under the weight of my discomfort. As I looked up I saw a boy standing in front of me. I whipped my head back in shock. I had been alone in the barn, where had he come from? He was about my age with dark hair and eyes that were black as night. He was garbed in the same Spence uniform I saw on every other boy at the school. I vaguely recognized him. There was just a hint of remembrance. A passing face I'd seen in the hallway perhaps or just a remnant from a previous dream?

The smoke invaded my throat and traveled into my lungs. I began coughing violently and gasping for the air I could not get.

"Help," I croaked, my eyes pleading with him. I reached out with one hand to grab at him and managed to take hold of the bottom of his shirt. He looked down at me curiously, as if I were an interesting bug he'd happened upon while taking a leisurely stroll.

"Please." I begged one last time. My eyes watered and I knew the sweet escape of death was not far off. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity I had never seen before. It was like he could see my soul, like he was my soul.

I collapsed onto all fours and he smiled cruelly down at me as the skin of my face began to sag underneath the heat. He reached down and stroked the side of my face, I piece of bloody skin left with his hand. He suddenly grabbed my head and a murderous look overcame him.

"LET ME IN," he bellowed. Each word became harsher than the last and sounded demonic. Strange, coming from this cute, baby faced, boy. I cried out again as his words sent a pulsating stab through my head. My body became covered in blisters, no longer able to withstand the intense heat, and I fell to the floor. As I felt the life fade from me the last sound I heard was his maniacal chuckle.

….

A scream pierced the blackness that consumed me.

"Jenna, JENNA, wake up!"

I bolted upright in bed to see my roommate Mallory beside the bed, her face contorted with worry. "What's going on? Who's screaming?"

She sat back, relief evident on her face, "You were. Did you have another bad dream?"

"A-another?"

She scrunched her face up again, "Yeah. You've been tossing and turning like this for months. This is the first time you started screaming though. Before that you were thrashing around, you knocked your lamp over."

I looked towards the dresser to see that she was right. The lamp was now on the floor, the bulb broken, along with several shattered perfume bottles. I shivered. When the shivering would not stop I realized I'd been sweating profusely. My hair stuck to my forehead and I gathered the soiled blankets against me. They didn't offer relief from the unnatural chill but they comforted me nonetheless. Mallory stood up and turned on the main light. She grabbed a towel from the closet and lifted my hair up, wiping the sweat from the back of my neck, face, and chest.

"Are you okay?"

No. I was not. The fear I'd been having of sleeping finally made sense. There was no escaping it. There was no escaping him. The demon of my nightmares. I looked at her wide green eyes and lied.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream. Bound to have a few of those with all that's happened right?"

She smiled slightly, "You've been through a lot." She stroked my hair back from my face, "You can talk to me you know."

I nodded, "I know, thank you."

"I think what you need is a nice, long, steaming shower. I know they relax you."

"You're right, that's exactly what I need."

I collected my shower bag and shed my wet clothes. I threw my robe on and grabbed a clean towel before heading down to the showers on our floor. The room was dark, it was only four a.m. after all. I peered into the darkness in fear. However a moment later I shook myself and flipped the light switch. The room flooded with light and I felt my spirits lift slightly. I went into the first shower stall and turned the water to hot. I stood under it as it warmed and then winced, the nearly scalding water reminded me of the searing heat from my dream. I shied away from the water and turned it down to a slightly cooler, but still warm, temperature. I stayed under the stream of water longer than necessary. After performing the necessary routine to rid my body from the outside grime, I turned my face upward, hoping for a spiritual cleansing as well. This was in vain, nothing so simple could help me.

I walked over to the mirror and looked at myself. There were noticeable bags under my eyes, which were bloodshot and under swollen lids. My usual pretty complexion had turned a nasty pale, a sickly pale. My full lips were chapped. I barely recognized myself. The "energizer bunny", as my friends had nicknamed me for my upbeat and energized attitude, was gone. She was replaced with a shell of a girl. I stared for a long time, finally realizing, that this was only just the beginning.

…

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update, there was a lot going on and I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. I plan to have this story done within a couple weeks as I know where I want it to go now. Any feedback is helpful and appreciated

R&R : )