Chapter 65 NITGHTMARES.
SLOANE’S POINT OF VIEW.
My lips pulled in a frown as I stared at the text.
I look like her?
Who could that be?
What does that even mean?
I shrugged my shoulders before dropping my phone back on the bedside table, wrapping the blankets, and drifting off to sleep.
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All of a sudden, I was standing in a hallway I couldn’t recognize. The place was quiet, almost eerie, as the hairs on my neck stood, and goosebumps appeared on my forearms. My body shivered from the cold as I stared around me. It was all a bunch of closed doors.
I walked over to one slowly, my steps calm and guarded, before I touched the doorknob to open it. Suddenly, it burned hot, and I withdrew my hand from it with a hiss.
“Ah!” The doorknob wasn’t hot; it was hot, like someone on the other end had dipped it in fire before fixing it onto the door. Suddenly, the knob turned red, blood red, and turned on its own. It opened the door with a click, as the eerie sound of the door creaking in the silent hallway before it opened wide filled me with even more dread.
I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes, as the room behind the door looked dark, almost pitch black. All of a sudden, a fire erupted. My eyes widened from the force of the flames, as my legs took an involuntary step back.
“What the hell?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself, as the flames burned even hotter. It suddenly became so hot, as the heat from inside drifted outside, followed by the torrent of a strong wind.
My legs suddenly moved, as the wind pushed me forward without any control, and before I knew it, I was in the burning room.
“No!” I screamed as the door locked shut with a bang. The fire rew even more with me inside, as well as the heat. It felt like my skin would melt off my body. I pulled on the doorknob, barely caring about the way it burned my skin, and left blisters all over my palms.
“Please, is someone on the other side? Please! Someone’s in here. Save me!” I screamed, banging on the door when it became evident that the damn door wouldn’t open.
“Sloane.” Someone called behind me, forcing my body to freeze in terror. The voice croaked in pain, as it called again, “Sloane, turn around.” I couldn’t….my body wouldn’t let me.
I swallowed in fearWas, as I blinked my tears away.
How did I end up here?
I in bed a few minutes ago?
“Sloane, please turn around.” The voice croaked again, and with a whimper, I turned around slowly to see who it was.
However, when I finally turned around, all I could see was a silhouette….and a palm. Nothing was clear.
“Who are you?” I asked the figure in the flames.
“It’s me….don’t you remember?” It asked, and I shook my head.
“No,” I answered, just in case it couldn’t hear me.
“Oh!” It sobbed all of a sudden, withdrawing its palm. The figure bowed, weeping like I’d stabbed it with my words. I blinked, wondering what the hell I’d done.
“I’m so sorry. Can you please open the door? My friends….my boyfriend, my dad…they’re all waiting for me.” I pleaded.
“You want to leave me again, Sloane? Why? Haven’t you left me all alone for all these years? That’s not enough?” I frowned, barely understanding what it meant.
“I don’t understand. I don’t even think I know you.”
“Come with me, let’s go far away.” It said, stretching bot palms this time out of the flames. Suddenly, the sound of weeping voices blasted through the flames, and I pshed back, my feet moving towards the door, as if it would suddenly open and let me flee this place.
“You’re trying to leave me again?” It said, suddenly angry. Its charred, bleeding hands suddenly grew longer, advancing towards me with speed. I cried out the moment it made contact with my arms, and as it pulled me into the flames with it. “You’re never escaping me, never again.”
“Run, baby, run far away!” Came the voice of a man, and all of a sudden;
I woke up with a scream, as the smell of ashes filled my nose, and my chest heaved. The clock on my bedside table read 3:59 in the morning.
“What the hell?” I whispered, frightened.
My sheets were damp, and my chest was soaked with sweat as I sat in bed.
My phone buzzed loudly, startling me as I jumped in bed. Picking it, the text stared back at me.
‘Sloane, remember the flames?’
‘Who are you? I texted, but there was no reply, not even a dot.
And it only made me even more scared.
Next thing I knew, I was dressed in my uniform and walking out of my house, towards Lucien’s Porsche.
“You okay? You look like shit.” He asked, grabbing my bag and my books.
“Huh?” I whispered, scared that the fires would start again, but this time, it would be real.
“What happened?” He asked, looking worried, as he pulled me closer to him. “Is it your father? I got him working at one of our subsidiaries in London. Eldric won’t get to him.” He says, rubbing my cheek softly.
“Oh,” I whispered, my eyes looking around the street, as my heart beat pounded in my ears.
What if the hands come for me again?
What if I don’t escape this time?
“Sloane.” Lucien’s voice pulled me to reality. “Is everything okay?” His voice was hard now, as he lifted my chin to meet eye contact with him.
“I-I- I just…I don’t know.” I stuttered, as I looked around again, too scared to keep my eyes on a single spot.
“That’s it. We’re not going to school today.” He said, picking up my things, before opening the door for me to get in.
“What? But I can’t…I have a math test today.”
“It’s cancelled, baby. Now get in.” I blinked at him and got into the car.
Maybe what I need is to get far away from my house….far away from the dream..from the hands that threatened to pull me into the flames.