Witness (6 page)

“How long have you been able to do this? When did this start?” I asked as I slowly crawled to his side.  When I reached his chest, I laid my head there. He pulled his right arm from beneath his pillow and held my side as he continued to stare into my eyes.

“A while…I didn’t start moving deeper into a memory until just a few weeks ago.”

“What happened a few weeks ago?”

“I don’t know…I was playing one night…trying to come up with the right song. I started thinking about what happened – Britain, that girl you’re so scared of; then out of nowhere, I was in his house….I didn’t understand how I was there and tried to focus and bring myself back, but when I focused, I didn’t come back; instead, the house around me crumbled, and I was standing in the middle of nowhere – in the middle of hell….dogs….demon dogs with red eyes chased me….I told myself it was a dream and not to be scared, but as I ran I fell, and when I fell it hurt – it was real…I was terrified.”

“How - how did you stop it?” I said in a broken voice. I was fighting tears and anger.

Draven’s arm tightened around me. “I thought of you…if I only had one thought left, I wanted it to be of you. I closed my eyes and remembered your touch…your voice…the smell of your hair - then all of it was gone. I was in my studio, holding my guitar – it was as if not a single moment had passed.”

“Are they doing this to you? Is Britain doing this to you?” I asked as I raised my head. I was prepared to leave. I would book a flight to Montana, find Austin and Landen, and be gone before the sun set.

Draven reached for my shoulder and urged me to lie back down. “No…it’s not them…I’ve been in other memories that had nothing to do with them. Sometimes I’m not in a memory at all; the nightmare just begins, and I have to endure it.”

“Do you always get out by thinking of me? How long does it last? How long does it feel like it lasts?”

He leaned his head forward and let his lips rest on my forehead. I felt a warm sensation ease through my body. “You always bring me out…but…sometimes it’s so dark – so wickedly real, that it takes a while for me to focus on you, to let you bring me back. I think...I think whatever I’m fighting knows you’re my weapon because…because a few weeks ago, the nightmare that came to life was about you – I was chasing you…”

“Chasing me where?”

“I don’t know…when I saw you there, I thought maybe you were there. You ran, and I followed - but after talking to Grayson, I think it’s a lure…this nightmare is trying to lead me somewhere dark, and in this illusion or vision...it’s using you as bait. It’s not you, though...I know it’s not you. I’ve come to your house while you’re sleeping and watched your dreams….before this moment or this morning, you had no idea what I was fighting.”

“Who’s Grayson – that boy?” I said as I looked to the locked door.

“No, that’s Winston. Grayson is his older brother…their sister, Monroe, is here, too. Dad didn’t tell you their names?” he asked bleakly. I knew then he was mad at his dad for even mentioning this to me.

I looked up at him. “Don’t be mad at your dad for talking to me. He didn’t come to me; I ran into him, and I’m glad I did. All he wanted to talk about was you anyway.”

“He’s been threatening to talk to you for a while; it was only a matter of time.”

“Why didn’t you talk to me? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were mad at me for not leaving with Austin.”

“I was mad, but that wasn’t fair. Even if I convinced you, one day you would have figured out what was happening to me; you would have killed me for bringing it to another world.”

“You’re wrong. I want to go now – I want to run. She’s doing this…somehow, Bianca is doing this to you.”

“Your judgment is clouded…you’re wrong. I’m no different from Winston, Grayson, or your dad – and Bianca has no reason to want them.” His eyes were full of guilt.

“Your dad said they could see like you…how? Do they have nightmares that chase them? How do they get out?”

Draven pulled himself up and leaned against his headboard. I leaned across him and stared into his eyes.

“When it first started, they thought of their mom…but now they have a song they focus on to pull them out.”

“Where’s their mom? That girl looks young.”

“She is; she’s only fifteen. Grayson has custody of her. He’s twenty two. Winston just turned eighteen.”

“Where is the mom at – with their dad?”

“They never knew their dad. Their mom…their mom is missing.”

“What do you mean, ‘missing’?”

Draven looked down as his entire body tensed. “They think she’s trapped in a nightmare – trapped in that place I keep getting called to.”

“You don’t believe that,” I mumbled as I read his tone.

“I don’t know what I believe – or what to think…all I know is that I don’t want you having anything to do with this. Dad didn’t bring those kids here to help us; he brought them here so we could help them. No one has ever talked to them about what they could do….they’ve always been feared or seen as cursed. They didn’t have a Nana like we did to tell them that they were extraordinary - not cursed.”

“What does she think about this – about them?”

“She hasn’t said much. Monroe hasn’t said a word since she’s been here…I think Nana is worried about her.”

“She hasn’t said anything about these nightmares? Told you not to touch anything there, not to step too far into the memory?”

His eyes moved to me. “All she’s said is…is to fight like hell and come back – for me to never conceive the idea that what I saw was real.”

“Good advice,” I mumbled as I began to focus on him again. I wanted to see what he was going through.

“It’s dangerous advice…every time I fight back, the weapon I use comes back with me. I’ve almost killed Aden a few times; luckily, he saw what I was throwing coming and moved.”

“Every time you fight, you come back...that’s a way out?”

“It’s not a way out; it’s the devils way of showing me he’s in control, his way of making me hurt the ones I love in my life…hurt myself.”

“Your dad talked about my dad fighting this…did he tell you?”

Draven’s jaw tightened. “Yeah…makes me never want to get in a car.”

“If he told you that, then he must have told you that thinking about my mom brought him out, that loving her made the nightmares come less often…why are you avoiding me?”

He leaned closer to me and let his eyes dance across my face. “I’m not avoiding you…I’m protecting you. I can’t lose you…hurt you.”

“They got worse when you stopped being around me; you said so yourself.”

“They got worse when I almost had that song finished.”

My eyes widened. “Finished? You have something?”

An impish grin spread across his face. “I do, and I think it’s pretty powerful…it’s giving me control in the nightmares.”

“How?”

He slowly raised his hand and let his fingertips rest on my temple, then he gently moved his fingertips down my face…my neck. “Hard to explain…when I begin to play, the nightmare starts…when it’s over, I’m back. With that song, I can begin and end the nightmare,” he said quietly as his fingertips traced the strap on my tank top. The hum of his skin was coursing through me, and I was struggling to remain serious enough to talk about this. As I let out a jagged breath, the corners of his lips slightly turned into a smile.

“Wait –” I said as I tried to focus, “you can still play when you’re in the nightmare? Maybe you shouldn’t do this...what if that’s what’s making it worse?”

“Shh...” he whispered. “I’m not alone there anymore…I rule this curse.”

Before I could say a word, his lips were on mine. I struggled to hold a thought, an argument, as his arms pulled me against him - but my efforts were fruitless. I wanted to be with him, to forget the demons we were fighting and melt in his arms. He leaned forward and laid me down across his bed, and I let myself slip into the passion of the moment.

Chapter Four

My eyes fluttered opened as a guilty smile came across my face. I reached to my side, but Draven wasn’t there. The room was dark. I sat up slowly and focused my eyes. I could hear what sounded like yelling downstairs, but I was alone in this room. I slid to the side of the bed, then tiptoed to the door, opening it slightly so I could hear what was going on. The yelling had stopped, and I could hear music…I recognized the music...somebody was gaming downstairs. I rolled my eyes and closed the door. I wasn’t sure where Draven was or even what time it was. I could see it was dark outside.

I rubbed my hands across my face and stretched. I felt good – really good. It was the first time I’d slept without bad dreams in weeks…it felt like I didn’t leave Draven’s arms until I opened my eyes, like I had just spent hours emerged in the bliss of love, surrounded by electrifying music. I started to move my fingers to the sound of the guitar I heard in my dream; I knew I’d never heard it before, and I wanted desperately to play it.

I started picking up the pillows and blankets that were scattered across the floor. As I pulled the comforter across the bed, the black book that Draven had thrown fell to the floor. As I stared down at it, my newfound peace diminished; the dread of what was happening to us was near overwhelming. I reached down and grabbed the book. A photo of me fell to the ground. It was taken at Bianca’s house. I was sitting on the couch, and Britian’s arm was stretched out behind me. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were a couple. I was furious and tore the picture in two, then shoved the pieces in my pocket. I found my hoodie on the floor and put it on before sliding the book inside the deep pockets; I wasn’t going to leave it here for Draven to mull over.

I pulled my hair back with one of the endless hair ties on my wrist, then found my belt and shoes and finished making the bed before I went to find Draven; I wanted to know how he thought he was controlling the nightmares...I wanted to hear this song.  The stairs to the studio were at the end of the hall. I walked up the stone steps, hoping to find him there, but the room was empty. I fought the urge to sit down and play…the song that was in my dream was begging to be played...it was a dark, powerful, mind numbing sound that I wanted to bring to life. I closed my eyes and tried to hear it again, but my thoughts were dominated by Draven. I shook my head as I turned to go down the stone steps. The yelling downstairs began again, and I didn’t recognize the voice laced in a thick British accent at all.

Once I reached the base of the stairs, I could see the young boy that had opened the door earlier today across the hall in front of the TV, shifting from side to side as he yelled at the screen. I think Draven said his name was Winston. He was an awkward looking guy, rather short and way too thin. His black jeans were tight, and his T-shirt was wrinkled and untucked. I heard voices mumbling in the kitchen, but I crossed the open hall to the den to watch the boy play.

I quietly stepped closer to him. I wanted to focus - to ‘see’ him - and I knew if he saw me there and started talking to me, I wouldn’t be able to see very long or very deep. All at once, I wasn’t standing there anymore; I was in what looked like hell. The ground was black, but what looked like lava was seeping from the cracks in the ground - then all of a sudden, it began to snow…I heard dogs growling all around me...panic came over me. When I did manage to see, I never stayed in one memory or one place…my heart started pounding as I closed my eyes...I wanted out...I wanted out now.

I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and stepped back quickly as my eyes flew open. I was back out of whatever that was. The boy was in front of me, smiling devilishly. “Charlie, right? Winston,” he said as he cocked his head to the side.

“Winston…do you not have any memories that aren’t of hell?” I asked sarcastically.

“Ah…do you not know it’s rude to step into a man’s mind without asking?”

“A man?” I mocked, glaring at his small frame. I had no idea it was possible to see something that dark in your thoughts; even my shadows had lives that were easier to stomach – to understand. How could it snow in hell?

“Right. Do you want proof?” he asked, stepping back and holding his arms open as his eyes moved up and down my body.

“You perve. Who do you think you are? Go back to your stupid game.”

His eyes became darker, and I knew he was trying to see me, but I’d been hiding behind my shield since the moment I walked in the room.

“Well…damn…I figured having a look in your mind would be fun – but it looks like you’re careful to keep your secrets.”

“The last place you’re getting is in my head.”

“Already been there, love – Draven…he likes you.”

“Likes me? Good to know,” I said shortly.

“You know what I mean. I told him to stay away from you. What does he do? Has you locked up in his room – next thing you know, books are flying...you’re dangerous.”

“ME?! How dare you tell him to stay away from me – what are you?! Go to Hell! Obviously, you know where it is.”

A sly smile came to one side of his lips. “Come with me – introduce me to your other boyfriend.”

Fury was the only thing coursing though me as I charged forward and pushed him back with every ounce of strength I had, screaming “You evil bastard!” over and over again as I pushed him again and again.