Vision

Chapter Eleven

Edited

Today is the last day of the X's and as the minutes turn into hours I'm in a daze. I'm already late getting to Oasis. Lillian hasn't called yet, but she will if I don't show up. She might think that Peter did something to me.

Against all better judgment, I dress as casual and comfortable as possible before making my way to Oasis. Everything seems so mundane when you have no idea how tomorrow is going to look.

Once entering the shop, Lillian has me finish my tea box tower. In between customers she questions how my date went and I dive into a tell all. The dinner, how Colton was there, how he claimed I was his type and how I'm supposed to meet a friend of his to put him in his place.

It all seems perfect, but I left out some major details. Our kiss and his departure. Lillian strives on gossip, but I don't feel like feeding the beast right now. All Lillian needs to worry about is her duties that are suppose to start tomorrow.

It's that unwanted truth that puts a damper on our conversation. It's a monster that gets bigger and bigger with each passing minute. By time it's closing time, it fills the entire shop.

I stay all the way until closing time. Lillian doesn't think anything of if. She probably thinks he's running late. And he is, by four days.

When we reach her apartment, she finally voices her concern, "Where's Peter? I thought your date went well? He doesn't feel like holding his end of the deal up anymore?"

"He left today. For work. He'll be gone...for four days." As I admit everything Lillian glares at me. There's nothing worse than getting scorned for hiding something.

"Let's go," she says as she proceeds down the sidewalk.

I should let her walk me, but I can't. I didn't need her getting hurt too. "No." She swivels on her heel to stare at me, mouth open and eyes narrowed. "I can't have you get hurt. I need you to go to the police. I won't be able to fight to make it out of whatever is gonna happen, if something happens to you."

A strong, firm 'but' comes out of her mouth, but I cut her off with a simple demand of letting me finish my walk on my own and how I'll call her when I'm safely locked inside my apartment.

She agrees, but then again, I didn't really give her a choice. I watch her enter her complex before I walk the dark streets alone. Clenching my arms to myself as several people pass me, I speed walk down the sidewalk. I expect everybody to jump me and when I make it to my complex, all the way to my door and lock myself inside, I can't help but to laugh at myself. Maybe these premonitions are just illusions.

Someone is out to get me, but maybe I've just watched too many Lifetime movies. I don't dwell on the fact that I had a vision before I found out I had a stalker, but the thought that it's all in my head relaxes my stiff muscles.

I'm all for telling myself lies just so I can get through the days...and nights.

A quick call to Lillian tells her that I'm home and safe. She makes me promise that I'll see her tomorrow, which I do. Even though I might not. I still have to make it through tonight.

***

Nightmares fill my sleep and once morning comes, I'm still sleepy. Days, weeks of barely any sleep is slowly creeping in on me. But I have places to be. I made a promise and I'm still alive and well, so I have no other choice but to keep it.

Tomorrow might be a different story. Or the day after that or the day after that.

I huff the sweetened air of Oasis as I enter the shop. Liliian nearly takes me right off my feet as she collides into me. Her arms tightly wrapping around me, cutting off my air flow from her forceful squeeze. "You're here, not missing." She sounds overjoyed, but the smile I'm giving her wouldn't fool anyone. "What's wrong? You didn't get abducted, that's good, right?"