THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS

[27]

[27]

- EDEN -

-

SWEAT DRIPPED FROM my hairline and my heart hammered in my chest. My eyes were closed, but my brain was spinning at speeds that made me nauseous.

Dreams plagued my mind as I curled further into my covers, in hopes of it shielding the horrific images flashing in my head.

Like always, I was drowning at the hands of another. I clawed at their arms and kicked and thrashed but it was no use.

Ethan held me underwater, a kind smile on his lips. His eyes welled with tears as my lungs felt close to exploding, "It'll be okay, Ede."

I wanted to cry, yell, breathe, but couldn't. My eyes shut as I felt my consciousness disappear underneath me. When the grip around my throat loosened and my vision returned to me, Keldan was in front of me.

What felt like tears spilled down my cheeks, but I couldn't be sure underwater. His grip around my throat tightened just like Ethan had. His charming smile, his bright brown eyes, his soft features trapped me all over again.

With a gasp, I sat up, clawing at my throat as tears flooded my eyes. A sob ripped through me, but I slapped my hand onto my lips in fear of Julia hearing me. I looked to the right and let out a shuddering sigh as I watched her body rise up and down.

She was still asleep.

My heart beat wildly in my chest and I pressed my hand to my chest in hopes of calming down my heart rate. Breathing in and out, my body started to calm down again. With one final breath, I slipped out of bed and made my way to the desk. I slipped my Elmo-themed slippers on and shrugged on a zip-up hoodie. I felt my way to the front door and slipped out.

As I stood in the hallway, unsure of where I was going, I made my way to the elevator. I pressed the up button and waited. When the elevator finally arrived, I pressed the button that took me to the top floor and hopefully the roof.

When it finally let me out, I spotted the door that took me out to the roof to the left and down the hall. I made my way towards it and pushed the door open, letting out a breath of relief when a breeze passed me by. I brushed my hair back from my face and made my way to the edge of the roof.

I took a seat, tucking myself in behind the little ledge.

I don't know how long I sat there, maybe an hour, maybe two. My nerves were frayed, but I felt better. The cool concrete against my bare legs, the warm breeze that brushed my hair back, the feeling of the warm fleece hoodie wrapped around me was enough to lull me back to sleep.

But my thoughts were keeping me awake. I pulled out my phone and played a random playlist, to keep my mind occupied. When Ribs by Lorde started to play, a soft smile stretched the corners of my lips. As I laid my head back and stared at the midnight sky, I knew that maybe these dreams weren't so bad...

Behind me, the door to the roof clicked open and I looked behind me. A small breeze passed me by as I stared at the person walking through the door. I recognized his build and was sure it was Atlas. He was dressed as he usually was, in black and small splashes of color. This time in a black sweatpants and a black hoodie with a red graphic design on the front.

He stalked towards me and I sat up, watching him as he took a seat next to me. I stared up at him, "How do you always find me?"

He tucked his legs underneath him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "I don't know,"