Burning Secrets

Chapter 3: New Routine

Hayley's POV:

Yeah that's gonna take some getting used to. Anyways, I just stare at the two guys whispering, them not knowing I can hear every single word they said.

"So who's your new friend?" Zack's cousin asks, glancing my way a few times.

"Down it primo. She just needs a place to crash for a bit."

His cousin looked at me again. I looked away and stared out the window continuing to listen to their conversation.

"She's not gonna be like the last one is she? Cause she is pretty, I know your type, but I need my sleep. You two were never quiet and-"

I could hear Zack slap his cousin on the back but I just glared at the darkened night.

"Yeah yeah yeah. What about that time you let your 'buddy' hang at my place. You completely trashed my extra room and he ended up stealing all my cup soups before vanishing. If anyone needs help with dating the right person it's you my brother."

They both chuckle before Zack makes his way over to me. I look at him as he introduces me. "This is Hayley, Hayley that's my cousin Enrique, most people just call him Eric though."

I slightly waved my hand before looking back out the window. Zack went away, maybe to his room? I don't know.

"You don't talk much do you?" Enrique or Eric said. I looked at him and shook my head. He gave me a forced smile before looking away. Zack broke the awkward tension as he came back into the room. He motioned for me to follow him and I hesitated before walking after him.

"You don't mind sleeping on the couch do you? Eric is using the extra room and let's just say he lives like a pig. I have extra blankets in here to make it more comfy and I know it's not much but I-"

"Thank you." I say, cutting him off. He stops and looks back at me. He gives me a genuine smile before he opens a small closet and pulls down some blankets.

"As long as you're not a serial killer you can stay as long as you'd like."

*A couple weeks later*

Sleeping on the couch was comfy, but for some reason I kept waking up on the floor, huddled into a ball as I awoke from unrecognizable memories. There was screaming and poking at my skin and so much noise, but it felt somewhat distant. Kinda like it was from another life. Or from my past.

Zack had rushed to me the first morning, holding me until I felt that I could finally breathe. He asked if I wanted to talk about it but I couldn't explain it. He didn't push further.

I tried pushing though. Trying to will myself to remember what those images were about and why it felt so real. But then the voice in my head would say:

Успокоиться (calm down)

And I would still want to know more, but I just couldn't. I was still curious but I just dropped the subject from my mind.

That's how my mornings went in my new routine. The phantom nightmares kept coming back again each night. I hadn't noticed them before but looking back I did have these weird dreams in the begining. Some of blurred family, the next sounds of fighting, then the most recent one before coming here was of a fire. Burning a house as screams filled the air. Crying into the shoulder of a blurred boy as a little girl.

Besides that everything seemed... normal. Zack usually had night shifts and sometimes I would join him, just people watching as I sat in a dark corner where nobody noticed me.

Eric would stay in his room for the most part, only coming out when he was leaving to "chill with the gang" or to stuff his arms full of snacks from the fridge or cupboards.

Zack was helping me get a small job at the bar since they needed more help with staff cleaning.

I tried to help around the house as much as I could. Picking up dirty dishes (which was usually thanks to Eric) and cleaning them. Taking a basket at a time down to the first floor which was where the laundry machines were.

I still didn't talk much to people, only saying what was necessary when necessary. Zack understood. In such little time that he knew me, he seemed to be able to know what I was thinking. He'd even use his hands to talk to me, not exactly like sign language, but more of the loosely translated version. Honestly I call it "Dummie's Non-Words"

Eric on the other hand liked to tease me a lot. That was his way though. What a goof.

*The next day*

I woke up on the floor, curled into a ball just like always, my forehead covered in a sheet of sweat. Zack was there, comforting me as I tried to catch my breathe. He kept whispering, "It's just a dream. It wasn't real. You're okay." But this one felt so real.

The itching on my skin almost burned and then the scariest part of all was the pitch black feeling of loneliness. Grief over the loss of people I don't even remember! Shivering as the icy feeling consumed my soul and I let out a cry in pain. Not from physical pain. It was like being stabbed in the heart, but instead of dying, you had to live with it.

Despite the horrible feeling of the nightmare, I pushed to remember something. Even if I didn't the voice in my head would say something and then I'll be free from thinking of it again. Either way I was fine with it. I kept pushing, knowing deep down that I was wishing and begging for the voice to just sweep away the shards of broken glass underneath the rug.

And just as I could feel myself getting closer to a breakthrough through the memories.

Успокоиться (calm down)

The voice swept the memories under the rug. Sweet relief helped me to breathe. I didn't have to think about it anymore. I couldn't now that the voice had magically flipped the switch.

I clung onto Zack as he rubbed my back. I could finally breath again and Zack gently held onto me longer.

After a moment of us sitting on the floor, he had gotten up as I stayed sitting on the couch. There was noises and banging behind me from whatever Zack was doing in the kitchen. A while later he came back with a plate of breakfast.

He smiled down at me and I returned it.