Walk Through Thorns

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I'd put the bookshelf in front of the curtain in window in my bedroom when I moved in. It blocked most of the light from the sunrise. Falling asleep didn't come easily to me, I knew what would happen when I did. The same nightmare, whether I slept during the night or day. A moment in time, frozen like amber, repeating over and over in my head.

Behind my eyes, as I drifted in that darkness, I hear the rumble of engines. Fat flakes of snow swirl between transport trucks. Their tires cut through the slush. They are unstoppable, the blizzard a mere nuisance. The road shakes beneath their weight.

I put my hand against the passenger window, the fog on it creeps away from my heat. Snowflakes melt the moment they land. The droplets run down the window like rain. It would be beautiful, if not for what came next.

What was it, again?

I look forward, between the driver and passenger seats. Two crimson eyes stare into me. They descend on my little metal shell, like an eagle swooping out of the sky. The shadow comes down like a mountain, and I know it will crush me into nothing.

My eyes opened, only to be blinded by daylight. My skin felt hot, stretched thin across my body. I screamed.

Auntie called to me, but I couldn't tell where from.

I heard her running closer. When her fingers closed on my wrist it burned, but I let her lead me to safety. The gravel driveway stabbed my bare soles with each step. I still wasn't sure where I was or how I got there. After a moment, she threw a sweater over top of me like a blanket. The darkness brought relief. I could see again, if only my own feet.

She asked, "How long have you been out here?"

I sputtered. I didn't know, and I was too shocked to try to explain.

The front door closed with a thunk behind us. While Auntie ran room to room, I stayed put. She was whipping all the main floor curtains closed for me. As I emerged into the gloom, Auntie was turning on a few lamps for light.

My hands were shaking. My skin had turned lobster red. Auntie brought me to the kitchen and sat me down as I tried to process what had happened.

Seeing we were in the kitchen, Yog ran in behind us. He sat himself beside his food bowl and watched in eager anticipation.

Auntie asked, "That looked like sleep walking. You okay?"

Deep embarrassment was welling up inside me, just as painful as my sunburn.

"I don't know. I was dreaming."

The dream had almost faded until I said it out loud, then the memory of it came flooding back. Tears escaped my eyes, and I couldn't stop them. "I can't make it go away."

Auntie grabbed a cloth and wiped the tears from my cheeks with care. Her arms wrapped around me and held me to her chest. Her shirt was rough on my skin, but I needed the contact more than anything else. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She didn't mean the dream.

"No. Not yet."

Auntie nodded and got an aloe cream from the cupboard. I held my arms out as she rubbed it onto my skin. This wasn't my first sun burn.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

I nodded as she finished with the cream. It soothed the dry heat, made my skin feel less taut.

Auntie said, "If you ever want to come with me to the hospital to talk, you're welcome to."

Pressure surged up into my neck at the offer. I pushed it down and said, "I know."