The Journey Taken Together

Chapter Two

**Dedicated to LizPer7**

(Officially edited)

~Dennis~

I hear an ear-piercing scream as I run through the forbidden forest. I gasp in breaths of air while trying not to stumble over the thorny vines sticking out at me. Running away from the screaming voice, I spot a small hint of light, along with a rusty fence in the distance. I begin to walk towards it hesitantly as the screams suddenly stop. I hold my hand out towards the fence and touch it ever so slightly.

A bright hand reaches out and touches mine, causing my heart to start racing. Startled, I step back, and a figure follows my every move. Involuntarily, I move my arm in front of my face to protect my eyes from the light. I squint to see the bright figure of a woman. Her straight hair goes down just past her shoulders. Her eyes pierce my soul, and I question what it is I'm seeing. My heart begins to pound with an endless array of emotions.

Is it her?

"Thea . . .?" I softly ask while looking into her eyes.

"Help me . . ." the figure whispers ever so softly, and she instantly vanishes. I look around frantically for her, but she is nowhere to be found. Beginning to panic, my head starts to spin. I fall to the ground and look up at the dark night sky.

"Is this what dying feels like?' I softly whisper to myself.

***

I wake up panting and sweating. "Third time this week," I think as I look at the calendar. I graze over the days and find today's date with a star on it. I flip to the back of my calendar and freeze. A chill runs down my spine, and I sigh. Today marks the one year anniversary of the separation between me and Thea.

Heading towards the stairs with a groan, I hesitate to start my daily routine. I force myself down the steps and head into the kitchen. This morning, I decide to only make myself two pieces of toast. The nightmare caused me to lose my appetite, and throwing up is not in my best interest right now.

After making my toast, I start a pot of coffee. The aroma of the coffee grounds forces me to nearly gag, and I cover my nose. I hate the smell of black coffee, but I love drinking it with creamer. When the last bit of coffee finishes pouring into the kettle, I grab a mug and pour a small glass for myself.

Heading to the fridge, I look down at the mug. I trace the outline of the letter D with my index finger and sigh. For my birthday, I asked Thea to get me a mug for coffee. I didn't think she would get it because she mocked me about my drink of choice, but she surprised me with a homemade one.

I sit down at my computer desk and sip my coffee. My stomach begins to rumble, and I start feeling very queasy.

Maybe it is my gut telling me that today is going to be a horrible day.

~Thea~

The separation between Dennis and I wasn't like a break up. In fact, we weren't exactly dating. Steven told me that Dennis liked me a few days before the party, and then we stopped hanging out because Dennis went off to college in California. After graduation, we never saw each other again and went our separate ways. I never liked the idea, but I couldn't help it. And I hate how he never bothered to text me. Maybe it was because he found someone else.

This assumption, of course, arose some questions. Did he lose my number? Did he just not want to call me? Whatever it is, the excuse is not needed. After all, I do have a fiancé.