Nothing Wrong With Being a Tomboy

Chapter 14: Shanghaied By Feelings

 |Riley|

   “I love you, Riley,” a husky voice ricocheted those words.

    I love you, Riley.

   I glanced over the white room again, looking for Ayden. “Where are you?” I screamed.

   No one answered.

   “Ayden? Where are you?”

   “I love you, Riley,” the same voice whispered.

   Although the voice was far away from me, I could feel its presence near—more like aside me.

   “Where are you?”

   I turned around to be startled by an immense gloomy cloud that tackled me. Though I screamed, nobody listened. I was in danger and the only thing I did was to kick the un-kickable—a fog of darkness. “Ayden!” now, I wasn’t questioning, I was begging and calling him to save me from this malevolent haze.

   But… he didn’t come.

   And suddenly, when I thought the attacking cloud was unreal, some red and evil eyes emerged as an evil cackle thundered. “Ha, ha, ha.”

  “Ayden! Help! No! No! Please, somebody! No! Ayden!”

   Awaken by the frightful nightmare; I sat up on a bed. Sweat was pouring out of my body, and I felt like a freaking mermaid that got out of the water. My chest heaved in and out as a throbbing pain stole my peace of mind.

   Recently, weird and unsympathetic dreams were confiscating my sleep and I couldn’t do anything but to live them. I scanned the room, and the little effort that it took me, stung a needle on the back of my head. Blinking my eyes became a tedious task… and please, let’s not talk about the feeling that slew me when I squinted my eyes.

   I’ve drink alcohol in a couple of parties, back in the High School days, but never in my life have I had a hangover. And let the truth be told: it sucked.

    A humid and rotten breath blew out of my mouth as a painful yawn took over me, “Oh crap.” I was simply disgusting and when I saw the wreck I was, I vowed to never drink again in my life.

   My tongue was numb and I clicked it a couple of times to feel the numbness going away. Still sitting on the comfy bed, I tried to re-look at the room and to decode the big puzzle: where was I?

   Such a mystery, I thought with a hint of humor.

    A smile grew as I eyed the cool posters of video games and big pictures of smiling people stuck on the wall. My now narrowed eyes searched for a familiar face—though it was agonizing—soon it became a mission accomplished. Andrew was grinning at me with a girl by his side and another boy next to him. I’ve never seen Andrew so happy like in that picture and somehow I found myself grinning like him too.

   I climbed out of the bed but stopped by the bed’s edge when I saw some shadow stretched on the armchair next to the bed. The shadow shifted itself on the chair and let out a sleepy moan. I leaned closer to it when I grasped that it was harmless.

   “Andrew?” I whispered when I recognized his facial features that were so calm and salient.

   His long eyelashes stuck out even in the dusky room and I just couldn’t help but smile. He looked so innocent and serene.

   What time is it? I turned around to see the curtains hiding the flashes the sun ignited. It was like a battle the light had with the shadow. And right now, by the opaque shade that dominated the room, it was obvious the dark side was winning. Darth Vader should be proud.