The Genie's Possession

All In My Head

My feet hurt. I was sure I had blisters on both of my heels. Lindy had ditched me long ago despite her promise to stay with me the entire time. Now I was stuck with Kevin.

He was quite the gentleman and everywhere we went he attracted attention. He was just so handsome that everyone turned to ogle at him; girls glared at me enviously, wondering what Kevin could possible be doing with a girl like me.

Kevin said something to me but I could not hear him over the roar of the commotion. "What?" I yelled at him. Kevin yanked me over to the corner near the bathrooms. I brought my face closer to his to hear what he was trying to say. 

He tried to kiss me. I panicked and I shoved him away from me hard. 

Suddenly his face morphed and he didn't seem so handsome anymore. Now he looked terrifying. His green eyes turned into black pits, his skin became translucent so I could see every single vein, artery, muscle which made up his face. He grabbed me hard. And everywhere he touched me it burned, it burned so bad. I was being burned alive. I screamed and screamed and screamed. No matter how hard I struggled I couldn't get away.

"Nora, Nora," someone called, "Get up!"

What?

"Come on Nora, it was just a dream."

I shook my head in a panic and continued to thrash around.

Then a felt tender, cool hands touch my face. A soothing voice said, "Nora it me Lindy. Just open your eyes. It's okay."

Slowly I opened my eyes to see a worried Lindy peering down at me. I looked around and felt my heart calm down as I took in the familiar walls of my room.

"Nora?"

Slowly I sat up in my bed. I could feel the tears threatening to fall down my face as they lurked behind my eyelids.

"I got you some water," Lindy offered but I shook my head in refusal. My body was trembling. Why was it so damn cold?

"Wow it's cold in here Nora. Why is your window open" Lindy asked as she shut my window.

"But I always close my window before I go to bed," I protested in a hoarse voice.

"Well it's okay. What happened Nora? You were screaming."

Shivers ran up my spine as I remembered the dream once more. "Can we please talk about this tomorrow?"

Lindy sat down next to me. "Of course. Want me to stay here with you for tonight?"

I nodded relieved, I didn't want to be alone right now. "Okay," Lindy said then she got off of my bed and reached for the door.

"Wait," I said almost hysterical. "I thought you were going to stay here with me."

"I am, I just need to get my stuff. I'll be right back alright Nora."

"Please hurry back."

I could hear Lindy's footsteps slowly disappear as she padded down the hallway. My room seemed empty and frightening without her present. I huddled into my bed staring at the walls in the dark. A faint sliver of moonlight slipped through the curtains casting a dark shadow across the walls. Suddenly I heard something scuttle in the hallway.

"Lindy? Is that you?" I called out. No one answered. I fell back into my pillow and sleep overtook my eyes.

When I woke up the next morning I found Lindy still sleeping next to me. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was ten o'clock. That was odd. Lindy had to be really tired since she wasn't up yet.

I got out of bed, careful not to wake Lindy and padded down to the the kitchen. I needed tea. Quickly I made a cup and sat down at the kitchen table to slowly savor it. I could hear Lindy getting ready in the bathroom. I took out a couple of eggs and began frying them. I decided to throw in some bacon as well. Lindy deserved it after everything she did for me last night.

Lindy came into the kitchen already dressed for the day. She looked at the eggs and bacon I had already plated out but she didn't dig right in. Instead she stared at me confused.

"What?" I questioned Lindy even though I knew what she was going to say.

Lindy sat down across from me and merely stated, "You haven't had a night terror in so long."

"I know."

"Do you want to tell me what you dreamed about at least?"

"It was really weird."

"Nora, come on. You can tell me."

"It was about festival."

"What?"

"The dream seemed so real Lindy. I honestly thought everything-like I had been there!"

"What do you mean?"

I stared down into my cup and swirled around the now cold tea. Lindy patiently waited for me to continue.

"It started out with you getting ready for festival when Gavin came to pick you up from our apartment. You were trying to get me ready too. But Gavin didn't come by himself."

"Then?"

"Kevin came too."

"Kevin? You mean the one we met at Mr. Milligan's funeral?"

I nodded. "You invited Kevin to be my blind date."

"So you had to go on a date? That doesn't explain why you were screaming-I mean you hate people but not enough to react like that."

I took a deep breath. "Kevin and I were going around together looking at the different booths at festival. But then he shoved me into a corner and he just turned into this thing-his face it had no skin. And I was on fire and I couldn't escape-I couldn't do anything!" The last few words came out in a sob.

Lindy looked at me astonished and then she hugged me. "Oh god Nora I'm so sorry. That probably reminded you of-"

"Yeah," I whispered quietly. "It reminded of the day my parents died."

"Do you want to stay in for today? I'll stay with you," Lindy offered.

"Lindy why did they have to die?" I whispered.

"Oh Nora, come on. You need to stop blaming yourself. You had nothing to do with their death."

"B-but I could have helped them. But I didn't do anything!"

"Nora you were trapped under a huge beam, how could you have done anything?"

I didn't say anything. All I could think about was that fire that was slowly eating me alive from the inside.

After awhile I said, "Lindy."

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to head up to the art room today."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Lindy, you have class today."

"I don't mind skipping for one day-it won't hurt me."

"No, it's alright. You go to class, I'll be fine. Besides you shouldn't be missing a single day of summer class-you know how fast they go."

"But Nora-"

"Lindy I'm fine now. Thank you for sitting with me." I gave Lindy a small smile before I went into the bathroom to get ready. I really needed to be alone right now.