Stranger Things Have Happened (Elvis Presley story)

Chapter 32

Laughter. Laughter cuts through the thick air, transforming the silence into a deafening roar. My hands fly up to cover my ears in an attempt to block the sound. But it doesn't work. The thundering booms of cackling surrounds me in waves, each rocking me to my core.

And even though all I can see is darkness, I know the laughter is directed at me. It is harsh and cruel and cuts through me like a knife, humiliating me. Sharp voices call out amongst the ear-splitting noise, screaming at me.

"Stupid girl, you threw your life away!"

"This is all your own fault!"

"You're all alone, nobody wants you!"

I instantly realize that I recognize these voices, every single one of them. Tears begin to stream down my face as the voices of my mother, my father, Lauren, Margaret, Vernon, my grandmother, Sam, and dozens and dozens of other people I know. Each insult they scream out at me feels like a slap in the face. I try to block it all out but it's impossible.

But it is one distinct voice that rises above the rest, instantly making my heart stop.

"Just look at yourself. Pathetic!" Elvis's voice spits out venomously at me.

In an instant the darkness disappears and is replaced by a bright spotlight shining hotly onto me. I squint at the brightness, but my eyes quickly adjust and reveal the scene playing out in front of me. I am kneeling on the ground and am surrounded by a circle of friends, family, loved ones, and people I have encountered throughout my life glaring down at me with looks of absolute hatred ingrained onto their faces.

Elvis steps out from the crowd and stops directly in front of me. Before I can react, he reaches down and yanks me up roughly off the ground, holding me out in front of him. His blue eyes pierce into me as he scrutinizes me with his gaze.

"What are you doing?" He asks before dropping me.

I jolt awake, sucking in a gasp of air. At first I panic because I don't know where I am but I soon realize that I am in my bed, staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom. Quickly sitting up, I rip the blankets off of me and let my face fall into my hands as I desperately try to catch my breath. I know it was a dream but I can feel myself trembling from it as hot tears run down my cheeks. It just felt so real.

I reach over and turn on the lamp on my bedside table. After my eyes adjust, I am able to see the clock. It's 3:17 in the morning. Daisy jumps up onto the bed beside me, making me jump. But I quickly let out a breath and pull her close to my, cradling her to my chest.

I am unable to fall back asleep again, so I spend the rest of the night laying in bed petting Daisy. When the sun starts to come up and flood light into my room I eventually get up and start to get ready.

I spend the majority of the day at work, completely exhausted. And being honest, I am still pretty shaken up from that dream. I just really don't feel like myself and I know that today is not my best day at work by any means. It isn't until late afternoon when I get to go home. I would have liked to take a nap, but Sam ends up calling me and inviting me out to dinner with him and a few of his friends.