The Other Side

Chapter 2

THE OTHER SIDE

Chapter 2:

I awoke from my nightmare-filled sleep, sweating involuntarily like a pig. My whole body felt like a living drenched cloth, and I was sure the sheets under me were completely soaked through. The mattress might have also been drenched in my sweat. I shivered.

 It wasn’t the cold that sent a nasty chill through my body, it was more of the nightmare itself and how real it felt. It felt like I had been in front of the Wall again, looking through my small eyes again, watching, thinking, feeling every moment that had happened that day and every worse thing before hand, like reliving the worst memories in your life.   

 Those horrible memories that my mind had resurfaced were only part of the things that still bothered me. What really bothered me the most, to this day, was the way my mother had looked at me. Those disappointed, accusatory eyes are what haunts my mind the most, and every day, every single day, I try to rid myself of the thought of my mother being those things towards me, even though her and I both know the events on that day were my fault.

 We had lost everything because of me. Because I was being a nosy little girl who couldn’t keep her curious mind in check. 

 Though after all, I had always been different to everyone else, more subtle, more inquisitive, moredeviating. Some might see this as a good thing or a complimentary thing, but to me, it is a tyrannical curse. But I guess this is just the mysterious way God works, so who am I to complain?

 Sighing and interrupting my own belligerent thoughts, I stared up at the white ceiling. Dark shadows illuminated it from the midnight sky outside, giving it a sketchy figure of what looked like arms and legs, from the branches perched just outside of my bedroom window. Most would think it looked creepy, but I was used to it. That, and I was used to the reverberating helicopter-like sound coming from my ceiling fan above me, making it seem like the strong wavering zephyr from outside was also in my room. What can I say? I liked the breeze and the sound was comforting to me.

 Without a thought, I gently pushed my bedspread aside and slid out of bed, my feet landing in my slippers – I always had them in the correct place at the edge of my bed – and stood up. The floorboards creaked under my weight, as I slowly walked across my room, making sure not to awaken my mother next door bedroom, as well as the rest of the sleeping people in the other rooms.

 I slid open the door as silently as possible and slipped out, not caring that I was still in my long-sleeved teddy bear pajamas. I enjoyed their comfort more than I should, to be honest.

 In the long stretched door-filled hallway of the Mississippi College – the only building that Mayor Christopher had found with a bed for my mother and I , despite his power – I allowed myself a long breath, before creeping down the hallway.

 I don’t know exactly why I was up and around, but I guess I just felt like I needed to get out of the stuffy room for a while. I needed some time to collect myself after my nightmare. A breath of fresh air would do me good.

 When I had come to the end of the hallway, I turned to look back, making sure I hadn’t awoken anyone. There was no movement in the halls or noise emitted from the rooms, so I assumed I was safe. Facing the stairs now, I turned away from them instantly, and took a right turn around the corner to the next hallway, which had dorm room 347 at the end. I stopped when I got there and turned the knob. As usual, it was unlocked. 

 I carefully searched my surrounding again, making sure no one, especially the night patrol, had seen me before I entered. I quietly pressed the door shut once I was inside.