Shift to Genuine - Nathan Fanfic

Part Sixteen

I stared at the ground as my toes turned a deep purple, followed by my toenails turning blue and splitting down the middle and peeling off. I looked away and walked through the snow, the cold slush covered my feet and the purple crept up my legs. It wasn't long before i could no longer feel my fingertips.

Dry leaves crackled and shifted against each other noisily behind me as someone ran through them, the same noise again but this time to my left. Again to my right. I jerked my head sharply to follow the sound, trying to find the culprit of these eerie noises. When i saw nothing and all fell silent I took a step forwards.

Cautiously i walked across the snow covered field, checking behind me every so often, just to make sure i was alone. The scenery changed from empty space to tall, towering trees making me feel smaller. As an instant conscious decision i flew to the floor, covering my head clumsily with my arms. A screech sounded over my head and my shoulders shook.

"Esmie" It hissed. "Esmie" It repeated, dragging out the S in a hiss.

"What do you want?!" I cried clutching at the forest floor as the volume of each word they shouted echoed through my mind, like a searing pain.

"Don't you know Esssmie? Don't you know!?" It boomed.

"No. Just leave me alone!" I pleaded.

"Don't you want to know, Esssmie?" It teased. 

"No!" I screamed.

Suddenly everything fell silent. Though the voice had been overpoweringly loud the background noise had faded too, i hadn't realised there was any until it had gone. Now i was left with a deathly, lonely silence. I got up, fumbling and falling clumsily in fear of this strange voice coming back. After a moment or two when it hadn't i ventured forwards.

"Esmie?" Nathan called in the distance, I checked it was him, squinting in an attempt to see him better and when i was almost sure it was him, sprinted towards him. "Esmie!" The joyous laughter in his voice only encouraged me as i ran as fast as i could, my frozen feet pounding the ground and stinging me, i didn't care.

"Nathan!" I smiled, finally reaching him and jumping on him, locking my arms around his neck and squeezing tightly.

"Alright Babe?" He asked, burying his face in my shoulder and gently kissing my exposed collar bone.

"Better now you're here"

"Good"

"Did you hear that voice before?" I asked

"What voice?" 

"The voice" I said slowly.

"What are you talking about?" His voice deepened, turning into a growl.

"There was a voice" I stammered nervously.

"There was no voice!" He insisted, his voice now matched the one i'd heard before. My eyes widened and i turned to run from him, screaming for help.

He grabbed my ankle and slammed my body to the floor. A thick fog wrapped around my ankle and tightened, when i looked behind Nathan had gone and all that remained was a huge cloud of smoke, lurching over me and it began to drag me deeper into the forest. I kicked and screamed but it was no good, no-one was hear me scream. I was alone.

I woke up in a cold sweat, my hair stuck to my forehead and the nape of my neck. I reached over for the glass of water i'd poured myself earlier and took a long gulp. I swung my legs out of bed and padded through the flat, admiring each painting Max had on the wall and some photo frames he had dotted around, all were filled with photo's of him and the boys, a few of his family and one with Michelle at some awards night last year.

"That one is for you" He smiled, appearing next to me and pointing at the single empty one in the middle.

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"Awh, thank you" I smiled and hugged him.

"Wait why are you up?" He asked.

"Couldn't sleep, i had a nightmare. You?"

"What about? Just going to the loo and then bed."

"Doesn't matter. What time is it?"

"Three" He yawned.

"Oh, okay. I should go back to sleep then"

"Come and top and tail with me if you like? Michelle is staying over at her mates"

"No, i wouldn't want to intrude, thanks though"

"You sure? I have sweeties" He teased. 

"Don't tempt me"

"Come on, we'll chat for a bit and then you can go back to the spare room or top and tail with me"

"Fine" I grinned and followed him.