Without You (Sequel (2018))

Walking Nightmares

*Picture of Eli*

The cold dark corridor echoes emptily in front of me, the sharp rocky floor rolling endlessly throughout the dark. My squinting eyes are aided only by the faint flickering from the translucent lamp above my head. My bare feet begin stepping tentatively forward, scraping against the floor and soaking my feet in thick blood. It's almost as if I'm in a trance, immune to the pain on the soles of my feet and the pricking cold along my arms. I simply trail down the long hallway, the exact same hallway I ran away from Alex and his minions.

My long black dress that Cara so carefully made me for her eighteenth birthday party hangs limply and in tatters from my lifeless figure. That's funny, I remember throwing this in the bin months ago.

As I continue to pace cautiously down the corridor, I halt suddenly when I see something glimmering a few feet in front of me. Every other time I've been back here, there's never been anything else, just empty darkness. It's bizarre because deep down I know I'm dreaming yet can't seem to wake up.

I finally reach the shimmering surface, realising that it's a shallow pool of water simmering gently under the false lone light on the ceiling. I slowly bend down, leaning over the thin pool and gazing with fixation at its surface. With an outstretched hand, I place my fingers on the top of the water, and gently begin to trace along the surface. I'm fascinated by the circles that emerge in perfect formation.

"Dani! What the hell are you doing?"

It's like someone has lit a match and fired my mind back up because before I know it I'm snapped out of it. I suddenly find myself awake and gasp in panic when I realise that I'm actually in my PJs, leaning over the backyard pool with my hand dangling in the water.

"What the fuck," I recoil backwards, falling onto the cool tiles in horror. I've not sleepwalked since I was about seven!

"Dani! What the hell are you doing?"

I hear the panic in Eli's voice too before feeling his arms under mine, lifting my stunned body up off the floor.

It had been a couple of nights since we'd had our big fight and since then, things had been fine. There had been no more threatening incidents and I'd gradually begun to relax and enjoy normal holiday activities like swimming and sunbathing.

Well everything had been fine until now, I suppose.

"Are you ok?" He asks frantically, once he lifts me up and turns me to face him. His eyes are shooting across my face and every inch of my skin, double checking to make sure that I'm ok.

"Yes ... I um ... I think so," I mumble in confusion, my hands gripping his shoulders for support as I try and catch my breath.

"What were you doing?" He exclaims, his expression filled with exasperation.

"I have no idea ... I was back in that corridor and there was a puddle of water and then it was suddenly the pool," I recall the jumbled mess in my head. "You must think that I'm going mad," I almost sob as I try to block the dark dream from my head.

"Don't do that. I think you're so brave," he whispers, tilting my chin up so I can't avoid eye contact.

He pulls me to his chest, wrapping his arms so tightly across my back like he won't let go. After holding me tight for what seems like hours, he gently helps me back up and leads me back inside.

"What's wrong with me?" I exhale shakily as I slowly lay back into his bed, letting him tuck me in.

"I told you, don't do that! I don't think anyone else would be able to handle the amount of stress you've experienced, in all aspects of your life. Not only have you had your life threatened numerous times in the last year but you've also got the everyday stress of being in a top uni!" He scolds me, laying down next to me.