The Fallen |BxB| ✓

02 | Splatter Through Reality

↞[Luke]↠

The first rays of flimsy sunlight filtered through woven fabrics of the curtains and fell on the sketchbook lifted against my legs. Hand moving to mark the final stroke, I placed the pencil down, admiring the piece of black and white sketching. Perfect. Closing the book, a yawn watered my eyes, and I felt like sinking into my bed. It took all willpower within me to stand up when I saw that barely an hour remained before school. Briskly walking to the washroom, hitting the desk-chair along the way, I discarded my shirt in the laundry basket.

Body feeling sore from sitting up the whole night, all I craved right now was cold water hitting my muscles. Sliding the crystal door to the shower, I caught something in the mirror. I stared back at my reflection, small blotches of dried-over water spotting the image. Dreary eyes drained of colors, a light shadow caressing my lower eyelids, all hinting at the sleepless nights. That was the least of my worries. I traced the blemish looped around my neck, skin swollen under my fingers, and marked with a darker shade of red.

Vision lost focus as I ran the events that took place before today. School, gym, home, today. Nothing. Nothing happened. I did not get into any fights—not that it was a usual thing, but it sometimes happened on school grounds. A faint voice lingered in the back of my head, and I tried to avoid hearing it. I pinched the bruised skin, and thankfully, it did not hurt.

Dreams cannot hurt you, and they're not real.

I slammed the shower door, and twisted the cold water knob, closing my eyes when it cascaded over my body—muscles straining further as my head ached with pulsating pain. There are a billion ways I could've gotten that bruise. I slept on the couch, maybe I twisted my head in a weird position.

Dreams cannot hurt you, and they're not real.

Pushing my hand against the wall in front of me, I balanced my body, shaking a little. My shirt. I was wearing something with a collar yesterday, that probably did it.

No.

I hit something while sleepwalking. Unless I tied a noose around my neck.

Seat belt. It doesn't loop around your neck.

"Fuck," I silently exhaled and twisted the faucet, cutting the water flow. Unduly drops fell on my hand before it completely stopped. Before stepping out, I checked the rest of my body, but there weren't any more bruises.

Dreams cannot hurt you, and they're not real.

I cannot fucking deal with this. Not this early in the morning. Feet hitting cotton filaments of the bath mat, I wrapped a towel around my waist. Glancing back at the rectangular mirror behind the sink, the redness still persisted. No way in hell am I going out like this. People would raise too many questions and start mindless rumors. I had enough on my plate already.