.touch.

9

“Lauren I really need you to start over, from the very beginning I’m afraid I don’t understand.” I told her, moving closer to her. Lauren was red in the face and her eyes were wide with worry I could actually watch her eyes switch back to green and grey, which could have a lot to do with the fact she is a werewolf who has never changed. “Lauren, I need you to pull yourself together and breathe, do you hear me?”

Lauren looks at me with worried eyes but nods her head. She closes her mouth and takes a deep breath through her nose.

“I took a nap today, and I – I had this dream. I was standing in – I don’t know a forest?” Lauren shakes her head “I was wearing this dress and it was so cold my hair was whipping in my face and I was screaming, I was screaming your name. I was looking for you, I couldn’t find you I don’t know why but I thought you were supposed to be with me, be protecting me.”

Lauren shakes and she starts crying again and I feel something in me break, I never want to see Lauren cry, ever.

“And finally, you show up and I was so happy to see you, so desperate. And I screaming for you to touch me, to heal me, make me feel better I don’t know but you kept saying you couldn’t and I was like try just fucking try and your arm reached out for me and I reached out for you and then –” Lauren stops and a sob breaks through her body and I can’t take it anymore. I hate hearing her voice crack and watching her body shake and seeing how red she is, I can’t do it. Before I even realizing I have her in my arms and she’s crying up against my neck. She keeps saying my name and that she don’t want me to die and I can feel myself breaking along with her. I don’t want to die because I don’t want Lauren to be upset.

I rock the girl back and forth and slowly, she relaxes. I keep holding her though just so I know she’s safe and at least a little more relaxed than before, I know through my own version of the dream, I die.

“I knew there was something about you, from the moment I met you. You’re so reserved and you don’t talk about your family or your friends is this why? You because you know I’m going to kill you?”

“You are not going to kill me Lauren; I am not going to die.” I tell her, moving one arm away from her back and placing my hand under my chin. “I didn’t even know it was you, your hair always covers your face. I didn’t know that it had anything to do with you. And we’re touching right now? Nothing’s happening? This dream means something but we don’t know what then?”

Lauren looks up at me, her eyes grey and red and she nods and falls silent. She stays wrapped in my arms though and leans against my chest, breathing in short little breaths and I rub her back.

Slowly the vision of fades and I’m back, staring at the vision I had scene once before. The green and sliver lines of glow dancing around each other, but this one was different. I watched them glow and instead of staying far away, they ended up together. Only at the bottom, clinging to each other like Sour Punch candies.

“Lauren…” I said softly “Are you seeing what I’m seeing right now?” I asked her, still watching the sight in front of me in amazement

“The lights?” She sniffles back to me

“Yeah,”

“Yeah,”

I felt Lauren clutch me closer and wrapped my arms around her a little tighter. “This has to do with when we touch,”

“Obviously,” she tells me “but, I just, this scares me – what do you think this has to do with?”

“Something about us, it’s connected. I don’t know how and I don’t know why but we need to figure it out.” I tell Lauren and my vision starts come back, the vision of glowing light fades away and I can finally look back into her green eyes. “What about your family, do you think they would know anything?”