DISTORTED FACES

4. Reality.

Charlie's Pov

Still breathing heavily, Jay and I lay side by side flat on our backs. The air is warm and humid. My body is still sweating: toes curling inward, abs tensing. My neck throbs from the damage Jay has done to it. He was rough this time; sadistic even. I am surprised he had it in him considering how exhausted he has been. Jay rolls onto his side and swipes his index fingers over my bare stomach. "You're hot," he slurs. His bright brown eyes glisten like an entire starry night sky trapped in two dark circles. He admires me: How cliche. All of the innocence in the world emits from his gaze. It is deceiving. "Thank you." I reply, flirtatiously. He flashes a charming grin. "That is not what I meant, but yes, you are welcome...Want to shower together?" He asks, so boldly. "Uh, no. I am not ready for you to see me looking like a wet rat. But you can. Towels are hung on the rack. You can use those." Jay pushes himself off the edge, the mattress shakes free from his bodyweight. He appears frail and transparent. A single bruise on his skin would be as prominent as a solid black circle on a white canvas. The indents of each rib are prominent even from a distance. Just before he departs, I catch a glimpse of the scratch marks I left on him; something I do not really remember doing.

After cleaning myself, I quickly got dressed. I cannot help but think about the other night and the nightmare he told me he had. The dream itself sounds incredible: the ethereal waves covering the sky and the relapse of these strange looking people. An uneasiness shakes me up when I think about that woman. Seared in my brain is the fear in his eyes when he looked at me that night. I have never witnessed someone that petrified. His lids twitched when he refused to blink while marveling over whatever terrifying hallucination was there. He must have been too afraid to look away, but from what? The odd thing is, I can vaguely imagine what he saw. I think I have seen it too. I have had night terrors about a strange woman. Every time, she would hold me down and whisper things into my ear. Although it was never as intense as Jay describes his experiences. I am curious if there is a psychological meaning to it all? His mind intrigues me.

"Hey babe, I am heading out." Jay walks in while towel drying his hair. Wide damp patches spot his clothing. "Why are you in such a rush? It is already late. Just stay the night with me." I pout. "No Charlie I-" There is a glint in his stare and he shakes his head trying to hide it. "Is this because of what happened last time?" I ask. "No. I just-uh" I see right through him. "Stay. Please." It is not enough to just say it. I am enticed to wrap myself around him. My chest pressed up against his. Disregarding the fact that my clothes are now wet, I embrace him. "Fine. But if anything happens-" Jay says. I try to comfort him, "Stop thinking about it. How about you and I just get some snacks and watch tv, okay?" I win.

Distorted whispers resonate throughout the pitch black room. I am still in a daze from just had woken up. It takes me a minute to realize I am not dreaming. The atmosphere mystifies with something eerie. Whispers come from the man asleep beside me. Desperation is audible in Jay's voice. I am unable to understand precisely what he is saying. It sounds like gibberish. My imagination invades my rational thoughts and I start thinking about the woman who haunts him in his sleep. I picture her as he described her. What if he is talking to her as she lingers beside the bed hidden behind the darkness consuming the room. Her swindling black hairs touching his face as her crooked fingers latch onto his side. What if she is also staring at me? The snake hisses louder. He almost breaks the whisper. "I do not understand. Who are they?" And then something unrecognizable followed by, "All endings are near." I panic. Fear shoves me off the bed. I make a dash for the bedroom lights and turn them all on. Of course, there is no one there and I am just a fool who scared herself. I wonder if he is having another nightmare. I am unsure if I should wake him up or not. "Charlie." My name barely escapes his mouth. Like a robber sneaking into a bank, I slowly made my way back to the bed. He whispers my name again. This is wrong is it not? I should wake him up. I cannot, not do anything at this point. I roll into him and extend an arm around his shoulder. His face is hidden in the pillow. "Charlie. Please do not do it." The agony tremors his voice. I affably shimmy his torso. "Jay? You are dreaming. Wake up."

He suddenly sits up like a stiff board snapping in half. The straining muscles keeps him shaking. My heart freezes. I watch in horror as he turns his head my way. His eyes; wide open and bloodshot. They start rocking back and forth from me to the bedroom door. "Charlie, Do not open it. She is out there." His lips tremble. "No Jay, you are asleep. Please wake up. There is no one there babe." Desperate to bring him back, I cup his face and keep his head from looking at the door. "Look at me." I beg. He forcefully shuts his eyes. "Jay? You are awake now. It is okay." I caress my thumb over his chiseled cheekbones. He snatches both of my hands and presses them firmly against his ears. I remain quiet and watch as he copes with what is troubling him. When he finally opens his eyes and looks up at me I sympathize with him. I have never imagined that I would see Jay like this. "I-I am so sorry- so sorry. I am just so tired- I just want to rest- I cannot stand it anymore." He aches. To help calm him down I let him rest his head on my lap while my fingers run through his hair. It is all I can do in this moment and it is not nearly enough to heal. My hands move along the ridges of his spine. He is smooth with the exception of a few beauty marks. I circle every one. My nails gently slide over the start of his ribcage down to his hip bones. There must be more I can do?

I wonder what it was that he saw this time. How can a nightmare be so terrifying that you end up like this? It probably does not help that he has not been able to rest in over a week and he has a million responsibilities to deal with. I can not imagine how much stress he is under. "Babe?" I pat the back of his head. He sits up and batters his eyes. "Are you-" I hesitate to ask him if he is going to be okay. I do not think I should show him how worried I am. He already thinks he is going crazy. I need to be the glue keeping his sanity together. "What did you dream about?"