Telegraph Ave: Oakland High

Chapter 28: October

Xavier POV...

I couldn't conjure a way to fall asleep on my own.

Instead of lying in bed, I sat on the surface of my floor as a storm made its way into Oakland's night sky. Every flash of lightning brightened up my room, and I could see my own shadows creeping along the ceiling.

I had a feeling I wasn't alone... it was my dear old friends coming back to pay me a visit.

Fear, anxiety, and depression.

They wouldn't leave me be... they wouldn't let me live. Instead, they continue to raid my thoughts with poison, over and over again. The wind was so heavy, rain slammed itself against my balcony window as if a bunch of rocks was trying to break through the glass. Another flash of lightning flew across the darkened sky, and I saw a smoky image of myself sitting in the darkest part of my room. I couldn't tell if I was hallucinating, or losing grip on reality in an out of body experience.

Not wasting another second, I closed my eyes... telling myself that there's nothing there, but I felt like I was being watched.

Watched from all four corners of my room. My fear became so intense I began to shiver, and I continued to stare into the null darkness of my eyelids. The rain continued to slam itself against the window, filling my room with the voice of the storm. Then out of nowhere the sound of thunder pounded the ears of the silent, and that's when my brain forced my eyes to open up in a flash.

No one was there anymore.

My room was completely empty, but I still felt someone was in my presence. I didn't know what it was or who it could be. I just knew I frozen in place, not wanting to move in any direction.

Another flash of lightning hit my eyes, and I saw images of myself being overcrowded by my past. I stood to my feet anyway—quickly. Walking out of my room and up the hallway, just to find myself standing at the front door with my car keys in my left hand.

I reached for the doorknob and opened it only to feel the impact of the roaring storm, making its way into my home. It looked petrifying, but for some reason, it felt more welcoming.

I couldn't elucidate what made me want to walk straight into the eye of the storm, but the wind was so soft, it felt as if I was being lifted off of the ground and straight into its grasp. Almost stepping foot into the chilling rain, I felt a warm hand pull back on my arm. I turned to see it was Stacy.

I was startled. Not only because she's in my home, but her appearance was abnormal.

She had this smoky aura surrounding her, and glow that was dull in color. The curls of her hair were floating in the midst of the air, her silver-white nightgown defied gravity, and her skin had the texture of satin.

She slowly pulled me into her arms and hugged me with a passion I have never experienced in all my years of living. As her arms were wrapped around me, I felt my demons begin to flee my consciousness and to hear the storm calm outside.

Everything became silent... until she spoke into my ear.

"Don't let go."

I woke up

My eyes opened with exhaustion.... it was only a dream.

The house was warm, and the tan street lights were still shining through the blinds of my window. The atmosphere was crowded with darkened clouds, as rain poured down from the heavens. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at my clock only to see that it's 4 am in the morning.