Dakota
“Ms. Evergreen?” I croak out as I come to. Sitting next to my bedside is my Earth Science teacher from the private school.
Ms. Evergreen shushes me gently before dabbing a warm wet cloth across my forehead. I wince at the contact. There’s a heavy pressure building behind my eyes— a migraine. And that could only mean— Had I had another dream?
“I’m surprised you’re awake.,” she says in a soft voice. Her green eyes are filled with worry as she pulls the cloth away from my face to set it in her lap. “How do you feel?”
I push up on my forearms. The room spins and I sink back down against the pillows. “Like I’ve been hit by a bus.”
Ms. Evergreen chuckles and shakes her head. “You hit your head pretty hard.” She turns, wringing the cloth in a small bucket at her feet.
I watch the water drip a few seconds, my vision goes blurry but when I blink a couple times, my eyes seem to be able to focus.
“Lucky for you, I think it’s only a mild concussion. Unless you feel like throwing up?” Green eyes dart to me and I shake my head.
“No…Not right now. Just dizzy for the most part. And sore.”
She goes to say something when I cradle the side of my neck. That’s where the pain is radiating the most.
Ms. Evergreen remains quiet when I pull my hand away and find it covered in a black cream of some sort.
“What is this?”
“An ointment to help you heal. I would refrain from wiping it off too much. Otherwise the wounds might scar.”
“Wounds?” I blink furiously at her, drawing a blank. “What happened to me?”
She glances at me curiously. “What do you remember?”
Tilting my head, I stare up at the ceiling, trying to remember. “I’d had a nightmare and needed some fresh air. I went outside and found Mr. Daniels leaving the girls’ dorm. And then…” I swallow hard at the images racing in my mind.
Blood red eyes.
Sharp teeth.
Pale skin.
Pain. Unbelievable amount of pain.
My lips part as I turn my head to look at my teacher. “Am I dreaming, or did it really happen?” My voice is a whisper.
Her green eyes are steady on me. “Depends. What did you see?”
My heartbeat can be heard roaring in my ears. I feel like I’m going to be sick now, but I don’t. I just quiver under the threadbare blanket, hoping that it’s all a nasty dream. That I’m in my dorm room right now, just having another lucid nightmare. “I— I saw…”
There’s a creak from the floorboards and my eyes snap to the open doorway. A lone figure stands silhouetted against the darkness. My pulse goes faster and my hands curl against the fabric, feeling the need to escape.
“Ms. Mitchell. How do you fare?”
A breath of relief escapes past my lips. Immediately my hands uncurl and my heart returns to normal. “Mr. Daniels…What are you doing in the girl’s dorm?”
He steps into the light, looking every bit the rugged handsome instructor that he is. A ghost of a smile is on his lips. “You’re in my home. I found and brought you here to recover. I had Ms. Evergreen supervise you during your healing.”
I push up on my forearms again and find I’m able to sit up a little easier once the dizziness seems to pass. “Your home?” How strange to be in a house belonging to a teacher. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to intrude—”
He lifts up a hand, “Nonsense. I—”
“Be glad he found you in time.” Ms. Evergreen blurts out.
My eyebrows furrow as I glance from Mr. Daniels to Ms. Evergreen. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t think—”
“If he hadn’t of found you, you’d more than likely be in an awful predicament.” Ms. Evergreen butts in, not allowing Mr. Daniels’ to finish.
“And what predicament would that be?” I ask, feeling a tad bit nervous.
“Dead.” Her voice grows quiet.
I swallow hard and look from her to Mr. Daniels. “Dead as in six feet dead? Or dead as in Hollywood Undead?”
Mr. Daniels sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It doesn’t matter. The outcome is that you’re alive and recovering well. You should be able to return to the church in a few days.”
They’re not exactly easing the discomfort of my almost dying.
“In a few days?” I echo his words and lay back down against the pillows. I feel so small in this bed, it’s hard to imagine the possibility of Mr. Daniels with his incredible build taking up so much space in this bed. “But…what about classes?”
“What about them?” Those black eyes are staring straight into my soul, or that’s what it feels like at least. “You’re recovering. I’ll not allow you to travel in your condition.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” I snap, sitting up and shoving off the blanket. Ms. Evergreen reaches out to grab my wrist but hesitates as I clamber to my feet. “See? I can walk just fine—” As I take a step forward, my right knee buckles.
Mr. Daniels’ is in front of me in a flash, cradling my body to stop me from falling.
My mouth parts, eyes widening as I realize how close we are.
If I tilted my head just a bit backward, we’d be kissing.
My heart pounds and his eyes narrow slightly.
That ghost of a smile still curving his lips.
“What was that about being able to walk just fine?” He says in a teasing voice.
I feel myself grow hot all over. Whether it be from his eyes, his voice, or even being wrapped up in his embrace.
I don’t like it when he helps lower me back down on the bed and takes a step back, a step away that I don’t particularly care for.
I want him close by me at all times, and I don’t know why.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the dream or because he rescued me from…
I swallow hard.
“You need time to recover.” Ms. Evergreen says in a gentle tone. “They did a number on your frail body…”
“What exactly did they do?” I ask, glancing over at her.
She presses her lips together and then darts her eyes over to Mr. Daniels.
He clears his throat, looking uncomfortable when I turn to face him. I pull the blanket up as if to somehow protect myself from what I saw.
What I had hoped was merely a nightmare. Not real life. They both don’t say anything, not that I expect them too.
“They’re real. Aren’t they? What I saw…” I trail off. I’m unable to say the word. If I utter it out loud, then it has to be real. Maybe if I kept it inside my head, it won’t freak me out as much.
His shoulders sag and he sighs softly. “Yes. They’re real.”
“What happened to me?” I ask again. “I deserve to know.”
Ms. Evergreen reaches out to touch the top of my knee above the blanket. “Yes, you do. We just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. What with your injuries and subconscious…”
I jerk my leg away from her. “My subconscious?”
Her eyebrows furrow. “The dream you had of course. You were babbling about it in your sleep.”
I feel my face grow hot again. “It’s not what happened that caused me to have a nightmare. This nightmare has been reoccurring for a couple years now.”
“A constant nightmare? How intriguing.” Mr. Daniels says in a bitter tone. Then glances over at Ms. Evergreen. “I thought you said she wasn’t being possessed?”
She looks a bit flustered. “None of the original signs were there—”
“Wait.” They both look at me, puzzled. Imagine how I’m feeling. “You thought I was being possessed?”
“What else would you call a constant nightmare?” Ms. Evergreen asks with a crooked smile, it doesn’t exactly reach her eyes.
I stare down at my lap, finding the thread blanket far more interesting. “I’ve always had dreams. This one has been the only constant one.”
“Why is that?” His voice is tender and gives me chills.
Looking up, I meet his gaze. “Because the dream involves you.”