5. Janie
Chapter 5
Janie
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I groaned as my phone alarm disturbed my sleep. I opened my eyes and grabbed my phone. It was my day off. Why did my alarm go off this morning? I blinked at my phone as I slammed my thumb on the alarm off button. Memories of last night’s dream swung to the top of my mind. I sat up and rubbed my hands down my body. All my clothes were on my body this morning. I stilled as I realized there was another blanket on my legs. Panic slipped through my bones as I noticed it was the living room couch blanket. There was no way I would have gotten up in the middle of the night to use this blanket. My eyes darted to the dresser where another blanket laid. That would have been my ideal choice, not this one. I swallowed as I dangled my feet over the side of the bed. I stretched my back as an icy feeling wrapped around my ankle.
I paused and slowly turned my head to my feet. It was the same speed one would employ when trying not to scare a cat. Instead, my heart thudded in my chest because I knew I wouldn’t be seeing a cute cat. A smooth, black tentacle wrapped around my ankle from under my bed. My breath caught in my throat. I closed my eyes and slowly breathed out. Panic and fear roared through every atom of my body. What was that? I’d never heard of a shadowy creature. Did shadow people have tentacles? The tentacle slowly unwrapped from my ankle, and I hoped the danger was gone. I opened my eyes. There was nothing there. It was my imagination. It had to be my imagination, maybe the dreams. I grabbed my phone and hopped off my bed. I walked to my coffee pot and placed my cup on the platform. As I scooped the grounds in the machine, I noticed movement from the corner of my eyes. I turn around. The flowers were back on the table. I dropped the coffee scoop, and it clattered to the ground. My eyes flickered toward the door. The locks were still on the door. How did they come back into my apartment?
Fear pulsed through every particle in my body as I ran into my room and got dressed. I paused as I put my bra on. The skin on my shoulder was slightly raised . . . like I was bitten by something. A monster. I walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror. My heart plummeted. The raised welts stood out on my skin, red and angry. As my fingertips traced the edges of the mark, my pussy clenched. The memory of the monster biting me as I orgasmed flitted through my mind. In a flash, I was done getting dressed. The only time I slowed down was when I noticed the healing punctures on my hips and a shiver ran down my spine. I bit my lip as more memories of the latest dream flooded my psyche.
They didn’t use to be like this. The first one started as one tendril exploring my body. By the time I woke up the next morning, I had to spend extra time in the shower because I was so wound up in the erotic dream. It was within the last few days they included penetration. Each one was feeling more and more real. Now my body was showing physical signs that it may have happened.
I couldn’t stay in this apartment any longer. It lurked here, which meant I wasn’t safe in my home. My eyes trailed to my bed. Nothing came out from under the bed, but I continued to keep clear of the edges of the bed. I grabbed my purse and ran out of the door. Trying to calm my racing heart, I leaned against my car and took a deep breath. I opened my car door and drove to the coffee shop. As I stood in line, a business card grazed my fingertips as I was searching for my debit card. I pulled it out. The card read Hila New Age Shop and Tarot Readings . The address was down the road. After I got my coffee and something to eat, I decided I would go there. The old lady wanted me to come in anyway. Did she know what was happening? The barista handed me my coffee and muffin. I smiled and mumbled my thanks as I walked outside. I sat in the sunshine of the early morning. A cool breeze wafted through my hair. I hadn’t brushed it. As I took a bite of my muffin, I started searching the bottom of my purse for a ponytail holder.
“Janie?” a voice interrupted me. I looked up. It was Rick. He was wearing shorts and a tank top. Sweat dripped off his face and chest. He pulled down his ear buds as he hit the side of his phone in a running armband. He slipped in front of me, blocking me from leaving.
I wiped my mouth from the muffin crumbs. I shook my head. “Yep. That’s me. Do you live near here?”
“Yeah, I was gonna run in and get an iced coffee after my run,” he said. The sweat of his shirt was clinging to his body. Rick wasn’t bad looking. He was classically handsome. Probably been on the football team in high school. If Tana was right, I wasn’t sure why he was interested in me. Did he view me as an easy lay? ‘Cause he was wrong about that. I avoided sex like the plague. Occasionally, I would date and my ex would ‘understand.’ Until they didn’t anymore. “Will you be out here when I come back out?”
I nodded. He smiled as he walked into the coffee shop. I found the hair band and pulled my hair into a messy bun. He walked outside with a small iced coffee, and he slipped into the chair in front of me. “Two days in a row. I find you here,” he said. It wasn’t really a question. It was like he was mulling over our current predicament.
I nodded. “I just got spooked in my house again. Plus, I was going to go to that shop from the lady that talked to me yesterday,” I said. I sipped my hot coffee. As the warmth slid through my body, I sighed.
“Maybe you need some company?”
I took a bite of my muffin. “I don’t know if that would help.” Who could I tell that I thought I was going crazy? I’m having weird sex dreams. Things were moving in my house. I thought I saw a shadowy tentacle around my ankle this morning. I have a bite mark on my shoulder and claw marks on my hips. My pussy clenched as I remembered the feeling of the monster holding me to his pelvis. Why was I so attracted to this faceless monster? Assuming he is a he . Are dream monsters non-binary? Could I be having some sort of breakdown and having fugue states?
He loudly stirred his coffee with his straw. Ice clanked on the sides of the plastic cup. I breathed through my nose as I pursed my lips. “The coffee here is good, yeah?” he said as he took a sip.
I shook my head. “Like I said, after I eat, I’m going to the new age shop.”
He shook his head. “That was weird, ya know?”
I nodded. “Life is weird. ”
“You ought to be safe.”
A bad feeling raced down my spine. This whole interaction was painful. I nodded as I tried to figure out how to escape. “Plenty safe.” Don’t feel safe with you, though . My eyes widened as the thought passed through my brain. Where do I feel safe? At home? In my dreams? At work? I shoved the rest of my muffin in my mouth as I stood up. “Well, I got to go.”
A look of disappointment crossed his face. “Oh, well, I’ll see you around,” he said.
“Yeah, totally,” I muttered as I walked down the street. I didn’t want to see him around, but it was inevitable since we worked together.