Run

I woke with what should have been a start. Instead my eyes opened calmly, the only thing to betray my nightmares being the heaviness in my breathing. Danielle lay awake to my right in the darkness of the room. I could feel her questioning eyes on me. I said nothing.

“Love, what’s wrong?” she said reaching her hand out to stroke my cheek, her hand flowed down my neck and rested on my chest. “You’ve been tossing and turning all night.” I said nothing. Danielle had seen me like this before, she knew I would talk when I was ready. She sighed and lay her head on my chest as I stared at the ceiling and my eyes began to water.

There was an emptiness that I felt at that moment. It was cold and dark in my head. I wasn’t afraid; it was a feeling more terrifying than fear. If I had to name it I would have called it knowing. Like I had known back then. It was almost like watching the world from the outside. I tried to tell himself it was just a feeling, but I could not shake it. Not this time it would not leave him; I could not pretend that it wasn’t there. That every single particle of my being called for me to run.

“Get dressed,” I said, sitting up and going to the bathroom. I began to comb my hair. After a moment Danielle rose and went to the closet. Throwing on a pair of jeans - not too tight - and a band T with what looked like five men dressed as monsters on it.

She somehow couldn’t remember when she had gotten it. For some reason it didn’t seem like it belonged to her. Where had it come from? Who’s was it? She couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t she remember? Danielle began to blink and fidget as she tore the shirt off. Walking out from the closet, she charged toward I in the bathroom. “Who’s is this?” She spat accusingly.

Turning quickly I grabbed her and pinned her arms at her side. I pulled her towards me until the were only inches apart. I kissed her, deeply and passionately. “Love, now listen. We don’t have time.” my voice was panicked as I let her go. “They are coming again. They came last time and made us forget everything. I don’t know what they want, I just know we need to leave.” I returned to the sink to brush my teeth.

Danielle stood dazed for a minute, then continued her raging. “Then who’s fucking shirt is this.”

“It’s yours,” I said “I bought it for you. They made us forget everything except each other. I’m serious. Try to remember anything before we woke up today.” I gave her a moment. “Nothing, right? We need to go.”

As she realized that I was right, a calm settled over Danielle. “What do we do?”

“Get dressed, put on makeup, make everything look normal. Then we leave and don’t look back.” Sliding the T-shirt back over her head, Danielle slide past I and began rifling through her makeup drawer. I finished my grooming and reached into the cabinet above the sink and pulled out a pill bottle.

“What’s that?”

“It’ll help when the headaches come,” I said, taking four capsules out, cracking them open and dumping the powder into my mouth. “You don’t get them, you get the shakes and I’ll help with those.” Danielle smiled to herself and turned to kiss I but I was already out the room.

A moment later the two of them were at the front door. As I slid on my coat, Danielle slid on her shoes. “Call you mother, let her know.” I said as I opened the door a crack looking through. “Number’s in your phone”

Even as Danielle began to remember her mother she spoke. “If someone is after us maybe it’s better that she not know”

“I’d want my folks to know if..,” for a moment I froze. my mind reeled as I realized the staggering that both of my parents were gone. “if they were still here.” For a moment I wanted to cry as all the memories of my mother and father came back to him. The good came with the bad, but most of all was the longing. But they did not have time for that.

Danielle had thrown the door open. Smoke flooded into the house and as the two of them stepped outside the whole world seemed to be made of light. Behind them appeared to be a hundred people all moving down the street towards them. Before them was nothing but smoke and flames. The whole neighborhood, the city beyond it and everything seemed to be engulfed in fire.

“Come on,” I said grabbing her hand and running straight down the street, in between the burning buildings

“This is suicide,” Danielle screamed as she glanced back. The people behind them hadn’t even speed up. It was as if they had no fear of losing their prey, no matter how fast it ran from them. At that moment I heard a loud crackling sound. Somehow it managed to stick out from the other sounds of fire all around him. As I looked up Danielle’s hand slipped from his. She tripped. I stopped about two yards forward, turning around just in time to see a tree branch fall to impale Danielle as she rose. Something from inside pulled at him. It was like falling. That gut feeling that screams for you to move. It wanted me to leave. To leave her there. But I couldn’t.

Rushing to her, I crouched and came in close to her lifting her head so that it lay in my lap. The figures in the distance still moved steadily forward. “Will you stay with me,” Danielle spluttered as she began to cough up blood. I nodded as I stroked her hair and my eyes began to water. They weren’t far from them now as Danielle’s breathing settled and she smiled. “I just don’t want to be alone, love. But when my eyes shut, promise me you’ll run.” I nodded again, steeling himself against tears. “I love you and I remember everything,” She said in a whisper. “Now, my love, run.” As her eyes shut, I tried to stand. A hand gripped my shoulder.

I woke with what should have been a start. Instead my eyes opened calmly, the only thing to betray my nightmares being the heaviness in my breathing. Danielle lay awake to my right in the darkness of the room. I could feel her questioning eyes on me. I said nothing.