The Elusive Prince

Chapter 24: Nightmares

TW: This chapter contains mentions of bullets, blood, and dead bodies. It's not too explicit but basing on the title of this chapter it may seem unsettling to some. This chapter is heavy on the feels so please proceed through this chapter with caution.

Merideth

"Merideth, listen to me." a deep masculine voice suddenly rumbled through my ears. Who's talking?

All I see is darkness as I look around. I couldn't see anything or even feel anything. Everything feels numb, everything except for the loud noises going through my ears. 

Screams and shouts of anguish ring out in the darkness as the sound of bullets, unmistakably, going through the air rumble. I wanted to cover my ears, to try and filter the horrible sound out but it seems as if I couldn't even move. 

"Merideth, listen!" there was that voice again. It sounds pained, forced, and you could almost hear the desperate plea lacing with the voice but at the same time it was dominant, like it was giving an order. I wanted to search for the source of the voice but all I see is black. 

 "Merideth, please you have to run away. Go! Run! Don't look back!" the voice sounds even more frantic now, panicked as If he was in a rush. I wanted to answer, I wanted to ask but it's as if I lost every sense except from my hearing. 

"Merideth I said run! Please, don't worry about me and run!" and then there was the sound of bullets and more shouts, drowning out the plea's of this man. I couldn't do anything as the sounds continue to thunder and get louder with every second that passes by. What was happening?

"Merideth!" this last cry sounds so broken. Why was it so broken? I was okay, there's nothing to worry about. But why did it sound like I died? That cry was a scream of someone who lost the person they loved. But who was screaming? 

Questions upon questions continued to build inside my mind as the persistent sound of bullets rang out. I was so confused, so lost. I don't know what's happening anymore. I don't know how I got here and what I was doing in here but the sounds only got louder and louder, so loud it was destroying me inside. I couldn't do anything about it but I wanted it to stop. Stop...stop...STOP!

And as if hearing my plea's, all the noise stopped and was replaced by deafening silence but at the darkness didn't let up. I don't know what's more terrifying, the drumming sounds of anguished cries or the deafening silence in the dark. Panic began to rise up inside me as I fumble for nothing. I was lost until I heard a sob and felt something hot and wet land in my cheeks. 

The darkness vanished only to reveal a blurry image of a castle or perhaps a castle wall was more accurate. The relief of finally gaining back my sight was short lived however as I take in my surroundings slowly and I would rather see the darkness than this. Blood, blood was everywhere. The walls were painted crimson as bodies littered the ground. It was sickening, revolting, but I couldn't do anything. I was frozen in place, only seeing and hearing but never moving. I noticed that I was lying down before I felt the soft touch on my cheek, so soft I barely felt it. 

"This is all my fault, if only I didn't..." the next few words after that were muffled. I try to adjust my sight away from the bodies and into the bearer of the voice but was met by a fog. Even through the fog, I can feel and hear the pain the voice was feeling. As well as the constant stream of droplets that I knew were tears falling on my cheeks. 

I wanted to lift my arms and tell this person, this guy, that I was okay, I was alive, that he has nothing to worry about me but the longer I convince myself the more I wonder if I was really okay. 

Looking away from the fog covered face, my view suddenly shifted from the lying positions and into a standing one, only to see my own body, lying limp on the arms of this guy, a pool of blood surrounding the entangled bodies. I wanted to cry, lash out, puke but I couldn't do anything as my eyes glue themselves on the scene in front of me. The sight of this person, screaming out in pain as he cradled my lifeless body close. This was wrong. I was still alive, I was breathing, I can still feel the beat of my heart, but the image in front of me said otherwise. 

"Merideth, Merideth, please don't leave me. I can't...I can't live without you." he cried as another person come into view. Said person was trying to tell him something but all of it was unheard to me and to this guy as he focus on clutching my body close. 

He sounds so broken, so fragile that I suddenly had the urge to go to him and hug him with my warm and very much alive body and not this sick joke of my body in his arms. But before I could even begin to try, I saw a glint of silver in the background. My eyes widened as I realize it was a knife, and it was aimed to this guy. This vulnerable guy crying over what seems to be the loss of me. 

He was unaware of the threat as the guy carrying the knife come closer. No, no, NO! He can't die!

With the sudden burst of anger that surged through me, it was as if it awakened something in me, I managed to make my frozen body move and in record time, I was close to him but the knife was faster.

"Watch out!" I screamed for him to avoid the knife but suddenly, I felt the searing pain of the knife burying itself on my chest. 

"AHHHHHH!!!!!" I woke up with a jolt, scrambling for my chest, gripping it tight. It hurts, it hurts, IT HURTS! I was still fighting off air, thrashing in my bed when I felt someone shake me on my shoulders, hard but that wasn't enough to make me forget about the pain. 

I couldn't think, I couldn't hear but I felt pain. I couldn't hear the frantic cries of Hailey panicking, trying to snap me out of it. Didn't hear the door slam open as Amity filter through the room, probably woken up with my scream, worried, scared, and confused. Couldn't hear Hailey screaming for her to do something. All I felt was pain, pain, and pain.

I was still trashing in bed, Hailey trying to wake me up and restrain me while hot tears spill from her hazel brown eyes. I couldn't snap out of it, couldn't stop even as my brain forgets why I was screaming, why I was feeling pain, all there is are the remains of the nightmare slowly fading through my head.

I gave one last scream of pain before my vision cleared, and my hearing returned to me for a few short moments to see Sir Hexford's frantic face. Hailey crying, and some of my classmates, looking worried in the doorway. I looked at them one last time before darkness ate me whole again.

Hailey

When Merideth waved me off after I finished brushing her hair, I couldn't help but feel worried. I don't know how she was feeling after the whole thing happened seeing as she wasn't saying anything but there's this nagging feeling inside me that wouldn't leave me alone.

She's acting fine, and I feel like she is but I couldn't help but feel worried. There was that unsettling feeling in my heart again as I leave her room and lied down in my own bed, letting my thoughts drift off.

We were even told not to mention any thing related to that event for now and I personally asked them not to, especially when I saw her reaction when she was asked to recall the whole thing during her interview. I feel like she seems snappy today but I guess it was just the stress or fatigue speaking. 

I sighed before rolling around. No matter how long I have been with her, I still can't fully read her and it frustrates me because there are moments where she closes herself off from everyone, like what happened at lunch, and I don't know what she's thinking at all. I feel like I failed at my job but if she could hear me now she would surely smack me in the head and tell me I'm overeacting. There's also the fact that I was supposed to be by her side all the time and protect her from harm but I failed.

I know what happened to her in that mall that day wasn't my fault, as everyone I talk to say so, but I couldn't help but feel guilty. She was my responsibility and I failed to do my job that day. But with her telling me it was fine, His Majesty even assuring me, I had no choice but to put it behind me.

I guess I should since I couldn't do anything about the past anyway. It happened and I can't change it. What's best for everyone and for me the most, is for me to let this go and instead of wallowing in self-pity, try to actually do my best to help Merideth today, tomorrow, and until the end of time.

With that resolve set in my mind, the tension in my shoulders that I didn't know existed, eased a little as I feel myself slip. Tomorrow is another day, and I must do my best to help Merideth tomorrow and what better way to do that than with a good night's sleep?

Except I didn't get any sleep that night as there was suddenly a loud scream coming from the room beside me. Jolting awake, I realize that the scream was coming from Merideth's side of the room and not Luna's and I was up to my feet in no time, running to her room.

Slamming the joint door to her room open, I find Merideth trashing in her bed, screaming her head off and seemingly pushing someone away while clutching her chest. 

I didn't think twice and went to her bed, determined to snap her out of it. It seems like she had a nightmare again. This happened more often than not so it was normal for me to see this scene but lately she wasn't having nightmares, until tonight. Maybe this was triggered by the whole event but that wouldn't make sense because it has been days since then and she slept just fine. I approached her bed and began waking her up.

Usually, a gentle rock of her shoulders and soft call of her name will wake her up but it didn't seem to work this time around as her screams only heightened and her trashing even worse, sending her pillows to scatter on the floor. She had her eyes open but it was devoid of anything other than fear. They were open but it was if she wasn't seeing and there was a fog blocking her vision.

My shaking got harsher the longer she didn't snap out of it. Panic began to rise up in my heart as the screams only got louder. She was screaming something but seeing as I was panicking so much I couldn't even begin to decipher her screams. Only one thing was clear though, she's in pain.

Also screaming now, I try my best to snap her out of it without noticing the hot tears streaming down my face as Merideth try to push me away. I heard the door slam open and revealed a very concerned but disoriented Amity who was clearly woken up by the loud screams.

"What's wrong with Merideth Hailey?" she approached the bed and took in the sight of the still trashing Merideth.

"I don't know!! She won't wake up fully, no matter how much I shake her!" I unintentionally raised my voice at Amity in panic. Amity seemed to wake up by my scream and then dread slowly settled into her features.

"Stop stop stop!!" Merideth keeps screaming as she seemingly clawed her chest like she was feeling pain there. Her unfocused eyes met mine and my heart breaks looking at the pure pain in those usually vibrant eyes. Just thinking about what must be happening inside her mind at the moment or what made her react like this is making me shake in worry and fear.

I was still shaking her as more and more girls from our side came to investigate the loud noises. Amity was still shell shocked at the side while the others seemed worried at the door.

"I'll get Sir Hexford Hailey. In the mean time...try to...calm her down." she said before rushing out the room. My tears were unstoppable now as they came in torrents and stained the sheets Merideth was trying to rip out from being wrapped around her. I wiped my tears for a second before pinning her clawing hands to the bed while yelling for Luna to help me. She came quick and we tried to pin Merideth down but that seemed to worsen everything as she started crying in agony.

"Let me go!! Stop! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" hot tears were now streaming down her face and I feel something inside me break at the pure terror in those lovely eyes.

"Your Highness, please wake up please!" I know pleading won't help but at this point I was way beyond rationality. All that's left in my mind is how she's suffering now and how I couldn't do anything to help her. I was once again rendered useless. This is the second time I failed at my job and I couldn't help but feel angry at myself, as tears keep pouring out my eyes.

Sir Hexford's face came into view a few moments later, clearly distraught as he took in the sight in front of him. He made us step aside, with me protesting but Amity dragged me back saying we should let an adult handle this. I almost trashed too when Sir Hexford placed a very cold ice packet on her head and Merideth gave a very loud scream but then I stopped squirming in Amity's hold when I saw the fog seemingly clearing up in her eyes.

She froze in bed gave us one last look that will probably haunt me in my sleep before closing her eyes once again and leaving us both terrified and confused as to why this happened.