Mirror

4

I jolted awake with a choking noise. Anxiously, my panicked filled teary eyes scanned the atmosphere only to find myself surrounded by darkness. An absolute darkness. It is when reality set me in.

Oh god, I was dreaming more like having a horrendous nightmare but it felt so real. Too real that it was nerve-wracking.

My trembling left hand reached out and turned the lamp on the nightstand. The room was showered with lamplight lilting up the entire room.

Even with the awareness, it was just a figment of my imagination. I was still trembling like a leaf, completely drenched in sweat. My muscles were tensed, my heart was racing twice at a normal rate.

I was having a hard time relaxing my mind. I felt suffocated. My breathing was still shallow. Moving my wet sticky strains of my hair from my face with my ridiculously shaky hands and I closed my eyes trying to calm myself.

Taking a deep breath, I hold it for a moment and then exhale. It took some time but I could slowly feel my anxiety leave my body as I continued the process over and over.

************

My eyes craned up directly to the clock's hand opposite the wall towards me. The hour hand and minute hand were stilled at 3 and 47 respectively.

For the past forty minutes, I have been tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. The nightmare was distressing me, keeping me from falling back to sleep again. I was trapped in the web of restlessness.

Every time I close my eyes, the dream unfolds and I feel scared and anxious. I can vividly recall every slightest detail and, trust me, it was one of the most unpleasant emotions; an absolutely terrifying nocturnal experience I have ever had. It was bizarre, bewildering, threatening, upsetting, and bothersome.

Me running, the forest, loud fast footsteps, those terrifying demonic pairs of eyes and Loki.

Oh god, that brat is now haunting me in my dreams too. Maybe this was a reminder that I was late for a visit and he would bite me and tear me apart for real if I was any later than that. The corner of my lips tugged into a smile for a brief second before it dropped and a sigh of exaggeration escaped me.

'It's going to be a long night'

***********

"Come on,"

Frustration filled me as this stupid lock refused to work. I have been trying to lock this old useless rusty metal for the past ten minutes but to no avail. I really need to talk with Mrs. Williams about it. This lock is probably older than me.

I don't know for how long she is trying to keep it. Conceivably she wants to enlist it as a cultural heritage or else my brain can't come up with any excuse why this thing is still here and not replaced yet.

"Ocean," I heard a distant calling of my name.

I knew whose voice it belonged to. Oh god not him. I took a long breath trying to prepare for what was about to come.

Despite every fiber inside me telling me to act oblivious to his call. I couldn't stop myself from glancing in the direction of the voice and, as expected, was greeted with the sight of a person I had vowed to avoid at any cost. Zach...

A smile decorated his lips as he approached me. I quickly pushed my head back and continued pricking the lock.

"Everything's okay here?" I didn't bother turning towards him as I continued in an attempt to lock the door.

"Yes," I only replied in a brief word to get done with the possible conversation.

"You seemed like you were in need of help,"

"I'm fine," I kept my answer short this time as well. Maybe he would get the clue and understand my disinterest in having chit-chat with him and would leave me alone.

I rolled my eyes. Of course, this man is too dumb for his own good or maybe shameless, who doesn't care about anything. Not even his self-respect. If I have to choose, I'll go with both. He's shamelessly dumb.

"You look tense these days," he exclaimed.

He noticed it too?

I'm usually a person who panics over every small thing, but for the past few days I have been being extra paranoid for apparently no reason. More from the day I had the nightmare, which was nine days ago.

"I'm fine, just tired," I said, trying to brush the conversation off for the third time.

"Don't lie to me" he demanded, not buying my lie. "O-" O? "-you know I'll always be here for you, right?" He added, almost sounding sincere. Almost.

Irritation bubbled inside me. Why can't he get the clue and leave me alone? Relax! Ocean, he is just being nice.

I snort at my own thoughts. Who am I kidding? This man is anything but nice.

"I know. But really it isn't anything" I said, hoping this time he would leave me alone.

"It's money, isn't it? Annie said you haven't paid your rent yet," he said as a matter of fact.

If you are wondering who Annie is, she is the landlord.

"I haven't got my paycheck yet. I'll pay for it by the end of the week," I said honestly.

Eight days ago, Sam, my boss, came to me and told me she was having some financial issues so she wouldn't right away be able to pay my salary. Even though I was in desperate need of money myself, I couldn't say no to her.

She gave me a job where I was at the lowest of my life, putting all her trust in me, and I would be the most ungrateful person alive if I only thought about my needs when she's at the lowest of hers. I just hope everything is okay with her.

"You are taking my words in the wrong way" Am I? "-I didn't come here for money-" Then spare me and get lost "-I know how hard it is for a girl to survive alone and especially if they are as beautiful as you are."

My hand stilled at his words as I cringe, understanding where the conversation was heading to. If I'm being honest, Zach is everything I dislike in a man. Shameless, perverted, weirdo. The fact he is married and his wife is heavily pregnant with their second child and is expecting anytime and here he is trying to get under all woman's pants increase my disliking towards him tenfold.

"I know how lonely you are. I can take care of you."

I finally craned myself up to face him again. I watched as his hungry gaze traveled from my face down to my chest before moving back to my face. I felt so exposed to him.

When our gazes fused together, a sly smirk crept onto his lips. How I wish I could wipe it off. I stared at him in disbelief even though some of the mean, hateful and poisonous ill words were begging for their exit.

When I didn't reply, I believe he misconstrued my silence as contemplation because his grin broadened on his face. This man is unbelievable... Did he really think I was actually mulling over his ridiculous offer?

Judging by the broad grin on his face, he resembled someone who has won a lottery with a huge amount as a prize. This man actually has the audacity to think he hit my weak nerve and now has something to manipulate and use it against me and for his benefit.

If that's not what's running inside his rotten head, I can't come up with any idea why he is grinning like a fool.

Zach takes a couple of steps towards me, eliminating the space between us and bends slightly.

"All you have to do is agree," he purrs, in my ear.

A small startled gasp tore off me and I immediately jumped backward when a hand suddenly squeezed my butt... It took everything and every restraint within me not to smack the s**t out of this vulgar man and change the geography of his face, but I knew better than to act on impulse.

As much as I have an urge to teach this shameless man a lesson. I can't since he is the brother-in-law of my house owner.

I didn't have any paper, so no one was ready to give me their house for rent but Mrs. Williams helped me. I can't afford to lose this place, so I swallow my pride every single time and tolerate his inappropriate behavior and act deaf, blind and mute.

It is not something I am proud to admit, but my pride will be more protected inside the four-brick wall than on the open road outside.

But the way he acts these days, I picture myself soon walking aimlessly down the empty deserted path with my briefcase rolling behind me because my self-control is slowly slipping away. This man is testing my patients.

"Th-Thank you-ou but I am okay-ay" I shut out.

His smirk dropped and disappointment flashed his face, but he rapidly masked it and put back another disgusting smirk of his.

"Alright. I just don't want you to keep it all to yourself. You can tell me if you need anything, okay?" He said, looking straight at me.

I gave a small wordless nod and forced a smile.

Fortunately, luck decided to step on my unfortunate life because Zach always left right. For a few seconds, I just glared at the empty space where Zach stood just moments ago with the intention of killing it before going back to the old rust.

Pushing the tin metal into the hole, I carefully twisted it and instantly was graced with a soft click.

'Finally,'