Reapers Kiss

RORIE

As soon as I am sure that Jess can’t see me, I head straight to the bathroom in the nearby dorms. Oh, God, I haven’t been sleeping too well, and smashing into Jess so unexpectedly has me rattled...

I don’t want her to know my little problem is back, and worse than when we were young. It feels like someone is shoving my body into a tub of ice water, but my eyes are wide open. Images start flowing across my vision that could not possibly be real, really happening now. I stumble into the bathroom and flip the lock on the door.

Screaming! My God, who is screaming? Why can’t I get away from all of the screaming? There’s a fire blazing through some type of carriage. I can feel the heat from the inferno sizzle at my skin, and my blood runs cold. I try to take a deep breath and then hear the most unearthly, blood curdling scream.

THIS IS NOT REAL. IT WILL PASS.

The wailing and screaming seem to be getting louder, closer. Cries of anguish and loss are so thick I am almost choking on them. IT IS NOT REAL ... a woman is walking out of the blazing carriage, the sight of her freezes me. She looks as if she is drenched in sweat, with waves of it rolling off her I am certain that it must be a reaction to the fire all around her, crackling and sparking. In horror I realize that it is NOT sweat at all. The fire blazing around her highlights the dark and congealing substance.

Oh, God! Her face is covered with a red glow; her hair is stuck to her in sticky tendrils! She’s getting closer and closer, but does not seem to see me. I cannot stop myself from seeing everything. She is so close; I can smell the metallic bite of blood, making my stomach churn. I’m gonna be sick. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from screaming. Her eyes, oh-my-god, her eyes are blacker than death. The scream I am biting back is let Loose.

I come out of the vision shaking so hard I can barely think. Oh My GOD WHAT WAS THAT! Oh my GOD! I can still hear the shrieking of the people in my vision, and it sounds peculiar. It sounds peculiar because it is echoing, like the person is in a bathroom stall. Oh, s**t, it’s me! I am shrieking! Oh MY GOD!

I NEED TO CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW! I NEED TO...