Nightmare

CHAPTER 18

"So everything was just a dream." he said softly after I told him everything.

At first, I knew he still didn't believe me because he just keep on laughing while I was telling him the story. But in the end, I was able to convinced him. I could not understand myself, I should not have told him about my dream, about my mission that I should wake up to save everyone.

I shouldn't have trusted this guy, i just met him now. Like Raze, I only know his name but I don't know his true origin. But if he's like Raze who will betray me in the end, well I'll take responsibilities of my actions. I'll accept the consequences since it's my fault.

But as of now, I'll just act like I trust someone but really don't. I came back to reality when I noticed Keith suddenly getting up from his seat and then looked straight at me.

"We have to go now." he said then he took a big bagpack from behind the counter.

My forehead furrowed as I watched him carry his bag on his back. "Are you leaving?" I asked.

"We are leaving." he corrected what I said while emphasizing the word 'we'. Does that mean the two of us are leaving? Where are we going?

"Where are we going?" I asked him again.

"You're running out of time, you have to find yourself here in your dreams for you to wake up. So we're leaving ---"

"No," I stopped what he was going to say, causing him to frown at me and wait for what I would say next. ."You're not going with me, you're not gonna help me with this." I added.

"W-what?" he asked me confusedly.

"My friends are all dead, they were all with me before. But our opponents are demons, so they don't spare my friend's life and the life of other people. When they want to kill them, they will surely killt them. Look Keith, I'm the one they're after here. I'm what they need, so let me just handle my mess alone. I don't want you to be hurt and put your life at risk just like what happened to me friends. "I explained to him.

"You don't have to think about my safety," he said then slowly approached me while his eyes remained staring into my eyes. "If this is just a dream of yours, and everyone will be saved when you wake up. Then that's an assurance that I will hold on to. What's the point of hiding myself here? It's okay to put my life in danger, it's okay for me to die. Just promise me you'll wake up, save everyone. "He added.

At this time, all the fear and nervousness I was feeling suddenly disappeared. All that was replaced by courage. Everyone's life depends on me, so I can't get tired. I can't die. I will save everyone, I will save my mother and Thea. I will save everyone even if it means risking my life.

"Shall we?" I looked at the door when he spoke again. I didn't realize he was at the door and was just waiting for my action. This is embarrassing. The pharmacy door was already open and he was just waiting for me to come out.

I bowed in shame then started walking out. He walked over to me first, so just like Raze, I stared at him more carefully. I can't understand why in everything that happened throughout this night, he still looks so clean.

"Wait," I told him as a reason for him to face me. "I'm .. I'm Zayn." I introduced my name to him. Maybe this sounds fair to him now since I know his name already. It doesn't seem awkward that we're together and then he doesn't even know my name.

I raised an eyebrow at him when he suddenly grinned. "I thought you weren't going to introduce yourself. Well nice meeting you Zayn." he said then turned around and walked again.

His perspective and beliefs are obviously mature, but he has this childish smile. Silly. I also followed him then started walking again beside him.

I looked up at the sky as we both walked down the quiet and dark hallway of the City. The sky is calm, there are no stars, you can only see the bright and big moon in the sky. It was as if even the sky was keeping up with my suffering all night.

I was literally like the moon I see now in the sky, it was alone and sad. Just waiting for its time to end because when the sunrise came, it will also disappear.

I let out a deep sigh then looked straight at the road we were on. It’s only been a few hours since it all happened, but it feels like I’ve been suffering for a whole year. I can even hardly master the way to our house, stupid.

I turned to Keith as he looked at me intently, awkward as heck. I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" I asked him rudely. Weird.

"Aren't you curious what's in my bag?" My forehead furrowed when he suddenly asked me that question. Actually I'm curious, but I'm not a gossiper that I still need to know what's inside his bag.

"Medicine?" I guessed.

"Seriously Zayn ? It's not because I'm a doctor, you can immediately think of medicine as the contents of my bag. It can't even be used to fight the opponents." he replied. Okay wrong, you're so stupid Zayn.

"So what exactly is in your bag?" I asked.

He didn't speak right away and I noticed that he took something from his pants pocket and then showed it to me. I almost jumped in panic when I realized what that thing was.

"What the heck! Why the hell do you have bombs there?" I asked him out loud and it was annoying because he just laughed, you jerk!

He laughed as he slipped the bomb he was holding back into his pants pocket. He's so childish and it's nnoying. But the silly grin on his lips also disappeared immediately and then it was replaced by seriousness. I kept looking at him and I could see how sad he was. His mouth doesn't say anything but his eyes say a lot. I could read the longing in his eyes.

He maybe noticed that I was staring at him so he also turned to face me. "I was with my father the time before everything turned out to be a deadly night." he said as he looked straight at the road we were on. I could feel the sadness in her voice as she said those words.

"If you don't mind my asking, where is he now?" I curiously asked him.

"He is a soldier Zayn. And it is his responsibility to save the lives of the people. When everything went awry before, he left me at the pharmacy to help. But instead of helping, he perished. I don't know if he is dead or what. There's one thing I know for sure, I’m no longer safe with him, so I chose to hide there for a few hours. Isn't I a coward? " he said it while laughing but the sadness was still obvious in his voice.

I understand what he's feeling right now because I also lost a loved one. Right in front of me. My mother, Tyler, Nica, Bree. I also don't know if my sister r is still alive. It's hard, it's so painful to think that it happened.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I weakly sympathized with him but he just laughed at me, he's literally crazy. Bipolar.

"It's not your fault Zayn. So I'm really hoping that you'll wake up, I hope you can do it before the sun rises." he pleased at me. "But don't worry, I'll join you on this mission. I'll protect you." he added.

At this point, I suddenly remembered Raze. It hurts to think that he is one of the opponents but I still can't forget how many times he saved me, how many times he made me feel that he wouldn't leave me, how many times he made me feel that I was not alone. Even if we get separated, he will still find a way for us to meet again.

I felt like when he's with me, I'm safe. Because that's really how I feel, I can just hear his voice, I can just hold his hand I know I'm safe. He didn't tell me he would protect me, but he showed it himself. But that jerk just betrayed me.

"f**k him," I cursed softly after I thought that. I’m disgusted with myself, I’m going crazy. I shouldn't think of him, he's a traitor. He made everything even worst.

"Are you swearing at me?" Keith asked me.

"Of course not," I answered him immediately. "I just remember someone." I added.

"Who?" he asked.

"Someone I was with before I met you," I replied. "I trusted him that much, but guess what? He betrayed me, he's a traitor. I thought he was the one I could be with this night, but he's the one who will make me suffer. He's making the situation worse. I'm disgusted with him." I added.

"So yu have trust issues, that's why you don't want to trust me." he said as a reason for me to turn to him. He stopped walking and looked straight at me so I also stopped walking.

"I'm just scared of being betrayed again, it's so tiring Keith. I just want to give up, but I chose to fight because everyone's life depends on me." I seemed to be crying as I said that, but I held back my tears. I don’t want to look weak in front of him, I have to be strong. My weakness is the strength of the opponent.

"Don't you still trust me until now?" he asked.

"I told you, I don't trust anyone anymore." I answered.

"But still, you have to trust me." he said then he grabbed the gun that was tucked in the side of his pants then handed it to me. I frowned at the gun he was holding then I looked at him. I gave him an 'i don't understand you' look and he immediately understood it. "Do you know how to use this?" he asked again.

"Not much, but--"

"Just pull the trigger and shoot the enemy, Zayn." he explained shortly.

I remember Bree on that line again, that's the last thing she said before we parted. Before she became one of those demons chasing me.

"Someone's watching us now." he said reason that shocked me. I did not move from where I was standing until I felt that he himself had put the gun in my hand. My earlier calm heartbeat quickened faster because I could already see in my peripheral vision the figure of people standing far away from where we were standing. Not just one, not just two or three but many.

"Make yourself ready Zayn," Keith said to me as he pointed his armalite gun at those demons in front of us. I don't even know when, where and how he got that gun.

I also slowly looked at the group of people in front of us. I was nervous, scared. There are only two of us while they are too many.

Can we do this?

We have to cope with this.

I can do this. For the sake of everyone's lives.