Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 11

"Wake up, Annabel! What's wrong with you?" Noah asked, shaking me awake. I sat up, looking around the room. My heart raced, thumping out of my chest. Noah still held my shoulders. Waves of nausea hit me, but I took deep breaths, letting the dream fade from my mind.

"It was just a dream," I said, wrapping my arms around myself.

"I would say more like a nightmare. You’re shaking. I heard you crying so I came to check on you. What’s going on Annabel?" Noah asked, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at me.

"Like you said, nightmare," I answered, catching my breath. I wiped the tears from my cheeks. Noah looked at the TV and then back at me.

"Did you dream that you were getting kidn*pped Annabel?" he asked, teasing me. I rolled my eyes and got up from the couch. Do you really want to know? I walked into the kitchen without a word as he followed behind me. "What? Is that a yes? Or a no?"

"It's not funny, Noah. A girl really is kidn*pped, okay. She is scared, alone, and all she wants is to go back home to be with her mom. How can you be so insensitive about that?" I asked, shaking my head at him. His head jerked back before he raised his hands in defeat.

"Whoa, calm down. I didn't mean anything by it. I know that it's serious, but I was just messing with you. Trying to lighten the mood, you know? Sorry, I guess it was a bad joke."

"Yes. It was," I said, opening the fridge and grabbing stuff to make a sandwich.

"Planning on making a brother one?" he asked, hopping onto the counter next to where I was placing the ingredients. His voice lightened like he was once again trying to lighten the mood.

"Wasn't planning on it. You have two hands, I'm sure you can figure out how to make yourself a sandwich," I replied without looking at him. I don’t care how much he messes with me, but I won’t have him trying to joke about Katrina.

"I can see someone is still sour. I said it was a bad joke, Anna. I have already apologized."

"And for that I should make you a sandwich?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No. You should make me a sandwich for letting you out of the house. Mom just called me while you were...napping. She said the school called her to verify if you really were at the hospital since you looked fine while dropping off the note. Not to worry though, it did nothing but anger her. Apparently she yelled at Mrs. Lawrence, but she’s also angry at the both of us. You for leaving after your episode this morning, and me for letting you out. Guess who might be grounded now?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Here," I said, handing the plate with the barely made sandwich on it over to him. As soon as he grabbed it, I held on to it pulling it back to my chest. "But then again, you're the reason I got grounded, so why do I care?"

"Hey! I have already apologized for that. You can't hold that over my head forever, Anna."

"No. Not forever. Just while I enjoy my sandwich," I said, taking a bite. He rolled his eyes then started muttering words under his breath while he began to make his own sandwich. I turned on the small TV that sat on the counter. The news continued, showing another picture of Katrina.

"I get that it's a big deal for a girl to be kidn*pped, but can we please change the channel? The cops are already looking for her and there's nothing we can do about it," Noah said turning towards me. That's what’s frustrating to me. "Nothing we can do about it". Why am I having these nightmares if there's "nothing I can do about it"? Noah didn't wait for me to respond. He changed the channel so that it was on some show about this guy trying to catch a fox. Noah and his Animal Planet. In the dream, Katrina told me to get her mom. Maybe her mom might know where she's at? Maybe she saw the man at the bank and could identify him to the police. Then again she might have just asked for her mom because she wanted her mom.

"I'm full," I said, though I've only eaten half of my sandwich. I got up and put my plate in the sink after throwing the sandwich in the trash. Noah didn't even look my way. When I got to the front door, again Noah ran and jumped in front of it.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Not again, Noah," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. "I just remembered I have something to do."

"Something like?"

"Really, Noah, I don't think you'd want to know."

"Don't want to know? Or you just don't want to tell me?" he asked through narrowed eyes.

"Frankly, I don't think you can handle it."

"Try me. You left the house once and it wasn't a big deal," he said with a shrug.

"Before was different," I argued back.

“How was it different?”

I rolled my eyes at him.

“Does it even matter? I asked with a hand on my hip.

"Sure it does. If I'm going to be grounded for letting you leave a second time, I want to know why," he said, not budging from the door.

“You’re not going to believe me.”

“Try me,” he said, crossing his arms. I gave a deep exhale, then walked over to the couch motioning for him to join me. He sat in the arm chair that my dad used to when we had family discussions. It became his favorite chair since my dad died. He smirked at me. "So...let's hear it."

"Okay. So you know how sometimes I would tell mom that I dreamed of someone. That I actually was that person? Mom said it was just my crazy imagination?" I started, though I doubt he believed me. Maybe after I tell him he will let me out of the house. It doesn't matter if he thinks I'm crazy as long as I get an out. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Okay. So?"

"Well, remember the other day when I told mom I had a nightmare?"

"It was yesterday, of course I remember," he said, rolling his eyes. Like he doesn't think the conversation is going anywhere or that I'm pulling his chain.

"Well, the nightmare I had involves the girl who's been abducted."

"What girl?" he asked, making a face at me. At that, I grab the remote control and turn on the TV. The picture of Katrina flashes on the screen again. Chills ran down my spine thinking of the latest nightmare. "Ready to make it up to me?" the bad man said. From the moment he saw her, that’s what he planned. He said she was his, and he meant that in every way. Poor Katrina, I have to figure out a way for her to get out. I have to help her!

"Okay?" he asked, shaking his head at me; Clearly confused.

"Well. This is why I passed out this morning."

"When you were choking?"

"Kind of. You see, I dreamed that I saw this girl in a very dirty, ugly, room. She was scared of this man. When I tried to find out who it was, suddenly I was her. As the man pulled me out of the room, I saw that I was wearing unicorn pajamas and my hair was a dark tangley mess. I saw her yesterday and the guy from my dream.

The man that took her and still has her, but since I don't know who he is and he scares me, I need to see if I can figure out a way to help her without getting too close. Today, before I went to the school and broke up with Xavier, I stopped by the Elementary School to talk to a teacher that might have seen him, but she wasn't there. Ms. Sky is her name. I know in my dream she saw me, which is why I know she probably saw him. When you woke me, I was having another dream where Katrina was asking me to get her mom. I figure maybe if I talk to Katrina's mom, she might know the guy from the bank and report him or something."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're trying to tell me that you predicted this girl getting kidn*pped?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, c*****g his head to the side.

"In a sense, I guess I am."

"And you saw the guy do it?"

"No, but I've seen the guy who is holding her captive or the one who is from my nightmare," I said, frustration rising. I told him he wouldn't be able to handle it. By the way, he is looking at me right now, he may be thinking they need to put me in some kind of home.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because-" I started, but was interrupted by the TV.

"Katrina was wearing purple pajamas with white unicorns on them. She was taken last night sometime during the hours of eleven o'clock p.m. and five o'clock a.m. If anyone has seen or heard Katrina or know of her whereabouts, they are advised to contact the Sheriff's Department immediately," The TV Reporter said, interrupting us.

"Okay, I'll bite. How did you know that?"

"Because I'm telling you the truth!"

"Or maybe this news is on a circuit and you've heard her say that before?" He said, crossing his arms. I put my hands over my face to stop my scream from coming out. This is why I knew he couldn’t handle it. He doesn’t even believe me!

"Or maybe you could believe that what I'm telling you is the truth, Noah. You're my brother, my twin brother. You have always known when I'm making something up. Can't you tell that what I'm telling you right now is real?" I asked, staring into his narrowed brown eyes. His eyes burned down into my soul with the way he was accessing me.

"And you want to go after the guy? The one that did it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, I want to get Katrina out," I answered, frustration coming through my voice.

"Oh. I have to see this," he said as a smile spread across his face. Not sure if he believes me or not, but I got my ticket out and I'm taking it. I wish I knew where this "Ms. Sky" lives, but since I don't, Katrina's house, here I come!

We both stand and walk out of the door, closing and locking it behind us. He walks to the driver's side of the Nissan Altima while I get to the passenger side. When we both get in the car, he looks at me sliding on his black Ray-Ban sunglasses. "Okay, where am I going?"