Dream Haunter

  Chapter Thirteen

   “Melody?” Adam calls out, his voice soft and eager, “I thought that you weren’t come back.”

  Melody looks at her surroundings; no doors, even though she could have sworn that there once had been. She clinches her jaw to show him, and herself, that she isn’t afraid.

  “Don’t come near me.” she hisses.

  Adam holds his hands up, giving her that cocky grin of his. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

  She steps around him, keeping her eyes on him as she shoots quick glances down the hall, praying for a window or something that could let her escape from this possessed dream. Her eyes catch a small glimpse of light flickering in the hall, almost blending with the wall, but it is so quick she isn’t certain that she had seen it in the first place. The crisp smell of glass cleaner tickles her nose as she drags her feet across the cold tiles, venturing towards the light. She knows that Adam is following here, not having to look back to know that crisp mint smell that seems to ooze off of his skin whenever he is near.

  Her eyes watch the light flow from underneath a red drape hanging over something tall and spherical; her heart begs her to stop and run. Adam smiles, his eyes watch patiently as she grabs a fist full of the silky red fabric. It makes a soft whooshing sound as it slips around the cylinder to reveal a tall glass case, transparent and clean. Her voice stammers as she stagers backwards into Adam’s chest, his arms forcefully grab her waist, while he presses his lips to her ear.

  “Either you can get in there by yourself, or I can put you in there myself,” he whispers, his breath tickling the inside of her ear.

  His breath stabs at her skin, making every nerve in her body scream out in pain. She trembles, wiggling her hips and thrusting her arms out, praying to break free. His fingers dig into the skin around her waist, lifting her off of the cool tiles, trying to push her into the show case. She kicks and screams, but his fingers just dig deeper into her trembling flesh. She’s weak, she realizes as he clicks shut the small door that fits seamlessly in with the rest of the glass.

  She falls to the floor in defeat, screaming with her last ounce strength. The case jerks as Adam wheels it into the living room, setting it across from his couch. The skin of Melody’s thighs stick to the glass floor from her sweat; it makes a squeaking sound against the glass as she spins around, looking up at the ceiling.

  A small television is built into the top of the sphere’s dome shines down on her. She watches in amazement as the screen shows an image of Sam. Melody sits back, her body and mind in such a state of shock she can’t handle how crazy this all is. Sam, sweet Sam, who would go to hell and back just for her, face appears on the screen, reflecting the memories she shares with him. Her heart skips a beat as she watches him frantically search for her around his apartment.

  Sam pulls on his hair, his eyes bouncing around his living room before he runs out into the hall. He pulls his phone out of his back pocket, checking for any sign of her; he lets out an agonizing cry as he chucks the phone against the concert steps, the phone landing in the pile of dead leave that have begun to decompose against the wet pavement.

  Melody reaches her hand out to touch the screen above her, longing to comfort him. She can see Adam watching her, studying her, but she cries anyway. Once she has wiped the warm tears from her cheeks, she looks back up at Sam.

  He’s now rummaging through her apartment, screaming her name; her heart pangs for him. She watches him all night until Sam has tired himself out, lying down on her bed, looking at the black and white photo that he had taken of her.

  Adam stands next to the case, drawing circles with his index finger on the glass. “Why are you crying?” he asks sheepishly.

   She thrusts her arms against the glass around her, hoping that it will somehow break the thick glass. “Why wouldn't I cry? I’m being imprisoned!” she shouts at him.

  He presses his hand on the glass, his sweaty palm leaving a steamy mark. “That’s not why you’re crying.”

  Adam’s eyes flicker up at the screens image of Sam for a brief moment before letting his eyes fall back down at her, a lump building up in his throat, “Why him? He doesn’t look so ‘special’.” Adam’s voice is tinged with a hint of vinegar.

   Melody stands up; the air that surrounds her has grown muggy from her sobs, bringing herself over to face him behind the thin glass, glaring at him. “Because he doesn’t lock me in a freaking show case!” she shouts as she slams her palms against the glass, baring her teeth.

  He looks over at a screen that shows her heart rate. “I’m sure there is something that I could do that would make you happy. Name it.”

   “The only person that could make me happy is Sam!” she yells, her nostrils flaring as she glares at him.

  Adam shakes his head, his black hair falling across his face. “I’m sorry but I can’t do that.” He walks away as Melody lets out another scream, banging her fists against the glass, shaking the case. She rolls up on the floor, trembling with emotion as the lights flick off in the apartment and she begins to drift off into sleep.

                        …………………………………………….

  Cool, stale air blows up around Melody through the vents in the floor, waking her up. Adam is sitting in the couch across the room, staring at her as if he is waiting for something. She stands up, her legs wobbling because she’s had them curled up against her stomach all night, glaring at him.

  “If you think that I’m going to be your personal hooker or something, you’re mistaken,” she hisses through her teeth.

  He walks up to the case, a cocky grin spread across his mouth. “I would never make you do anything you don’t want.”

  He opens the door to let her out, just like you would a dog. Melody stands her ground, adrenalin pumping and readying her to defend herself as he comes in after her. The air around him smells of mint as he brushes against her, his hand worming its way around the back of her neck; she jumps as something pierces into her skin. His hand slides away as he turns around, locking the door behind him before walking down the hall.

  She watches him leave, waiting until he is completely out of sight before grimacing in pain and rubbing the back of her neck, her fingers running over the round ball sticking out from the bottom of her skull. She doesn’t think twice before sticking her nails between the pea sized ball and the top of her skin, yanking on it like it’s a splinter The skin around the piercing begins to bleed, but doesn’t give way. She wipes her bloody fingertips on her blue jeans as she crouches to the floor, her knees shaking before she curls herself up into a ball.

  Her head begins to pound again; keeping beat with the pain in the back of her neck, as her mind runs to a comfortable place, somewhere safe and warm.

  Sam.

  “AHHHHH!” she screams, something burns and stings the back of her neck.

  She feels around the small metal ball, electricity hums through it, making her fingers tingle. She tries to think of Sam again.