The star that burned so bright

My senses were alight with a fire so bright that it felt like I could actually burst into flames at any point. He was real. He was here. He was talking to me with a voice so smooth that it was like the thoughts of evil were washed away with the current of it. The impossible was becoming a reality, or a nightmare. The thoughts were all melting together in my mind. I could hear the rush of blood in my ears with the pump of my heart. My fate was inevitable, I could tell. I would die. I would die at his hands, I knew from the moment I saw him. My last touch would be of his pale skin. My last sight would be the blue of his eyes as I faded into the abyss. My last thought would be of escape; I would finally be escaping the nightmare of reality and be given the silence that I had awaited for so many years.

He was stood directly in front of me. His chest moving up and down with an even breath as mine was picking up. I had to run. I always had to run. Every atom within my being was telling me to escape but my mind wanted to reason with my killer. I would talk to him. Suddenly there was a shaking motion against my right leg, for a moment I thought they would give in and this was the warning signal. Realising that it was my phone, I saw an opportunity. I could leave this situation, I could pretend that I was needed, being waited for even. No one can hurt you if they know that someone will notice that you’ve gone.

Andrew, or Andy as he was going by in this world, noticed to and focused his full attention on my phone.

“Looks like you’re popular” He remarked as I took my blackberry out of my pocket. Looking at the sender, it was Lilly.

“It’s my friend Lilly, I’d better go” My hopeful goodbye escaped my lips all too eagerly.

I could feel his stare burn the skin on my face but I could not bring myself to meet it with my own eyes. Both out of fear and guilt. I was afraid of him. I was also afraid to look at him and to not feel the fear, I could not let myself trust or be alone with this man. Of course there was also the part of me deep inside that wanted to understand why. Why was he helping Jack? Why was I the target? I wanted to work out his motives, what would he gain? I needed to know if this really was the Andrew from the alternate world that I visited every night, much to my dismay. If he was, I wanted to stop him from being the villain. He needed to know that I was no threat, I’m just a girl.

The screen on my phone dimmed and I could see his reflection, still staring at me.

“Do you mind?” He enquired while holding his own hand towards my mobile. Now I finally looked up. There was no malice in his eyes, no threat. It was my worst fear. As I examined his face with my glare, he smiled. One of those smiles that touches every feature or your face, his eyes glinted, his lips curved upwards, his nose flares and his cheeks bloated with the rise of his lips. It was actually beautiful.

Baffled by the moment I acted in a way that I thought may buy me more time. Save me for a little while longer. Was it the right thing to do? Thoughts of everyone who was in my phone flooded my mind and I pictured him taking my mother or Lilly. That’s what they did, right? Used the people you care about to get what they want from you. It was a mistake but I had realised all too late.

“Here” He handed me my phone back. God knows what he had done to it. Put a tracker it, stolen my contacts, anything. “Now you have my number. I have no friends here yet and you look like you could do with someone to talk to sometimes.” He smiled at me before adding “Your friend is waiting, remember?”

I took the opportunity to leave. It was like he was allowing me to leave for now but the addition of his number in my phone would just be a constant reminder that he would always be watching. I could never be safe.

I had to get home, I had to leave.

Notes

After five months. I'm finally back writing! Did you miss me?