AJ found herself lying in the grass beside a pair of railroad tracks, the sun setting behind the trees. She was a younger version of herself, much like the memories she had recently relived, but here she was much, much younger. It was peacefully quiet for all but the sound of her brother’s humming and the flutter of nearby bird’s wings. Sitting up slowly, she felt the tugging of familiarity on the edge of the dream - or at least it felt like a dream. It’s pretty vivid, though, she wondered briefly. Perhaps the dream had melted together with a vague memory; she could only guess.
Chambrey came over to her and smiled hugely, goofily. Such a big brother grin, she thought, and his hand came down to haul her out of the grass. The dirt bike they used to share stood loyally by the tree line of the forest they’d run through as children. Those trees were their babysitter and they never failed in giving them the best spots to hide and play.
“C’mon Junior,” Chambrey shouted from the train tracks. He was balancing animatedly on one track, making a show of pretending to almost fall off. It elicited a giggle from AJ. Oh how much she wished he were back so that they could do those things again, like the brother and sister they were. It panged her to remember how carefree and unknowing they had been, how they both had not even the slightest inkling that his life would end so suddenly.
AJ ran over to Chambrey and yanked on his arm, sending him crashing into the grass like a shot down airplane. He began to laugh and she couldn’t stop.
Quickly the dream changed, turning into night and letting loose a flurry of nearly painful raindrops from the dark clouds. She found Chambrey in the same place she’d left him; lying in the grass. She realized though that they were both older - the ages they had been before Chambrey died.
Instantly AJ knew something wasn’t right. Her hair clung to her face like tentacles and she could hear a train’s horn rumbling in the distance.
“Chambrey, we’re too close to the tracks,” she said, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him to his feet so they could wait for the train to pass at a safe distance. But he didn’t let her. He just shook his head and smiled a smile she never remembered him using.
It was twisted and wrong, somehow.
“Let’s track hop,” he yelled, acting as if he’d had a few drinks. The horn sounded closer and AJ’s worry meter spiked.
“Chambrey no, we need to get out of here.”
He simply laughed and jumped up onto a track, feeling it tremble beneath his feet. AJ seized his arm and yanked forcefully, wanting him - no, needing him to get off the tracks.
“What are you doing? Chambrey! Chambrey!”
The train’s light bathed them both in bright yellow and Chambrey shielded his eyes, but his smile didn’t falter. The horn blew strongly again, warning them to get back. Chambrey didn’t heed it.
This is going wrong. This is going terribly, terribly wrong, she thought frantically.
“Chambrey!” she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. He cachinnated morbidly as the train neared, the horn going full bore.
“C’mon AJ! It’s fun!”
She shook her head vigorously and her eyes filled with tears as she backed away. Her hands started to shake; she clasped them together tightly in attempt to still them.
“I said come on!” he shouted back at her. Before she knew it, he was at her side, his arms clamped around her shoulders and hauling her toward the tracks. She fought against his grip, but of course she couldn’t break free. He had always been stronger than her.
The horn shattered her eardrums and light melted her eyes when he launched them both in front of the train.
As she cringed for impact, she was in her bed again, Ryan blurring into her vision when she registered his strong hold on her shoulders.
“AJ? AJ, are you okay?” he repeated over and over. Her throat was bound; she couldn’t squeak out even the faintest of sounds no matter how hard she pushed. Ryan continued to shake her shoulders, convinced that she wasn’t fully awake yet and completely expecting some kind of response.
He had shaken her awake a number of times much like that one, usually after a dream or night terror where her thrashing about was enough to break him from his slumber and come to her rescue. She was breathing her thanks that the train was just a nightmare.
Then he was on top of her and his hands were squeezing her neck.
“I’m coming for you. I’ve become you,” he hissed in a low, nasty voice that wasn’t his own. His eyes flooded with crimson and fangs grew from his mouth, a snake tongue flicking out between them. The fingers strangling the breath out of her turned into jagged claws and she felt liquid warmth pool around her neck before her vision began to fail her. Blood coated her throat and she coughed and gasped frenziedly for air, for alleviation.
“I’ve become you, AJ. And I’m coming for you,” the voice snarled again, filling her head like a multiplying virus. It just wouldn’t stop echoing.
The voice abruptly rushed out of her head and was replaced with silence. She felt warm arms around her and she struggled to get out of them, away from them. She kept her eyes closed in fear of seeing the blood and undoubtedly triggering a panic attack while she grasped at her neck, still attempting to get away.
There was no warm blood leaking over her fingers or gaping fresh wounds. Opening her eyes, she realized that the shadow man was cradling her to him. Those were the arms she felt.
The terror of the double nightmare hit her then, consumed her, and there was no way to stop the shuddering sobs once they had begun.
The shadow held her closer and she welcomed the comfort.
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So this is a chapter from the middle a book I just recently wrote a rough draft for. Like? Dislike? Neutral?
-Vicki
