Dream Slayer Chapter Four

 Anguish rippled through her face as her knees wobbled. Her legs were blackened with bruises and her knees torn with bits of asphalt stuck inside the exposed muscle and fractured bones. Her hand grabbed Natalie’s shirt with blood stained palms.

Natalie’s mouth was open with fright as she took Sarah by the arm. Sarah fell and her body cracked, groaned as she hit the floor. In shock Natalie bent beside her, cradling the girl’s head with one hand. The stench of blood was strong, metallic and permeated through the room. All fell silent except for Sarah’s labored breathing and groans of pain.

Sarah’s eyes closed. Her body shook, convulsing. She moaned louder than anything Natalie had ever heard and she could barely see past her tears. Her old friend’s head slowly turned. Their eyes locked. Sarah’s lip trembled, revealing cracked teeth. Sarah sobbed, “They’re coming. They’re going to kill you.”

The daydreamer’s heart pounded and wondered if this was some sort of trick or joke. How could any of this be possible? There were other people with them now, wrapping Sarah’s wounds in towels. Off in the distance Natalie heart Charles and Tristan saying something, but she heard none of it.

Sarah’s head fell away, tilted to the side. Natalie didn’t see her take another breath, or move, nor let out a pained groan. Slowly Natalie released her head down onto the floor as the murmurs around her turned to shrieks of terror. Kids began running from the coffee house while Natalie sat there, wide eyed and stared at Sarah. She willed her to get back up; to cheer, to stand, to do anything.

She didn’t. Sarah only remained still. Slowly a growing puddle of blood beneath her began to form. It spread toward Natalie and under the hem of her jeans, but Natalie already felt cold, like her bones were ice, so barely noticed.

Tristan ran his hands through his hairs. “Man, I wanted a scoop, but oh man, I didn’t want a scoop of this.”

“That’s my friend you’re talking about!” Michelle cried, red faced, and punched Tristan in the arm. Her hair was wild, whipping around her nose.

“I’m sorry.” Tristan was sincere, grasping at Michelle’s fists. “I’m sorry.”

Michelle sobbed, her face contorted. She didn’t pull her hands away, but instead leaned against his chest and cried.

“We should move,” Charles said. “You’re sitting in…you need to get up, please. We need to get a handle on this situation.”

Natalie shook her head. She couldn’t. Her eyes were staring at the blood imbedded in Sarah’s hair line. It looked like black stitching. How would they ever get it out? Something glistened along her scalp and Natalie reached against the hair and pulled something free despite Charles’s protests.

It was a shard of glass. Like someone pushed her out a window. Or maybe, Natalie thought, someone made her jump.