The writing on the wall slowly starts to fade away, and I collapse to my knees, music filling my ears as if it never left. As the letters disappear, they’re replaced with a dripping crimson handprint.
“Nik,” I whisper, placing my hand against the imprint. I swear I can feel her.
Leaning my forehead against the wall, I whisper to her in hopes she can hear my declaration. “I don’t know how, but Iwillfind a way to get you out of there.”
My tears flow freely again, and I’m ripped from whatever connection I’d imagined. Suddenly, I’m gasping as if I’ve been holding my breath, only to find I’m still in bed.
Realizing there’s no music playing anymore, I pull my headphones out and drag my phone off the nightstand. It's five A.M. already.Jesus. I lay back down and stare at the ceiling.
These night terrors always leave me with more questions than answers. Why does this keep happening? Who is Jasper, and how does he have my sister’s soul? Where is he holding her?
And how do I find her?
Obviously, there has to be a way. Why else would he bother tormenting me with these constant visions, unless he’s trying to drive me mad enough to join her?
I can’t lie. The thought has crossed my mind more than once. After all, I let her go. I let her go with a guy I didn’t know, and the guilt of that will forever consume me.
The light turns on, and the pain that was just starting to dull, quickly ramps up again, throbbing down the side of my face in tune with my heartbeat.
“Myssa,” Nik scoffs loudly. “Get up. John’s going to be here in an hour to pick us up.”
The covers are ripped away from me, and groaning in annoyance, I flip the pillow over my head.
“Shut the fucking light off. I have a migraine,” I spat out. Even my voice makes the throbbing intensify.
“Myssa, come on, take some aspirin. I need you. We’re going to a party, and you know how socially awkward I am.” She pouts.
“Contrary to popular belief, not everything is fucking about you, Nik,” I whisper angrily, attempting not to aggravate the demons tip toeing on my brain.
“Seriously, Myssa?” she questions, but when I don’t answer, I hear her start to storm out of the room.
“Whatever, fine, I’ll go by myself,” she huffs, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter 5
Myssa
Sleep eludes me again as my mind races. I reluctantly crawl out of bed, and a shiver creeps across me.
“Holy shit, it’s cold,” I mutter, pulling my blanket off the bed and wrapping it around me to stop my teeth from chattering. Shuffling through the apartment, I make my way to the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee. As it brews, I pull a mug out of the cupboard and grab the oat milk out of the fridge. I already know the day is going to be brought to you by an endless amount of caffeine in order to function. The gurgling of the last drops falling into the pot has me focusing again.
“The true nectar of the gods,” I exclaim to no one as I take my first sip.
With the cup warming my hands, and my blanket warming the rest of me, I head to the balcony.
The chilly air sweeps lightly across my face as I sit in the lounge chair, searching for the dawn. Getting comfy under the blanket, I blow on my coffee in between small sips. I watch, as the soft brilliant colors of the sky overpower the shadows of darkness as the sun begins to rise. A sense of peace washes over me at the sight. It’s a new day, a clean slate to try again.
My peace is short-lived, however, as my thoughts once again circle back to the same questions that have plagued me for months. This is all a nightmare, right? My mind is playing tricks on me—this Jasper guy can’t be real, can he? He’s a figment of my imagination, something I conjured up to torture myself. Peace has eluded my dreams, my sanity, for so long. Maybe Pete was right about taking this time off. As I set my coffee down on the table, Jasper’s words play on repeat.
“She is mine now, and you will never find her.”
I shudder at the thought.
This asshole says he is torturing her soul, but where the fuck are they? I close my eyes as I sift through my thoughts. The warm rays of the sun envelop me, and I lose the battle of staying awake.
A few hours later, I wake up, realizing I’m still out on the balcony, and the sun is much higher in the sky. Stretching, I grab my coffee off the table and make my way back inside. Taking a few sips, I cringe at the lukewarm taste of bitterness before immediately spitting it back into the cup. I gag from the aftertaste.
“Well, that was fucking disgusting.”
