I woke to a soft sensation on my lips. My eyes immediately opened wide as I experienced a sense of déjà vu in that moment. I pushed Charles away, as I sat up, my breath hurried, trying as hard as I could to... breathe.
My hand moved towards my neck, still feeling the lingering sensation of Carly's hands, choking me. Charles sat by my side, my eyes moved towards his, and I saw concern in them.
"Rose, are you okay? What's wrong?"
I couldn't reply to him, instead I pulled him into a tight hug, my hands trembling, body shaking as tears pooled down my eyes. I was... frightened.
The dream.. was.. so vivid.
Charles brushed my hair, not saying anything, just comforting me. My body sank into his warm embrace, and I felt myself calm down. All the confusing thoughts and emotions put to a halt, focusing only on Charles' scent.
He smelled of spring.
We stayed like this for twenty minutes, until I was calm enough. I finally let go of him, realising he was going to be late because of me.
"I..."
"Its fine, settle your thoughts and when you're ready to talk, I'll be there to listen."
My heart warmed, and I couldn't stop myself from pulling him into warm kiss. He tasted minty, just like in my dream. My body tensed, and I had to force to calm down, before I could think about that dream.
He pulled away, looking at me with concern, but he had to go to work. He reluctantly left, leaving me to stew in my own thoughts for awhile.
I wanted to get up and take a shower, as I still had go to school. As I was about to get off the bed, my mind conjured the image of Carly's blue eyes.
The madness in them when she was choking me, the lust as she seemed to get off on suffocating me. The anger hiding underneath the surface, the sadness reflected in my own hazy eyes. The reluctance, as she was caught between killing and hesitating. The confusion when I didn't fight back to save my own.
There had been so much emotion in those beautiful eyes. And in my dream, I was able to accept all of them, but now that I felt the loneliness that came with death. The fear mixed in with the euphoric pleasure and resignation. I was afraid of dying again.
I settled back into my sheets, fearing to even go to the bathroom. I took my phone underneath the pillow and called Sarah telling her I wasn't coming in today.
It was just a dream, but even so, I couldn't shrug off these ridiculous notion that it wasn't, and fearing for my life, I thought best not to confront Carly today.
I looked up the ceiling listlessly, and by the time I came to, there was a ringing by the door. My heart leaped to my throat. I looked at the time on my phone, and it said 12:35 PM.
Something wasn't right about the time, I couldn't put my finger on it, but it felt foreboding somehow.
Shaking my head, I left the bed and headed downstairs. When I reached the door, I hesitated, before opening it. My heart pounded in my chest by the sight of the person I least expected nor wanted to see, Carly.
"Teacher, I heard you called in sick, I skipped school just for you," she said, as she opened the door wider, pushing me aside. I closed the door absent-mindedly, looking at her, staring back at me.
She looked the same as she did in my dream. Beautifully charming, with a smile that made me want to let my guard down around her, blue eyes that glimmered with an eerie concealed madness.
I found myself admiring her looks, starting from her shoulder length blond hair that shimmered luxuriously.
Her smooth porcelain skin glistened with beads of sweat, as she looked like she had been running here. She was extremely beautiful, not to mention a shapely body that could turn heads around.
Her full lips curled to even brighter smile, and I gulped down when she licked them. She betted her eyeslashes, before she turned around and headed to my living room.
I followed behind, slightly green with envy, while admiring her perky round butt. This is the kind of womanly charm I lack. How I managed to charm Charles with my bony ass, still needs to be studied.
We got to the living room, and she sat on the couch, crossing her long legs.
"What are you doing in my house Carly, you know it's inappropriate?"
She nodded, "I know, but I couldn't shake this feeling you were hiding from me, so I came to visit."
My heart thudded in my ears, what did she mean by that? Could it be.. no, I was dreaming, I had to be. I'm just a little on edge for now.
"Why would I hide from you?"
She tilted her head, looked around the living, before she stood up. She took a step towards me and I took one back. She smirked, raising an eyebrow. And I realised I just proved her speculation.
"Teacher, I have to come clean, I have been stalking you."
*Rose, I have to come clean, I have been stalking you.*
Her word overlapped with those in my dream and I felt dread course through my veins.
I didn't think, I didn't try to understand, the moment those words entered my ears, I ran towards my room. I felt footsteps right behind me.
I was right close to my bedroom, and before I could open the door, Carly grabbed my hand, pulling me back, before she threw me against the wall. I groaned in pain, vision blurring as I felt like the air being squeezed out of me.
Carly wrapped one of her hand around my neck, holding me in place. My eyes widened with fear as I stared blankly at Carly. There was frightening darkness in her eyes, madness as she seemed pissed off that I ran away.
Her facial features contorted through myriad of emotions, from confusion, anger, hurt, twisted joy. Her lips formed a smile, a hideous one.
"Teacher, why did you run away?" Her voice was strained, as if just getting a single sentence out was painful.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked with slight resignation.
Her eyes widened in surprise, "why would you ask that? Wait, don't tell me, you knew I loved you all along? Hehe, that makes me happy, but why didn't you tell me. Is it because of that golden retriever? Maybe we should wait for him to come back, so that I can take care of a problem standing between our love."
"No!!"
I shouted, startling Carly.
"Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why... don't you love me?"
There was so much sorrow and madness in those words.
She looked up at me in tears, squeezing my throat a little tighter. And the fear shot through me, like a surge of adrenaline.
"I do love you," I said, quickly.
She tilted her head childishly, but her grip loosened up a little, "you do?"
"Yes, I do, how could I not?"
"Prove it," she said.
I could practically feel my heart trying to claw its way out of my chest.
"How?" I asked, desperate for any way out that will keep Charles and I alive, long enough to call the police when she's gone.
Her lips curled into an excited smile.
"Like this," she said, before pressing her lips against mine, and my mind went blank, lost to the softest sensation that ever touched my lips.
"What's going on here?!!"
My eyes widened, as I looked towards the source of the voice. And I felt my body lose all strength... Charles.