From Within Trilogy: Book of Perdition

Chapter Five: Trench Coat

Surrounded in pitch blackness, I could not tell if my eyes were open or closed. A dusty film coated the inside of my mouth while an awful sulfuric smell stung my nose. The excoriating heat suffocated my attempts to breathe, causing a burning sensation in my airway. I could hear some muffled voices calling out. I was stuck, trapped somewhere unknown.

A sudden deep groan rattled my eardrums, and I realized I was not alone. Gravel scraped, shifted next to me. A sudden chill went up to my spine as I stiffened in fright. I instinctively tried not to give myself away. I knew I was in trouble. The stranger shuffled about while I prayed by some miracle, he would not come upon me. His voice rambled in a foreign tongue. A clicking sound echoed in our dark, shared, claustrophobic space. Suddenly, the area lit up, revealing our stone grave. His face was inches from mine. He appeared to be an older man with leathery tanned skin, but his eyes....they were black, cold, and inhuman. His eyes stared into mine for a few brief seconds. Part of his lip curled upwards as he let out a feral growl.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed, waking from the nightmare. Sweat pilled across my forehead. My body was hot, trembling uncontrollably. My eyes frantically traced over every inch of my surroundings as my heart pounded hard in my throat. I pulled any covers left on me off to let the air-conditioned room cool down the heat radiating from my body. I rubbed my temples gently to massage out the pressure pulsating in them. I shifted my eyes over to Aimee's bed, noticing it was empty. I could hear the shower going echoing with her delicate voice singing playfully.

I leaned my head against the coldness of the windowpane to aid in the relief I desperately needed. The refreshing coldness seeped into my hot skin. I stared at the view outside, setting my gaze downward to the people in the distance setting up tables and chairs for another day of Freshmen registration. I watched birds glide and bounce across the treetops as the leaves of the trees danced in the wind changing color tones in the sunlight. A large crow stole my attention as it cawed loudly from a tall branch swooping down from the tree, landing in front of a young man. He was leaning on the gate surrounding the park facing my dorm. Oddly, he was wearing a long black trench coat in August, which made him stand out amongst the average. His long blonde hair dangled from the top of his head into his eyes as he suddenly looked back at me. I pushed back from the window quickly, unsure if he saw me. A little embarrassed, my cheeks went warm.

Aimee came out of the bathroom humming a tune rubbing in some of her daily skin routines. "Oh good, I am glad you're up. I was afraid I would be going it alone today." She implied. She popped the cap back onto the cream. She pulled her curly hair out of her wrap, letting it fall back into place, each tight curl dangled perfectly framing her smooth brown face.

I stood up, stretching my arms high, breaking out into a yawn. "Why would you think that?"

She shot me a curious look. "You were tossing and turning all night and kept mumbling something. I couldn't catch what you were saying, though," Aimee jerked her shoulders. "I figured you might want to sleep in."

My cheeks warmed again. "I am so sorry. I hope I didn't keep you up."

"Not at all," She giggled. "Lucky for the both of us, I normally sleep through anything. I couldn't get comfortable last night myself. Still need to adjust to my new surroundings."

"Strange, I don't think I have ever talked in my sleep before," I noted out loud.

"No big deal. Forget about it. Now, get your butt in gear so we can start our day," Aimee jokingly demanded, pointing to the bathroom.

I chuckled, "Okay. Okay."

I grabbed what I needed for the shower then comically twerked my way over.