My Dreams And Nightmares

A Dance To Be Remembered

I am at Semi Formal. In the crowded gym dancing to “morning after dark” by Timbaland with my friends and Jason, the one I want to be more than friends with.  The song changes to a slow one. My best friend slow dances with her boyfriend and I turn to the exit to get some fresh air, when I hear,

“So…Wanna dance?”

My stomach clenches. I had been hoping that this would happen, but the fact that the dance had just started made me sure that this will be a dance to remember.

(Insert picture)

We’re dancing. The gym is crowded and sweaty, so we’re both warm. I can feel the heat of his hands on my hips and it’s lovely. I take a mental snapshot of this moment. But before the son’s over, it all hits me. The crowd around us, the screaming, the high temperature, and most of all, the music. My head starts pounding and I feel like I’m about to pass out. I lean into Jason’s ear and tell him that I’ll be right back.

I walk through the doors, down the hall, and out the first set of doors leading to outside. I stop in between the two sets of doors, not wanting to go all the way outside by myself.

It’s cool out here, and quieter. Neither as much as I was hoping for, but I’m slowly feeling better. I am sitting on the cold floor, resting my hands on my knees, when I hear footsteps. The door opens and someone sits down beside me. I don’t look up, until an arm goes protectively around my shoulder. I am glad I’m sitting, because when I see that it’s Jason’s arm around me, I feel dizzy again. He asks me how I’m feeling, and I respond, “A bit dizzy actually, but I’m glad you’re here. Will you come outside with me?”

He says of course, stands up, and looks at me. I realize I’m still sitting. I get up a little too quickly, and almost fall back down, but he catches me, opens the door, and helps me through.

I feel instantly better in the fresh air. We sit down on the stairs and in a couple of minutes I go from being boiling hot, to freezing cold. I am glad that Jason’s arm is around my bare shoulders like a blanket to keep me warm. I lean into him and feel like we are the only two people on this planet. We spend over an hour talking. About friends, about enemies, and about each other. He compares me to his ex-girlfriends. Telling me the ways in which I’m better than them. I do the same to him and soon we are kissing. It is the sweetest thing I’ve ever experienced and is the only thing I’m paying attention to.

When it stops, however, I am shaking. Half of the reason being that it is now 11:00 PM and we have been outside for almost two hours, and the other half is pure giddiness. Jason suggests we go inside, and even though I want nothing more than to stay outside with him, and him alone, I am freezing cold and don’t want to get sick.

We get up, and reach for the door handle. It’s locked from the inside. I realize that the only door that we’ll be able to get through is on the opposite side of the school. We make our around, out of the dim light and into the near blackness of the parking lot.

I feel safe when I’m with Jason, just a little unsettled by all of the shadows surrounding us. Especially when I realize that on of them is moving.

“Hello puppets, now what would you be doing out here alone while your friends are having fun inside?”

 I’m scared. Something about his smile, what he’s saying, and the way he’s looking at us disturbs me.

“Well no matter. Seeing as you’re already out here, how’s about we have a little fun of our own?”he says, as he reaches inside his jacket.

His hand comes out of his jacket and he’s holding a gun. It’s now pointed at me. Jason yells and starts towards him, but the man threatens to pull the trigger is he doesn’t shut up and stay where he is. Jason is instantly frozen in place and silent. I expect a flashback to come, like the ones you read about in stories right before a character is about to die, but I can’t think properly. The only thing my mind can do right now, is slowly understand that this man is pointing a gun at my chest and saying, “Hey Girlie, how’s about you take off that little dress you’s wearin’?”

Jason’s looks furious, but he knows that if he does anything, I’ll be shot. I, meanwhile, find I cannot move. The creep asks me again to take my dress off.

“No.” is all that manages to come out of my mouth, and the man seems to consider. To my surprise, he then lowers his gun. He seems to have just realized what he was about to do. I thank God and think that everything is going to be all right.

But then the gun is raised again. I almost throw up. It’s pointed at Jason this time.

“Girlie, how’s about now?”

I’m crying. How can anyone reach such a level of cruelty?  I start to unzip my dress, knowing the what will happen if I don’t.

“Irene NO! Don’t listen to him!” Jason screams.

“Shut up boy! Or I’ll shoot!”screams the man, with murder in his eyes. I’m sobbing. My stomach hurts like Hell and my spine is stiff.

“Girlie, be a good girl and hurry up now. I’m getting impatient.”

I panic, then throw up. Jason’s face is white. Now I’m having a flashback. The night replays in my mind. Our dance, his arm around my shoulder, my head on his, our talk, and most importantly, our kiss. Then I hear gunshot.

“Too long Girlie.” He steps towards me and I scream bloody murder. He’s livid, but I don’t care. I’ve started screaming now, and I don’t plan on stopping. But I do stop. I collapse on the ground and am not sure what happens next. Did someone hear my scream? Did the murderer leave? Or was I shot?

My heart hurts and I can’t figure out whether it’s been broken emotionally, or physically. Because I’ve been shot by a gun, or because I just had the best night of my life, and now the person I experienced it with might be gone forever.

I wake up, almost a full day later, in the hospital. I am alive. Jason is not.

xoxo

Irene Adler <3