To the Moon and Back

Alex's POV

I ran up a flight of stairs, my heart racing, I could hardly breathe and get enough oxygen into my system to keep moving.
I look around the dimly lit landing, searching for something.

Nothing! Another set of stairs, upwards, quick, there is no time to lose!

My legs get heavy and I can hardly lift them off the ground, it suddenly feels as if the concrete floor is melting and my feet start to sink into the sticky surface. NO, no! I have to find her!

The sound of a door slamming close, somewhere high above me makes my head snap up and my eyes search the dark staircase for a sign of her.

I rip my feet off the ground and start to run again, my sides are hurting so much but I don't care, I can't stop and risk loosing her.
I pull up my shirt to look at the shark tattoo only to see that the colours are bleeding and that her name has turned into an unreadable black mess.

I scream her name and the high black walls echo it back to me, I let out a wail that doesn't even sound human anymore.

It feels like hours but finally I reach the top floor and there is only one door. I grip the knob to open it and it is so hot it burns my hand still I turn it and throw my shoulder against the surface to push the door open.

I look around in surprise to find I am on top of a building and out in the blinding sunlight. I raise my arm to shade my eyes so I can see better and there on the edge of the roof I make out a familiar figure.
She is wearing a long white dress and the wind plays with the thin fabric.
I start to run towards he screaming her name. "Charlie, no! don't. Don't do it."

When she hears me she turns her head and smiles at me. She is wearing the flower crown but the roses have sunken their thorns into her skin and little red lines of running blood cover her face.

I am almost there and already reach out my hand to grab her and pull her back from the edge when she turns her face back to the abyss, spreads her arms as if they were wings and deliberately takes a step into the nothingness.

When I reach the spot where she just stood I look down and still see her falling in slow motion.
"Noooooooo!"..........

I shoot up from my bed hitting my head on the top of my bunk.
Rian looks down from the bunk above me his eyes wide with shock.

"Dude, what's wrong, you have been screaming?" He slowly scrambles out of his bunk and takes a closer look at me. "Alex, you look like you've seen a ghost, did you have a nightmare?"

I am holding my hurting forehead and my heart is racing. I can only nod because my throat feels strangled and can't seem to produce a sound.

He sits down at the edge of my bunk and pats my shoulder. "It's okay Alex, it was just a dream. Are you good to go back to sleep?"

I shake my head and feel I am starting to shake from the aftermath.

Rian lets out a small sigh. "Do you want me to stay here?" I nod trying to fight back tears.
"This is not awkward for you?" He asks.

I shake my head scooting to the back wall to make room for him as he comes into my bunk and lays down beside me. I rest my head on his chest as he takes his arm around my shoulders.

"Sh sh, it is all good, it was just a stupid dream," He cooes to me.

He keeps stroking my hair whispering soothingly and eventually I fall asleep again.

Notes

Awwww.