Four Years Earlier

Zeya's POV

She charged down the dark and seemingly-endless hall as fast as her wearied legs would take her. The pure terror racing through her veins and the thundering sounds of approaching footsteps fueled her adrenaline.

The thing behind her made a horribly loud noise. It was somewhere in-between nails on a chalkboard and a child's whiny scream. It felt like a knife to her ears.

Zeya threw herself around the first corner at such a rapid speed that she slammed, hard, into the concrete wall. Instead of wallowing in pain she used the wall to thrust herself onward. The goal was to keep moving before the creature pursing caught up.

Zeya had been successful in distancing herself up until she sailed around the next corner. She rushed onward and banged head-first into a wall that seemed to materialize out of nowhere; she had sprinted directly into a dead end.

"Help!" She screeched, banging her fists violently against the wall. "Someone please!" Sweat trickled from her forehead as she twisted around to face the darkness; to face the monster. The figure that had been hunting her closed in.

Though Zeya couldn't see any identifying features, she knew it was there to do a single thing: to kill her.

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A small yelp of terror escaped her lips as Zeya's body jolted upright. She was torn from her nightmare and flung back into the real world. Running an unstable hand through her hair, she leaned against her headboard and wheezed until she was able to catch her breath.

"It was just a nightmare," she murmured to herself, as if saying it aloud would make her fear weaken. Zeya peered around her room, her mind so overtaken by her terror that she thought she could make out a figure hiding in the corner.

She practically dove for the lamp on her bedside table, clicking it on with impressive speed. Of course there was nothing there.

Zeya jerked her comforter off of her legs and swung them over the side of her bed. She wanted to get out of her room as fast as possible. However, her head pounded just like it would if it had actually been cracked against a concrete wall. She held it in her hands and inhaled deeply.

"It was just a nightmare." Zeya realized each time she reiterated the statement she believed it less and less.

In an attempt to distract herself from both the pain and her nightmare she leapt from her bed and shuffled into the bathroom (making sure to dodge all the clothes, trash, and textbooks she had strewn around the room). When she flicked on the light, Zeya was shocked by her reflection.

She was coated from head to toe in sweat. She looked as if she had just come back from a run. Truly repulsed with herself Zeya knew she had to take a shower before she even dared to show her face in public.

The water was warm and it felt soothing against her tight skin. It always took extra effort to get into the shower but, when it came time to get out, she didn't want to leave; nothing felt better in that moment.

But as all moments, eventually it had to end. The conclusion of her relaxing shower came when she realized that if she stayed in any longer her pruney fingers would become as dry as raisins.

After she got out, she dried her hair and slipped on a t-shirt and jeans. Oddly enough, when she had finished changing, her mind traveled back briefly to her nightmare and a chill crawled down her spine. She glanced over her shoulder at the empty corner but the feeling didn't dissipate.

The feeling that someone was watching her.

Zeya sighed, blowing a strand of her caramel brown hair out of her face as she did. She knew, eventually, her mind would be filled with more important thoughts and the nightmare would simply slip into obscurity. Soon enough he brain would be focusing on meeting up with her best friend, Sadie, and listening to all of her endless boy stories.

However, that thought didn't comfort her know. Sick of standing in her room and being reminded that she was a. exhausted and b. couldn't go back to sleep, Zeya ventured downstairs and into the kitchen.

She circled around the island and to the fridge. She yanked its cold and silver handle back and took in her breakfast options. She could have yogurt, which was most likely expired, eggs, or milk. Selecting the almost-but-not-quite-yet expired milk she dug through the high-rise cabinets, grabbing a bowl and a box of whichever cereal her hand touched first.

Zeya prepared her cereal, cleaned everything up immediately (since she could hear her mother moving around upstairs), and took a seat at the breakfast bar. She forced herself to eat, though she wasn't even slightly hungry.

She thought it was odd that the nightmare bothered her much as it did. It was a rather childish dream: being chased by an invisible monster. But it was something that stuck with her and, no doubt, always would.

"Zeya?" Her mother yanked Zeya from her thoughts. She hadn't even heard her mother enter the room. "Are you alright?" She was standing behind the island and was, currently, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah," Zeya shook her head. "I just uh . . ." She hesitated. She knew she could just tell her mother the truth but something was holding her back. She trusted her mother and, of course, loved her but she just couldn't manage to share it with her. "I was thinking about grandma."

"Sweetie, you know she's going to be fine." Her mom returned the coffee pot into its holder and took a sip from her mug. "It was just some surgery on her hip. I'm going to see her just to make sure she gets settled at-" Her mother was cut off by the blaring ring of her cellphone. She dug into her pocket, pulled out of her phone, and answered it. "Hello, this is Piper . . . oh, hey Bill." She set her mug down and excused herself from the room.

Bill was her current fling. Of course Zeya hated the idea of her mother dating. She still had a small sliver of hope that her father would, one day, come back; she always would. But he'd gone missing nearly ten years ago.

It was time for her mother to stop waiting and be happy.

And it was pretty mind-blowing someone as beautiful as her mother wasn't on the market for years. She was the picture example next to the definition of 'perfect' in the dictionary. She had a nice petite figure and perfectly bronzed skin. Her long and silky hazel hair reached past her shoulders and her big chestnut eyes always glistened in the light.

"Sorry honey." Zeya heard her heels clicking against the tile before she actually saw her mother return to the room. "Bill just wanted to let me know he was stopping for coffee and he'll be here soon."

"He's going with you?" Zeya was a little hurt her mother wanted Bill to go with to take care of HER grandmother.

"He just wants to help out." Her mother gave her a sympathetic grin and leaned against the counter. "Now, when you leave, make sure all the lights are off and all the doors are loc- "

"I know," Zeya cut off her mom before she could continue on. She'd already been given those instructions four times.

"Alright," her mother chuckled. "Just for kicks and giggles, you and Sadie are . . ." She gestured with her hand for Zeya to finish.

"We're going to go shopping and spend the night at her mom's. Then Sunday morning we're driving to her dad's so we can go to the carnival they're having. I'll probably end up spending the night at her dad's and driving back for class in the morning." Zeya hated lying to her mother. It made her feel this pang of guilt in her gut.

But Zeya hadn't hosted any of the meetings for the honors club at her school and she offered to throw a little party for them for the last one. Her house was available and adult free, so this weekend was perfect.

"Alright just keep in touch okay? And if at any point you don't feel comfortable at Sadie's you can just come back here."

"Okay mom." Zeya held her tongue. Her mother thought Sadie's mom was: "an inattentive drunk". Which the whole town, Sadie included, would agree to.

"You know how I worry about you," she frowned. "I just . . . just please make sure you stay safe okay? Don't do anything you couldn't tell me about."

"Yes ma'am," Zeya nodded. "Give me updates on grandma."

"And you let me know how your math test goes. If you get a good grade on this one, you'll graduate with an A."

"I know." The doorbell rang and ended Zeya's moment with her mother. Her mother was always either at work or out with Bill, so Zeya enjoyed the minimal time she was granted.

"Alright," her mother exhaled. So she wouldn't have to speak to Bill, Zeya hopped from her chair and gave her mom a big bear hug.

"I love you."

"I love you too honey. Have fun okay?" She placed a gentle kiss on Zeya's forehead before heading to the front door.

Zeya didn't know it then, but that would be the last time she'd see her mother for a very very long time.