When Nightmares Become Reality

I looked around my apartment, the windows were still closed, dirty dishes still piled up in the kitchen and the mail hadn't been collected since being slid under our door. Nobody had been home for a couple of days. I picked up my phone for the second time and tried to call Liz. It rang through to her voice mail. “It’s been two days, why haven't you come home. Is this guy honestly that good?”
Danielle walked out of the bathroom, drying her hands on the back of her legs. “Is she still not picking up?” I looked around for a note that she might have left me but seen nothing.
“No, it keeps going to voice mail. I asked if anyone had seen her at the shop and they all said she hadn't even called in sick or anything, it’s getting a little suspicious. She never stays out this long” I bit my lip and reached for the TV remote. I turned it on and waited for the old TV to boot up. Static noise filled the room and I pressed down to change the channel, the news was the first thing that turned on. I watched the news reporter change the subject from tax payments to recent events. “In today’s news we fall upon the story of a murder in the streets of London. She still remains unidentified but the police have given us a drawing of her facial features, if anyone has seen her before please call this number, we only wish to help this poor girls family.” A sketch popped up onto the screen and my jaw dropped to the ground, the picture closely resembles Liz. I typed the number from the TV screen to my phone and saved it, before calling Liz’s phone again.
Danielle interrupted my train of thought “You don’t think it could be her do you?” The phone reached its last ring.
“I hope not” the beep signalling the recording had started. “Please Liz, you have to call me back, it’s getting out of hand! I just saw this thing on the news and I hope to god it isn’t you. Please just call me back.” I let out a sigh hanging up the phone.
“I’m sure it can’t be her” Danielle took a seat next to me and rested her hand on my shoulder.
I sniffled “You don’t know that Danielle, What if it is, what am I going to do, It can’t be her, who would want to mur-“ I chocked on the last word, realization had set in a I knew secretly, deep down that there was a chance it could be. “Oh my god” I whispered staring of into the distance and a tear fell down my face, Danielle’s assuring arms wrapped around me and pulled me up.
“Come on; let’s go see El and the boys.” She nodded at me, smiling but the nervousness showed when her mouth twitched in the corner.
“Danielle?” my voice was barley a whisper. She looked back at me, her eyes questioning. “Can I stay at your place again tonight; I don’t want to be alone”
She nodded “You can stay as long as you need” She turned to hug me, she pulled me to her chest and my arms wrapped around her. The sketch had flashed back on the screen and I noticed the little details that proved it was Liz, the little scar she had under her eye from when she fell over once and the freckle she had on her hair line. I closed my eyes and pushed out of Danielle’s arms, I turned and ran to my room, diving onto my bed. I buried my face into my bed and silently cried, not only for Liz but for the whole trip to the UK. Everything was turning out worse than anybody could imagine.
Danielle walked into the room, her shoes making a steady clicking sound on the floor boards, I turned my face enough to see her walk in and grab a bag from under my bed. She walked over to my wardrobe and packed clothes and essentials for a trip. She paused at my bedside table that contained my underwear, obviously uncomfortable. I crawled over to the draws and opened it. I pulled out a handful of underwear and shoved them into the opened bag. I looked back to Danielle, she seemed relieved. “Thank you Danielle”
“It’s okay” she zipped up the back and placed it on her shoulder, “We should go now” she nodded. I pushed of the bed and stood to face her, “It’ll be okay” Danielle said before turning to head out the apartment. We reached Eleanor's house and walked through the door. Everyone's eyes fell on Danielle's arms wrapped around me, holding me up from falling. Niall was the first up from the lounge room and grabbed my shoulders, steadying me.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I watched Niall look at my face and all around me, checking for any injuries. He pulled me into a hug and I brought my arms up around him, I buried my face into his chest and he squeezed me tighter; a comfortable tight. I heard everyone hurry over and start to interrogate Danielle. Niall slowly released me and I cleared my throat, everyone going quiet and their eyes falling on me once more. Niall’s arm still firmly wrapped around my shoulder, we walked to the lounge and everyone took a seat around me. I explained the while story of the apartment not being visited in a couple of days, Liz not being home or leaving a note and then finally the news report on the murdered girl and the sketch.
“Wow Jazz, I'm so sorry” Liam patted my knee.
“How about we go out, you know for dinner or something. Take out even?” Niall said from beside be.
“Niall, I really think Jazz should go to the police station and report what she knows.” Eleanor spoke up from sitting in Louis’s lap.
“Well, how about Jazz and I go to the police station” everyone's eyes turned to Louis. “and you all go to get food and Jazz and I will meet you back here?” Louis looked at everyone individually.
Everyone nodded in agreement. “Alright let’s go then.” Zayn grabbed Eleanor’s arm and pulled her up, then Harry’s. Everyone eventually got up and walked to the front door, Louis and I last out.
“Thanks for taking me Louis” I whispered to him.
He nodded slightly, “No problem”
I cleared my hoarse throat “You know, I can drive myself, you could go with the rest of them if you wanted to.” I opened the passenger side door.
“I want to drive you” I slide in and wiped the running mascara from my face while Louis got in and started the car.
***
When we finished at the police station and started to head for the car again Louis turned to look at me. “Are you okay?”
“I guess” I sniffled and shrugged my shoulders. We reached the car and an envelope was on the war, I walked towards it and picked it up. I opened to up to reveal a typed letter.
‘To Jasmine,
I’m really sorry to hear about your friend. I hope you're okay, I watched you with him. If you keep playing with Niall other people will get hurt. Trust me.
Sincerely,
Anon.
P.s who knows who might be next if you do continue.’
“What does it say?” Louis walked up behind me and read over my shoulder, “Who the hell wrote that, is this some kind of joke!” Louis yelled right into my ear. I was frozen, I couldn't move. I could feel Louis breath down the back of my neck. “Come on, we've got to go. Get in the car.” He pushed on my bag and I hoped in before freezing again, I stared straight ahead all the way home.

Notes