Without You There Is No Me

I couldn't sleep. Vic's arms were wrapped protectively around me even as he snored. I pressed my lips to his chest gently. He didn't move, just opened his mouth a little. "Why have I brought you here?" I whispered. I was trying to find more out about a life that didn't involve Vic. He wasn't the love of my life here. He wasn't even my person. "I'm sorry." I told him. I eased my way out of Vic's grasp and sat on the edge of my bed.
I looked around the room. Everything was so familiar to me. I couldn't remember it really. It was more seeing your neighbour barely escape an oncoming car in a dream and then seeing the same thing in real life. Everything around me is stuck in the back of my mind. I just need to unlock it.
I got up and walked out of the room. I somehow managed to find my way. I walked down the corridor and came to a set of stairs. I went down a level and saw a light on in the library. I walked inside and frowned when I saw no one.
I looked around and grabbed onto a bookshelf. My eyes closed.
I could feel hands on my back. I was being pushed down onto the floor. I looked up and saw a grey hair man looking down at me in disgust. My step father sighed angrily.
"You need to put all of this away, Hannah!" he spat.
"How can I put away what is true?!" I demanded back.
"Talk of it can draw people in. Talk of it can drive a person to the asylum."
"Not when those I talk of it to share my pain."
"This is make believe. All inside your pretty head. Now be done with it before you surely are deemed insane."
"I can not." I gasped. Then he picked up a nearby book and hit me with it, the corner catching my head. I moaned and fell back. I felt my head bleeding and saw blood on the carpet as I rolled over.
"Hannah!" he rushed. "I am sorry. Please let me help you."
"I believe you have done enough." I sneered and stood up.
My eyes opened and I gasped. My chest was so tight. I had to wait to catch my breath. I finally gathered the energy to stumbled over to the other side of the room. I threw back the rug and saw a old, dark stain on the carpet. I ran my hand over it and felt myself people drowsy.
"You shouldn't be doing this by yourself." Lauren said from my side. I pulled myself up into an armchair and looked at her, perched on the arm.
"Why?" I asked.
"It drains you. Remembering this stuff will suck energy out of you. You need someone to help you."
"Why does it drain me?" I asked.
"Because you're not supposed to remember."
"But I need to."
"Yes, I never said you shouldn't. Just that you wasn't supposed to." she explained.
"I can remember him."
"Robin?" she asked.
"No, Alexander. He was my Step-Father."
"He pushed you." she said.
"I could feel it. He didn't believe me. He wanted me to stop helping The Haunted," I said. "I think I should sleep." I muttered. I got up and staggered across. I sat down on a small antique couch where I had to stop. But my eyes shut.
I could feel soft, gentle hands caressing my arms. I saw Robin hovering over me. I laid back on the couch and he pressed his warm lips to mine. "We should not be doing this." I said.
"I know," Robin replied. "I am sorry, Hannah. I-"
"I do not want want it to end." I suddenly rushed. I pulled him closer to me and felt his hand start to unlace my dress at the back. He kissed me again and all I felt was him. Hot steamy passion and the longing and expectation of what was to come.
I opened my eyes and felt cold on my cheeks. I saw Lauren over me, with her hands on my cheeks.
"I need Vic." I mumbled.
"I'll get someone to help." she rushed.
"What?" I asked weakly. But before I could say much more she disappeared. I sighed and tried to keep my eyes open. I felt so weak. I couldn't even stand.
I heard the doors being opened after a while. I turned and saw myself. But I was different. The mouth and nose were different. She looked at me with wide eyes and wrung her hands together before she pulled on her pyjama shorts.
"You're Hannah," she said. "You look just like her. Oh God." she rushed.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"She said you needed help. That it was an emergency."
"I'm okay," I told her. "I just feel weak."
"I'm Carrie," she introduced herself and sat down next to me. "You're my great great grandmother."
"I guess so. In a way . . ." I trailed away.
"And you're like me. My grandfather told me."
"What do you mean?" I asked carefully.
"You see ghosts." she rushed.
"You're . . ." I had to stop. She was like me. My own family in a way. She was my great great granddaughter and she is plagued by the same demons. She is one of The Haunted. "How old are you?" I asked.
"I'm fifteen."
"You're so young."
"No one will tell me anything," she sighed. "Please." Carrie almost begged.
"Did Lauren come to you?"
"She woke me up," Carrie looked down. "Why did you get weak?"
"It's what happens sometimes," I explained. "I'm seeing things from before so it drains me a little."
"But you have your boyfriend to help you."
"Vic. He's my person."
"I have no one." she looked down again. I took her hand and she looked back at me.
"Be glad. The longer you can go without meeting them, the better, Carrie." I told her.
Then Vic hurried inside. He saw us and sighed in relief. "Han'," he smiled. "There was a crash and the lamp fell. Then I heard footsteps and saw you gone. But they took me here."
"Lauren." I said simply.
"You okay?"
"I don't know. I've been having flashbacks."
"Good or bad?"
"Mixed." I sighed.
"Can you stand?" he asked and I shook my head.
"Oh, this is Carrie," I introduced her. "She's a relative."
"I can tell," Vic smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"You too." she nodded. Vic bent down and picked me up. He held me in his arms and gently leant his head down to kiss my lips.
"You scared me," he told me. "Don't just walk away like that."
"I'm sorry," I told him. "I love you."
"I love you too, Han'." he replied easily and kissed me again.
"Carrie, I promise I'm going to help you. I'll tell you everything." I said.
"Okay, thanks Hannah," she said. "I'm going to bed." she told me and disappeared.
"You need to rest too," Vic told me. He walked out with me and started going upstairs. "So what's her deal?" Vic asked me.
"She's my great great granddaughter."
"The usual." he grinned back.
"She's one of The Haunted." I sighed tiredly.
"Shit," Vic mumbled. "And how long until . . .?"
"She has time to prepare. She hasn't found her person yet."
"Well that's good."
"I don't know," I sighed. "It means by the time she does I'll be gone."
"Not if you don't want to be," he soothed. Then I realised we were in my room again. Vic lay me down on the bed and crawled under the covers with me. "Sleep." he urged and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and felt his arms snake around my waist, protecting me like always.

Notes

Hey! What did you think? Hannah is having flashbacks. What do you think about what she saw? What about Carrie? What will Hannah do? Something a little surprising coming up! :)