Jeremy

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS?" I shrieked.

Red bruise-like patterns were scattered on the left side of my neck and went down to my arms till my fingernails.

I traced my fingers on it and hissed because of the slight sting.

"What are these?" I whispered to myself.

"Am I suffering from some skin disease?"

"Should I go to a dermatologist?"

All kinds of thoughts filled my head.

As I was looking at the marks closely I found them strange.

The marks weren't like any rashes that scatter randomly on your skin. These marks were more like a pattern...like a tattoo.

I frowned.

"I guess I'll just go to a dermatologist tomorrow"

I took a quick cold shower, avoiding any shower gel on the rashes. Then quickly changed into my PJs and felt flat on my bed.

I sighed, closing my eyes.

"So much for today".

*

*

I was standing near a lake. The sky looked bright and clear. The side of the lake was filled with water lilies and some other flowers that I wasn't familiar with. The air smelt sweet.

Just standing there made me feel at home.

A sudden giggle bought my attention to two people who were sitting near the lake too.

Why didn't I see them before?

They were laughing and talking. They looked like a couple.

The girl had long red wavy hair that fell down her waist and into the grass.

She was wearing a long light blue backless gown. Her feet were in the lake water which caused her gown to soak a little bit.

Beside her sat a male. He had snowy white hair like me and was wearing a strange kind of clothing. He was wearing dark brown pants with gold lining but his upper body just had a strap that held an armor-like thing over his left shoulder. His back was bare and two strange markings or tattoos adored his shoulder blades.

Even though they were sitting with their back facing me I knew both of them looked flawless.

I unconsciously took a few steps towards them. It was like their aura was drawing me towards them.

I found myself smiling as I got close to them. Their hands were entangled and both of their ring fingers held a ring. Even though the male's one had a blue gem and the girl's one had a red gem, you could tell that it was a couple of rings or maybe a wedding ring.

They looked perfect together.

As I was just looking at them a heard a rustling behind me. I turned around but there was no one.

All of a sudden the air felt chilly and when I turned towards the couple again they were gone. But what remained on their spot was...blood.

A rumble of thunder roared through the clouds and rain started pouring heavily.

I need to get out of here.

I looked at the lake again and my breath stopped.

The lake turned into a pool of blood.

I tried getting out of there but it was like my feet were glued to the ground.

Muffled sounds started whispering to me making me slump down to the ground.

Stop.

" KATE-"

I can't breathe.

"KATLYN WAKE UP!"

I snapped open my eyes and gasped for air.

Grandma was shaking me.

Tears formed my eyes and I hugged her tight.

"I had a nightmare Granny."

*

*

"Wait for us in the pool stadium ok? we will be there soon" Miya speaker through the phone.

"Hmm sure, bye," I mumbled and hung up.

I was not really feeling like doing anything today.

Ever since the tournament, things started going downhill for me.

My neck was still itching a bit.

And I also felt a bit dizzy.

And above all, that terrible nightmare was still messing with my head.

It was horrible.

My body shivered whenever I remember those bloody scenes.

I shook my head off those thoughts and walked towards the pool stadium.

I was late today and already missed the first half of my classes.

Both Miya and Ze were in class so I decided to wait for them in the pool stadium as we had swimming class next.

I wasn't planning to swim today because there is no way am showing my rashes to the whole swimming team.

The stadium was empty when I got there. Maybe because most of the students were having classes and we still had 20 minutes for the swimming class.

I put away my things in my locker and went to sit on one of the seats near the pool.

"I hope coach would let me off today. I'll just say am not feeling well." I mumbled.

I leaned my back on the chair and closed my eyes.

I had to go to the dermatologist after classes and also prepare for the board exam.

I just want to take a nap damn.

A loud splashing sound made me snap open my eyes.

"Is someone swimming?" I thought.

But there was no one in the pool.

I looked around but I was the only one in the stadium.

Then I gasped and stood up.

Shit! Don't tell me someone fell into the pool.

I ran towards the pool and looked in the pool.

My eyes widened as I saw a girl drowning in the bottom of the pool. But what shocked me more was that the girl looked very similar to...me.

Her white dress was stained with blood and her white hair was flowing in the water. Her eyes were closed and she was not making any movement.

"Fuck it, I have to save her first."

I threw my shoes off and was about to jump in the pool when a hand caught my wrist.

"What are you doing? Someone is drowning there." I shouted and tried getting off the person's hold.

"There is no one Katlyn" the person's grip got tighter.

"What do you mean there is no one? She is -"

She wasn't there.

The person let go and I took a step closer to the pool.

She wasn't there.

"Kaitlyn.."

"Ugh" the same stinging pain hit me making my legs wobble. This time the pain got so intense that I was knocked out within a sec.

*

*

*

I opened my eyes and a white ceiling with equally white walls welcomed my vision.

The infirmary...

"You are awake" a familiar voice spoke.

I turned my head and crystal blue eyes met mine. The same one that's been haunting me since I first saw them.

"You again?"

Shit, I wasn't supposed to say that out loud.

I mentally facepalmed myself.

"You got a nice way to say "thank you " there" he chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling a bit.

He looked..handsome.

I blushed finding myself thinking like that.

I turned my head embarrassed.

What's wrong with me?

"Are you fine?" he asked making me look at him.

He had a frown and looked worried.

Why am I always making the people around me worried?

"Yeah...What happened?" I got into a sitting position.

" ...You don't remember?"

That's when I remembered why I was here.

The drowning girl...I definitely saw her.

But where did she go?

"When I got to the stadium, I saw you standing near the pool and looking at it. Then suddenly you threw off your shoes and were about to jump in the pool. I would've thought you were just going for a swim if not for your clothes. And I stopped you because I felt like something was wrong. But then you started about someone drowning even though there was no one. And then you just fainted. So I brought you to the infirmary" he rambled.

"Am sorry for the trouble," I mumbled.

What else was I supposed to say?

That I saw a girl drowning in the pool who kind of looked like me. And then she just disappeared?

Anyone would say that I was hallucinating.

"Maybe I didn't get enough sleep today so-"

"You scared me" his serious voice made me go silent.

I didn't want to face his eyes, knowing that he was staring at me.

He doesn't even know me well. Why is he getting so worried over me?

"Am sorry" I said again.

"And thank you for...helping me out."

"Oh so someone Does know how to say thank you huh?" his once worried face turned Into a smirking one in a sec.

What in the hell is this boy.

"Hey! what do you mean by that?" I rolled my eyes.

He leaned back on the chair and stared at me.

"What?"

"I kind of saved you today you know? Don't you think you should treat me to a meal?" he said with a straight face.

"So you are basically asking for free food." I chuckled.

"If that's what makes you say yes then Yeah," he said with a straight face again.

"Wow, you are cringy" as soon as I said that both of us fell into a fit of laughter.

It felt good...being like this.

"By the way, How do you know my name?" He got silent as soon as I asked him. But then his eyes went down to my neck.

I unconsciously gulped.

Damn those eyes.

"Your pendant," he said, his eyes still on my neck...or the pendant that I always wore.

"I mean people usually we're the initials of their own name right? And when I joined the swimming team everyone was talking about the ' best swimmer Katlyn' ." he laughed.

Of course, that's how.

"oh" that's was the only word that came into my head.

"Oh damn I never introduced myself!" he extended his hand towards me.

"Am Jeremy. Your new classmate and... rival" he smirked.

"Well Mr.Rival, I guess you already know much about me" I laughed a bit and took his hand.

"I do." he smiled.

*

*

*

*

Would've things been different if I didn't take his hand that day?

It definitely would have.