The Tombstone

Trapped

  I was jolted awake from my bed as I inhaled deeply, scared to death. Frightened to death by the dream I had just lived in my head. As I slept. Tears dropped down my cheeks, as well as around me. I still had that panicky feeling, still lingering inside me.
It was only a dream.
It was only a dream.
I kept repeating to myself. I tried catching my breath, breathing deeply from within.
You're alright.
You're alright.
I spoke quietly as I touched my face and curled up tighter. I laid there in a ball for quite some time, until I began to hear a humming noise coming from the hall. I focused on the noise, listening to how soft the sound was. How it fell and was brought back up. How it flew. I then sat up, and began to walk to my door and opened it slowly, peering into the hallway which to my surprise was empty. Confusion struck me and I heard the same humming, but now coming from the stairs. I walked towards them not in a hurry at all, and looked towards the bottom stair. But again, the sound dropped and the staircase stood empty.
What?
And then the noise was brought back up, but came from the kitchen. I let myself fall to the first step down, and then the other, and the next. Step. Step. Step. As I got to the bottom one, I stood there, letting the much louder humming fill my ears and surround me with it's warm sound. I turned the corner, towards the kitchen and peered inside. The hum belonged to my Mother, who was by the counter stirring something in a large bowl. Her attention turned to me as I stepped a bit more into the room.
  "Oh Stephanie. Good, you're up. I'm making pancakes, will you help?" My Mother spoke to me as her attention went back to the mixture. I nodded without knowledge, as I was trying to determine what was different about today. The light shone through the big window which stood by the table. The light was a warm yellow, shining real bright. It gave the room a tingly, warm feeling; like in a sequence of a dream. But this didn't feel like a dream, it felt so real. It felt so real until I looked over to who was sitting at the table. As I turned to my right, sitting on one of the stools that huddled the table, was a man who had a newspaper propped up in front of his face. The sun light shone right where he was, giving off yet again the same warm, healing tone. I stared at him for a moment, trying to decide who it was. But my studying was cut short when he put down the newspaper that was held in his hands. The man gave me a happy smile as I frowned even more.
Who was that man?
He looked as if he was a business man, who was going to be off on a trip soon. His hair was gelled up in perfection, while his suit and tie looked as smooth as his light face. His teeth were a straight and perfect white, like the snow, something we never got here.
  "Good morning honey," he spoke to me as he continued to smile. I could feel my eyes squinting with confusion, which I didn't realize at first. His smile began to fade as I didn't speak back to him, and he then joined me with the same expression.
  "Stephanie, talk to your Father," my Mother spoke to me as she turned away from her cooking. My eyes shot at her right after she spoke those words.
My Father.

***

  "Steph. Stephanie," a voice went off in her head as it felt like it was spinning in all directions. She couldn't focus, and couldn't remember what happened for her to be in that state. "Stephanie. You have to get up. Get up, wake up. You must be strong. Get through this. Get out," the gentle, soft voice continued, and a hint of familiarity came to her. The voice was her mother's. She laid there, not knowing her surroundings yet. Not being able to feel at all. She laid there like a motionless lump, a heap of confusion, full of drugs. Her head continued to pound, as if someone kept punching her hard. Throbbed. She felt as if the room was spinning, if she was even in a room. "Steph...." the soft voice spoke again as she continued to keep her eyes close, and letting another wave a tiredness come over her, as she let into it again. "Steph..." her mother's voice whispered and faded in her head, her imagination as she drifted off into sleep again.