MY DREAM EX

The wooden window clasped against each other as it swung open abruptly. Cold air gushed into the room as the young teenage girl flinched in bed.

The coldness slowly wafted over her, consuming her to the last bit. Her eyes cracked open shortly after by the sudden gush of air. She averted her gaze to the opened window and something seemed out of the ordinary.

The dark sky had not lit up and the atmosphere was not so pleasing. She stared at the blank sky and her heartbeat steadily rose. Something about the sky made her anxious. The stars were absent. The moon did not illuminate as it always did and the clouds seemed darker than ever.

Still facing her window, she stretched her hand backwards to pick up her phone. But instead, she grabbed onto something else.

"I love you," a hoarse voice whispered into her ears. Her eyes darted around searching. As much as she looked, she was alone in the room.

"Now I'm hearing voices too. I must be crazy," she said as she giggled faintly.

"But let's break up," the voice continued followed by very faint footsteps and creaking sounds which echoed in her ears. The screeching sounds intensified, accompanied by heavy breaths.

She closed her eyes taking in deep breaths when suddenly she felt a hand wrapped around her arms. She slowly turned shivers running through her body. She was terrified. And there IT was AGAIN.

***

"Nooooooooooooooo!" Sky Boateng screamed as her eyes cracked open, waking from her slumber. It was the nightmare again and she pinched herself hard to check if she wasn't still dreaming. And of course, she was awake.

She sat on her bed and as expected, no one came to check on her since she did this every day. They only checked on her on days she did not scream.

"She's alive" Michael, her twin brother would barge into her room, scream and walk right out. Her nightmares started a few months ago on her 18th birthday to be precise. And ever since, mornings in the Boateng's household had always been the same.

When Sky first had this nightmare, her family showed so much concern and worry. Her screams were frustrating and disturbing at first but they all became used to it. After a week or two passed, she became the house alarm. An alarm that woke everyone just in time for their daily activities. Her nightmares always ended with her seeing a beastly image, a faceless phantom. As far as she knew, she had been single all her life and the idea of dating a ghost was just terrifying. She had seen a lot of movies about girls dating ghosts, vampires, and even werewolves and she did not want that for herself. She wanted a normal life since she thought her life had been hard enough. First, her accident, then her memory loss and now this. All she wished for was a normal life but then life did not always go as expected. And the thought that she could be engaged to a supernatural creature crept her out.

"Could my life be any weirder?" she sighed as she thought of her dream. "Why do I always have these recurring dreams? Why do I keep seeing this phantom?" Sky hugged her pillow and before she knew she was asleep.

*********

SKY's POV

I tossed my phone to my side. After reading a whole article about how dancing tends to relieve stress, I must admit, I turned into quite the Michael Jackson. Dancing at every possible moment I got.

On a normal morning, I thought of creepy things like how I was going to marry a vampire one day. And how I was going to be an immortal and bored, drinking blood every day. And how my heart was going to be ripped out one day because I killed too many humans. But today it was different. All I thought of was learning how to do the Michael Jackson dance as toosie slide by Drake played in the background.

How could it be so hard when the song taught you all the moves? I couldn't just tell my left foot from my right.

"Oh no!" I groaned, falling on my face onto the bed. I got up and continued trying. But maybe dancing wasn't meant for me.

Finally, I did it. "Who said I couldn't do it, huh?" I boasted internally, swinging my legs and arms haphazardly in excitement, unfolding the dress I just folded.

Everything was working out for me today. I couldn't believe I finally learnt to dance like Michael Jackson.

I folded the last dress and dropped it into my suitcase. I was reporting to Deluxe university in two days and I wanted everything to be perfect. I closed my suitcase which contained clothes and shoes handpicked by my mum in her company, PRETTY. Yeah, my mum is the MADAM NESSA the CEO of the number one luxurious fashion company in the country.

I was so excited one moment and amused the next. My 15 years old brother just asked me a question that blew my mind.

"Denzel, what did you just say? Did I hear you correctly?" I asked, checking if I wasn't hallucinating.

"Yes, teach me how I can have great sex" Denzel repeated himself without the tiniest bit of shame. His black hair was messy and his chestnut brown eyes blank as he stared into my face.

"Are you serious? Do you want to have sex at this age?" Those words just flew out of my mouth. I was an 18 years old virgin and my younger brother was already thinking about having sex, not just any sex but great sex. Our damn generation!

And who ask questions like that when the Internet is at our disposal.

"Yeah, my girlfriend wants to do this," he said as a visible smirk formed on his face. Denzel and Jasmine were my younger siblings, twins actually, for some reasons I'm oblivious to, they always came to me with their plights and fights.

My first instinct was to beat the hell out of him. But that would've been child abuse and besides, I couldn't compromise my place as the cooler elder sibling because of this.

"How old is she?" I asked as I gasped with wonder, eager to hear more.

"She's going to be eighteen next week" my proud younger brother spilt out. I was so shocked. I couldn't believe Denzel had his way with women.

My little brother was dating someone my age. I did not know what to say to Denzel. So I decided to send him away and go see an expert.

"Denzel, I'm busy at the moment. Come back in the evening and I'm going to teach you everything I know about sex" I replied, faking a smile.

"Okay, I'll be back," Denzel said and walked out of the room.

*********

I slipped into my luxurious slides ready to go see my biggest foe who might as well be a sex expert. My twin brother, Micheal.

"Michael," I called out, barging into his room. I began to speak as I closed the door behind me "I have an emergen--"

"Shush" Michael said, flashing his palm at me. He gestured that I get out of his room. Michael was face timing a lady in bed with his shirt off. He had always been handsome, but he looked exceptionally handsome today. He probably put in a lot just to impress.

Michael had a very pretty face and the body of a celebrity. Michael was also a model at PRETTY. He worked out a lot and his body was one to die for. His slim body somehow had a perfect build, he was barrel-chested with defined lines separating his six packs abs. My brother was perfect but still, he was Michael.

The Michael, who happens to be my twin brother. The same guy I shared a room with for fourteen years. We peed our pants and beds together and he still managed to pee his pants and bed till he was 8, four years after I stopped peeing my pants. How could I ever think he was hot enough when he was the reason why I never got to breathe in proper oxygen till I was eight?

"Did he just shush me? No one shushes me" I muttered to myself, angry and eager to ruin my brother's love life.

"Honey," I said as I jumped into Michael's bed, falling next to him.

"Go away Sky" Michael hissed, shooting daggers at me. I would have settled if he had at least listened to my emergency. But, he just shushed me. I hugged Michael and shouted into the phone, "He's taken" muffling the word as Michael covered my mouth.

"Bye bastard" the lady Michael was face timing hung up looking angry. I decided to flee, but Michael seized my arm. In an attempt to escape, I tumbled and fell on my back.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked as he offered me a hand which I declined.

"What's the emergency, Sky?" Michael asked sluggishly "It better be worth it. That was my girl". I couldn't believe Michael was acting possessive and all, he must have liked this one. "

Sorry," I said without remorse. "Michael, I need your help on something".

"What? It better be something important" he groaned with knitted brows.

"Please help me teach a 15year old how to have great sex?" I asked politely, my eyes sticking out, unleashing all the cute demons in me.

"What? Who is it? Why would you teach a fifteen-year-old how to have great sex... Are you insane?" Michael rambled on.

I rolled my eyes and "Jeez" came out automatically.

"Who is it? Denzel? Jasmine?" Michael asked angrily.

"It's none of your business," I shrieked, "just help me out with this".

Michael stormed off returning a few minutes later with the twins. Denzel and Jasmine looked at me confused.

"Which one is it? Him? Or Her?" Michael implored, pointing at them. Jasmine arched her eyebrows and her brown eyes glared at me. She munched on the bread she had in her hand when she walked in.

"It's just my 15-year-old friend. Why do you think it could be any of them?"

"Because you have no friends and they are the only 15-year-olds you know" Michael answered, rolling his eyes at me.

"Whatever this is, it probably isn't me," Jazz said.

"Did you tell Michael?" Denzel turned to me, distress written all over his face.

"This is getting exciting," Jasmine said as she folded her arms. "Jazz, let's go now. The boys need to talk" Jazz resisted, but I dragged her out anyway.

Jasmine wasn't the only one curious, I was too. So we eavesdropped on the boys' conversation. I heard a lot, but this one caught my attention.

"Do you love her?"

'I'm not sure what love is. But, I want to make her the happiest woman on earth".

'Is that her?" I heard Michael ask "your girlfriend is this girl... Lucy... You shouldn't" a roar emanated from Michael.

"Can you hear them?" I asked.

"They are talking about a girl, Lucy I think" Jazz said.

"Lucy! The Lucy I knew, the bitch Lucy, the Lucy who... That bitch" I opened the door, walked straight to Denzel and took his phone... And it was the same bitch. The bitch who almost sent Michael to his grave.

I lost two years worth of memory from two years before my accident to the day of my accident. But Lucy, I just couldn't forget her. That bitch.

"How did you meet this bitch?" I asked, looking straight at Denzel.

Not waiting for his response I continued "She's bad news, forget about her."

That evening we told our parents about it and Denzel was grounded indefinitely. Not for his ignorance but for thinking about having sex when he wasn't yet 16. Our family went through hell because of Lucy and her family, and yet she returned.

***

The cold wind gushed into my room as my wooden window flung open with a thud. My curtain swayed from one side to another following the movement of the wind.

I read the digital clock on the table near my bed and it was 3 00 am. The wind brushed against my skin as I walked to the window. I rubbed my palm against my visible goosebumps, heating my body.

The streetlights glistered in the dark, making the raindrops visible as they hit the ground. I shut the window tight and went back to bed. I covered myself entirely with my thick blanket as I savoured the heat. The warmth was back and slowly I drifted to sleep. I felt a gentle nudge on my arms as soon as I shut my eyes.

"I love you Sky. Let's break up," a masculine voice mumbled from behind. I turned and my face blanked.

Brown curly hair, hazel eyes, thick eyebrows and a sharp jawline. A young brown skin man about my age stood at the edge of my bed, staring into my face. He was shirtless. My gaze slowly shifted from his face down his torso. He had the body of a Greek god. His shorts hung low around his waist and I found myself ogling at his prominent V line. He was such a fine gentleman. But what the f was a shirtless man doing in my room. As much as I wanted to ask him who he was and how he got here I kept my mouth shut.

There was something strange about him. The way he smiled and his bustle. His smile did not reach his eyes. His gaze was sad and intense. He had a lightning bolt tattoo on his right inner wrist. And slowly a dark mist emerged from the tattoo. The mist slowly consumed him until there was nothing left of him.

"Noo," I screamed as I woke up from my sleep. I scanned my surroundings, checking if I was on earth or in dreamland.

I pinched myself as hard as I could and it hurt. I was definitely on earth, alone in my room and my windows were glass windows. What just happened? For some reason, my chest ached and goosebumps wafted over my skin.

It was just a dream but it felt too real.

***

SKY's POV

I took a mental picture of the fine gentleman I saw in my dreams. And before I knew I was already sketching his face on an A4 sheet.

I drew his brown curly hair, his hazel eyes, his thick eyebrows, his sharp jawline, his well-built chest, and his prominent V line I found myself ogling at.

I sketched his lightning bolt tattoo and the mist that surrounded him. My nightmares lasted way too long and today it changed.

I was shocked at how great the drawing turned out. I took my phone and called my therapist.

"Hello, Dorcas," I blurted out when my therapist picked up my call. "Hello, Sky. How are you today?" Dorcas asked in a calm tone.

Dorcas was a great therapist. She helped me a great deal after the accident. She was smart and friendly and she seems to have the right words for me whenever I called.

"I'm good. I just wanted to talk to you about my nightmares. It suddenly changed".

"It did? What happened? What did you see?"

I gave a detailed explanation to Dorcas. I explained to her what I saw and how my dream guy looked.

"You also need to tell me how you felt," Dorcas said on the other side of the line.

"I couldn't stop myself from staring at him. I was dumbfounded. I didn't scream while considering the setting. I wanted to know what was going through his head when I saw his sad eyes. I found myself drawing him this morning. And I was shocked at how perfect it turned out to be. It was like my hands knew the right places the pencil should touch," I was astonished myself as I uttered these words.

"Did anything happen to you recently?" Dorcas asked.

"No. Nothing."

"That's strange. I would have said it was because of your insecurities or you being emotional about something. But for your case, I think he's someone your brain is trying to remember. Someone your brain doesn't want to forget. Even though you lost your memory he's still there," Dorcas said.

I ended the call and tried hard to reminisce the face and body. But nothing was familiar. I brought the sketch closer to my face and sent it further away but there was still nothing. There was actually something, a handsome face and a breathtaking body that I couldn't get enough of.

I began to blush when I remembered what he said in my dream; 'I love you, babes'. It kept echoing in my head. "I love you too. hun" I said as I kissed my sketch.

There were just two things I wanted in life. One, a tour around the world. Two, to be the best artist in the world. But after my dream today, there was one more thing I wanted. The half-naked man right here on the sketch in front of me.

My alarm rang and it was time for my daily jog. I folded the sketch in half and placed it in my ripped diary. I have to show this to my siblings when I get back, one might know him.

***

I wore my pastel pink top and my grey leggings. I tied my 4c natural hair into an afro puff and moved straight to Denzel's door. I knocked on Denzel's door several times but there was no reply and I heard no movement from his room.

Denzel wasn't just my favourite sibling, he was also my jogging partner.

I turned his doorknob and the door flung open. His room was so messy as usual. His clothes were all over the place. He had pictures of his favourite celebrities on his wall. Dumbbells at the right side of his bed and his blue bed sheet was covered with tiny bits of blood. Denzel had his face buried in his pillow. And from a distance, I could see his knuckles were bruised. I heard his almost silent sob and it broke my heart.

Unrequited love. Plus betrayal from me. His favourite sister. I totally understood him. Sometimes Denzel's height and stature made me forget that he was still a kid. He was just a fifteen-year-old with a fragile heart. And he still needed love.

I let out a sigh and said; "Denzel, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. But we did it for your own good and I'll make it up to you any way I can".

"Really?" Denzel said as he sat up to face me.

"Can you really make it up to me?" His eyes were red and a bit swollen.

"Yes, I'll do whatever you want," I said.

"Give me your phone," he said and snatched my phone. Denzel went straight to the internet. He scrolled through my phone and I heard him take a screenshot.

He turned the phone to me and said; "This is what I want".

"I'll get it for you if you promise to forget about Lucy. Deal?" I said, praying he wouldn't change his mind.

He chuckled loudly and said; "It's a deal".

***

The dry air stung my lungs as I gasp for breath. And with every stride I took, my heartbeat paced. I stopped in front of the park to catch some air. I crouched flat on the grass. I was so tired I didn't move my body for some time. The odds of jogging.

I relaxed for about fifteen minutes and headed back to my house. I noticed an old lady who had a big bag in her right hand. She had grey hair and she hobbled on her left foot. She was struggling and I rushed to help her.

She handed the bag over as soon as I offered to help. I led the way and she walked slowly behind me. I found her rather annoying. She complained whenever the bag was almost touching the ground and whenever I lifted the bag too high.

The old lady insisted that I carry the bag with my right hands saying: "that bag is too precious to me. You have to hold it with your right hands".

Sky chill, Sky chill, I said to myself trying so hard to relax.

She was so annoying. She was hitting all my wrong spot. I wanted to shout at her and hand over her damn precious bag or better still throw it away.

But chill Sky, chill. I was glad when we finally got to her house.

I didn't expect her to live in such a big building. It was a very big blue mansion with an amazing water fountain in front of it. It looked new and there were CCTV cameras everywhere. Maybe she was the maid.

A well-built gentleman in a black suit walked toward us when he saw us. He took the bags and greeted us.

"You should have called for us, madam," he said and stood still with the bag in his hands. I guess she isn't the maid. She's the madam. She thanked me and asked me to come inside but I gratefully declined. I couldn't bear it anymore.

"My name is Alexandra Agyekum. You are such a great young woman. Not so many people can put up with me. Thank you so much. And, I hope we meet again." She said, smiling happily at me.

"You're welcome. My name is Michaela Boateng but you can call me Sky," I said and rushed back home. I hope we never meet again. I said in my head.

***

I took my shower, combed my hair, put on my short and my yellow oversized top and slipped into my slides.

I called for a siblings meeting in Michael's room to tell them about the guy in my dream. I had no friends so I did this often. Plus I wanted to ask if any of them knew him.

"So you guys are aware of the fact that I have these recurring nightmares. And I constantly said I saw a beast-like image, but it was different today."

"Wow, what did you see today?" Michael asked, a wry smile on his face.

"I saw the most handsome guy I've ever seen in my life today, instead of some ugly phantom," I said feeling so very proud. They all seemed like they did not care, but I still continued " he was beautiful. He was--"

"He's probably a man, handsome, cute smile, muscular" Michael said mockingly. "That is so cliche, Sky. Don't tell me he has a tattoo?" "He has this thick tattoo on his inner arms," I said.

"Really? And blue eyes, right?" Michael said, laughing aloud. Sky RELAX.

"No hazel eyes," I said. Michael suddenly turned to me looking surprised. He seethed through his mouth with his teeth clenched. "Is his tattoo perhaps a lightning bolt tattoo?" he asked. "Yes". I said, his jaw dropped. He stood there looking all confused and petrified.

"How do you know all that? Are you some kind of psychic? Ooor, do you know him?" I said putting all jokes aside. They probably thought I was joking, so I repeated myself. "How do you know all this, Michael ?"

I rushed to my room and came back with the sketch I made of my dream man. Michael stared at it, his eyes wide open almost falling out of its socket.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

But he was silent as he examined the sketch. His jaw dropped, almost touching the ground.

"Wow! cool! I'm suddenly interested" Jazz said, shifting her gaze back and forth, from Michael's face to mine.

"What is going on here?" Denzel asked, amused too.

Michael walked out of the room, returning minutes later as he continued packing for school, Deluxe University. He was suddenly quiet, not uttering a word.

*******