When the pain subsided to a slightly bearable pain, I shuffled to the bathroom. My hair was a mess from my sleep, so I brushed my long brunette hair, styling it into a quick side braid. After I finished, I looked at myself in the mirror for a minute, staring into my bright blue eyes, trying with all my might to keep myself calm. I tried not to think of anything. With the house so quiet, my mind kept wandering back to my nightmare.

I had to get out of here. I needed to go for a walk to clear my thoughts.

After brushing my teeth, I got dressed and made sure to grab my cell phone and ear buds. 

The hallway was dark. My father's snores signified my parents were still sleeping, so I tip-toed through the house to sneak out the front door. I did not want to disturb my parents. They had already been through enough with all of my nightmares There is no reason to worry them over something that they couldn't help or fix. 

I had lived that same hellish dream sporadically since I was four years old, with its occurrence becoming more and more frequent as the years went by. My parents, always concerned from my "night terrors." They had brought me to doctors to see if there was anything they could do, but no matter what, nothing helped. I was always told that it was something I would eventually grow out of. So, eventually, I just stopped telling everyone about them. Sometimes it would be evident that I had a nightmare, as I would wake up screaming in terror. 

Outside, the cold winter breeze cut through me like daggers. It was mid-January, so I made sure to bundle myself up in layers of coats and my favorite scarf. As I walked alone in the stillness of early morning, the snow crunched loudly with every step I took. Everything still looked as if Christmas was about to arrive with the joyful energy still fresh in the air.

The neighborhood was blanketed with snow and many of the front lawns were decorated with snowmen the children made. Everyone was still fast asleep in their homes, all bundled up and warm, having beautiful dreams. The moon and the stars were hidden behind clouds that hung heavy in the sky. My only light source coming from the streetlamps that lined the sidewalk. 

As I continued to walk, the city began to come into view and I decided to listen to music on my phone.

I know it is not a very good idea to not be alert of your surroundings in the city, but as there were very few people awake at this hour, I I don't see the harm. Another reason I immersed my senses in music was so I could ignore the people around me. People's thoughts are truly invasive. As if it wasn't enough with nightmares that continuously plagued my dreams, I was also burdened with the ability to hear what everyone was thinking. 

Sara always said I was fortunate to have such a gift, but I can tell you, its a curse. I understand most people believe having such an ability would be beneficial in some way. But it was seriously hell.

The only thing I found useful against others' intrusive thoughts was by listening to music very loudly. It did not completely block out everyone's internal monologue, but it helped turn it into a dull hum. 

I walked to the park, taking a seat at a bench and watched as the sun rose. As time ticked on, the number of passerby gradually began to increase as they raced to get breakfast before heading to work. I sat there watching them without thinking of anything and trying my best to ignore this unusual feeling I was having. After watching the sunrise, I decided to get up and walk around aimlessly until I either became tired or was ready to go home.

Watching others go to work made me feel a bit jealous. Over the years, I tried to hold numerous jobs, but my telepathy made it hard for me to keep one. Because I was at work, I couldn't simply plug in some earbuds and ignore the world around me. Some people's thoughts can make you feel completely uncomfortable. I had bosses who had revolting thoughts about fulfilling their sexual desires with me, and some co-workers were equally disgusting. Not to mention the constant jealosy and back stabbing, two faced conversations. It was too much like being in high school for my taste with their fake smiles and dreadful thoughts. 

It was about 8 a.m. when I decided to leave the park, still listening to my music. The streets and sidewalks were now crowded with people trying to go on about thier lives. While trying to navigate the city that was now congested with pedestrians and vehicles, I instictively ignored everyone around me. Until I came upon a building I had never noticed before. 

I have walked these streets for the past six years and not once noticed this building. It was eerily reminiscent of the building Sara was locked in from my dream last night. It was made of bricks and had very large front windows. It was completely out of place with all the other buildings that surrounded it. While it was somewhat creepy, sending a chill down my spine, what really caught my attention was the vibe radiating from it. Something about it seemed to call to me. Was I drawn to the building instead of walking aimlessly as I believed?

Slowly, I made my way up the front stairs. As I placed my foot on the third step, I was completely transfixed on the front door that I did not notice the thick ice coating the top steps and slipped. Before I was able to grab a hold of something or brace myself for the concrete, surely my layered coats would absorb some of the impact right?, a pair of hands grabbed my sides from behind. The sudden jolt caused my earbuds to fall out.

"You really should be more careful," a familiar voice said coolly.

I turned my head quickly to see who it was. "Easton?" I began in surprise. "Oh my gosh, how are you? What are you doing back? Last I heard you moved away -- without telling me I might add!" I teased with fake annoyance.

Easton smiled the same mischievous smile that I had grown accustomed to. "I'm sorry about that. It was a last-minute plan. If I had waited any longer, then I would have never left this place."

Smiling, I hugged him, "I forgive you." I replied jokingly. "You must tell me all about where you went and what you've been up to."

Easton's eyes dropped for a moment. Is he upset about something? 

I have known Easton since freshman year at high school. He was the new kid in town back then. Interestingly, everyone seemed to be very intimidated by him. Something that I never understood. All the guys were threatened by him because of his strength. While he was a stocky guy, they were also jealous of his good looks. His muscles, high cheekbones, blonde hair, and piercing green eyes made him the heart throb of every girl. Easton had the ability to look at you and make you feel guilty for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Other times, it felt like he was looking right through you. While everyone in school felt unsettled by the new kid, I was intrigued by him. 

Easton was the only person I had ever met whose thoughts I could not hear, even if I tried. I will admit at first it frightened me. It was a situation I had never dealt with before. I could remember he would follow me around, almost as if he was watching me closely. Maybe he had a strange feeling about me as well? A few times I did try to listen in on his thoughts, but nothing. This drove me crazy but a few weeks after meeting him, I decided to take a leap of faith and befriend him. If I couldn't hear what he was thinking, then I could figure out his obsession with me the old fashioned way. I never did figure out his reason for the weird, stalker behavior, but I gained a friend in him with the added bonus of not having every single detail of his life privy to my abilities.

However, I never grew close enough to him to divulge my nightmares or telepathy to him. That was a secret only one person was able to know.

"It's really not important, Ember." He stated, "But what have you been up to since we last saw each other?" 

Easton was not particularly a loquacious person. He has never spoken about himself. In fact, he never really talked excessively about anything.

While it would have been nice to know a little bit about what he had been up to over the past three years, I decided to answer his question sarcastically. "Nothing much. You know, just living the dream. I have been looking for jobs and quitting multiple jobs."

He smiled. "You really aren't a people person." Easton looked past me. "Do you work here?"

I turned to look at the building behind me again. That same strange feeling radiates from within. "No... I just thought this place seemed different from all the other buildings, so I was just going to look inside."

"How does it seem different? This place has always been here. It looks a bit rougher since it has been abandoned for years, but there really isn't anything special about it."

"I don't know how to explain it," I replied, biting my lip.

Easton grabbed my hand. "Come on, I'll show you there is nothing special about it."