NIGHTMARE II

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There will be a daily update of at least two chapters daily. Thank you for reading my masterpiece. ENJOY!

Eleanor turned restlessly on her bed with droplets of sweat all over her face. Her hands gripped the sides of her mattress tightly as she lay on her back, with distress written all over her face.

She was having the nightmare again.

She sat in the backseat of a car with two people at the front; one handling the wheel, and the other in the passenger's seat. She couldn't see their faces but they had the voices of a man and a woman.

They looked like a couple, a really happy one, who was so in love... She could tell from their continuous laughter which echoed in the car.

Her eyes darted at them both, before coming back to her hands which looked smaller than usual, confused. She raised it to her face to get a better look but got distracted as her attention was suddenly pulled to the couple.

Her confusion wearied off and was replaced with anxiety when she suddenly heard the panic in the voices of the couple. Looking up in front to know the reason for their panic, the fast-paced truck that approached the car brought a new wave of anxiety in her.

Fear crept into her, and she could feel her body go numb.

The man handling the wheel tried to avoid the truck by turning the wheel to the left but it was already too late. The truck hit the car and she woke up in shock.

Eleanor's wide eyes wandered around her dark room with quickening heartbeats. Her rapid breath as she panted in fear increased with every second, and she quickly turned on the lights in her room.

Turning to the side of her bed, she pulled open the drawer and brought out a small bottle containing some pills. She poured some into her hand which she put inside her mouth and swallowed.

Her PTSD was acting up again, and so were the disturbing nightmares. She let out a frustrating sigh as she stared down at her unsteady hands which trembled slightly.

She was beginning to think she wasn't going to have them anymore since it had been a couple of months since she last had them. She sat on her bed for a while, and when she stopped trembling, she went back to sleep.

The nightmare continued.

She could hear the couples laughing, and then the panic in their voices as the car approached them, and how the truck hit the car, but it didn't stop there this time, it lasted longer.

The impact of the force from the truck to the car was very strong, making the car flip three times before landing with its wheel on top and the roof on the road.

The windows of the car shattered inflicting serious injury on them.

Eleanor felt blood running down her cheeks from her head as part of her body fell outside the car and her body went numb. Her vision became hazy, but amidst the faint vision, she could still see the silhouette of a car coming toward them before she became unconscious.

She jolted in fear.

She gasped for air like her life depended on it, which it did as she sat on her bed, folded like a pangolin. Her body shuddered as tears ran down her cheeks. As she sat there, images from her dreams flashed in her head and she shut her eyes tightly in panic.

Never had her nightmares lasted this long, and never had she had them twice, a night. The pain she felt when the two vehicles collided also felt real and her body still felt numb, in reality.

Her unending tears even as she looked up at her 6:00 am ringing alarm came from her connection with the couples, coupled with her lost memories from her childhood till she was twelve.

She was told by her therapist that those nightmares she started having after waking up from a year's coma at thirteen were the key to finding her lost memories, but there hasn't been any improvement since then.

After crying for a long time, she picked up her phone from her drawer close to her bed and dialed a number.

"Lisa, I want an appointment," came her words immediately after the person on the other end picked up.

"I'll be available before noon."

"Okay."

El hung up.

Her feet embraced her warm fluffy slippers as she stood on her feet. Walking with her back straight, the night robe slid off her body as she got to the bathroom.

As she stood in front of her mirror, her face grimaced over her slightly red eyes she saw, which were obviously from her tear shed. The last time she cried like this was when her ex cheated on her with her so-called best friend.

He was the first man she ever loved.

She still couldn't believe she had longed for him, wanted him, needed him...

Never again! Never again would she be so vulnerable because of a man. She had made that promise to herself and was proud of herself for keeping it. She couldn't remember the last time she let a man into her life.

Her eyes trailed down her white slender neck down to the rest of her body, before tearing her gaze away.

She entered her bathtub.

.

Ethan sat in front of the large dining table with different dishes on it. His eyes explored the dishes, before meeting Max who stood a few feet from him with a tablet with him.

He lifted the cup of coffee to his lips, taking a sip before placing it back on the saucer.

"Go on with it... It's even more uncomfortable having you stand beside me like a watchdog while having breakfast." His eyes met Max's again, "you're not cussing for me to choke on my meal in that head of yours, right?"

Max's lips folded to a thin line, his eyes still on Ethan. "There's nothing to go on about, Sir," he answered the important question, avoiding the other, "all your appointments have been canceled for the day."

"On who's order?" came his nonchalant question as he lifted the double-sliced bread with the beacon to his lips, taking a bite from it.

"The chairman."

Ethan paused for barely a second before returning to his breakfast, but Max was quick to catch the reaction.

"He requested your presence at the company today."

"He arrived yesterday, and he's already making his presence known at the company?" Ethan muttered, a rhetorical question for himself rather. He was used to airing his thoughts to Max.

"I'm curious..." He took another sip of his coffee, "why would he demand my presence?"

"Mr. Griffin has called for a family gathering to be held this evening by eight at the mansion."

Ethan quickly dismissed him, "I won't be attending it. Get my jet ready... We're leaving LA this morning."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Sir."

One of Ethan's brows lifted in astonishment.

"Mr. Griffin has banned you from using Grayson's airway today."

A sinister grin escaped his lips. "I expected that. And I suppose Grayson's airways aren't the only airlines in LA, isn't that right, Max?"

"Of course, Sir, but you've been banned from all the available airlines leaving the country for the day."

"Sly old man..." He grinned.

"The chairman also posed a threat."

Ethan's smile faded. "A threat?"

"Yes, Sir. Failure to attend the gathering will cost at least ten investors from your company."

He gritted his teeth as he stood to his feet. The thought that the old man was always one step ahead of him sickened him, but posing a threat?

"Very well then, let's go pay the old man a visit." He turned to face Max, "you've done a good job in ruining my breakfast."

He patted Max's shoulders before walking out of the dining room, and Max followed quietly.

.

Eleanor dipped her feet into her black six-inches of heels before standing to absorb her gorgeous look at the mirror in front of her. A frown crept unto her face as she took notice of her slightly sunken eyes which were obviously from her lack of sleep, and long tear shed earlier today.

She quickly brushed off the thought as she slid her glasses in front of her eyes. Her dark circles would've been more disturbing, she had never been more grateful for concealers.

Barb was right about having to see a dark circle monster this morning, she smiled. She could imagine the look that was going to be registered on her face if she was to see her without her makeup and glasses, and that made her smile once more.

Taking one last glance at herself, she stepped out of her closet, and room.

"Going somewhere?"

Startled, El turned away from her door to the male figure beside her.