Illusions.

To be specific, a form of sensory distortion, an illusion describes a misinterpretation of a true sensation. In my case I was hoping I wasn’t seeing him. I was hoping that his once grinning face hadn’t suddenly distorted to that of my nightmares.

My teacher’s body was slowly changing to a towering muscular frame, his hair growing slightly longer to those waves which I was planning to eventually forget. His whole face sharpening to those of which men all across the world could only aspire for. Yet his crystal eyes, the only thing that hadn’t miraculously morphed.

I knew they were familiar.

His booming laughter racketed around the classroom, breaking me free from my reverie as the window panes slightly rattled. The corners of his lips lifted, a small smirk appearing on his face, his unnaturally beautiful face.

“Of course they were familiar, sunshine.” he sneered, leaning forward so our faces were inches apart. My breath seeming to get stuck in my throat, as any response I had was abruptly stopped, “I haven’t left you yet.” He finished.

My eyes wouldn’t sway from his, it was like they were stuck, hypnotized by this man, this immortal, man. They didn’t waver even when he lifted his hand to softly stroke my cheek.

“Did you think you were free?” He whispered, his smirk forming into a giant smile at my obvious lack for words, those teeth gleaming with satisfaction.

“I-I-,” I stuttered, to shocked and engrossed with the slight burn his hands left on my own flaming cheeks. My responses were too incoherent, not even my brain could understand through the jumbled mess which was my thoughts.

He’s doing this.

I hadn’t seen this man since I was ten, he’d only ever stopped by twice in my life, that time when I almost drowned, and then, on my tenth birthday, when I was surrounded by my loving mother who had wrapped endless presents in my favourite colour. Blue.

Crystal blue.

Prick. It was obvious he had taken up most of my thoughts since I was a child.

He had even weaselled his way inside my dreams, his smile, and those eyes, that laugh. He never truly left; I knew that, I was just hoping that he would never return back to me in the flesh.

“But I’m back, sunshine,” the light breeze of his breathe hit my ear, “and I’m staying.” I shivered, the hairs on my arms standing up in answer.

“W-what do you want?” I asked barely above a whisper, his head snapped back as his eyebrows shot up at my response, obviously not suspecting that I would be able to talk. Neither was I to be honest.

I didn’t dare move from under his hands, didn’t dare to even blink as I continued to watch his eyes glide over my face, taking in every last detail, down from the small mole that lived above my top lip to the pale scar which ran above my left eyebrow, one of which he was familiar with.

One of which he had seen happen, over thirteen years ago. He hadn’t changed one bit.

His thumb swept over the scar, clearly entranced as his continued to rub it softly, almost as he was trying to erase it.

You wish, a voice hissed in my head.

My head snapped up, ripping free from his hold. My hair gliding through his fingers as he stood motionless, but the small grin on his face could be described as a warning, a warning to run.

“H-how did you-”

Do that? His laughed echoed in my mind. I just nodded, automatic response.

“Magic!” He whispered, raising his hands in the air before lowering them back onto the table. “Tell me Rayne, how are you?” He smiled, the tilt to head almost making him seem innocent, dare I say it, cute.

A low chuckle came from within his chest.

How was I? To be honest I was happy when he wasn’t around, he didn’t hurt me, didn’t get involved with me. I liked that, I hated him.

“How lovely,” He sneered, grabbing the front on my shirt and ripping me from my chair. A small scream built up in my throat but was effectively cut of as I was quickly slammed against a wall. “Try again.” He spat in my face, all traces of ‘cute’ had been swiped, he looked positively inhuman now, his jaw too tight, his eyes pinched in frustration.

Now I was scared.

His grip tightened on my shirt, the seams digging into my neck from the pressure. A slight buzzing noise resounded in my head as it became louder and louder. I tried clawing at his hands, anything to get him away as my breathing was cut off.

“I won’t say it again, how are you?” He hissed, his eye turning from crystal to a dark night.

I couldn’t respond. Any chance of getting air into my lungs was cut off by his grip, his muscled hands clenching every time I tried to wriggle free.

Please I screamed in my head.

His laughter was my response. His face growing closer and closer until his nose brushed against mine. The buzzing was defiant now, it rattled my ear drums, but the man in front of me didn’t seem affected.

He was the one doing this.

His eyes hadn’t moved from mine, the darkness was inviting me in. I was swallowed whole, as I continued to gaze into those deep oceans. The buzz was still getting louder, my vision had began to blur as my eyes were determined not to blink, not to lose the sight of his mesmerizing eyes.

I was faintly aware of his fingers loosening their hold on me, but the sound, that sound, it had a sweet but evil melody to it.

A laugh, his laugh.

The noise became louder and louder.

High and higher.

Continuous.

A ripped scream broke from my lips as I collapsed to the ground, the suede shoes before me moving backwards, before the guy entered my blurry vision.

“You never learn do you, sunshine?” The guy spoke, his voice intruding on my pounding heartbeat. “Don’t you remember your tenth birthday? That sweet dog of yours had it coming. Lucky was it?” He asked. I nodded suddenly being swept back into my memory, his booming laughter just background noise.

Lucky was my tenth birthday present, he was a beautiful Labrador, a golden coat which shined in the light. I remember opening a small box my mother had leant on my knees, the box shaking as the small puppy inside moved. When I had opened it I let out a small squeal as the beauty jumped at me, licking my face. I knew from that moment on I was in love with him.

“Lucky.” I named him, because I was lucky to have him. My mum had only just opened her art gallery; therefore money was quite the issue for us. The smile on my mother’s face lit up, when she saw how excited I was, proved that it was worth it.

I ran towards my final present which was lead against the kitchen table; wrapped in blue paper that was covered in light swirls. Whipping the paper off, I looked at the collar, a small smile playing at my lips. It was perfect.

Mum brought Lucky over to me and sat him on her lap, before taking the collar and wrapping it around his furry neck. I watched on in admiration, my mother was the best.

“Thanks mum.” I squealed as I caught her in a tight hug, her laugh breathing into my ear.

“You’re welcome sweetie, why don’t you show Lucky the garden, then you can go for a swim.” She pushed me towards the back door, my mouse hair bobbing with enthusiasm as I raced towards my blow up pool.

I stopped suddenly.

A black haired man was stood by the steps, his crystal eye locked on me and my puppy; they glistened with humour as we approached him. He didn’t speak as I cast my curious gaze over him. His dark jeans and blue top matching my bathing costume.

He was beautiful.

“W-who are you?” I whispered as I wringed my hands looking down with embarrassment. He didn’t answer as his hollow gaze just stared at the small puppy at my feet. I quickly bent over a picked him up. The man just watched.

I screamed as Lucky bounded out of my small hands running to the strange man.

“Lucky, Stop!” I squealed. The man’s face lit up with amusement, a small smirk lifting at the edge of his lips. He looked cheerful, almost as if he had expected that to happen.

Almost as if he made it happen.

The beautiful man had picked Lucky up by his new blue collar, only to stride to the pool with unnatural grace and drop him in as if he was nothing. His hands smashed through the water as the sounds of Lucky splashing and howling echoed around my small garden. I could hear my mother’s screams asking me what was going on but I just stared.

The tears fell freely as I watched the strange man drown my dog, my legs failing to move as if they were being tied to the grass beneath me. My mother’s cries came at me as ran through the kitchen door towards Lucky.

That smile I had seen only minutes ago now vanished as she continued crying.

 “Rayne! Rayne!” She shouted as she went for the dog, her hands plunging into the water, not stopping to look at the crystal eyed man as he held him under.

She couldn’t see him.

She pulled the small puppy from out the water, his golden fur matted together as he lay frozen in her arms. My mother was crying uncontrollably as she looked up at me, her eyes showing shock and apology.

“I’m so sorry sweetie.” She whispered as she ran past me into the house, water droplets dripping onto the grass from my once alive dog.

I turned towards the strange man only to watch him disappear into thin air, a whispered goodbye was all that echoed throughout my head.

I didn’t forget the look my mother gave me as we buried him in the ground, planting rose seeds to represent my love for Lucky.

Lucky.

How ironic.

 “You remember?” He stroked his hand up to my hair. “Good girl.” He patted it lightly, before giving my head a good squeeze. Blinking the tears away, I watched as he slowly walked back to his desk, his stature changing to that of Mr Willis’s, although I wasn’t sure whether he actually exists.

“He did.” Was all the guy responded with. He glided out the door, not once looking back as he clicked his fingers and a second later the bell went off indicating the lesson had finished, the frozen students around me began to move, almost mechanically, as they synchronised grabbing their bags and fleeing the classroom.

Freaky.

I still didn’t know the name of this guy, I still didn’t understand him. When he said ‘did’, did that mean the real Mr Willis was gone? Dead? A small shiver racked up my spine, at the thought that maybe this man had done it, maybe he had killed him.

Probably, he was nuts.

The laughter echoed in my head again, the same laughter which has haunted me since I was five, returning every day. It was a broken record.

I hated it.

I hated him.

No you don’t. The voice in the back of head whispered, almost like it was a reflex. Did I hate him?

Yes.

No.

Yes and no?

I honestly couldn’t begin to explain this guy, who he was, what he does. Yet there’s a small part of me that just thinks he’s a guy, a beautiful guy, a beautiful inhuman guy. A man who just comes out of thin air to freak me out, and to torture me, but yet I couldn’t get over the way my heart beat sped up at the mere thought of him, how it almost racketed out of chest when his firm hands stroked my cheek. How it stopped when I looked into those eyes, his crystal eyes that changed due to every emotion he experiences.

Yes I hated him.

Hated how he made me feel.

“Rayne?” A voice questioned making me jump out of my thoughts and skin. Mrs White stood at her desk, a pile of books in her hands, ready to start a lesson in this classroom I was currently weighing whether to love or hate this guy in. “You should get to class.” She smiled before turning to place the books down and grabbing a pen to start an assignment on the board.

“Sorry.” I blushed as I grabbed my bag and ran out the classroom into the teenaged cluttered hallway.

Another day in hell.

Another day of his laugh.

Students watched me as I walked past them, my red cheeks under the questioning glared fired up once more. Slumping my head forward I watched my tattered vans clomp on the vinyl floor, heading to my favourite class. Art.

I zoned out most of the day, only listening to the teachers when they stated what we were doing this lesson and the so called ‘rules’ of the classroom, ones of which I didn’t often break. Don’t speak when I am speaking, don’t throw rubbers at others, and finally, don’t doodle on the desks.

Well I guess I broke one rule.

Every desk at the back left hand corner of any of my classrooms had one of my doodles on, guaranteed.  They often ranged from a hand to a mouth, often his. It’s like I couldn’t get him off my mind.

I wanted to be numb, to forget about him, to just scrape my memory clean of that stupid man, his fluffy black hair, his plump pink lips, those beautiful ocean eyes.

That sinister laugh.

I was a blank canvas all day. I didn’t see, didn’t do, I just thought. Thought of him.

I only broke out of my thoughts as a lunch tray dropped into the spare seat in front of me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Haven't edited, so if you see anything wrong with it, please comment :)

Enjoy, please vote/comment/fan

Thank you :)

Ellie x