The Blue Blaze

Could It Be?

Madalyn

    "Maddy...." I hear a distinctively familiar voice calling my name from down the hallway and outside my bedroom door. 

    Jasper's voice.

    I look over to my side and Wyatt is still fast asleep. Judging from the moon's light shining from the window, it's very late.

    "Maddy.... Come find me." the creepy voice beckons me more.

    Quietly, I creep out of bed, trying not to disturb Wyatt. As I make it to the hallway, I am now wishing I had grabbed a lantern or at least a candle with me. This place is way more dark right now than I had expected. Using my hands to feel around me as I go in the direction of the voice. Rough, cracking wall plaster brushes against my fingertips as I make my way down the hall. 

    "That's it, Maddy. You're getting warmer..." the voice snickers.

    "I know that's you Jasper..." I holler out into the darkness.

    Then, I start to feel his presence. It's like a weight has shifted within the area around me. The stench then hits my nose. Tears prick behind my eyes, and a gag begins to form in my throat. Rotten eggs with a hint of dead fish, is what come to mind. 

    "Jasper, please tell me that smell isn't you." I mutter under my breath.

    "Well, some of this power has come at a cost, Maddy." The heat of his breath is now heavy on the back of my neck. "But, it was a price I was willing to pay..."

    I stop mid-step and spin around, even though I can't see in this pitch blackness, I can tell he is standing right in front of me. All that is visible is a lit up pair of red eyes. It's like when those of us with powers, our eyes light up blue... only, his are red.

    "What the hell?" I gasp unintentionally.

    "Like my new look Maddy?" Jasper's breath is hot against my cheek.

    I am frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Then a warm wet tongue is being slapped and dragged across my face.

    "MMM... you taste even better than I remember." Jasper growls.

    I try to move, speak, scream, anything! It is no use. Paralyzed and alone in the darkness with 'Monster Jasper'. His enlarged hand snakes around my waist and pulls me into him. His other hand rests on my belly and I feel him pause.

    "Interesting..." His deep voice whispers, "Could it be mine, Maddy?"

    "AHHHHHH!" I scream as loud as I can while my arms and legs begin to thrash around.

    "Maddy! It's alright, calm down.." Wyatt's voice tries to soothe me.

    "Wyatt?" I pause. "But that means..."

    I open my eyes and take a look around. I am sitting up in bed, Wyatt facing me with his hands holding my hands. The moon is shining brightly in the starlit sky outside the window. It was only a dream. A nightmare...

    "Everything alright?"

    "Yes, yes. I'm sorry. It was just a bad dream I guess." I say while trying to gather my thoughts and my wits.

    "Here," Wyatt lays back down and motions for me to come and lay into his arms. "Let me hold you and I'll protect you from those bad dreams."

    He gives me a wink and a sly grin. But I know he is actually being really sweet about it, being genuine and trying to mask it with something else out of the fear of being exposed emotionally. I know this because I do the same thing, in a different way, but it is still generally the same idea. I smile back at him and nod my head. At that, his armor unfolds before me, showing that genuine care and concern on his face. The love he truly does have for me. 

    As I craw into him, he wraps his arms around me and cradles me from behind. His breathing at my ear soothing me like a sweet lullaby while he softly runs a hand through my hair, gently comforting me. Wyatt eases me, but I still can't clear my mind of the images from my nightmare. 

    What was that about? Is there some meaning behind what occurred in that bad dream? And what did Jasper mean when he rested his hand on my belly and asked "Could it be mine?"? The thought leaves a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I feel my stomach turn. Bile begins to raise in the back of my throat as a wave of nausea washes over me.

    Hurriedly, I shot out of bed and go running towards the bathroom. Barely making it to the toilet, I lean over and start praying to the porcelain gods. Once I was done revisiting what I last ate, I go to the sink and rinse my mouth and throw cold water over my face. Patting my face with a towel, I notice Wyatt standing in the doorway. He is looking at me with a concerned look on his face. 

    "Everything okay?" Wyatt asks softly.

    "Yeah, I'm alright." I lie.

    I hate lying to him, but I'm afraid that if I tell him what I'm actually feeling or thinking, or the places that my bad dream is making my thoughts run to... this could change everything.

    "Maddy, can I ask you something?" Wyatt asks with an unfamiliar hesitation to his voice.

    "Of course Wyatt." 

    The thumping in my chest gets harder, and I feel it thumping against my face and my ears grow hot. With my hands gripping the towel, Wyatt walks towards me.

    "Maddy, have you considered..." he pauses, and the air hangs heavy and silent between us. "That maybe, you could be pregnant."

    And there it is. 

    Saying it out loud, hearing it. Something that has been in the back of my mind as an answer to why I've been feeling this way. The dizziness, the nausea, vomiting,...and come to think of it, I am late.

    "Shit." the words just kind of fell out of my mouth.

    Wyatt puts his arms around me.

    "It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out Maddy." Wyatt consoles me.

    I am motionless within his embrace. Unsure of what to feel, what to say, what to do. I can feel him pause and go rigid against me suddenly. He begins to pull away from me and I can feel his stare burning into me. I can feel what is coming.

Please don't ask what I think you're going to ask... Please?

    "Madalyn," Wyatt's voice shaky and distant, "Could it be HIS."

    He doesn't even have to say his name, I know exactly who he is talking about. It's the same exact thing Jasper asked me in my stupid nightmare. I didn't mean to just leave Wyatt standing there with no reply. It's just that I had no words to give him. I was rendered speechless. 

    The look on his face shattered me into a million pieces, and there was nothing I could do about it. 

What have I done?