Hey There, Delilah

Hey There, Delilah (20)

"Delilah... Delilah..." the voice called, making me looked around like crazy. Who was calling me? Why was the voice so familiar? Why can't I see...? Why can't I breathe?

"You're all mine now, Delilah... I've been waiting for this moment for so long... You're finally mine..." I felt arms wrap around me, but I was still covered by darkness. These arms... they felt so real... Get them off me!

"No! Don't touch me!"

"Don't fight it, Delilah... You know that we belong together. We'll get married and have our own children when you get out of school... that will be the day..."

"No! Help me! Get off me!"

I jolted up, breathing heavily. Was that all a dream? Why were the arms so real? I didn't recognize my surroundings as I looked around the dark room. I could tell that it was the middle of the night. I looked around and finally noticed that I was in the dusty, old room at Rex's mansion. I sighed, falling back onto the bed.

But then I realized that there was someone in the room, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching me.

I jumped up, ready to attack if I needed to. But I calmed down when I saw that the person was only River. "You were screaming in your sleep," he informed me, reaching over and brushing a piece of my hair out of my face. "I was worried that something happened to you. Are you alright?"

"Nightmare," I mumbled, looking down at the pink sheets. River's eyebrows furrowed, and his hand traveled down from my hair and to my cheek, his fingers stroking it softly. I was sure he didn't even realized what he was doing. He always seemed to do that.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"Just... my stalker... I felt arms... I felt arms wrap around me and they wouldn't let go... It felt so real, and I couldn't breathe..." I explained shakily, the tears that had wanted to fall before rolling down my face.

River wiped them away, looking upset. "I'm sorry," he said. "I really wish there was something I could do..."

I would have continued to listen to him, but I then noticed something that caused my eyes to go wide. River was wearing short sleeves. But that wasn't the shocking part. Since he was still touching my face, I could look over and look at his arm easily. And even though the room was grey and dark because it was still night, I could see scars and cuts all over River's left wrist.

"R--River," I stuttered, cutting whatever he was saying off as I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand from my face.

"What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

I turned his hand palm-up so I could see his wrist. Obviously getting it now, River tried to pull his arm away. "No, River, don't!" I whimpered, my grip on his arm tightening. More tears rolled down my tears as I looked down at the many scars, and some of them even fell onto his wrists. I hesitantly wiped them away, not knowing if River really wanted me to touch his scars.

River had been hurting himself. And it seemed like he had been doing it for a long time. I felt the tears overflow my eyes again, and I had to look away because I didn't want him to see.

"Delilah..." River whispered, reaching out to touch my face again with his free hand. But this time, I recoiled away from him. I really didn't want to be touched right then. After the dream and what I had learned, I just didn't want to be touched by anyone at all.

"Why?" I whimpered again. "Why are you doing this to yourself? River, it's dangerous!"

He looked away from me then, in frustration. "You think I don't know that? I don't care, anyway. But now you know why I always wear long sleeves. If people see my scars, they'll just call me even more of a freak or an emo and stay as far away from me as possible. But do people even care about how that makes me feel? This is the only way I can let my emotions out. You have no idea how much it hurts when someone calls me a freak or says that I'm emo. I've been doing this ever since Bekka broke up with me, and it makes me feel better," he told me, trying to pull his hand away again, but I still wouldn't let him.