Possess by J.A. Howell Read Free Book Online Page B

girl. Same blue eyes. Same black hair. I cursed under my breath as I staggered through the living room, still groggy with sleep as I kept my eyes on her.
    Her arms moved in the sink, scrubbing a stack of dishes that were submerged in the soapy water. Her hair covered most of her face and she seemed to be mumbling to herself as she tirelessly scrubbed. Even as I came up behind her, she was still oblivious to my presence. Just like before.
    “What the hell are you doing in my kitchen again?” I grumbled, one hand reaching up to rub sleep out of my eyes.  She heard me this time and her constant motion slowed to a halt as her head lifted up slightly, but she didn't answer. “Seriously, what the hell are you doing?”
    Without warning her shoulders crumpled forward and her whole body shook with sobs. I gritted my teeth as I watched her crying over the sink. I don't need to deal with this crap. This is a stupid dream. She still made no motion to move nor respond to me and, after a minute, I stepped closer, placing my hand on her shoulder.
    “What’s the matter?” She didn’t answer, instead her shoulder slacked under my touch as her hand shot up and fingers clamped around my wrist.
    “I'm sorry!” Her voice cried out suddenly as she whirled on me. I stumbled backwards, falling onto the floor as I tried to pull my arm free.
    “Let go of me!” I tried desperately to pry her fingers from my wrist, but her grip only tightened. I slid back on the parquet floor, my legs poised and ready to kick at this deranged figment of my imagination. I squeezed my eyes shut.
    Harley, it's just a dream. Just a stupid dream like last time.
    Even as I told myself that, the pressure grew around my wrist and her nails dug into my skin as she pulled herself toward me.
    “Did you hear me, honey? I said I’m sorry!”
    “I don't know you!” I kicked at her and she fell forward, landing on top of me.
    “Will you just look at me, please?” She whimpered quietly as her breath tickled my neck.
    Dammit... Maybe if I just do what she says, she will go away.
    After a second I looked up at her. Her blue eyes, slightly lighter than my own, peered into mine with a deep forlornness. I stared back, wishing she would just disappear and I would wake up.
    “There, I’m looking at you. What the hell do you want from me?”
    “I'm sorry, Brody.” Her lips pouted as a few tears trickled from her eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.”
    “Who’s Brody?” I wrinkled my forehead, only further confused as she bent her head down on my chest and let out a huge sob. Ughhh .
    “It's fine, just stop crying!” I began to plead with her, but her cries were cut short as her body went rigid. Ugh, what now? I pried my wrist from her stiffened grip and her body rolled off of me, completely lifeless as she lay face down on the floor. I gently nudged her side with my foot. No movement.
    “This isn’t real. You’re not real.”
    I shook my head as I squeezed my eyes shut again, but when I opened them, the girl was still laying there, slumped over and unmoving. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward and pushed her hair away from her neck to check her pulse. Just as my fingers touched the ice cold skin on her neck, her head lulled towards me and the black tresses fell away from her face. Nausea immediately rose from my stomach at the sight of her fogged over pupils.  Her lips were purple, her skin was white with a sickly blue tinge and sunken in around one cheek bone. Her other cheek was smashed in, gaping with raw tissue. Bits of white bone fragments protruded through the gore. The skin around one eye looked like it had been picked at and torn away. I could see animal-like teeth marks in the jagged, torn, flesh and a bloody stump was all that was left of her nose.  I turned away from her, clutching my stomach.
    “This isn’t real, Harley! This isn’t real!” I shook my head as I slid myself over the kitchen floor, back against the cabinets. My body convulsed as I