Haunting Hallucinations

The sun's early rays searched their ways past the thin curtains and landed on a figure in the wide bed. It was now a couple days after the retirement of Sergei Gonchar. I yawned as I awoke to this cascade of light and warmth running across my face like a lover's caress. I basked in its touch for a second before I froze beneath the covers. The touch upon my skin was warm, but it was not the touch of any rays outside. It was the caress of a hand and at once I was wide awake.

I opened my eyes, turned to gaze beside me and gasped in surprise. Lying next to me atop the pale bedspreads was none other than an angel. Her long, dark crimson hair flowed free around her toned shoulders, which were barely visible beneath her loose shirt. As my eyes glazed over, I caught sight of her low collar. Her pale hazel cat-eyes burned with a passion that made my heart stop for a second and her pale, ghostly white hand traveled across my face as if she could. She brushed my cheek.

"... What... What's this?" I managed weakly as I curled further into the covers but couldn't make myself move away from her caresses. "You should not be in here."

"You want me to leave?" her whispered thick Russian accent almost made me forget my plan.
At length, I shook my head. "You should leave."

Her hand continued to caress my cheek and slowly sought its way towards my slender neck as the gorgeous ghostly angel leaned closer. "That was not what I asked."

Before I had a chance to argue her lips pressed against mine with fervor. Her arm traveled downward until she enveloped my waist and pulled me closer. I found my resolves weaken and my own hand somehow wound up in her long locks as I enjoyed the sensation of her body pressed against mine.

When the angel moved to deepen the kiss, I felt rationality strike my mind and made me think clearly again. I couldn't do this, it wasn't right. I had my plan and this certainly did not fit into it. I had to play hockey. Detachment had been the key and this was quite the opposite. Gently I pushed on the woman's shoulder as I pulled my head away from her.

As she once more tried to capture my lips in an endless kiss, I whispered, "Don't."

My once close friend, Maria faltered and pulled back an inch. Her passion was momentarily exchanged for perplexity and dismay. Her hand tightened around my waist as she brought me even closer to her body. She whispered into my ear, "Why deny ourselves the pleasure?"

"This isn't right," I muttered as I struggled against her rather strong form. The woman beside me wasn't acting like I had expected. Something was certainly awry with this image and I needed to get away to make sense of it. "Let me go."

"Afterwards..." she mumbled into my ear as she roughly pushed on top of me. She pressed my hands down on the pillow and the more I struggled, the harder she tightened her grip. I hissed at the added pressure but ignored the pain as realization struck me; this was not my close childhood friend from Russian.

With all my weight I rolled out from beneath her and with agile movements managed to get atop of the angel or ghost. She still had my hands captive but there was a distant smirk across her jaw that sent shivers of fright down my spine. "Who are you?" I demanded to know, but there came no reply.

Beneath her, I watched her move with shocking speed as she sat up and grabbed a firm hold of my neck. With no further delay she suddenly threw me from the bed. I landed hard on the stone floor and felt the wind knocked out of me. I had landed straight on top of my bruised back and felt powerless to get up.

I gazed up and saw the sinister smirk had returned to her lips as she started to descend from the bed. Who was she? What was happening? What was going on?

"Maria, no!" I cried out as she lowered herself towards me.

She swooped over and grabbed me by the collar of my night shirt and flung me back to the bed. That’s right, Valeri, be afraid, be very afraid. Her voice seemed to not come from her lips, but rather teleport to my head. She climbed back on top of me and pinned me down. Be afraid. She continued to tell me over and over. I was freaking out and I screamed loudly.

Her mouth came back to mine and suddenly she vanished, but I struggled to breath, as it felt like I was underwater. I tried to open my mouth and move, but pressure held me down. I found I could move my legs and so I kicked frantically.

After a few terrorizing moments, the pressure was gone in an instant and I gulped in air, breathing heavily.

I’m in your head now, pretty boy! I’m going to affect everything you do, but at random times. You may think you are safe, but you aren’t! You can try to run, Valeri, but I will ALWAYS be with you.

“No!! Leave me alone! Let me go!” I wailed, sitting in bed and suddenly feeling my arms immobile and pinned to my sides. “Please!”

I dare you to success on the ice. You can’t play hockey without your precious guide in Sergei, can you Valeri? Poor, poor Nichy...so young and naive.

I felt a hand on top of my head, brushing my hair. I shivered. This wasn’t Maria...it was a “horrible memory.” Maria had been my childhood friend, before I joined the KHL and left Russia to come to the US, for hockey. I had never thought of Maria as a potential partner. She was always just a friend.

But what was she doing pestering me here?

And suddenly I felt a tinge of homesickness. I got out of my bed, shaking and walked over to my bathroom. I showered and toweled off, before getting dressed in a simple outfit. I attempted to clear my head, as I leaned on my countertop staring into the mirror at my reflection. I noticed the scared and worried look that gazed back at me.

Why the look, Valeri? You need to get going, you can’t be late to practice. What would Coach Lindy Ruff say?

I shook my head, struggling to fight the panic inside of me. I left the bathroom and grabbed my stuff. Why was my childhood friend doing this to me? Why was she tormenting me like this? It made me feel sick to my stomach.

I snatched up everything I would need and luckily the car ride to the practice rink was easy and peaceful. I pulled into my spot and saw a few of my teammates walking toward the building. I got out and raced to catch up with them. They pulled me in with welcoming and friendly smiles and greeted me. The atmosphere made my head clear and I finally smiled and enjoyed myself.

We entered the complex and headed to the locker room, where Tyler and Jamie were...and as I joined them, I heard that nagging voice in the back of my mind come again. But this time it wasn’t Maria, heck it wasn’t female, but it was familiar and it sent a chill up my spine.

You can’t do this without me, Nichy. The voice rang in my ears, followed by an evil cackling that clouded my hearing, as I was slapped on the back by my two linemates.

Notes

I don't know....
A Shruinger, let me know if this comes across right...I don't know if it entirely works. I know it wasn't what I was envisioning, but I think I should work. Kinny is tormented in his sleep, but Val is tormented when he is awake.
And now things get even more weird....
What if Nichy is tormented on the ice, in front of his teammates? What if to them, it looks like he is going insane and a little psycho? And when if the lack of sleep for Kinny results in a VERY dangerous act?
All this a more coming up next...(I feel like a TV show series on Disney channel or some cartoon when they leave it in a cliffhanger...)