The next day, Christine moved through her morning routine on auto pilot.
Wide awake and fully aware, the events of her strange dream had begun to fully come together.
Sure she slept a hard, and her dreams were usually pretty vivid... but last night's dream didn't feel right.
It felt way too real.

It didn't make sense, and the notion wasn't logical, but that didn't change the fact that the conversation she had in her head had felt just as natural and real as if she had really been sitting beneath that tree.

On her way into the science building, she took a hesitant look behind her, casting her gaze out on the familiar courtyard. Just as it had always been... the light chirping of the early birds, and the soft conversing of students strolling about their school day.

She let her eyes wonder to that tree.
And what she saw sent a strange feeling of unease into her chest.

Leaning against its trunk was that janitor. He was looking her way, casually eating what looked to be a candy bar. He wore a knowing grin on his face and that was what sent her over the edge. Quickly, she scrambled into the science building and didn't look back.

"Whoa, Christine. You alright?" Sarah asked, stopping in her tracks as she passed her on the way out of the lab.
"What? Y-yeah I'm fine. Why?"

"Nothing, just looking a bit peeky. Long night?"

"You could say that." She replied, rubbing some sleep from her eyes. "But I'm fine, thanks. Did Greg begin the examination on that pottery?"

"Greg texted and said he was too hung over to come in today." Sarah said, checking her phone again and rolling her eyes.
Christine let out a groan and pushed her way into the lab.

"Don't worry girl, I'll tear him a new one tomorrow."

"Not if I get to him first." She grumbled, getting to work on their shared job.

Her work day progressed late into the evening once again. She contemplated spending the night, but she figured she'd sleep better after a shower and a few benadrill, so she gathered up her things and set out for home.

The ride to the apartment was familiar enough even at night. Passing a few gas stations and a handful of houses which lit up the dark road. Heavily wooded land filled in everything in between.

As she smoothly zipped down the street, she could hear the whistle of the wind going through her helmet. The fresh smell of the trees around her filling her nose.

Passing by the first gas station, a relatively new looking Valero that was usually empty at that hour, she could have sworn that she saw a familiar looking janitor just inside the store.
She shook it off and continued to focus on the road ahead.

Things got really weird though when she passed the first house on the rout and saw the same janitor sitting casually on the front porch.
Not questions about it, it was 100% him.
Same smiling eyes and knowing smirk.
The sight of him caused her to swerve a bit, but she quickly recovered.

As she passed the last gas station, she franticly scanned the sight for any sign of him.
In the store, in a car, on the curb... but in her examination, she hadn't noticed her moped steer ever so slightly to the right.

What she did notice, however, was the sensation of her moped no longer beneath her.

The world around her whizzed by in a blur as she was flung forward onto the road, hitting the road with crippling force. She slid on her side for a distance before stopping completely with a hissing gasp.
It all happened so fast that she didn't even have time to scream.

Christine looked back to where she had been driving and saw her moped crumpled up and smoking against a dented looking street divided. She laid as could be on the assault, her body throbbing in intense pain. The night air stinging the scraped on her face.
Had more than a few bones were broken, that much was certain.
She tried to shift her weight to roll over, but couldn't move at all.

Help.
She needed help.

Amongst the shock, she felt a hand reach from behind her and rested on her for head.
She let out a startled a screech and tried to move and see who it was but was stopped by the nauseating pain that racked through  her body.

"Easy..." A familiar voice ordered quietly, but Christine's breathing didn't calm.. in fact it only managed to wined her up more.

A warm feeling spread from his hand and flowed easily through her body. Quickly, the edge of pain had all but disappeared, and her body no long felt broken, but stronger than ever.
As soon as the sensation subsided, and she was certain she'd stay in one piece, Christine hurled herself around and landed a solid fist in the strangers face. But in connection to his surprised features, she felt a bone in her hand crack as though she had clocked a brick wall.
She scream out in pain and cradled her hand to her chest.
Gabriel just sat there confused and shamefully amused.

"Here, let me..." He reached out again but she kicked her legs wildly trying to scoot away.
"Stop it, you'll hurt yourself more-" he tried to reason, but she still fought him off with her good hand.
"God damn it woman...." He cursed under his breath, grabbing hold of her arm and hauling her close enough to connect two fingers to her forehead.
He watched as her frantic/angry expression melted into one of ease and she slowly drifted into a deep sleep in his arms.