couldn’t ignore the urge to follow the sound, especially because I knew that this had happened to me before and that everything was going to be alright.
The name of a woman from my past began to flash through my mind.
I know this scene. I have this memory. This was the morning I met Cora.
I ran toward the whimpers and just as I expected, behind a large rock, I found an unconscious woman about to come to her senses. Something was missing from the scene, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I called out her name. “Cora?”
She rose to her feet and when I saw who it was, I froze. It was Emilia. She was trembling and she ran right into my arms, clinging tightly. I could feel the heat of her tears hitting my skin.
I shuddered at what she said.
“It’s me you belong to, Derek. Not her.”
As if I was being controlled by a will not my own, I nodded. I couldn’t believe the words that then came out of my mouth. “I know, Emilia. I know. I’m over Sofia. My heart belongs to you now.”
The moment the words were said, a piercing scream filled the atmosphere.
I jolted up on my bed, my heart racing, my blood pounding. I was desperately trying to catch my breath. I could still hear the scream echoing in my ear. The one thought circling my mind was, Sofia’s dead. I killed her. It’s my fault she’s dead.
Guilt and panic overwhelmed me as I began to look around the room. I was relieved to find Sofia’s still form on the bed beside me, but I wasn’t satisfied with that. I had to know if she was still alive. I began shaking her. “Sofia?”
She blinked and began to mumble incoherently.
I heaved out a sigh of relief. “You’re alright.” I scooped her sleepy form up in my arms and held tight.
That seemed to be enough to get her to her full senses. “What’s going on?” she drowsily asked.
“I thought I lost you,” I said in what sounded like a string of gasps.
She pulled away from me. This time, alert and worried. “What’s wrong, Derek? What happened?”
“I had a nightmare,” I found myself admitting to Sofia. The sensations I felt then was strange. My heart was pounding against my chest. I was breaking into a cold sweat, but I couldn’t remember a thing about the dream I just had. Not even a single detail. All I knew was that I had this alarming fear inside of me – a fear of Sofia getting hurt. I also had a nagging feeling that Emilia was a lot of trouble for Sofia and me. I swallowed hard as I faced Sofia.
“Tell me about it,” she coaxed.
I scratched the back of my neck as I searched for the right words. “I don’t really remember the dream, but I have to tell you something…” The confession came out like a flood I could not contain. I began telling her about the dreams I had about Emilia and not being able to remember the details after. I was just aware that the dreams had both Sofia and Emilia in them. I knew Sofia deserved to know what was going on, so despite my fears of how she would take it, I found myself revealing everything.
Sofia listened, taking every word in silently, asking questions where she needed more information.
“I can’t deny that I’m attracted to her and that I feel some sort of connection with her, but you have to believe me when I say that she doesn’t stand a chance against you. That’s why I arranged that she be taken out of the island immediately. I don’t want anything or anyone to get between us.”
Sofia gave me a half smile. “Does she have anything to do with why you want to get married all of a sudden?”
I was surprised at how straightforward she was, but then I never knew Sofia as someone who would hold back on speaking the truth. I found myself nodding. “I can’t deny that the dreams had a hand in it. I guess it was my way of saying that it’s you I want to be with. It’s you that I love. You know that, right?”
Her eyes began to moisten. “Of course I do,” she nodded before saying, “I adore you, Derek Novak.” She then
The name of a woman from my past began to flash through my mind.
I know this scene. I have this memory. This was the morning I met Cora.
I ran toward the whimpers and just as I expected, behind a large rock, I found an unconscious woman about to come to her senses. Something was missing from the scene, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I called out her name. “Cora?”
She rose to her feet and when I saw who it was, I froze. It was Emilia. She was trembling and she ran right into my arms, clinging tightly. I could feel the heat of her tears hitting my skin.
I shuddered at what she said.
“It’s me you belong to, Derek. Not her.”
As if I was being controlled by a will not my own, I nodded. I couldn’t believe the words that then came out of my mouth. “I know, Emilia. I know. I’m over Sofia. My heart belongs to you now.”
The moment the words were said, a piercing scream filled the atmosphere.
I jolted up on my bed, my heart racing, my blood pounding. I was desperately trying to catch my breath. I could still hear the scream echoing in my ear. The one thought circling my mind was, Sofia’s dead. I killed her. It’s my fault she’s dead.
Guilt and panic overwhelmed me as I began to look around the room. I was relieved to find Sofia’s still form on the bed beside me, but I wasn’t satisfied with that. I had to know if she was still alive. I began shaking her. “Sofia?”
She blinked and began to mumble incoherently.
I heaved out a sigh of relief. “You’re alright.” I scooped her sleepy form up in my arms and held tight.
That seemed to be enough to get her to her full senses. “What’s going on?” she drowsily asked.
“I thought I lost you,” I said in what sounded like a string of gasps.
She pulled away from me. This time, alert and worried. “What’s wrong, Derek? What happened?”
“I had a nightmare,” I found myself admitting to Sofia. The sensations I felt then was strange. My heart was pounding against my chest. I was breaking into a cold sweat, but I couldn’t remember a thing about the dream I just had. Not even a single detail. All I knew was that I had this alarming fear inside of me – a fear of Sofia getting hurt. I also had a nagging feeling that Emilia was a lot of trouble for Sofia and me. I swallowed hard as I faced Sofia.
“Tell me about it,” she coaxed.
I scratched the back of my neck as I searched for the right words. “I don’t really remember the dream, but I have to tell you something…” The confession came out like a flood I could not contain. I began telling her about the dreams I had about Emilia and not being able to remember the details after. I was just aware that the dreams had both Sofia and Emilia in them. I knew Sofia deserved to know what was going on, so despite my fears of how she would take it, I found myself revealing everything.
Sofia listened, taking every word in silently, asking questions where she needed more information.
“I can’t deny that I’m attracted to her and that I feel some sort of connection with her, but you have to believe me when I say that she doesn’t stand a chance against you. That’s why I arranged that she be taken out of the island immediately. I don’t want anything or anyone to get between us.”
Sofia gave me a half smile. “Does she have anything to do with why you want to get married all of a sudden?”
I was surprised at how straightforward she was, but then I never knew Sofia as someone who would hold back on speaking the truth. I found myself nodding. “I can’t deny that the dreams had a hand in it. I guess it was my way of saying that it’s you I want to be with. It’s you that I love. You know that, right?”
Her eyes began to moisten. “Of course I do,” she nodded before saying, “I adore you, Derek Novak.” She then
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