quiet the sound. He was here. She knew the frightening evil shadow was in the room with her, keeping her immobile. The shadow appeared recently, invading her and her safety. It tormented her without mercy when night came. It made her arms ache, sometimes pinning her and caused a great fear within her belly. It was so big and powerful and angry. She was uncertain what it wanted from her. All she could do was cry with her mounting distress and beg for compassion. Its presence reached for her with long talon - like black fingers that moved through the air on a soft whisper of current, and she curled tighter within herself, whimpering fearfully at its sinister approach .
“It’s all right, Candy.”
She heard a familiar voice call from faraway, comforting her. Where was he? Why was she not in the safety and seclusion of her cottage? Why didn’t the voice come for her to save her? She knew he wasn’t afraid of the shadow, he sounded too strong and confident. She searched the darkness for him, crying out to him, reaching, reaching harder than she had done before.
“ Help me ,” she pleaded, in a dry tight voice. “Please…help…me.”
* * * *
Dirk stilled beside her, he had been rubbing a gentle hand down her back to soothe her. Her body was captured to his and he lightened his touch sensing he’d pinned her to the bed again. She cried out the night before, whimpered aloud when he placed too much weight on her, but hadn’t spoken a single word since she surrendered to oblivion. The cry for help was hoarse and fleeting, but recognizable.
“Candy?” Dirk whispered in her ear.
“Where are you?”
The voice was hushed and seemingly faraway. But she responded to him, her first response and Dirk quivered with excitement.
Dirk pulled her close. “I’m here, sweetheart. Please come to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Try, Candy,” he encouraged.
“He’ll hurt me,” she sobbed. She sounded so pitiful and alone. Dirk felt a deep feeling of guilt. She was hiding from him after all.
“No one will hurt you, sweetheart. Come to me. I’ll keep you safe,” Dirk said desperately, pulling harder. She was so close, so close.
* * * *
Candy crept from her hiding place feeling smothered. Her pained arms outstretched, searching . She could sense the shadow. It was near. But the voice was calling to her, coming closer with each step, overpowering everything else. She walked, stumbling in her fear to take in all of her surroundings at once. The gloomy darkness engulfed her. The terrain that had been so familiar and comforting was uneven and foreign; she was lost. Long, leafless tree branches reached eerily, tugging her clothing as though holding her back. Her hands batted at them, shoving them away. Candy reached a precipice and with dismay looked down into the abyss of endless, frightening blackness. There was no bottom; smoky mist rolled in the ghostly quiet. She could see nothing beyond. When she chanced a glance behind, she could no longer see the safety of her cottage. She sobbed with heartache and despair. She was trapped, sensing she couldn’t go back. The voice was on the other side, the valley between too far, she would never get to him.
“Candy,” she heard him call louder; he sounded as though he were right before her.
“I’ll fall,” she whimpered into the darkness, reaching, searching for a glimpse of her savior. There was no way across .
“I’ll catch you,” the voice promised. She could hear the urgency in his tone.
“I’m scared.”
“Come to me, Candy, now.”
Candy closed her eyes. She could feel the shadow creeping closer, smothering her. She spread her arms wide and fell forward, trusting in the voice that called .
“Catch me, please.”
“Good girl, Candy. It’s all right, I got you,” Dirk soothed, stroking her face and smiling down on her.
Terrified and bewildered, Candy looked at him with horrified recognition; she remembered everything as her memories crashed over her. It was
“It’s all right, Candy.”
She heard a familiar voice call from faraway, comforting her. Where was he? Why was she not in the safety and seclusion of her cottage? Why didn’t the voice come for her to save her? She knew he wasn’t afraid of the shadow, he sounded too strong and confident. She searched the darkness for him, crying out to him, reaching, reaching harder than she had done before.
“ Help me ,” she pleaded, in a dry tight voice. “Please…help…me.”
* * * *
Dirk stilled beside her, he had been rubbing a gentle hand down her back to soothe her. Her body was captured to his and he lightened his touch sensing he’d pinned her to the bed again. She cried out the night before, whimpered aloud when he placed too much weight on her, but hadn’t spoken a single word since she surrendered to oblivion. The cry for help was hoarse and fleeting, but recognizable.
“Candy?” Dirk whispered in her ear.
“Where are you?”
The voice was hushed and seemingly faraway. But she responded to him, her first response and Dirk quivered with excitement.
Dirk pulled her close. “I’m here, sweetheart. Please come to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Try, Candy,” he encouraged.
“He’ll hurt me,” she sobbed. She sounded so pitiful and alone. Dirk felt a deep feeling of guilt. She was hiding from him after all.
“No one will hurt you, sweetheart. Come to me. I’ll keep you safe,” Dirk said desperately, pulling harder. She was so close, so close.
* * * *
Candy crept from her hiding place feeling smothered. Her pained arms outstretched, searching . She could sense the shadow. It was near. But the voice was calling to her, coming closer with each step, overpowering everything else. She walked, stumbling in her fear to take in all of her surroundings at once. The gloomy darkness engulfed her. The terrain that had been so familiar and comforting was uneven and foreign; she was lost. Long, leafless tree branches reached eerily, tugging her clothing as though holding her back. Her hands batted at them, shoving them away. Candy reached a precipice and with dismay looked down into the abyss of endless, frightening blackness. There was no bottom; smoky mist rolled in the ghostly quiet. She could see nothing beyond. When she chanced a glance behind, she could no longer see the safety of her cottage. She sobbed with heartache and despair. She was trapped, sensing she couldn’t go back. The voice was on the other side, the valley between too far, she would never get to him.
“Candy,” she heard him call louder; he sounded as though he were right before her.
“I’ll fall,” she whimpered into the darkness, reaching, searching for a glimpse of her savior. There was no way across .
“I’ll catch you,” the voice promised. She could hear the urgency in his tone.
“I’m scared.”
“Come to me, Candy, now.”
Candy closed her eyes. She could feel the shadow creeping closer, smothering her. She spread her arms wide and fell forward, trusting in the voice that called .
“Catch me, please.”
“Good girl, Candy. It’s all right, I got you,” Dirk soothed, stroking her face and smiling down on her.
Terrified and bewildered, Candy looked at him with horrified recognition; she remembered everything as her memories crashed over her. It was
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