sound dissolving in
the dense blackness of night. She was enveloped into the warmth of
emptiness, seconds before the flames reached her, and then there
was nothing, just blackness that embraced her in a shroud of
peace.
So this was death, she wondered for a split
moment before darkness swallowed her and she surrendered to it
completely. It wasn’t so bad after all.
Julia awoke with a start as something cool
touched her forehead. She tried to open her eyes but surrendered
quickly to the pain that seemed to rip her skull in two. She
settled back against the softness beneath her head as she tried to
focus on where she was and what was happening. She felt a soft warm
breeze against her cheek as the moist cloth began to wipe gently at
her forehead. She tried again to open her eyes and sit up, but a
wave of pain pinned her down. Her eyelids closed tighter in an
attempt to hold back the tears, but it did nothing for the
unbearable pain.
Warmth brushed her cheek and she struggled
against the darkness to regain control of her eyes. Her frowned
deeply but she managed to blink several times, slowly clearing her
clouded vision enough to focus on the image of a man leaning across
her. His blue eyes were filled with concern and she tried to smile,
but found the effort harder than she anticipated.
Daniel leaned across Julia’s slender frame
as he wiped the wound on her head as gently as he possibly could.
Her frown worried him as she struggled to open her eyes fully. She
looked like a newborn fawn, innocent and weak, fearful of the world
around her as she attempted to face her life without the comfort of
her mother’s womb.
"You had us all worried, Princess," he
informed her soothingly, a smile curving his full lips. "Do you
know what happened?” his voice was a gentle whisper, yet it sounded
like thunder in her aching head. Julia's tried once again to
remember what had happened, but all she could recall was a soft
scent of lilacs, the suffocating pain of trying to breath and the
sound of birds ravishing the bookcase. It all seemed so hazy, so
confused in a brain filled with thunder and lightning bolts. She
could barely distinguish between what was real and what was a bad
dream. Finally she shook her head holding it gently between her
hands, feeling as though it would roll off her shoulders and out
the door if she moved too suddenly.
"Just rest then," he whispered wiping her
brow with the moist rag.
"You have an excellent bedside manner, Mr.
Browning." Julia whispered with a weak smile as she tried to make
the situation appear trivial, though the slightest movement made
her feel as though she were caught in a bailing machine. Daniel
leaned down across her, pressing a gentle kiss against her dry
lips. Her smile at his touch came a little easier than a moment ago
and she closed her eyes to hide the strange feelings he stirred to
life.
"How is she?" asked Jeremy as he stepped
quietly into the room. Julia's eyes blinked open with a frown. She
didn't answer at first, she thought of how that soft sound of the
door opening seemed hauntingly familiar. She closed her eyes again.
She had to stop thinking the pain was getting worse and now she
felt nauseous.
"Are you alright?" her brother asked again
as she struggled to open her eyes, studying her features with
concern. Julia's effort of reassurance was becoming easier. She
offered her brother what she hoped appeared to be a genuine smile
and nodded so slight he barely noticed it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked again, not
completely convinced by her makeshift attempt of normalcy.
"My head hurts," she said weakly, giving the
two men a childish pout. Daniel chuckled softly, leaning down and
pressed his lips against her forehead in such a tender act, she
wondered if she hadn't imagined it until her eyes focused on the
man only inches above her.
"Much better," she whispered, a soft color
flushing her pale cheeks.
"Well, she must be okay," Jeremy replied,
walking back to the door. "But
the dense blackness of night. She was enveloped into the warmth of
emptiness, seconds before the flames reached her, and then there
was nothing, just blackness that embraced her in a shroud of
peace.
So this was death, she wondered for a split
moment before darkness swallowed her and she surrendered to it
completely. It wasn’t so bad after all.
Julia awoke with a start as something cool
touched her forehead. She tried to open her eyes but surrendered
quickly to the pain that seemed to rip her skull in two. She
settled back against the softness beneath her head as she tried to
focus on where she was and what was happening. She felt a soft warm
breeze against her cheek as the moist cloth began to wipe gently at
her forehead. She tried again to open her eyes and sit up, but a
wave of pain pinned her down. Her eyelids closed tighter in an
attempt to hold back the tears, but it did nothing for the
unbearable pain.
Warmth brushed her cheek and she struggled
against the darkness to regain control of her eyes. Her frowned
deeply but she managed to blink several times, slowly clearing her
clouded vision enough to focus on the image of a man leaning across
her. His blue eyes were filled with concern and she tried to smile,
but found the effort harder than she anticipated.
Daniel leaned across Julia’s slender frame
as he wiped the wound on her head as gently as he possibly could.
Her frown worried him as she struggled to open her eyes fully. She
looked like a newborn fawn, innocent and weak, fearful of the world
around her as she attempted to face her life without the comfort of
her mother’s womb.
"You had us all worried, Princess," he
informed her soothingly, a smile curving his full lips. "Do you
know what happened?” his voice was a gentle whisper, yet it sounded
like thunder in her aching head. Julia's tried once again to
remember what had happened, but all she could recall was a soft
scent of lilacs, the suffocating pain of trying to breath and the
sound of birds ravishing the bookcase. It all seemed so hazy, so
confused in a brain filled with thunder and lightning bolts. She
could barely distinguish between what was real and what was a bad
dream. Finally she shook her head holding it gently between her
hands, feeling as though it would roll off her shoulders and out
the door if she moved too suddenly.
"Just rest then," he whispered wiping her
brow with the moist rag.
"You have an excellent bedside manner, Mr.
Browning." Julia whispered with a weak smile as she tried to make
the situation appear trivial, though the slightest movement made
her feel as though she were caught in a bailing machine. Daniel
leaned down across her, pressing a gentle kiss against her dry
lips. Her smile at his touch came a little easier than a moment ago
and she closed her eyes to hide the strange feelings he stirred to
life.
"How is she?" asked Jeremy as he stepped
quietly into the room. Julia's eyes blinked open with a frown. She
didn't answer at first, she thought of how that soft sound of the
door opening seemed hauntingly familiar. She closed her eyes again.
She had to stop thinking the pain was getting worse and now she
felt nauseous.
"Are you alright?" her brother asked again
as she struggled to open her eyes, studying her features with
concern. Julia's effort of reassurance was becoming easier. She
offered her brother what she hoped appeared to be a genuine smile
and nodded so slight he barely noticed it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked again, not
completely convinced by her makeshift attempt of normalcy.
"My head hurts," she said weakly, giving the
two men a childish pout. Daniel chuckled softly, leaning down and
pressed his lips against her forehead in such a tender act, she
wondered if she hadn't imagined it until her eyes focused on the
man only inches above her.
"Much better," she whispered, a soft color
flushing her pale cheeks.
"Well, she must be okay," Jeremy replied,
walking back to the door. "But
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