her feel like she was suffocating.
“It’s okay, you’re safe. Open your eyes, beautiful.”
Desperation and fear mixed into one, the voice did not overshadow this man’s putrid presence. Staring at her, he sneered, baring his teeth that were sharpened to a point. He reached out a hand to cup her face, and she recoiled, which made the man throw his head back in mirthless laughter. His eyes revealed the hatred that filled him. He brought back his hand and slapped her across her face, and her head snapped back with the sudden force.
Then his lips were against her ear, his hot breath wafted across her face. “I’ve told you, Chantal. I am your master now . . .”
::§::
Chantal’s eyes suddenly opened as she frantically looked around for the scary man in her dream. In a near panic, she realized she was in a room she’d not been in before, however, the stone wall resembled the one in her dream.
A large hand came to rest on her forearm, and the mere touch felt heavy and dire. She feared it was the evil man from the dream, that horrible nightmare flowing into reality. Had the bad one Lydia spoke of ensnared her into a trap? She closed her eyes willing it all away.
She screamed; her arms and legs both working in tandem to put distance between the two of them.
“Chantal, it’s me . . .”
She opened her eyes and saw Mathias sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with a timid expression. He held is hand up, palm forward, trying to relay she was safe.
“Mathias?” she whispered. “What happened? Where am I?”
“You fell asleep with Lydia, but you looked uncomfortable. I brought you in here, instead. It’s late in the afternoon.”
Blinking away tears, Chantal looked around her. She sat on the corner of the bed, her legs entangled in the sheets. The small room had four plain walls, a simple wooden dresser, and the bed they were both sitting on. She ran a hand over her face, and felt the crusted dried tears and sweat. Any other day she would’ve been embarrassed, but there were more pressing matters to address.
“Where am I?”
“It’s a room they keep for older Oracles, just in case. I guess Father Ralph figured a woman would appreciate more privacy.”
Chantal nodded, understanding that a girl Lydia’s age would be too frightened to sleep alone in such a flat and drab room. With no windows, very little light, and dull colors, the room looked as if it belonged in a mental ward. Even the bed, with its white linens and sharp corners, resembled a hospital bed.
Slowly regaining her senses, she noticed the bed they were sitting on took up the majority of the wall, leaving just a small space on either side. She also noticed Mathias had changed into a pair of black sleep pants and matching wife beater. She couldn’t help but take note of how handsome he looked.
“I’m sorry, I had to stay,” he said. “You kept muttering in your sleep, and I was afraid you’d get scared if I wasn’t here with you. I realize you may still be upset with me, but that doesn’t change my duty to watch over and protect you.”
“Yeah . . .” She looked down, somewhat embarrassed. She’d never shared a bed with a boy before, let alone a full-grown man like Mathias. An odd sensation formed in the pit of her stomach, both from apprehension and excitement.
And with her first experience sharing a bed, her subconscious decided to wig out on him, leaving her looking wild-eyed and disheveled like Medusa on crack.
Perfect.
Yet even though she knew he’d been there as a shadow and watching, he must have seen her lose it throughout the years. With the “real” man beside her, she was very aware of his presence, feeling mortified and that she owed him an explanation.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you. My dreams can be . . . vivid . . . and hard to tell the difference from the dream and waking at first.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” Mathias chuckled, the sound making her
“It’s okay, you’re safe. Open your eyes, beautiful.”
Desperation and fear mixed into one, the voice did not overshadow this man’s putrid presence. Staring at her, he sneered, baring his teeth that were sharpened to a point. He reached out a hand to cup her face, and she recoiled, which made the man throw his head back in mirthless laughter. His eyes revealed the hatred that filled him. He brought back his hand and slapped her across her face, and her head snapped back with the sudden force.
Then his lips were against her ear, his hot breath wafted across her face. “I’ve told you, Chantal. I am your master now . . .”
::§::
Chantal’s eyes suddenly opened as she frantically looked around for the scary man in her dream. In a near panic, she realized she was in a room she’d not been in before, however, the stone wall resembled the one in her dream.
A large hand came to rest on her forearm, and the mere touch felt heavy and dire. She feared it was the evil man from the dream, that horrible nightmare flowing into reality. Had the bad one Lydia spoke of ensnared her into a trap? She closed her eyes willing it all away.
She screamed; her arms and legs both working in tandem to put distance between the two of them.
“Chantal, it’s me . . .”
She opened her eyes and saw Mathias sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with a timid expression. He held is hand up, palm forward, trying to relay she was safe.
“Mathias?” she whispered. “What happened? Where am I?”
“You fell asleep with Lydia, but you looked uncomfortable. I brought you in here, instead. It’s late in the afternoon.”
Blinking away tears, Chantal looked around her. She sat on the corner of the bed, her legs entangled in the sheets. The small room had four plain walls, a simple wooden dresser, and the bed they were both sitting on. She ran a hand over her face, and felt the crusted dried tears and sweat. Any other day she would’ve been embarrassed, but there were more pressing matters to address.
“Where am I?”
“It’s a room they keep for older Oracles, just in case. I guess Father Ralph figured a woman would appreciate more privacy.”
Chantal nodded, understanding that a girl Lydia’s age would be too frightened to sleep alone in such a flat and drab room. With no windows, very little light, and dull colors, the room looked as if it belonged in a mental ward. Even the bed, with its white linens and sharp corners, resembled a hospital bed.
Slowly regaining her senses, she noticed the bed they were sitting on took up the majority of the wall, leaving just a small space on either side. She also noticed Mathias had changed into a pair of black sleep pants and matching wife beater. She couldn’t help but take note of how handsome he looked.
“I’m sorry, I had to stay,” he said. “You kept muttering in your sleep, and I was afraid you’d get scared if I wasn’t here with you. I realize you may still be upset with me, but that doesn’t change my duty to watch over and protect you.”
“Yeah . . .” She looked down, somewhat embarrassed. She’d never shared a bed with a boy before, let alone a full-grown man like Mathias. An odd sensation formed in the pit of her stomach, both from apprehension and excitement.
And with her first experience sharing a bed, her subconscious decided to wig out on him, leaving her looking wild-eyed and disheveled like Medusa on crack.
Perfect.
Yet even though she knew he’d been there as a shadow and watching, he must have seen her lose it throughout the years. With the “real” man beside her, she was very aware of his presence, feeling mortified and that she owed him an explanation.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you. My dreams can be . . . vivid . . . and hard to tell the difference from the dream and waking at first.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” Mathias chuckled, the sound making her
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