outside, he couldn't see a thing. The sound of nails scratching across the window made him cringe and, without thought, he ran back upstairs.
As he opened the front door, the dark seemed to take on a shape and the overpowering scent of rotting leaves filled his nostrils. The darkness moved towards him as he stepped back. A moist coolness wrapped itself around his neck and began to squeeze. Sharp nails dug into his back, and he couldn't stop himself from screaming. His hands tried to pry the coolness from around his neck, but he couldn't get a grip on whatever it was. As he writhed against its hold, the nails scraped up his back and another scream tore from his throat before the breath was squeezed out of him and darkness descended.
Beneath his closed eyelids, there was an orange glow from the bright light and he heard whispered voices. Slowly, he opened his eyes and let out a breath of relief as he recognised his own living room. As he sat up, his back burned where his muscles moved and his neck throbbed.
"Matt. Lie back down!" Jess shouted at him. Ignoring her, he swung his legs to the floor and sat up.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. When I heard you scream, I thought you were having another nightmare. But then I found you on the floor in the doorway, unconscious. I couldn't move you and then, well, I was scared so I asked Emma to come round." He turned his head to look over his shoulder and met Emma's eyes. From the size of them, Jess wasn't the only one who was scared.
"I'm fine. There's nothing to be scared of."
Emma took his hand and pulled him toward the mirror. Circling his neck was a red, raised ring of skin. He touched his fingers to it and winced. It felt sticky, like duct tape had been ripped off. Emma turned him so he was looking at his back in the mirror. His top had three rips down it and, through the holes, he could see his skin was raised and red there, as well. He met Emma's eyes in the mirror and swallowed hard. He couldn't think of a single thing to say to erase the lines from around her eyes and forehead. The same lines reflected on his own face because he had no idea what had caused those marks.
Turning to face Emma, he pulled her against his chest, burying his face in her hair. The almond scent of her hair filled his nostrils and blocked everything else except for the feel of her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
***
Breakfast had an air of sombreness. Jess had left Matt and Emma alone the night before, but Emma wasn't there anymore and it looked like Jess intended to make the most of it.
"You need to go see the doctor."
Matt stared at her for a beat before raising his eyebrows. "And what would you suggest I say when the good doctor asks me how the injury came about?"
"That you were attacked."
"And when he asks me who attacked me and if I reported it to the police?" He watched as Jess tried to think of an answer but then just shook her head. "Exactly. I have no idea who, or what, attacked me. I mean, it looks like I tried to hang myself or had some seriously kinky sex." He finished his coffee, placing the mug back on the table before lifting a hand to his neck. "It's not so sore now anyway. I called Miriam, and she's going to cover the museum for me."
"Just try and get some rest then. I'm going to take the rest of my stuff to Emma's place. No, I guess it's our place now. I'll be back at lunch to check on you."
He shook his head but didn't want to argue anymore. He felt fine, even if he didn't look it.
After Jess left, he poured himself another coffee and took it upstairs to the living room. The house felt quiet without Jess around. He sat on the sofa and glanced around the room, feeling uneasy. Restless, like he should've been doing something. He laughed out loud at that thought. What was it, about two months since he'd first met Emma, and he'd been feeling unsettled that day. His routine, the rut his life had been in had been bothering him.
Look at me now. Monday
As he opened the front door, the dark seemed to take on a shape and the overpowering scent of rotting leaves filled his nostrils. The darkness moved towards him as he stepped back. A moist coolness wrapped itself around his neck and began to squeeze. Sharp nails dug into his back, and he couldn't stop himself from screaming. His hands tried to pry the coolness from around his neck, but he couldn't get a grip on whatever it was. As he writhed against its hold, the nails scraped up his back and another scream tore from his throat before the breath was squeezed out of him and darkness descended.
Beneath his closed eyelids, there was an orange glow from the bright light and he heard whispered voices. Slowly, he opened his eyes and let out a breath of relief as he recognised his own living room. As he sat up, his back burned where his muscles moved and his neck throbbed.
"Matt. Lie back down!" Jess shouted at him. Ignoring her, he swung his legs to the floor and sat up.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. When I heard you scream, I thought you were having another nightmare. But then I found you on the floor in the doorway, unconscious. I couldn't move you and then, well, I was scared so I asked Emma to come round." He turned his head to look over his shoulder and met Emma's eyes. From the size of them, Jess wasn't the only one who was scared.
"I'm fine. There's nothing to be scared of."
Emma took his hand and pulled him toward the mirror. Circling his neck was a red, raised ring of skin. He touched his fingers to it and winced. It felt sticky, like duct tape had been ripped off. Emma turned him so he was looking at his back in the mirror. His top had three rips down it and, through the holes, he could see his skin was raised and red there, as well. He met Emma's eyes in the mirror and swallowed hard. He couldn't think of a single thing to say to erase the lines from around her eyes and forehead. The same lines reflected on his own face because he had no idea what had caused those marks.
Turning to face Emma, he pulled her against his chest, burying his face in her hair. The almond scent of her hair filled his nostrils and blocked everything else except for the feel of her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
***
Breakfast had an air of sombreness. Jess had left Matt and Emma alone the night before, but Emma wasn't there anymore and it looked like Jess intended to make the most of it.
"You need to go see the doctor."
Matt stared at her for a beat before raising his eyebrows. "And what would you suggest I say when the good doctor asks me how the injury came about?"
"That you were attacked."
"And when he asks me who attacked me and if I reported it to the police?" He watched as Jess tried to think of an answer but then just shook her head. "Exactly. I have no idea who, or what, attacked me. I mean, it looks like I tried to hang myself or had some seriously kinky sex." He finished his coffee, placing the mug back on the table before lifting a hand to his neck. "It's not so sore now anyway. I called Miriam, and she's going to cover the museum for me."
"Just try and get some rest then. I'm going to take the rest of my stuff to Emma's place. No, I guess it's our place now. I'll be back at lunch to check on you."
He shook his head but didn't want to argue anymore. He felt fine, even if he didn't look it.
After Jess left, he poured himself another coffee and took it upstairs to the living room. The house felt quiet without Jess around. He sat on the sofa and glanced around the room, feeling uneasy. Restless, like he should've been doing something. He laughed out loud at that thought. What was it, about two months since he'd first met Emma, and he'd been feeling unsettled that day. His routine, the rut his life had been in had been bothering him.
Look at me now. Monday
Similar Books
