I awake clawing at my neck.
I don’t remember what my dream was just about but I’m panicking so much that I can almost feel a heartbeat. I swing my legs over and bend over trying to catch my breath. I am doused in sweat and shaking in terror. My dream must have been terrible. I didn’t sleep well either.
I peer over to Death’s twin bed and find him blissfully snoring. He sleeps like a dead person in a coffin. His hands are in a cross as he sleeps back on the mattress. I would find it amusing if I didn’t think I was going to die again.
I know I can’t die again but my brain is convincing me that someone is out to get me. I want to get away or as far as I can. My bare feet press into the cold wooden planes. Adrenaline runs through my empty bloodless veins as I walk across the room. The barrier doesn’t stop me once I reach the door. It doesn’t stop when I leave the room and close the door behind me.
I can’t see anything but I take off hopeful that the binding circle wore off. I run with my hands in front of me and my worst nightmare comes true. As soon as I reach the end of the hall where I can see the kitchen, my movements slow like gravity is trying to keep me within my limits. Then, I reach the damn invisible wall.
I hit the barrier trying to break it. The electricity shoots up my hand that frays my nerves in my arm. I swallow the yelp and back up with fear laced in my eyes like prey being circled by a predator. Is there someone watching me? Someone after me? I just need to get out of this house. If I can get out, then I’ll be okay.
I start in the other direction. I can feel eyes on me when I know there isn’t anyone there. I can’t die. I cannot. I know that but my brain convinces me otherwise anyway.
The door is right next to the guest room. I open it and little snowflakes come into the house. There is snow covering the place and the bitter cold slashes at my skin. I look back and see if I should. In my mind, I imagine a dark figure standing where I previously stood. Ash brown hair. Crow eyes. A smile that goes from ear to ear, ready to drown me again.
I close the door, locking myself outside. I want to leave. I can’t do this.
I inch with my hand out until I reach the limit. It’s under the guest room window so I keep low so Death doesn’t see me like this. I know I’m being irrational but being outside in this now blinding snow is better than being inside.
I cuddle beside a dying bush and allow all the pain from the cold bullets to affect me. I want it to help me to forget all this terror. I bring myself into a fetus position and my brain conjures up a distorted twisted disfigured version of Marlon peering down at me from the bedroom window.
I let out a strangled cry clutching my knees to my chest. “Please go away,”
Ice begins to form on my eyelashes. I have never felt cold like this. I shiver and cough.
“Fine,” I whisper, frost mixing with my breath “I accept it. I accept you getting away with it. Sometimes we never get even. I get it, just go away.”
A hot scorching heat comes from the side of my chest. I stick my hand and my fingers graze against the calling crystal. The red crystal glows and calls to me. I stare at it entranced. A name bubbles in my throat and catches onto my tongue. As the foreign words begin to pass my lips, a bang and a deep rumbling noise comes from above.
I gaze up at the window and the figure is still there. Did that make the noise?
I shakily put the stone back into my concealed pocket. It smiles even wider. “Long time no see,”
It’s all in my mind! Snap out of it. I shake my head and dig my nails into the snow. “I accept! I accept the way this world works. Let me leave!”
A hot wave goes from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. The step is accepted and done. I peer up at the window again fearing for my sanity. The figure is gone. I drop to the floor in relief.
“You think you got rid of me?”
I freeze. My lower lip trembles as I peer right outside my limits. I stare at his thin paper thin legs and slowly raise my eyes to his horrifying face. Parts of him are obscured by the snowfall as his white dinner plates for eyes take me in.
My body drags itself to him without my permission. I can’t move or speak. All I can do is let myself be dragged. The barrier stops me from getting to him. Instead of just stopping, my body starts to slide up against the open never ending cylinder.
“Anwen?” Death calls out from inside.
I’m getting higher. My feet dangle and fear solidifies in my throat, choking me.
“ANWEN?” Death says, his voice getting more hysterical.
At last my throat opens up and I scream like hell.
“Anwen!”
The side door opens and he looks all over. His eyes never land on the figure that holds me captive. It’s like he can’t see it.
Marlon’s distorted twin raises his hand and I go up several more feet. I cry hot tears and scream more with each foot I go higher.
Death looks around before he raises his gaze to me finally. His eyes finally connect to mine. He picks up a stick and begins to draw a circle. He mutters doing whatever he’s doing as fast as he can. He finishes the circle by drawing a slash in the middle. He stands in the middle and begins to chant.
The figure screeches and his skin bubbles before melting. The cold freezes over his boiling flesh making his remains turn to frost. His release is finally felt. My body goes upwards one more foot and the feeling is identical to that of when one is riding a roller coaster. The second your car goes over the highest peak and your stomach feels like it’s being pulled to the heavens before it all drops down taking your fright with it.
An ear piercing scream emits from me as my body drops from the extreme height. Death rushes to me and climbs the building in top speed. He stands where he estimates I’ll land. As I plummet further, he realizes his calculations are off.
I squeeze my eyes shut expecting my body to slam against the cold hard snow covered concrete. My body is swept into strong arms and a sturdy chest. Us colliding makes us spin as we hit the ground. He keeps me close and takes most of the impact. We roll into the snow until we come to a stop.
His chest heaves up and down with labor. His heart is pressed against my chest as we stay pressed against each other. Death doesn’t say anything. He just holds me as I cry. We stay clutched to each other for a while before he picks me up.
I notice his limp and I hang onto his neck. “Are you okay?”
“Am I okay?” Death says, with a look of disbelief “Are you okay?”
I tighten my grip and Death gets his response. A creak is heard from behind. My head snaps to the sound. My nails dig into Death’s arm.
“The hex is gone,” Death assures me. “It’s gone,”
“But I feel him,”
“Him?”
“Marlon. He wanted to kill me again,” I say. “I felt his intentions. He wanted to kill me again,”
Death cocks his head. “You saw the hex?”
“Yes, I did,” I say, looking at Death’s perplexed face “Is that bad?”
“No, it’s just that no one…” Death starts “Don’t worry about it,”
We walk deeper into the kitchen. He sets me onto the couch and goes into the open kitchen. I watch him. “What are you doing?”
“Making you some soup,”
_______
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He knows he’s hot.