"After the Fall"
Part 4
by Rose and Beryll
- Hugh POV -
It hurts. The cold air cutting into my lungs with every gasp for breath. My stomach cramping from running. Unused to the exertion, weakened by starvation and constant mutilation. My feet ragged and bloodied. My right hand an agonizing blaze of pain, my whole arm throbbing with it.
"You will find a way inside for me. Worm into their hearts with your innocent face and pretty, pleading eyes. And then you will let us in." His voice next to my ear, whispering so sweetly like it's endearments and not icy threats he speaks. His fist clenching on my broken fingers. My own screams echoing in my ears.
His other hand twisting in my hair, yanking my head around so I am faced with the one thing I love, the one reason for life.
"Look at him, my darling. You will come back for him, won't you? Won't leave him to my tender mercy, will you? You know what I will do to him while you are away? While you are not here to keep me amused? You better hurry if you want to find him in one piece."
God, Dominic, how I hate you!
I would be as cold and dead as this earth if it wasn't for your grey eyes warming me as once the sun did. If it wasn't for your rare smiles that makes me remember the smell of freshly cut grass in summer.
How I wish I had been born after the Fall. Never to have known what sunlight feels like on cool skin, never to have seen children laughing freely. Never to have reached an age where you start to dream, where you start to consciously observe, when you are capable of understanding the horror of your world breaking apart into shards that cut to the bone.
I think I can hear the dogs panting. Much too close. He wants me to get into their castle, says they will take me in if I am hunted, if I can get them to pity me. I want to believe that but how can I when I haven't known pity since...
No! Don't go there! Don't remember! Live in the here and now, live for each breath, there is no past.
Barking, howling behind me. They are as hungry as I am, they are his possession just as I am. They must be filled with as much hatred and fear. He wants me to get away. He said he wants me to get away. Then why are they so close?
If I stumble again they will be upon me. They will rip me to shreds. So much for his carefully laid plans. Or was that his plan all along? Just another of his cruel games? I can't help it, my thoughts start to raise: Have I offended him? Not been amusing lately? Not been pliant enough? The urge to please him so deeply ingrained by now I can't break free.
Again I slip on the frozen ground, barely keeping my balance. I know I'm getting closer to the castle but I also begin to realize that his plan has a fatal flaw. I won't make it. I'm not as strong as him. I can’t run that far. I just can't. My lungs burn with every breath now, can't even feel my feet anymore.
I hear the dogs so loud now. Just like back when they first hunted me down. When he let them chew me up, when he let me beg and whine for my life, when he 'saved' me.
Why do I still run at all? I would have been better off lying down to feed his dogs back then. I would be much better off now. Why do I still run? Why did I have to fall in love?
I wish it would just end.
And then the world twists and turns and shatters as I finally fall. I hear myself scream, the frozen earth rushes towards me, pain explodes, first in my ankle - bones breaking, the crush as loud as thunder - then in my arm as it impacts with the ground.
But it's not over yet. I just have the time to turn over to see a dark, furred body hurl towards me, all teeth and claws. For a moment our eyes meet, I see myself reflected in the dog's eye - weak, helpless, prey.
Then a shot rings and the dog is yank to the side by the force of the impacting bullet. Like in slow motion I see it exit the body, ripping out flesh, spraying the air with hot blood. More shots, the dogs yelping and whining, then their howling farther and farther away as they do what I did - run for their lives.
Numbness settles over me. The pain too overwhelming to still comprehend, meaningless. I just lie here, wondering how I can still be alive. Johnny? Are you here? Are you saving me again? I don't won't to be saved.
A face swims into focus above me. For a moment it's all blurry, cut in half. Then I realize that it's just a woolen scarf wrapped around the lower half for warmth. A hand in a thick leather glove pulls down the scarf, exposing a mouth that mirrors the worried expression in the green eyes.
Worry.
When have I last seen worry?
Dominic.
"Are you all right, lad?" Warmth in that voice. Care. Pity.
Who would have thought it could be that easy...
Am I all right? Most certainly not. I haven't been all right forever. I don't even remember what all right feels like.
But it doesn't matter. His plan will work.
And Dominic will be safe.
Again the face above me blurs as consciousness starts to fade. Should say something, should worm into their hearts... try to speak... but the darkness is so soft... so welcoming...
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go to PART 5