The Pursuit

Six

Maggie stared at the ceiling of the hotel room she shared with Sam, laying on the king size bed. He took her to his hotel room the next town over. There really was no other option for them, it was either the room or the car. You aren't this girl though, she wallowed in her consequences. Maggie laid there, naked,  under the covers looking at the fancy light fixture on the ceiling. She tried to count the number of paint brush swipes on the hand blown glass.  Should I feel happy? I don't even know him, yet I let him fuck me again.

The bathroom door opened and Sam returned to the bed in all his naked glory. Maggie had no shame and watched him crawl under the covers.  He held the covers up above Maggie, exposing her body under the covers. She watched his gaze go down and then back up her body. She watched him lick his lips and then place his hand on her stomach.

"Maggie', he said as their eyes met. "I'd like to get to know you better now that I've begun to have my way with you", he winked and kissed her on the check.

"What would you like to know?"  she question him letting his hand wander her body.

"Everything", he smirked. She smiled back at him. Once he knows everything you won't be able to hide.

Maggie moved her hand to his chest. She played with the black hairs that layered his firm pectorals. "How about we start with some easy questions first?" she asked quizzically.

They laid there in bed and talked for the next hour about their interests, jobs and their families. Maggie never getting into too much detail about her mom or that horrible day, nor the fact that her dad was dating his mom. Whenever Sam got close to either topic she would change the subject or touch him intimately. At one point he directly asked what happened to her mom and she stopped him with her kisses. This lead to another round of play time.

At some point they fell asleep and Maggie found herself dreaming about Sam. She envisioned him being with her, overlooking the woods in her house. The dream was so vivid, until it turned into the nightmare. She knew it was coming as she slept but she could never wake herself up from it. She could never get herself awake in time to end it. 

She watched herself approach the house. It was always the same, dad was out and she was surprising mom with a quick visit. She steps into the kitchen and calls out to her mother. The silence answers her back so she calls out again. She calls out a third time but there's no response.

Her curiosity got the better of her as she knows her mom is home. In the nightmare her mother is always in the house. It's just a matter of finding her. It's gonna happen. Maggie felt her spine tingle but she can't wake up. She tries to stop it, having no conscious control over herself. In the nightmare, the  descending sun beats through the window with little force and the wind whips around the house. The hallowing of the walls and clambering of the windows make her blood run cold. WAKE UP! WAKE UP!

She's hyper aware in the nightmare of her feet and the sound they make as she walks all over the house. Her mother's computer out on the table in the kitchen, her purse hanging by the door and the oven is on for dinner. She couldn't have gone far. Every time it's the same. The lights go out. They flicker, then go out completely, and she has to go to the circuit breaker. She needs to turn the lights on to find her mom. Jesus Christ, Maggie, wake up! She couldn't break the spell as she watches the nightmare like it's  a movie on a jumbo screen.

Her feet move to the basement door and she opens it. She innocently flicks the switch to turn on the light, but it doesn't. She chastises herself in the nightmare, you fool, power's out. Her steps down the stairs are heavy. Each clunk of her foot hitting a step increases her heart beat. She uses her phone as a flashlight and makes her way through the creepy basement to the breaker. She flips the switches on the circuit breaker and the power comes back on.  Now is the time to wake up! She could feel her body start to tremble. She could feel the shaking, the uncontrollable sobs that are wrecking her body as she dives deeper into the nightmare.

Sometimes the nightmare releases her in that instant after she turns the light on. Sometimes, more than most, it won't release her until she watches it played out in full. This time she knows she won't be able to break free. She watches herself turn to go back up the stairs but then there's the noise. She hears the sound of metal scratching something. The sound of the leather rubbing against the wood. She sees the knocked over stool first. The step stool her mother always used because she could never reach anything higher than her height in the house. The step stool leads to the shadow of feet. Maggie could feel the earthquake around her and then tremor run through her. Someone please help me get out!

The shadow leads her gaze to the pair of feet swing back and forth. Swaying from one side to the other. She sees the manicured toes and knows who they belong to.

"Maggie!" the scream shot through her ear. A slap came across her face. Ouch, that fucking hurt! The nightmare faded out before it ended. "Maggie, wake up!" Shaking, cold and sobbing Maggie broke free and saw Sam staring into her eyes with heartbreak. His eyes clouded with panic.

"I'm okay", she reassured him and noticed that her face hurt.

"Bullshit!" Sam yelled at her. She cowered and pulled away from him. He got off the bed and stood. He started to pace the floor and looked at her with such anger. She wrapped herself in her arms and felt the tears start to fall down her cheeks. Why is he so mad at me? I couldn't help it! She looked at him and his eyes changed to a sense of nervousness.

He moved back over the bed and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry". He kissed her forehead and her tears that drop down her face. "I didn't know what to do and you were screaming and sobbing so much and  I ..." he stopped and looked into her eyes. "I was so scared for you", he admitted. "I couldn't get you out of it in time could I?" he stated sadly.

She lifted her hand put it on his cheek as she sees the green in his eyes so clearly. She nodded her head to confirm the truth to him.  She looked away and down to her toes, bare and pale.   Sam took her by the chin and found  her gaze again.

"I need you to tell me", he sternly requested. "I need to know what harms you so I could protect you from it". But he can't . He never would be able to, she regretfully admits.

Maggie looked into his eyes. Who is he? He couldn't help. No one could. She cried uncontrollably this time. He wrapped his arms around her and she folded into him. He pulled the covers over them and shushed  her. "When you're ready I want you to tell me", he resigned. Maggie just nodded and shifted  her head to look at him. Why does he care so much?

Maggie felt him tighten his grip on her and squeezed her to him as though he would never let go. She calmed herself more and then felt a painful shot to her chest again. The darkness only got deeper with the pain. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out like Dr. Potter taught her. "I'm going to tell you a story to calm you down and then maybe if it's boring enough you'll fall into a dreamless sleep", Sam said to her with a hint of humor. "Just know I'll be right here on guard, okay?"  He looked down into her eyes and she nodded assuring him.

In the morning she woke to Sam wrapped and entwined with her. She chuckled and grabbed the covers over herself. She looked at the mascara stains and remembered the nightmare. He didn't run away. You still can't be with him though, the reality check was like a blow to the gut.

She started to get up to assess the damage to her face and text her dad but two massive hands reached for her and dragged her back into the bed. "Not yet! I haven't had my fill just quite", she turned to see the mischievous glare of Sam who wouldn't let her go. Okay, one last hurrah...