A Light in the Dark

Chapter 7 - Nightmares

A Light in the Dark: Chapter 7 - Nightmares

Suddenly all the faerie guards' eyes lit up in excitement, which confused me--until Raymond calmly told me that faeries can run fast, and the feeling of being free and content comes with it. Faeries love the feeling.

If only I can have that in my life. . . being free and content . . .

"Sapphire?" Raymond's voice puts me out of my thoughts.

I blink up at him, making him chuckle in amusement.

"Since we have no other terms of transportation, we use our speed. And well, I'm not letting you walk or do anything straining on your body in your state. . ." he trails off.

I blink at him again, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you mind if I carry you?" the question blurts out of his mouth.

My eyes widen in shock. Did he just ask for my permission? No one has ever done that before. . .

Raymond chuckles. "What's so shocking?"

I clear all my thoughts of what just happened. I just shake my head back and forth, signaling for him to forget about it.

He eyes me suspiciously. "Are you sure . . .?"

I nod my head.

"Okay then. . . so is it okay if I--" he's cut of by me nodding my head after a slight hesitance. Okay, I tell myself as I realize something. I'm already becoming more comfortable with the idea of being free--No. I think firmly. I can't let my guard down. There is no way something in this world can be kind and pure--absolutely nothing. Don't get your hopes up. . . Sapphire. My new name is already coming more quickly to me as I kept thinking about it. Soon, he'll start acting like the bad man, and my horrid life will just be moved elsewhere--

I was interrupted out of my thoughts as I felt myself being lifted off the ground which was my sanctuary. Oh--why did I have to nod to what he asked for?! Being in this position makes me vulnerable! Raymond could scratch me, or throw me to the ground--or the trees--or to another person. . . he could kill me and just leave me there abandoned on this grass-filled ground all alone, bloody, and defenseless--

"Sapphire. . ." a soft voice calls me out of my panic. "Are you alright?"

I quickly bring my eyes up to meet Raymond's. I nod, but his worry only increased. His eyebrows came together into a slight frown.

"Are you sure?"

I nod.

"Then why are you so tense?"

I look down at my arms, confused, and sure enough--they were held tightly with tension, refusing to relax into Raymond's gentle embrace.

"You don't have to be scared, Sapphire. Not anymore. I won't let anything hurt you ever again. . ." Raymond whispers quietly, looking down at my tensed body with pain-filled eyes.

Seeing him like that makes me sad also, and for some reason I feel. . . comfortable in his arms, so in no time my body was relaxed against his. My head was resting on his shoulder, my face facing the crook of his neck.

Yes. . . very comfortable. . .

Soon I was so relaxed I started to feel my eyelids drooping closed.

No! I can't sleep! Those dreams--nightmares. . . they're horrible.

My body shudders with fear and I can feel the arms holding me embrace me tighter. No matter how hard I try, I feel myself slipping away--away into the frightening realm of nightmares and hell. . . and in that, I didn't even realize it when my fingers had found a piece of Raymond's clothing and held on tightly, refusing to let go.

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(A/N: doesn't that sound like a good ending for this chapter? I REALLY wanted to stop here because it sounded so. . . perfect. But then I saw how short this chapter was, and I know how it feels to read a chapter and realize it's short, then have to wait for the next upload. . .it's horrible, right? So I decided to continue )

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"Sapphire? Sapph!" a frightened voice whispered urgently through my hazed mind, breaking me out of the horrible world of nightmares and pain.

My eyes blink open quickly, and I am instantly faced with bright, emerald green--emeralds that were filled with worry.

"Are you alright?" a panicked Raymond asked, "Don't worry, it was just a dream. It wouldn't hurt you. . ."

Then I realized he was rocking us back and forth, myself again wrapped in his arms. But now we were in a. . . cave? I heard of these from the bad man's books. It is slightly dark in here--just like that basement I was so used to, but there was a little ray of light coming from one side. I can see all the faerie guards around us, laying around. Some were sleeping, some were talking quietly, and some were pacing around the cave. I turn back to Raymond.

His eyes are once again filled with pain, and he lifts a hand towards my face. I flinch back, making his eyes droop with disappointment. His hand drops back to his sides.

Now I'm the one panicking.

"I-I--I'm so s-sorry. . . I was just--" I stutter, not really used to the feeling of talking much.

His eyes soften. "It's okay. I didn't mean to frighten you. You were crying and--I didn't want you to. . ."

My eyes widen. I quickly raise a hand to touch my cheeks, and sure enough--they were wet with tears. Raymond now lifts a hand again--but slowly, trying not to scare me--and I have to force myself not to flinch back. He puts his thumb under my eye and wipe my tears away. I am shocked by the display of. . .something. No one ever looked at me this way. . .

My eyes drop to the ground of the cave and I can feel my cheeks heating up--and it's a weird sensation. Raymond chuckles.

"So, I'm sorry to be asking this but--what. . ." he trails off, looking into another part of the cave, away from my face. "What was that. . . nightmare about?"

I instantly stiffen, trying to force the frightening images away which were now flashing against my eyes. I knew they were horrifying, but that didn't stop me from seeing them. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to stop the wave of images, but they only became stronger. I can feel myself starting to tear up again and I whimpered.

"Sapph. . .I'm sorry. . . If you don't want to tell me it's okay. . ."

No! Please. . . it's not that. . .Just please, make it go away. . .

"N-no!" I gasp, my eyes still tightly shut. My body was thick with tension. "Make it go away. . ." I whimpered quietly. It was so quiet I didn't think he heard but soon enough, he was hugging me tightly and rocking us back and forth again.

He was whispering reassuring words against my ear, and even though I was distracted by the images the words broke through my hearing, and soon the words were distracting me. They sounded so. . .caring and kind that I forced the images away. I rested my head against his shoulders again, and I can feel my shoulders relax out of the tension I was so used to.

It's so warm. . .and. . .nice.

I feel something drape against my shoulders, covering the top half of my body. I soon fall into a blissful sleep--one that I have never had. In my whole entire life. In fact, it was so blissful I was sure I finally felt the corner of my lips pulling up into a slight smile--and it was gave a surprising shock of pleasure throughout my mind. It felt good to smile.

Finally. . .