Brahms Heelshire

Chapter Four

I open my eyes and my hands immediately attach themselves to my neck. I quickly sit up and notice I can breathe. There's no blood anywhere. It was just a nightmare. I let out an exhausted breath. I'm still tired. I cant believe that was only a dream. I've never had a dream or nightmare with Brahms in it. And it felt so real, too real for my liking. 

The light is on. I slept the entire night through?  That's a first. Footsteps. He's coming. I hear him walk into the room and I normally don't look but today, I couldn't not look. So I turn and see he's not carrying a tray. No, don't let this happen to me. I hesitantly look down. My heart drops. He's carrying a knife.

I immediately back up to the wall pulling my knees to my chest.

"Brahms please don't do this! No not again. We can talk about this, you don't have to do this!"

Tears are streaming down my face. I'm trying to keep myself together but I can't. Not when my nightmares are coming true. He continues walking over and he crouches by the bed. My hands shake. My breathing is out of control. I can barely see anything through my tears.

"In....out....in....out.." It's his voice. It's somehow calm and soothing. He's come to murder you. I don't know why I listen, but I do. He repeats himself a few times and my breathing slows almost to a normal rate. I still have tears running down my face. I'm too scared to move.

Then I feel a hand on my face. His. He is wiping away my tears.

"P-Please don't kill me. I-I don't--" I start crying again. I can't control myself.

"I would never hurt you unless I had to. You know that Emersyn." His voice is so calm and steady. He removes his hand from my face and I still don't move. I then hear a strange noise. So then I move to wipe my tears and there he is. He is using the knife to cut the rope. Why is he cutting it? Can't he untie it like he has many times before?

I stay silent as he finishes cutting the rope. I bring my hand into my lap and stare at him confused. He stands up and looks down at me.

"I'm letting you go freely around this home. You can do whatever you wish to, just don't go outside. You can't leave me. Understood?" He is so calm and the look in his eyes just makes me feel calm and safe.

He's a murderer. He's an evil man. He will kill you here.

I still don't move. I flinch slightly though when he takes a hold onto my left hand and pulls me up to stand. I don't say anything to him and his eyes dart across my face as if he's looking for something.

After a minute, still holding onto my hand, he guides me through the walls and we eventually make it to the kitchen. There are two plates on the table with sandwiches and a glass of water placed by each plate. I go over and sit as he sits across from me. I stare at the food and I can feel his eyes on me.

"I-I had a nightmare....you..you killed me in it.." I look up at him as I finish the sentence. His eyes bore into mine. A silence fills the room. I look away from him.

"I would never do that to you." His voice is quiet this time. I look up at him and this time I see emotion in his eyes. I don't know what, but there's something.

"Thank you, Brahms." I don't mean to, but my voice is just a whisper. I then slowly pick up my sandwich and begin eating it. I see him from my peripheral vision lift his mask just above his mouth. I want to look, just to see that part of his face, but I don't. He doesn't deserve privacy. You should be able to see his face. 

I still don't look. I let him remain a mystery.