Sommerstall Academy

Chapter 45

Florence

Run! My lungs are screaming and my legs burning but I keep running because I know if the man behind me gets me, it'll be so much worse. I see Elija's silhouette in the distance so I scream his name. I just need to reach him. Just a little more and I'll be safe. He'll help me.

But when he turns to look at me, he's not himself. His face is wrinkled, his eyebrows bushy, his lips thin and cracked and his eyes a cold blue instead of a dark brown. I take a startled step back, covering my mouth with my hands so I don't scream or throw up. Maybe both.

Then a set of hands grab me from behind, twisting me around by my arm. I suddenly can't move, pain burning up where the stranger is touching me like a paralyzing venom. Tears stream down my face but I can't fight the stranger off. Not when his hands start roaming my body and not when he leans closer so his lips almost touch mine. Instead of kissing me, he talks though.

"Florence," is all he says but the voice doesn't suit him. It's too young, too smooth.

"Florence," the man repeats, this time against my neck. I can feel his wet breath on the curve of my shoulder and I have to bite back bile.

"Florence!" My eyes snap open but I still can't move. Elija's looking at me, seeming relieved to see me awake but I'm still panicking. Why can't I move? Why can't I speak?

"Woah, hey, breathe," Elija snaps, noticing something is wrong. He cups my face with his hands and it's like a spell is broken. My hands fly up to wrap around his wrists, needing to make sure he's really here.

"Fuck," I say. "I couldn't move."

"Sleep paralysis. You were having a nightmare and wouldn't wake up," he says, sitting back on his knees. "Was it about last night?"

"Yeah," I tell him, focusing on the way his thumb is stroking my cheek instead of what I dreamt of. Is that what would have happened if I hadn't gotten away? Not the part with Elija, of course, but the other aspects. I shudder at the thought. I'm safe, I remind myself.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think it's okay. Probably just my brain trying to cope with what happened but I'm sure it won't happen again. Now, I don't want to throw you out but I need to catch up on some reading. You can stay, of course. Just don't try to talk to me because I will ignore you," I tell him sweetly. Honestly, my escapism has been feeling neglected. Besides, I could use a break from this reality right about now.

"Bold of you to assume I won't read something myself. You said I had to read Legendborn since it's one of your favorite Y/As. I think I'm in the mood for that. After we ate breakfast, of course," he says. I groan comically.

"But if I eat then I won't be able to lie down to read," I complain, turning on my bed until I'm sprawled over him. Elija said he'd like me to tell him about my ed so he can understand it better and try to help as long as I'm comfortable with it. I'm not going to sit him down and give him a lecture though. It's either dealing with it with sarcasm and humor or not at all.

The guy beneath me muses. "Sitting's really good for you. Or so I've heard. Besides, I'm starving and eating alone is just sad. Your pick though since I'm feeling generous," he teases me. I sit up, pouting, and hit his shoulder. "Don't look at me like that. Your brain needs something to work off if it's going to spend the next few hours creating different words and characters."

"Fine. I like apples, they're easy to stomach. Fruit and vegetables work best on bad days, generally. Not bananas though."

"Is today a bad day?" he asks, sitting up himself. His hair is all tousled from sleep and I itch with the urge to lean over and run my fingers through it. But I remind myself that we're having a conversation and that'd be very inappropriate.