The Raven and the Rose (Part 1)

Chapter Twelve ~ The Rose

Pain. It felt like burning lava was flowing through me, slowly etching its way on my skin in every part possible. I struggled to breathe, and when I opened my eyes, all I saw was darkness. "Argh." I groaned and tried to sit up, but I froze when I felt the smooth fabric of bedsheets underneath my palms. My eyes widened as my hand creeped up to my neck, and when they both made contact on a certain spot on my skin, it burned. I hissed from the pain that shot through me, then looked around to find that I was in Vince's room. But just when I was about to get up, I pressed my arm on the bed and winced. Why did it hurt there? I lifted up my arm to see that there was no bruise anywhere, but what I did notice was that there was a very small dot in the middle of my forearm, so small that I didn't notice it at first glance. My eyes widened. Vince never gave me a needle there, unless... I glanced over my shoulder to see the ripped bedsheets and frowned. Did he give me the toxin while I was unconscious? I shook my head. No. He couldn't have. He never gave it to me when I was asleep.

But just as I was about to move off the bed, something jumped out at me. "Ah!" I cried and threw my hands up to cover my face. But when nothing came, I slowly lowered my hands to see Vince hovering over me with a grin on his face. I looked up at him with a frightened gaze, my lips trembling. "What are you doing?" I asked him, but he shushed me by placing a finger on my lips. "Shh, Valentina. It's alright." he said softly, and leaned in to press a kiss against my cheek. My eyes widened when I felt something cold against my chest, and he leaned away, letting me see that he had planted a knife in my heart. But strangely enough, I didn't feel pain at all. I looked up at him and managed to ask through trembling lips: "What did you just do to me?" He chuckled, and in the darkness of the room, I saw that there was an evil look in his eyes. He looked me over with a gaze I couldn't scrutinize, but when he finally leaned towards me, that's when I understood what he was looking at me with... lust. "Sweet dreams, Valentina." he whispered, and then pressed the knife deeper into my heart. This time I did scream, only because I felt the blade making its way deeper into my heart.

Screaming, I shot upright on the bed. I lifted my hand up to my forehead to feel that I was as wet as a duck. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and looked around me, and I wasn't at all surprised to see that I was in Vince's room, and I had no doubt that he brought me here after an unsuccessful attempt at escaping... again. When the events of my nightmare came back to me, my eyes widened and I slowly brought my arm up at eye level so that I could examine it. And there it was. The very small dot in the middle of my forearm where he had plunged the needle... for the third dose of the toxin. I closed my eyes and slumped back against the bed, my head hitting the soft pillow. But just when I was about to fall asleep, a loud noise made me open my eyes and sit back up on the bed. I frowned upon seeing Vince entering the bedroom, his face contorted with anger. He didn't even look at me once as he opened the cabinet under the TV and grabbed a towel before throwing it over his shoulder, and then opening the bathroom door and walking inside, slamming the door behind him. I swallowed. What was wrong with him?

~/~

After waiting for about ten minutes, the bathroom door opened and Vince walked out, but I was surprised and grateful at the same time that he came out fully dressed. He ruffled his wet hair and upon seeing me staring at him, he froze in his tracks and gave me an annoyed look. "What?" he asked. I shrugged and gripped the bed sheets tightly. "Nothing." I lied. I didn't want to make eye contact with him. Especially not after having a nightmare about him killing me. He frowned at me and took a step closer, but when I saw the movement he made, I backed up against the headboard of the bed. "Don't." I warned him. He looked confused for a few moments before he asked: "Nightmare?" Unable to trust my voice, I nodded. He didn't seem too surprised by my confirmation as he walked over to me and sat on the edge of the bed. He patted my foot encouragingly, keeping his eyes down. "Was it about me?" he asked, softly, and started to draw little circles on the top of my foot. Shivering, I pulled my foot back, earning a look of surprise from him, and pulled the bed sheets closer to my body to keep myself warm despite the room already being very warm.