Deceitful Marriage

Chapter 03

Darkness surrounds me. Everywhere I turn there is pitch-dark blackness—apart from the floor being a dark red. There's nowhere to run or scream for help. When I turn around for the tenth time, my eyes spot a lady laying on the ground. Her back is facing me and her long brown hair is sprawled all over the floor. She doesn't seem to be moving, so when I slowly creep up to her I recognize who she is.

Serina Dusana.

Me.

Her whole face is bloody along with something oozing out of her head. When my hands try to reach her, she snaps her eyes open and screams. Screaming her lungs out so loudly that I fall and fall into the void. No one can save me.

My sweaty body jolts up along with a loud gasp. It's dark in here. I hadn't escaped. The void did swallow me up. My lips tremble as my hands roam around, feeling for anything to protect me. The air isn't making its way through my broken lungs. It's suffocating in here and there's no way—

A light flicks on to my left and someone comes into view, their arms on either side of me. "Serina? What's wrong? You're trembling."

His voice is so soothing and concern is written all over that beautiful face of his. My hands reach out and, ever so gently, touch his warm cheek to make sure he's real. "Jasper."

Jasper leans into my touch and closes his eyes, "Yes?"

"Can we leave a light on?" My thumb caresses his strong jawline and briefly touches his lower lip. He's real. What I had was just a nightmare. I'm alive.

Not dead on the ground with blood pooling around me.

He kisses my thumb and opens his eyes, "Of course but you never answered my question. Are you okay?"

Lightening ripples through me. Those perfect lips. How would it feel for them to be against mine? My body? Everywhere? Kissing a protective shield from the darkness that wants to eat me alive. My mind slaps me back into reality as I quickly withdraw my hand, "I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

Jasper slightly slumps and has a downcast gaze, "You're okay. Whatever happened wasn't real."

My heart tugs with sadness because what if I gave him false hope by touching his cheek—his lips? Thinking that I had my memories back for a moment? Even if there was no chance of that happening.

"I'm sorry," I stammer as my hands clench onto the bedsheets, "Didn't mean to scare you."

He sits on his side of the bed again and stares ahead, "No need for an apology. Get some sleep. I'll stay up for a bit."

I lay on my side, away from him, and focus on the light that's beaming behind me. Watching Jasper's shadow as he presses a hand to his face.

     Yeah, I didn't get an ounce of sleep last night and I should've taken the chance because Jasper did indeed stay up for almost two hours till I felt him lay down again. But my mind was wandering around in fear of that nightmare coming back, so my eyes never shut for more than a few seconds. Jasper got up a while ago to make breakfast, I could smell food coming from the kitchen. My stomach grumbles as I get up from bed and stretch my tired bones. The crutches are by my nightstand as I snatch them and go to the bathroom real quick. After finishing up, I saunter out of the room and down the hall. Pictures on the wall catch my eye as some of them contain Jasper and me smiling cheek against cheek. Others are us on top of a mountain, skiing, hiking, on a rollercoaster, and more adventures we've had. My body halts to one of Jasper in a full black tuxedo and myself in a beautiful wedding dress. His arms are wrapped around my waist as mine are on his cheeks, kissing each other as people in the background jump in celebration.