"Stop that."
I jumped slightly as my eyes shot over to the familiar hulking form standing in the doorway of my bathroom. I always forget how tall Derek is until I'm standing right next to him. Or in this case in front of him.
"Stop what?" my brows...
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The sky is a bruised purple when I peel my eyes open.
Heart hammering against my ribcage, I gripped the edge of the couch, pulling myself into an upright position. The damp fabric of my shirt molded to my sweat soaked skin, a lone bead rolling between my breasts. Cool air pebbled the landscape of my flesh and shivers trailed down my spine.
I don't remember the dream, which is a first, but by the way I can hardly catch my breath, I know it was one of those dreams. The ones where nothing I do can stop what is bound to happen.
Someone died. And it was my fault— again.
Another cold breeze filtered through the room, chilling me to the bone. Through half-lidded eyes I scanned my surroundings.
Where am I? And why is it so cold?
There are a few things about the place that feel almost familiar, but I just can't quite put my finger on it. Almost like getting a whiff of a certain smell that unlocks a childhood memory, but you just can't specify what the smell is.
“Because I love you…”
Oh, that's right. Derek confessed… that must mean I'm at the cabin…
His words echoed in the back of my skull as I slowly stumbled to my feet. Stars blurred my vision the instant I stood upright, forcing me to sit back down to regain my bearings. Pressing the heels of my hands to my tired, burning eyes I hoped to wipe away any semblance of exhaustion.
“Well, well, well… it's been a while…” My heart stopped at the sound of that sick, familiar voice. The one that haunts my every waking nightmare and every waking daydream. Except, the voice is usually in my head, this time was different. “... Little Alice."
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I felt the cushion of the couch next to me dip. My eyes were still closed, covered by my now trembling hands and I flinched, feeling a cold hand trail up my arm.
“Come now, Little Alice… didn't you miss me?” He asked teasingly, continuing to trail his hand past my shoulder to the back of my neck.
His thin, boney hand gently ran through the dark tendrils of my hair, before violently grabbing a handful and yanking it backwards. A surprised yelp of pain tore through my throat as my head snapped back, my hands leaving my face.
I kept my eyes closed; too scared to face him just yet.
“Answer me when I'm talking to you, Bitch!" The cold droplets of his spit felt like ice landing in the skin of my cheek and I cringed at the feeling. “Now!"
“No!" I finally answered, trying to rip away from his iron grip. His other hand pressed firmly on my thigh, keeping me in place as a whimper left my trembling lips. Tears had already started streaming down my face the second he started to touch me.
