What hurts the most

Part 4

Part 4:

John:

I desperately need some fresh air so I hurriedly stumble out of bed. As I stand upright, a sharp pain shoots from the back of my neck up to my temple, causing me to grab my head and fall to my knees.
Darkness surrounds me yet again but this time strange flashes of light appear and Stefanos voice rings in my ears. "Remember my Pawn...Remember your mission.. Remember what you came here to do."

What the hell is happening to me?
After what feels like forever, the pain fades and my vision comes back normal, so I slowly rise to my feet and head to the door.

I don't know what I expected to find outside..daylight, sunshine, rain and clouds?
But I'm met by the largest full moon I have ever seen, silently welcoming me back to the real world and all its beauty.

I start walking on shaky legs, letting the moon guide me to a destination that is unknown to me at this moment.

Marlena:

"Woaw doc..look at the moon?" Roman says joyfully as he tugs at my hand, almost dragging me down towards the pier.

"Hmm...it is quite spectacular tonight." I mumble as I look up at the large object with wonder. I'm not superstitious or spiritual in any way but I feel some kind of strange pull from it tonight. I remember reading an article once, about the magic of the moon, not just the scientific fact of how it affects the earth but also how it impacts people's lives.
I remember one part from that article saying that the full moon is connected to our feelings, and we can expect things or feelings to reveal themselves when the moon is fully illuminated and shining from dusk till dawn. And the full moon shows us, that if one wishes to start something new and make room for change, one must need to let go of something else.
Tonight that resonates with me. I need to really reflect on what is holding me back from doing what I really want, what my heart desires.

As we are getting closer to the pier I suddenly stop when I shiver runs down my spine. I can't describe the feeling that comes along as my blood turns cold. Normally when this happens it's usually caused by a feeling of fear or danger, or John's presence. Every time he enters a room my body reacts, long before I even see him. His simple presence is enough to cause the air to slowly leave my lungs, make goosebumps appear and the world around me disappear. It's always been that way..But this seems different..

John:

I find myself at the pier, our special place. I don't recall how I ended up here. It's as if I have been sleep walking or hypnotized by the moonlight to follow the path to where I once found the answers to my prayers.
I look up at the moon and can't help but laugh out loud at the irony. It really feels like it's mocking me as it lights up the entire place, making sure that it is very clear that nobody...Marlena.. is hiding in the shadows like she did that night, so long ago, when she came back to me.

"You think you're funny huh?" I shout and look up at the craters that look just like a face.

"What do you want from me?."
I stumble back in surprise as the "face" suddenly changes into the image of Stefano laughing.

Am I going crazy? The sound of his demonic laugh seems so real. All the muscles in my body tense up, my hands are in tight fists ready to defend myself from my sworn enemy. My teeth are clenched almost to the point where I'm afraid that they might break. Every single fiber in me is ready.

I feel something moving behind me, breathing down my neck so I quickly turn around and throw a punch. But before I even get a look at whom I'm hitting at, I fall to my knees in surprise. My first thought is that I missed but when I look up, nobody is there.....Only the wind blowing in my face.

Marlena:

"Did you hear that?" I stop and ask Roman.

"Yeah...was it a scream?"

I sharpen my senses and try to focus on the sounds that blow with the wind. There it is again.
"Someone is in trouble.." I state and take off running.

"Doc...wait up.." Roman shouts behind me. I know he hates it when I do this..help people in need. Honestly I think that he believes it's his job to play hero and save the day. Not because it comes naturally for him but because he loves the attention he gets from it. I know he would rather ignore a situation like this when he is off duty and let somebody else take care of it. Contrary to John, who is a natural born hero with the biggest heart and a yearning to help others without expecting anything in return.

I slow down when I see a figure kneeling on the ground. That must be the person who was screaming. I carefully approach, trying to determine if this is a potentially dangerous situation as the psychiatrist in me takes over.

Roman has catched up to me and tries to stop me from taking a step closer, by grabbing my elbow. I give him a certain stern look, silently telling him to let go and let me do my thing.
Thankfully he releases his hold and I begin to take small steps towards the person who is obviously in some sort of pain.

"Hi....Are you alright? Do you need help?" I ask softly.

As I get closer I can see that the person is holding their hands over their head and rocking back and forth. Almost as if they are in a trance.

I slowly reach out and place my hand on their shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The person flinches at my touch and from there on everything seems like it's going in slow motion. First I noticed the feeling of his familiar leather jacket on my fingertips, then I notice his big strong hands which are normally so gentle and soft but now almost unrecognizable as they clutch his head in a tight, painful grip.

"John!!!!" I gasp in disbelief.

It's as if he comes out of whatever state of mind he was in and finally acknowledges my presence. His eyes follow the direction of my voice as I say his name again.

Our eyes lock and I'm petrified of what I see in his normally light blue eyes.

"Oh my god..,John.." I cry out for the man who holds my heart.

"Marlena...." He whispers with despair as the moonlight hits his tear stained face.