Too Close to Home: A Scarecrow and Mrs. King Continuing Story - Book 2

Chapter 18

Day 8 – Tuesday

King House

The sudden blast threw Lee to the ground; fire engulfed the room. "Lee!" Amanda screamed and tried to grasp him under his arms to pull him toward the door, but he was a big guy and her feet slipped out from under her.

"Finally..." A hauntingly familiar voice floated on the heat waves surrounding her. "...I got what I want..." Amanda felt the flames lick at her bicep like a knife slicing flesh. "If I can't have him...NOBODY CAN!" The maniacal shriek froze the blood in her veins.

Flames, hot, suffocating...sliced and bleeding flesh...

"Amanda..."

Her name came quietly to her, reaching for her through the thick, black smoke. It distracted her, but she couldn't listen. "No! I have to get Lee!"

"Amanda..."

"No! The fire's getting closer! I have to..." She pulled at him, trying to get him closer to the door, but the fire was so hot his melting flesh seemed to seep through the spaces between her fingers. "No! Lee!"

"Amanda..." The voice was louder this time, and she realized it was his voice calling her. She looked down at his face just as his eyes popped open; his gaze met hers even as the skin of his face slid right off the bones. His lips moved, but she struggled to understand what he was saying. "Wake up..." Fire fully engulfed him. Looking away from the grizzly sight of the man she loved, she looked at the flames and watched as they morphed into the shape of a knife. Menacingly, they took on a life of their own and lunged at her, slicing deeply into her arm. The pain was excruciating, and she screamed like she'd never screamed before...

"Amanda! Wake up, Honey!"

Bolting upright in the bed, she looked around, disoriented.

"Amanda, Honey?" Lee sat beside her, tangled together with her in the rumpled blankets. He slipped his hands into her hair on either side of her face and forced her to turn toward him. Confused eyes met his concerned ones.

"Lee?"

"I'm here, Sweetie. You're okay. You're okay." Pulling her toward him and wrapping an arm around her quaking body, he realized she had sweat right through her sleepshirt. He felt the pads of her fingers press into his bare chest as if she were trying to get a grip on him. Gently, he rocked her as he stroked her hair and whispered assurances into her ear.

Lee's words were nothing more than a breeze through her hair, but they grounded her. "It's okay. You're okay. I'm here. We're okay." She leaned heavily against him, comforted by his physical presence and enjoying the feel of his solidness under her hands.

"That was a pretty bad one, huh, Sweetheart?" Having no energy with which to even make a sound, she simple nodded her head. Lee scooted his hips down the mattress, making room for him to lay down and bring her with him. "You need to talk about it? Was it a flashback?"

He felt her shake her head against his chest. "No. Well...sort of? A little bit?" She sniffed and tried to burrow herself more deeply into his side. "I can't..."

"Then don't." He squeezed her tightly and glanced over at the clock. "It's only about an hour until sunrise. If you need to stay home from work, then stay home."

"Just hold me, okay?"

"Ah, Manda..." He gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "...nothing I'd rather do."

The Agency

"I think her nightmares are getting worse again, Billy." True to his habit, he ran his hand over his hair.