Mr. Good Bad Guy

34 - Coming For Me

I jolted awake, sweat pouring down my forehead. The room was silent and dark, but my heart raced like a freight train. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't in my apartment anymore. I sat up and looked around, taking in the familiar sounds and smells of the hospital room. Axel was fast asleep in the chair beside my bed, his head tilted to the side, and his mouth open. The steady beep of the monitors was the only other noise.

I glanced down at myself, feeling self-conscious. I was wearing one of the hospital gowns, and I could feel the IV taped to the inside of my elbow. I didn't want to believe that I'd hallucinated going home and being with my friends. This wasn't the time to be dreaming about things like that. I didn't know what to do. What to think.

"Well, well, well..." The voice was all too familiar. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that this was just a dream. I was back home with my friends. There was no way none of it wasn't real!

"Look who finally decided to join the land of the living."

I opened my eyes and turned my head toward the voice, flinching at how close he was to me. I could finally see that he was brown eyed with a spatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose. His hair was a dark brown, messy and overgrown, framing his face in a way that made it impossible not to notice. His mouth quirked up into a smirk as he watched me, his lips curving into a smile that was almost sinister.

"I..." I swallowed thickly, my throat suddenly dry. "I don't understand. How are you here?"

He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. "Remember my face, sweetness. You'll be seeing a lot of it from now on." I glanced over at Axel, but he was still fast asleep. This couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. "Oh, and don't you dare think about calling him or anyone else for help. You're all mine now."

I shrank back, feeling a chill run down my spine. "W-what do you want?" I managed to stammer.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "I want to make sure you stay in line. I want to make sure you remember your place. I want to make sure you never forget who I am and what I can do to you."

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. "Wh-what do you mean?" I stammered, trying to pull away from him.

He chuckled darkly and straightened up, stepping back just enough so that his face was no longer visible in the dim lighting. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Just be a good girl and do as you're told. If you utter one word about me to anyone, I'll see to it that you never see the light of day again. Do we understand each other?" His voice was cold and cruel, sending shivers down my spine.

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. He smiled, seeming satisfied, and then turned to leave. I let out a shaky breath as he walked away, my heart racing. "A-Axel?" I called out, my voice trembling. "Axel, wake up!"

But he didn't stir. He didn't so much as twitch. I felt a surge of panic as I realized he probably couldn't hear me. I tried to call out to him again, but my voice came out weak and trembling. Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to breathe. The room seemed to close in around me, the air growing thick and heavy with fear and despair.

"Irene! Irene!"

I snapped awake, bolting upright in bed as I heard Axel's voice in my ear. "I'm here, baby. I'm here." His voice was shaky and thick with fear, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of relief wash over me. "It's okay, it's just a nightmare."

He pulled me into a hug. "I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe." His touch was soothing, and the feeling of his warm skin against mine helped ground me in the moment.