𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | hotchniss

Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

This one is long asf, it might be hard
to read it all in one sitting but I didn't want to split it so I'm sorryyyy if it's too much<3

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Ever since she returned, her mind seemed to have cultivated an impressive array of ways to torment her, merging her job and daily experiences with her past.

Ever since she got back, something had taken over her subconscious, as if it were determined to disown any moments of happiness in her life.

It would tug at just the right strings in her mind, starting so ordinarily that Emily wouldn't even realize she was dreaming; reimagining moments that had happened in reality.

An easy chase after a suspect she and Derek were close to catching in the woods of Massanutten Mountain in McAllister County filled her with exhilaration, like a jolt of energy rushing through her veins. She wasn't scared, and neither was Derek. They knew they were close and that their suspect was too injured to escape. They ran, the sun burning their skin while branches from the overgrown trees scratched their arms.

Then, everything changed. Derek vanished from her side as if the dense bush had swallowed him. The sun began to set, and a heavy silence enveloped her—she couldn't hear anything, not the suspect and not Derek. If that wasn't enough to signal her that she was dreaming, the rapid sunset was too late to do so too.

She felt colder with each ability the sun took from her on its rapid descent. She could neither see nor hear, and fear clawed at her.

She realized the roles had reversed; her legs reached the same conclusion as she started to run. Like a game of prey and predator, she was now the hunted. She yelled for help, but the sound of crunching leaves and snapping branches confirmed that help was a naive hope.

It wasn't long before he caught up to her. Emily glanced back, tracking her chaser, and when she turned to look ahead, she collided with him.
She collapsed, feeling as if she had hit a brick wall. He stood over her, arms crossed, smirking. Ian didn't appear to have been running; why would he exert himself unnecessarily? She wasn't worth it

He had merely waited for her there, somehow harnessing the power of nature to simulate the sounds of leaves crunching and the wind howling, amplifying her fear.

And fear gripped her completely. She froze as he smiled down at her. She didn't even fight back when his hand landed on her neck, perhaps because she hadn't realized it until he began to apply pressure, pinning her to the ground. "Let's see if my gift is still here" he said playfully, using his free hand to forcefully open her shirt and reveal her brand.

She wanted to scream—hell, she was ready to apologize, to beg but no sound emerged, as if he could control that too.

She woke up screaming. Even her necklace and shirt couldn't comfort her now. In an instant, she was out of bed, throwing up as if besieged by an endless assault on her soul.

She took a cold shower and aware that a cigarette wouldn't help, got dressed and left her cold, lonely apartment.

She stood outside the club for so long that people began to look at her judgmentally, but she didn't care. She understood that once she stepped inside, there would be no turning back—not just from the bar, but also from the unhealthy habit she had promised herself to avoid. Emily crossed the road outside of the crosswalk, causing cars and angry drivers to honk at her. Again, she didn't care; she needed to resist the temptation, so she put the necessary distance, continuing her internal debate from across the street.

She took out her cellphone, only realizing she was still crying when faint tears began falling on the screen. She was so close to calling Aaron, close just as she was to entering the bar, but her mind managed to do one thing right: it warned her not to, perhaps as a peace offering after the horrifying nightmare she'd just endured.