𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙳𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚖𝚊

Chapter Twenty Three

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I woke with a violent gasp, my entire body jerking as though i had been physically yanked from the dream. My sheets were twisted around my legs, damp with sweat, and my heart pounded furiously in my chest. I struggled to catch my breath, the terror of the dream clinging to me, thick and suffocating.

The room was pitch dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon filtering through the curtains. Everything felt wrong, oppressive, like the house itself had absorbed the nightmare and was pressing it back into my chest.

I heard footsteps—quick, light ones—and then the door to my room swung open with a soft creak. Mu mother, dressed in a pale robe, stood in the doorway, her face pinched with worry.
"Carmen?" she called, her voice gentle but filled with concern. She stepped into the room, the light from the hallway casting her face in sharp relief.
"What’s wrong? I heard you screaming."

I blinked, still struggling to pull myself out of the haze of the nightmare. My breath came in short, shallow bursts, and i wiped her damp forehead with the back of her hand, trying to compose myself.

My mother moved closer, sitting hesitantly on the edge of the bed. She looked uncomfortable, unsure of how to proceed, as though the act of comforting her daughter was foreign to her.
"Are you okay?" she asked again, her voice softer now. "It’s your first night here... you had a bad dream?"

I nodded weakly, my throat tight with emotion. The nightmare had felt so real, Jason’s voice still echoing in my mind. I felt a shudder run through my body, but i forced myself to sit up, pulling mu knees to my chest as i tried to steady my breathing.

My mother reached out, hesitated, then gently touched my shoulder. The gesture was awkward, almost mechanical, but there was an attempt at comfort.
"It’s going to be okay," she murmured.
"It was just a dream. You’re safe now." She said ,like she'd been in the dream i hadn't related to her yet. She might think of me as a demon.

But i didn’t feel safe. Not here. Not in this house, with this woman i barely knew. And certainly not with him—Richard, my mother’s boyfriend, who had given me the creeps from the moment we were introduced. The memory of his unsettling stare, the way he seemed to size me up, made my stomach twist with unease.

Mu mother continued, her voice breaking the silence.
"Your father… he didn’t even come inside. Just dropped you off and left." She sounded bitter, but tired, as though the words were more of an afterthought than a complaint. "I don’t even know how long you’re supposed to stay."

I didn’t respond, my mind still stuck in the nightmare. But my mother’s words stung, even though i knew this wasn’t home. My father had sent me here to hide from the scandal—sent me to this strange house, to this strange woman, and left me to fend for myself. It made me feel small, discarded, like a burden no one wanted to carry.

My mother sighed, sensing the tension in the air, and stood up. "Try to get some sleep," she said quietly, smoothing down her robe. "You need your rest."

I nodded absently, still staring at the wall. As my mother turned to leave,I caught a glimpse of Richard standing in the hallway, his silhouette barely visible in the dark. He was watching. I didn’t know how long he had been there, but the sight of him sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"Good night," my mother said softly before closing the door behind me leaving  alone once more.

I lay back down, but sleep wouldn’t come easily. Not with the memory of Jason’s words hanging in the air.

......... I'm not done with you yet....