The Cursed Pharaoh's Bride

Chapter 25: Lingering Threats

Carolina

The wind violently blows through the few remaining leaves on the near bare trees. I shiver as I feel the cold breeze press against the skin of my face and neck, my curls chaotically whipping around. Why did I forget to put on a jacket?

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear the sound of a crow screeching. It's not until I look up at the raven bird perched on one of the bare branches of a tree that I notice this is the same park where Cohen had attacked me.

I stiffen as I notice crows slowly start to fill the trees, one by one. I turn around slowly—I'm completely surrounded. I take a cautious step back. That step proves to be my undoing as I find myself stepping on twig, snapping it in half. The sound is enough to provoke the crows. They fly off the trees and start circling me. I can feel the birds diving towards me, just barely brushing up against me. They're so close that I feel overcrowded. I then feel the ground escape from beneath my feet. It's as if the flock of crows are carrying me away.

Just as suddenly they swarmed me, they stop. The crows disperse leaving me high above dark murky water just off the coast – the Hudson River. I feel my stomach drop as I plummet to my doom into the water. I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait in anticipation for the pain that comes with my landing.

Except, it doesn't come. I open my eyes and find myself on steady, cement ground. I can still feel the cold breeze from the Hudson. I scan the area around to find various cargo containers surrounding me. I'm boxed in. I take a second to take a breath. At least I'm safe.

I suddenly feel some small, hard particles that are being carried by the wind hit my cheek. I wipe off the strange substance from my face to inspect it. They're small black grains. ...Black...sand?

The sand starts pouring over from the sides of the cargo containers. It pools around my ankles, then my knees, then my hips and soon my shoulders. It's not until the sand is up to my neck that I hear Cohen's voice echo in the wind.

"He's never going to find you."

That's the last thing I hear before the black sand engulfs me completely.

I suck in a panicked breath as my head shoots up from my notebook. I frantically glance around. I soon calm down when I find that I'm in my lecture, which seems to have just ended seeing how everyone is putting their books away and heading towards the exit.

I turn to Charles who's looking at me with a raised brow. "Looks like someone had a crazy dream," he says.

"You can say that," I respond shakily. I've been having this dream every night for the past three days. I catch Charles peering over at my open dream notebook and I quickly shut it. I put the rest of my things into my book bag and rush out of class, Charles at my heels.

"What was that notebook you fell asleep on?" I hear him ask behind me.

"It's nothing," I respond as I try to stay a step ahead of him, maneuvering through the crowd.

"If it's nothing, why don't you tell me what it is?" He pries.

"Because it's personal, obviously," I snap back.

I feel his large hand wrap around my arm and he tugs me outside the building towards a less busy part of the sidewalk. "Okay, you don't have to spill any details," he starts cautiously, "I just thought it was weird that I see you reading that notebook, falling asleep on it and then waking up in a cold sweat. Are you okay? Have you been getting sleep?"

I give Charles a questioning look. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I didn't think you cared," I mumble.

Charles shifts uncomfortably, clearing his throat. "I don't," he says stiffly, "I'm just doing my job as your bodyguard." I can't stop a small smile from crawling onto my face.