I Belong to the Grim Reaper

16

I fiddled with my keys and waved bye to my friends from my door. I locked the door behind me, startled to hear such an angry voice in the distance.

"I had no choice!" Jake yelled. I rarely saw him angry and he seldom ever yelled. Nevertheless, that was his voice for sure and I heard him yell. I looked down at my watch. I wasn't expecting him for another hour. I found myself walking down the hall towards his office, his voice booming louder as I closed the gap. "If I didn't, he was going to walk. We'd have nothing if I didn't," he finished.

I knocked at the door and opened it, not waiting for him to say come in. I stood at the door, staring at him. He gave me a smile then coughed to clear his throat. He held up his index finger indicating for me to give him a moment to wrap this up before I came any closer. "Yea. Alright. See ya fresh next Monday."

He finished with the phone, dismissing it before taking me into his arms. "I missed you. I didn't hear you come in."

"I wasn't expecting you for another hour or two. I was with Britt at a party." I fell deep into his hug. "Who were you screaming at?"

"No one. It's nothing," he said, "Did you enjoy the party?" He nuzzled his nose to my ear. Then he gave it a little lick.

"Yes."

"Did you miss me?" He laid moist kisses to my skin.
"Yes," I moaned.

"Good answer," he squeezed my ass. "I have a present for you." He released me and fished through his jacket pocket for the gift.

"A beautiful bracelet. As promised," he cheekily announced. "Now, you have to tell me what you've been hiding."

"I saw a hypnotherapist while you were away," I confessed.

"Because you were having more nightmares?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Maybe you should get another totem," he suggested.

"You think that will work?" I asked.
"I don't know. Wouldn't hurt to try, right?" He shrugged.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I sighed, feeling an oncoming headache the more I thought about it. "Let's go to bed," I easily convinced him.

..
After our intense lovemaking session, we were lights out. It had only been a few days but I missed the warmth that radiated in the crease of his elbows. I was wrapped tightly in his arms and I couldn't complain as I drifted off to the sound of the most precious heartbeat thumping under me.

..

I woke up to a cold bed. "Jake!" I shouted. "Jake!" I shouted again. I leapt from the covers and crept out of my room. It was eerily quiet and the sinking feeling in the out of my stomach wouldn't go away. I almost didn't want to descend the stairs but I crept around the corner anyway.

At the bottom of the stairs was Jake, securely strapped with duct tape and bound to a chair with rope, a towel in his mouth as a gag. He was flailing, tears coming out of his eyes, his face flushed from struggling. I hurriedly ran toward him.

I unbound him and the more I unbound him, the more that sinking feeling in my stomach grew. I felt sick. I had undone his feet and I was getting dizzy as I cut the duct tape from his hands. I felt sicker.
I held the vomit down as best as I could.

Jake undid the rest as he was free enough to loosen himself now. I gathered my composure against the floor, my heart racing, my vision unsteady. And for some reason I was out of breath. "Jake," I called out, "I don't feel so good." He stood up and came near me; he towered over me and then he bent down. "Jake," I said again as he caressed my face.

"Guess again, darling," he said.
"Please don't hurt the baby," I begged. "I'll do anything."

"Shhh. It'll be painful and quick, I promise," he said.

My limbs felt so weak. "What did you do to me?"

"I put a special something on the duct tape and rope. You inhaled it through the skin and now you're paralyzed," he sadistically explained. "No more running, you pesky rascal."

"Please. Not the baby," I begged.

"Why would I hurt the thing allowing me access to you?" He chuckled. "I thank you for this. It will soon be time I come to collect in person. And that little imp in your stomach is going to lead me right to you."

"I hate you. What did I ever do for this to happen to me?" I cried.

"Don't be silly," his voice changed, "You know what you did."

"I don't. And I don't have what you want!" I rebelled.

"You do, Christine! You've been having it all this time!" He yelled. "And I was so blind I couldn't see. But now I do. And when I do collect, I'll take your baby, too."

"Not the baby. Not the baby," I shut my eyes. "Not the baby," I repeated.

..

"Babe, wake up," Jake's voice boomed throughout the room. "It was just a dream," he said when I came to.

"That totem is total bullshit," Jake blew a breath. "I'll bring you some water." He returned with a glass. I gulped it and set the glass on the nightstand.

"What baby were you talking about?" Jake suddenly asked.

"Huh?" I was blindsided.

"You kept saying 'don't hurt the baby' and you were crying. What baby?" Jake asked again.

"The one in my dreams," I lied.

"They get wilder and wilder, I tell you," Jake mumbled. "Just try to sleep again. Think happy things," he suggested.

"Jake," I studied his face.
"Hm?" He answered as he climbed in bed.
"I'm glad I met you," I confessed.

"I'm glad I met you too. Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you Ivan's uncle's cousin's friend is a hotel manager and he says he is thinking of outsourcing artists and such for the expansion of his gift shop inventory," Jake mentioned. "You should tell Jessica, Sabrina, Nile and Sade too. You should talk to him also. You all tend to dabble in the arts." He laid a kiss to my cheek. "His card is my jacket pocket. We'll talk about it in the morning. Goodnight."