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Bleed
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In the dead of the night, a piercing scream shattered the stillness. Naomi jolted up, slick with sweat, her breath coming out in ragged gasps, her mind clawing for a safe foothold. The dim glow of the bedside lamp illuminated the familiar outlines of her room, but it didn’t chase away the suffocating weight pressing on her chest.
She clenched her sheets tightly, trying to steady her trembling hands. Before the next breath, Mahlon came barging in through the door, Chillion right behind him, their puffy eyes alarmed. Ruth and Orpah trailed right behind them, stopping at the door, lamps at hand.
“Mother, what happened?”
“Mother, are you okay?”
They were at her side, Chillion holding her in an embrace, Mahlon pressing a kiss on her slick forehead.
Finding her voice, she spoke, a broken whisper. “I’m okay, my children. It was just a dream.”
“What happened in the dream?” Chillion asked.
“I,” Naomi began, then stopped.
“I'll get water for you.” Orpah announced.
Naomi gave her weak smile, nodding.
"You're okay now, Mother." Mahlon soothed, and he placed another kiss on her forehead, holding her hand, as he sat on the bed beside her.
"Mother," Chillion persisted softly. "What happened in the dream?"
Naomi's eyes flicked to Ruth, who still stood by the door. Her soft gaze fixed on her, unnervingly observant.
"It was nothing." Naomi settled on, saying, and a silence came after.
Chillion frowned, choosing not to push the matter, due to the look his brother gave him and the small shake of his head. Orpah came in with the glass of water, handing it to Naomi.
The woman nodded, taking it.
"Thank you, love," Chillion said, taking hold of Oprah's hand.
Drinking the water, it opened the pathways in her throat, calmed her tense, erratic heart, and helped her cool down. When it was finished, she placed it by her bedside. They all made no move to leave, their eyes fixed on her, heavy with concern.
"Thank you all," Naomi began, looking at all of them. "I'm alright now. Let us all go back to sleep."
"We're not leaving you here alone." Mahlon and Chillion said simultaneously.
They met eyes, a split-second of shock, understanding.
"What is this?" Naomi countered, irked. "Are you little babies? You're married men, go off to your rooms. I am fine now."
"No, mother." Chillion stubbornly said. "What kind of sons would we be if we left our mother here, traumatized by the night terror she experienced?"
"Exactly." Mahlon affirmed.
“ I just–"Naomi began, heart thudding, chest closing. "I just need to be left alone.” She was on the verge of tears, her voice cracking.
YOU ARE READING
Ruth: Reimagined
Romance"I want you to belong to someone Ruth." Adira said, her voice softer. "I want you to be able to breathe in a world where everything is placed on a woman's chest, on her back and tied to her legs and then she's told to be beautiful, to be good enoug...
