ScarLett

Chapter 3

Scarlett

Awakened with a sudden chill I'm  startled by a strange noise coming from inside the room. Feeling cold I try to pull the covers over my shaking body. Turning my head to the left I realize that it's the curtains flapping against the window, Jonnathan must of opened it while I was resting. Slowly getting out of bed, I head for the window but I'm distracted by a woman's voice which immediately sends a shiver down my spine.

She seems to be singing.

My breathing stops while I listen quietly, trying to make out where's it's coming from. The muscles in my body tense as I'm completely frozen. My brain is nudging me towards the bed but my legs begin to move in the opposite direction.

My heart it pounding in my ears but the soothing voice is calling me towards it, almost as if I'm being hypnotized. It seems to be coming from very far away but I'm able to hear it so clearly. Moving slowly towards the door I turn the door nob, careful not to make any noise. The hallway is completely dark and I have a sudden urge to slam the door shut and lock it, but instead I make my way through the hallway and down the stairs. Sweat trickles down my back but my hands are freezing cold.

It must be really late since everyone has finally left and Jonnathan must of gone to sleep in one of the rooms, I think to myself trying not to focus on my raging heartbeat.

The floorboards creak under my bare feet.

You've been a bad girl.

Creak.

I can't do it.

Creak.

The singing has now stopped and I'm left in the darkness, trying to feel my way through what seems to be the kitchen. My thoughts are broken by the kitchen door flying open, letting the cold wind through it and breaking me out of my catatonic state. Covering my ears as the howling becomes more and more disturbing, I finally get the courage to run over and slam the door shut. My hands are trembling as I try to lock it but I'm jolted back by an icy hand grabbing my arm. The feeling of dizziness takes over my mind and I'm struggling to breathe.

"W-who are you?", I ask, breathing heavily through my dry mouth.

No answer.

The hand begins to tighten it's grip on my arm making me flinch from it's coldness.

"I have nothing that you might want," I stutter as it tightens around even stronger.

Silence.

"Was that you singing a minute ago?" I question with a trembling voice. I wasn't sure what I wanted to discover but it was worth the try, I thought.

"Do you feel it?" It finally says in the smoothest voice that I have ever heard.

"F-feel what?" I respond, trying to control my heart rate.

"The heat, the burning."

I don't understand what heat she's talking about in the middle of March. As if she is reading through my thoughts she pulls on my arm and turns me to face her. My heart pounds fiercely inside my chest as I stare at the woman in front of me for the first time. Except this isn't an unfamiliar face I am looking at.

Mom?

An older version of myself. Her hair is styled much differently into large curls spreading down to my waist and she's wearing the most beautiful silver dress, decorated with crystals that sparkle under the shining moonlight. Around her neck are rows and rows of diamonds reaching to the top of my breasts. Following the arm rising up to the hand gripping mine I notice a diamond ring on the finger. Turning my view back to her face she smiles softly. Moving her hand carefully, she loosens the grip she's been holding on my arm.

"You will," she says in a smooth but saddening voice.

Nothing is making sense to me at the moment. Beginning to feel light headed I try to assure myself that this is just another one of my twisted nightmares and soon it would be over. All I needed to do was follow the pattern and find my way home.

But a feeling of heat starts building from underneath me. Flames of fire are appearing and the heat is now burning my flesh and quickly moving up from my feet to my legs. The singing returns making the hairs stand in the back of my neck. The voice is so soothing but yet again so sad that it makes my eyes water. Breathing is impossible and the heat is unbearable, I try screaming but my mouth is motionless and nothing comes out. I turn my head towards her but she is fading into the distance. I stretch my arm out to her but she's drifting away. I want her to pull me out of these burning flames, they were spreading quickly and the pain was excruciating.

The flames are now spreading through the whole kitchen, trapping me and blocking any chance of me getting out. The only way is to walk through it. So I move forward and start walking, my legs are burning and the heat is building, but I keep walking until I can no longer feel that I have legs. The kitchen is spinning around me and I feel faint creeping up on me as I begin to loose conscience.

Suddenly I feel an arm going around my waist, pulling me away from the flames. My legs are caught and tangled up in something and I stumble backwards. Desperately trying not to fall I struggle to maintain my balance but the battle is lost and I fall onto a hard surface letting out a cry of pain.

My eyes shoot open to complete darkness. All I see are large figures that seem to be moving in a dancing motion.

"Where am I?", I question the darkness in puzzlement.

It gives no answer.

With trembling arms I manage to pull myself up into a sitting position and take in my surroundings.

Trees. The dark figures were trees.

But trees?

I was in the woods.

A sharp shooting pain on the left side of my neck makes me jump.

Effortlessly trying to keep my eyelids open I'm quickly defeated as once again, I no longer have control over my own body or mind and I'm pulled into a deep sleep.

************************************

Jonnathan

"Jonnathan, he's dead," she sobbed through the phone, her voice cracking. I knew who she was speaking of, I was there when it all happened. I got in my car and drove to her grandmother's house, I was anxious to see her.

I listened to her soft cries in silence as she broke down, taking her in my arms and stroking her head gently. I could feel her heartbeat through her chest as she burried her head into mine. And I held her for as long as she needed me to.

I would do anything for her if only she'd told me to. But she never asked for anything, she was content with my presence only and I could never have that with any of the other girls I'd been with.

I had to make her forget. She needed to forget or she wouldn't be able to survive this. She had stopped taking her medication and wasn't strong enough yet. The sedative that the doc gave her tonight had caused a bad reaction and I found her nearly naked in the middle of the woods.  I made a deal and now I was going to have to break it. The phone call I'd recieved tonight had assured me of that. I needed to prepare her for what was coming and I was afraid of how she was going to take it.

She trusted me.

Ok, so this chapter might seem a little bit confusing but it's linked to a lot of other parts of the story. As the story unfolds you will realize that the decisions that Jonnathan makes are influenced by his addiction to fame and fortune. So stay tuned for more on Scarlett's journey. Thanks for reading and if you liked it then don't forget to vote or maybe comment? ❤