La Femme Celeste

Chapter Four

Celeste felt herself drifting through space. Everything was black; she waded through the dark and found only darkness.

"Hello?" Celeste's voice echoed before being swallowed by the dark.

"Hello." A voice answered back.

Celeste turned and found that she was still alone.

"Is someone there?" Celeste called out.

I'm here." The voice answered again.

"I can't find you." Celeste said, turning in a circle.

"Open your eyes." The voice replied.

"They are open." Celeste said, worried.

"Then why can't you find me?" The voice sounded much closer now.

Celeste turned quickly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person hiding from her.

"Please...tell me who you are."

"You know who I am." The voice was getting closer.

"I don't, why are you hiding?" Celeste asked.

"I'm not hiding at all, open your eyes and all will be revealed."

"What does that even mean."

"Open your eyes." The voice was fading.

"Please!" she pleaded, "Don't go!"

"Open your eyes." The voice was just a whisper in the darkness.

"Please!" Celeste's voice echoed loudly, dropping her to her knees. Celeste curled into a ball and whispered "please" in semantic satiation.

Celeste bolted upright in bed gasping for air, and startling Eric awake.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Eric looked left and right for something out of place in the room. All he saw was Celeste hyperventilating. He pulled her into his arms and began stroking her hair.

"Celeste, what's wrong?"

Celeste tried to calm her breathing and pushed Eric away and ran to the bathroom. Immediately, Celeste started gagging and wretched in the toilet. She pushed her hair back and kept purging. She didn't want to see what was coming out of her body, she just kept going until there was nothing left. Tears were running down her cheeks as she slid down to the floor and lay there crying.

Minutes later the light flashed on and Celeste tried to cover her eyes.

"Shit!" The light went out and Celeste felt Eric next to her. He put two fingers on her neck to check her pulse. His touch made her heart race.

Celeste heard Eric let out a sigh of relief. Next thing she knew he was lifting her from the floor and carrying her back to the bedroom. Celeste was shivering in Eric's arms and moving in and out of consciousness. She could hear his voice from far away, "Celeste! Stay with me!"

I'm trying. Celeste said in her head. Her voice didn't want to work. Eric set her on the bed and pushed her hair off her face, it was damp with sweat. Her body kept convulsing and Eric was doing his best to keep her conscious.

"Celeste! Celeste come back to me!"

I'm here Eric, I won't leave you... Celeste tried to keep herself from fading, she was losing the battle with the darkness.

The lights flashed on in the bedroom and the screens on the wall lit up. Madame DeLuca's voice boomed in the room. "Step away from Ms. Acari, Mr. Schreiver."