Little Red

Chapter 18

When I wake up, my muscles ache and my head pounds as though I've endured a full day of Eli's drills.  Nausea rolls in the pit of my stomach as I turn over to my side and shove my head into a pillow. Throwing the extra over my head, I try to recall the strange dream I had last night but the memories are muddled.  At least, I think it was a dream.

A knock on the door only adds to my suffering.  

"Go away!"  I groan, my voice muffled by the plush pillows.

The person on the other side doesn't get the memo - they simply knock harder, and the thin wood rattles against the frame.

Dragging myself out of bed, I limp over to the door with the only thought of making the noise stop.  Sunlight pours through the cracks in the curtains in the middle of the room, and all I can do is squint at the sharp light.

What the hell happened to me?

I open the door a crack to see Samuel's huge form, fist raised mid-knock.

Realizing who it is, I widen the space until he can see me fully.

Surprise flickers in his dark irises as they rove over me from head to toe.

"Are you alright?" I ask, confused by his odd demeanor.  My voice comes out croaky from sleep, and I wince at the flair of pain in my throat. 

He lifts a dark brow.

"Are you alright?"  He repeats, pushing the door open wider and stepping inside.  The faint scent of clean laundry floats into the room behind him.

I follow him in, noticing the way his eyes survey the area before turning to face me again.

"Yes." I say, but the ache in my bones doesn't support me.  I lean against the doorframe with a sigh.

His gaze settles back into me, taking in my appearance.  

"Really?  Because you're not even dressed."  His eyes narrow slightly.  

"You're early, aren't you?"  I question mid-yawn.

"No.  I'm on time."  He gestures towards the alarm clock across the room, next to my bed.

7:00am

"Hey!  You're not on time - you're two hours late!"  Pain flares through my left temple, and I press my fingers into the small divet until it passes.

"I thought you needed the extra rest.  Did you get any sleep last night?"  He asks suspiciously, waiting for my nod before he takes my elbow and guides me to the wooden chair at my desk.  I ease down onto it, white-knuckling the back until I'm seated.

"Yeah, I woke up like 10 minutes ago."  I answer, rubbing at a knot in my shoulder.

He shakes his head as he collects his thoughts.

"Maybe you shouldn't-"  He begins warily.

I snap straight up in the chair.

"No!"  I answer quickly.  Gathering myself, I begin again.  "It was just a rough night.  I want to train today.  I need to."  I state firmly, sitting a little taller and ignoring the protests of my ribs.

"Okay."  He nods, but his expression is skeptical.

As I quickly freshen up and get dressed, Samuel sits in my desk chair stiffly.  From the way he keeps glancing down at it, I wonder if he's afraid he'll break it if he moves.

He waits until I exit the bathroom to speak again.

"Are you skilled with that?"  He asks, gesturing to my bow that's propped up in the corner.  It's the very first thing I unpacked when I arrived, and it still sits in the first place I put it.