Fractured

Nightmares

I was lying in bed alone, just dozing off after a long day, which wasn't unusual. James had a tendency to go out and party after work. He was a womaniser and I knew he had a habit of sleeping around, but I was so infatuated with him that I ignored his imperfections and never said anything. I even thought I was happy.

It felt like I had only been asleep for minutes when James rough hand grabbed hold of my shoulder, fingers digging into my skin hard enough I knew it would leave bruises. "Where is he?" he bellowed

All I could manage as a response in my sleep dazed state was "huh?"

"Don't play dumb Felicity! I can smell him in here! I'm not stupid! Now answer me bitch! Or do I need to call you whore instead?" His eyes had turned to stone; old and calculating. I knew this wouldn't be good, but considering his hand was still on my shoulder I couldn't go anywhere.

After a couple of moments passed where I still didn't answer, he flung me off the bed and hard into the wall beside it. I had barely made it to my feet before he was in front of me, slamming his fist into my stomach and wrapping a hand around my throat. His grip tightened as he asked me again where the man he thought I had slept with was. I couldn't breathe and knew I was on the verge of losing consciousness before he let go and threw me to the floor. He gave me all of 5 seconds to try and get some air into my lungs before he started kicking me in the stomach.

I was in hell. I didn't know how much longer I could live like this, but I also didn't know how to walk away or what reaction he would have if I did. By this point the tears that had been building behind my eyes were falling freely and everything around me was a blur. My throat ached and I still couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs. James seemed to enjoy this. He stood over me, watching, while I tried to crawl away from him, continuing to beat me as I went.

It took me a moment to realise what was happening – I was being shaken awake by my shoulder, someone yelling my name at me, trying to get me to wake up and focus. Once I realised they had a grip on my shoulder, my panic rose. I flew off the bed and curled into myself in the far corner of the room, trying to get my breathing back under control. I was sure if I could breathe again I would be able to work out where I was and what was going on.

The person that had hold of my shoulder earlier was climbing off the bed and heading toward me. I still couldn't think straight so I did the only thing I could think of – I screamed, long and loud.

The second my scream started, he backed off, hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Easy, Kitty. No one is trying to hurt you. You are safe here."

He had barely finished speaking when the bedroom door flew open and in charged yet another man, muscular, heavily tattooed and familiar looking. They both were, I was just having a hard time working out why at the moment.

"What the fuck did you do to Andy?" The newcomer bellowed before turning to walk toward me. I let out a whimper before folding in further on myself. It was a reflex.

"I didn't do anything Raven." The emphasis put on Raven showed just how angry Marc seemed. Marc! Yes, that's his name! Ok, panic is slowing. This is good! "She was thrashing around in her sleep. I left her for a while, thinking she was just a restless sleeper, but next thing I know she stopped breathing. I started shaking her shoulder to wake her and next thing she is in the corner looking like that!"

"Then why was she screaming?" Raven countered.

"I don't know. She started when I climbed off the bed and started toward her. What do we do?"