the lord and the alleycat [COMPLETED]

Chapter Seven

I slowly drifted to sleep. After a few hours, I was awoken by whimpers. I turned over to see Hailey twisting and turning in her bed, her eye moving quickly under her eyelids. She had thrown her doll across the room and her legs were twisted up in the blanket. Suddenly her eyes shot open and she screamed, much alike me the few nights before. She took short breaths and looked around wildly, and I jumped from the bed to gather her in my arms. She started crying as I rocked her back and forth, soaking our nightgowns in tears. The door flew open as Bennet stormed into the room, a walking stick held threateningly in his hands. Hailey looked at him and screamed again, backing away into the corner, cowering from him. As soon as he saw there was no threat, he threw down the stick, his face falling as Hailey continued to shrink away from him.

"Hailey, it's just Bennet," I tried to calm her, but her eyes were still wild. I turned to Bennet with an apologetic face, and he nodded once, leaving the room. I sat on the floor across from her until she crawled toward me, digging her face into my chest.

"He, he, he," she stuttered. "He looked like..."

I shushed her and cradled her to my chest as I held my own tears at bay. She fell asleep in my arms and I carried her to my bed, laying her next to me. I pulled the blankets over us and I hugged her, staring once again at the moon outside.

I didn't sleep anymore that night, watching over Hailey. The moon fell from the sky as the sun peaked over the window sill. Hailey awoke as the sun hit her face and she grinned.

"I slept wonderfully!" she exclaimed and I forced a smile. She never remembered the episodes she had in the middle of the night. "Why are our nightgowns stained?"

"Don't worry," I said as I pulled her with me to the washroom. "Let's get you cleaned up for the day, okay?" I fiddled with the handle to the bathtub and was able to get water to come out of it. As soon as she heard the water, Marie rushed in and shooed me away.

"I can take care of her. Go find Bennet so he can give you the clothes he picked out," she said, closing the door in my face once I was in the hall. I felt slightly uncomfortable walking around his home in the nightgown, but I was able to find him in his office. I knocked on the ajar door and he called me in. His desk was littered with papers and he rested his head in his hand, his eyes drooping.

When he saw me, he stood up in a hurry and wiped his face, "Hi Amara."

"Hi Bennet," I smiled and he smiled in return. His face blanked for a second, then a frown formed on his face.

"I'm sorry about Hailey, I didn't mean to scare her," he hung his head and I walked over to him. I intertwined my fingers in his causing him to look up at me.

I smiled, "It's not your fault. She has some," I paused trying to find the right words, "issues from the past."

"Past? She's like six years old," he said, his frown growing.

"Just don't mention it to her, okay? She doesn't remember her terrors when she wakes up in the morning."

"So, she won't be afraid when she sees me?" he asked, his lips tilting slightly upward. I shook my head and he pulled me into a hug, laughing. "Great! Let's go get your clothes then." He led me from the room and we walked down the stairs to the living area I had woken up in the day Bennet picked me up. He saw me looking at the couch and smiled lightly, "I'm glad I was able to bring you here." I didn't answer and he picked up some parcels laying on the table. "I took the liberty of ordering you two some clothes. I hope you like them." I undo the twine surrounding the brown paper and pull out three dresses. They're smaller, so I assume they are for Hailey. Two of the dresses are knee-length; one green and one white with black dots. The third is full length light pink made of silk with fake roses sewn into it.