Worlds Beyond: Shattered (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five

I opened my eyes slowly, staring up at the white ceiling of my room just like any other day, but my vision was blurred this time.

Tears fell down my cheeks before I could even stop them.

I laid there, breathing hoarsely as I gripped my bed sheets tightly, letting the heavy tears soak my cheeks and my pillow. I felt a painful pang in my chest, my heart bleeding as I thought about the dream I just had.

No... memory. It felt so vivid, as if it had just happened. That specific memory was one I kept at the back of my mind for years, doing my best to avoid it and forget about it. Not even Jaden knew of what happened back then. Not even my mother.

Only I did, and the man that had rescued me.

I could still remember the day he had saved me and taken me back to my mother's. I remember passing out at that place only to wake up some time later.

He carried me down the forest that surrounded our old home, the cold night breeze ruffling the hair back from my face and making me cling to his neck tightly. He had removed the rope around my wrists while I was unconscious, the fluffy blanket still wrapped around me to keep me warm. I could still remember the way his broad muscular chest felt under my small palms, the way he smelled, the way his strong arms went around me and carried me down the cold winter night.

I remember I tried to look up into his face several times, but it was too dark for me to see anything. He was smiling, though. He looked so happy, as if he were experiencing ultimate joy. He would lean down every so often to inhale at my hair, one I'm sure smelled awful as I hadn't been showered in days, but he seemed completely at ease when he did that. It was weird. He was weird.

But he had saved me.

He rescued me from my own version of hell. He killed those men that did horrible things to me. He took care of me. Why did he do those things? Was he a friend of my mother? Was he just a stranger passing by that decided to rescue me out of the kindness of his heart? Did he... expect something in return for saving me? Surely he couldn't do something like that if he didn't expect a reward or something. We didn't have much money... maybe he wanted something else? The only thing I could give him was...

I shudder at that thought, hiding my face in his warm chest. I inhaled his sweet fragrance, the sweetest smell of jasmine, the sound of his heartbeat a sound that managed to calm me down. A steady beat of pure joy.

He held me closer to him, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. I felt a slight wave of pain go through my body and I whimpered in his grasp, trying to escape the pain that seemed to increase every second. He stroke my arm with his thumb in response, pressing his head against mine to soothe me.

"Fret not, Layla. It hurts, I know, but it's normal. You will be okay... I promise you. I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again." He promised in a gentle tone, his deep voice rumbling around his chest, a sound I savoured as I inhaled his sweet scent once more.

"Who... are you...?" I mumbled quietly, my voice hoarse. He held me tighter as we came to a stop at the porch of our home.

"A friend. Your mother was very worried. We all were." He added under his breath so quietly I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly or just imagined it, but I had no time to keep asking him questions as the door opened to reveal my mother standing there, looking alarmed.

Her black night hair fell in haphazard waves around her caramel shoulders, and she wore her usual black dress that marked her hourglass figure. Her shoulders slumped down in relief and her red pouty lips curved up into a light smile, her black eyes glazed over with tears.