Love After First Night

Chapter 6: When Theory Becomes Reality

When I come to, I'm under the covers in the king-sized bed that Trevor and I share. A hot water bottle is on top of my head, which is lying against a memory-foam pillow that's standing up against the headboard. I weakly look to my right, seeing the midday sun illuminate the translucent white blinds on the window. I'm not sure how long I'd been unconscious, but that's the least of my problems at the moment.

"Trevor?" I ask, my voice drowsy and slightly strained.

Within another minute or two, he enters the bedroom, immediately sighing in relief and grinning at the sight of me sitting up in bed. Stanford comes in soon after, leaping onto the bed and snuggling up next to me. I gently pet him as I reciprocate Trevor's eye-contact.

"Good to see you awake. What the hell happened to you?" He asks, surprisingly calm despite what's happened.

"Well last night, you... started sleepwalking. I followed you all the way to the voodoo parlor on Bourbon Street, and the guy who owns it was trying to lure you inside." I explain; even though I'd fallen into a brief coma after the incident, the details are still permanently carved into my brain.

"Well I don't normally sleepwalk, but I don't remember what happened at all. So I guess I'll have to take your word for it this time. I mean, why else would I end up all the way out there in the middle of the night?" Trevor replies matter-of-factly, "All I remember is hearing you yell for me, before I was suddenly pulled into reality. I saw you lying on the street behind me, before I noticed where I was and what I was wearing. I then saw some shadowy figure closing the door to the voodoo parlor, leaving me with no choice but to rescue you."

I say nothing in response, continuing to stare at him levelly.

"I brought you home and tried by best to take care of you while you were passed out." Trevor explains further, "Then I briefly left to get my hand examined. There were no infections to be found, and all I need is to make sure I don't work this hand too hard."

As I listen to his reply, I glance to my right again, before noticing a fairly large bowl of Italian wedding soup on the nightstand. Trevor must have heated it up for me while I was out cold. I don't hesitate to gently bring the tray onto my lap and start to eat. The soup's a little cold, though I can't care less. Only after the first bite does it dawn on me how hungry I am. I barrel through it as quickly yet politely as I can, before the spoon chimes on the bowl as I put it down.

"Well I think I can make a pretty safe assumption about what's been going on lately." I say after a while, watching as Trevor's expression grows more serious.

For the longest time now, I've neglected telling him about my new suspicions regarding the voodoo doll, for fear that I would only get him even more worked up. However, at this point in time, I feel I have no choice.

"Trevor, listen to me. I'm afraid the reason why all this crap's been going on is because of the doll, not me." I begin, watching as his eyes widen in shock, "Someone must've found it after we misplaced it on the way home from Kicksburg. They're most likely toying around with it, hurting and manipulating you in the process."

"Okay, I believe you." Trevor replies, prompting me to give a subconscious sigh of relief, "But now the question is, how do we stop all this from happening? I mean, the only way I can think of would be to either get the doll back into our hands, or find a way to magically cut the ties between the doll and myself... somehow."

"Well luckily for you, I think I just might know where to do that." I reply, my energy having returned as I climb out of bed.

"And where would that be?" Trevor asks.