Decoding You *Watty Awards 2012*

Chapter 27

I was being chased. His dark features taking over his face, a knife in his hand. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest as I made my way through the house. Heat was licking at my skin, I didn't fully understand why.

"You'll never get away from me Lorelei, as long as I'm alive you'll be mine!"

Just as I touch the door handle and open the door the knife goes through my back and straight into my chest. As I stare out into the yard I see Ryder falling to his knees.

"How could you do this to me? How could you lie to me Rory?"

I wake up screaming.

"Rory? Rory baby look at me it's just a dream. It was just a dream."

I'm pulled into Ryder's lap, and as I open my eyes I see I'm in his room at his familes cabin.

The door burst open then and both Preston and Trace stand there looking shocked.

Preston walks in, "What happened?"

Ryder strokes my hair as I quietly cry, "She woke up screaming. I don't know."

Preston's face falls, "Rory have you had nightmares before?"

I shake my head and wipe my eyes, "Yeah."

I feel Ryder press his lips to my temple briefly before saying, "Preston can you go get her clothes? The door to her bedroom is probably still unlocked."

I peek at Preston to see him nodding, "Yeah sure. I'll be right back. Anything you want?" he asks me.

"My outfits on my dresser," I mumble.

He nods and slips out the door, Trace frowns, and Ryder says, "Baby can you tell me about your dream?"

I shake my head, "No."

He cups my chin and lifts it so he can look into my eyes, "Rory...please talk to me."

I shake my head, "You don't want to know."

He tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear, "I do want to know. You woke up screaming and crying. I want to know more than anything."

I shake my head, "You don't want to know Ryder. It was just a bad dream."

Trace clears his throat, "Was it about Dan?"

I gulp and meet Ryder's eyes he sighs, "Have you ever had a dream like that before?"

I shake my head, "No, not from what I remember."

He sighs and rubs my back, "Did he hurt you in it?"

I bite my lip and nod, "Yes, but it wasn't the normal hurt."

He frowns, his face darkening, "What do you mean?"

I gulp, "He was chasing me, with a knife."

He cups my face with both hands, "Rory that's not going to happen. I won't let it."

I burst into tears again, "You don't understand, he got me in the dream. I was running and he stabbed me as I was opening the front door and you were there and you were mad at me."

His face falls and he cradles me in his arms, "Rory I could never be mad at you. It was a silly nightmare. It's not going to come true. I'd never let him hurt you. He won't touch you again. I promise."

I curl into a ball in his lap as he places a kiss on my shoulder, bare from the size of the t-shirt I was wearing.

I sigh into his neck and he says, "Let's get some food into you okay?"