All the Things Between Us

Chapter 3

My blood turned to ice water and I struggle more than ever before against the confines of his hands. He remains unaffected by my attempts. He stares down at me stoic and cold.
Tears find their way out of my eyes. They mix with the water already adorning my skin. Sobs wrack my already trembling body.
He only stares down at me unmoving. His eyes are predatory as he seems to be analyzing. Sadly, I am the prey.
"Why did you push me away?" He asks. What? Before I can even think of a response he growls loudly and pushes me further into the bed. I can already feel my wrists beginning to bruise from the pressure. Pained whimpers fall from my lips.
His once passive face turns hostile. He pulls one hand from my wrists and trails it down the length of my arm taking his time. He finds his way to the underside of my chin tilting my head up. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly.
I feel him leaning his head down into the crook of my neck. His teeth poke out feeling sharper than before. He doesn't bother with anything resembling care as he sucks and nibbles relentlessly at my neck. I hate how powerless I am in his grasp. I am entirely at his mercy and he knows this. His roughness is painful to my delicate skin.
I do my best to turn away from his assault but only end up providing him more access. I hopelessly I try a new tactic. I throw my head side to side. I manage to successfully shake him off. He practically roars as he pulls back.
He let's go of my wrists and grabs me by the hair dragging me off the bed. I am thrown to the floor as he stands above me. The first blow is to my ribs and I hear the crack. The scream burns my throat as it comes. I curl into a fetal position, but it does nothing to stop the blows.
In a moment of something close to bravery, I peek up at him. His face is nearly animalistic in his rage. He bares his unnaturally sharp teeth and his eyes shift from green to black.
"You will not reject me!", he screams. Not an inch of my body is left untouched by his aggression. I know already there are bones broken. Despite the damage he has done, the hits continue to rain down upon my battered body.
The world gets darker around me. I embrace finding relief. The pain is still there though numbed. I am barely aware of what's happening around me.
I lightly feel someone shake me and hear a muffled voice. It's like the world around me is cotton. Fluffy clean cotton. The softness soothes me. I allow myself to fall into it.
The sirens in the distance briefly bring me out a bit. I feel myself blissfully swing between realities.
"We're losing her"
"I love you"
"Sir you need to leave"
Softly spoken words creep through the crack and soothe me with their lullabies. I want this forever.
...
That beeping is a horrendous sound. The godforsaken noise has been all I've heard for who knows how long. I grumble and gradually pull open my eyes. Brightness glares down at me and I close them again. I blink until I adjust.
Finally, being able to look around I see that I am in a plain room full of machinery and the bed I lie on. Why am I in a hospital room?
Like a flash, it all comes back. The panic that I have become familiar mixes with the memories. My body is numb and I'm too scared to see the damage. With the fear, my heart seems to break. How could he do this to me? Somehow, I feel betrayed and hollow.
The needles in my arm itch horribly. I do my best to remove them carefully so as not to cause more damage to my already broken body.
I stand and quickly fall to the ground. In my refusal to acknowledge weakness I didn't notice the cast on my leg. I sigh and manage to pull myself up. I limp to the door and search for the nurse's station.
"Excuse me, mam, you can't be out of bed", I look to the source of the voice. Her badge reads tech, so I guess that's close enough.
"Can you please tell me what day it is?", my own voice comes out weak and croaking.
"Today is the seventh of June", the breath halts in my lungs. I've been away from my life for nearly a month.
"Let's get you back to your room I have to ask you some questions anyway", she says and guides me back.
I lay in the uncomfortable hospital bed once again while she works diligently to stick me with the needles removed. I feel guilty for making her job harder like this but, say nothing.
"Can you tell me what happened?", her question was innocent, though it brought tears to my eyes and I looked away.
"Hey, it's alright you can answer that question when you feel ready okay?", I nod gratefully.
"Alright, dear can you-tell me your name?".
"Dianamph, Dianamph Cimorelli"