Insomnia

BEAST OLD

"Fucking... Christ..."

Black, circular burn marks cover her pale belly. It's splotched and painted with the colors of bruises. "He said to me that you should be afraid." She lets her shirt drop, crossing her arms over her chest. "They had said that you'd done worse. That you'd... cut people's fingers off and d-done th-things to women,"

"I admit to the first, not the second." He says bluntly.

"Y-you've-"

"The man had heartlessly murdered children. Say another word. I dare you." Cade leans against his car, watching snow drift down in front of her pretty face.

She gulps.

"Here's your medication." He shoves it into her hands, pulling his keys from his jacket pocket.

"Wait-"

"What?" He demands

"I'm sorry." She murmurs.

He shakes it off his shoulders. "Just... Show me again?"

Timidly stepping closer so his steaming breath nearly hits her face, she carefully lifts the hem of her shirt again, revealing her stained and bloodied belly. Evangeline can practically feel the heat radiating off of him.

Cade reaches out and grabs her hip, pulling her closer. "You obviously didn't go to the hospital. This one looks infected..."

She pulls the fabric down, wiping away the tears that had fallen out of her non-swollen eye. "I can't go to work. I can't earn money." Evangeline breaks into sobs. "And it's all your f*cking fault!"

"Yes, I was the one who put those cigarettes to your innocent skin. I was the one who found out who you were. I followed you to wherever you were assaulted, assaulted you, and beat the absolute living shít out of you. I was the one who told you that I, myself, should be afraid." Every syllable drips with sarcasm.

She snuffles quietly, letting him ever-so gently wipe the discarded tears from her eyes.

"Go home, Evie. Get some sleep. They won't hurt you again. I got the message."

"P-please," she suddenly splutters as he turns around. She unknowingly grabs the edge of his leather jacket. "I am so scared." She whispers. "I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't even step outside my apartment without nearly getting a panic attack."

He sighs, looking away from her face. He can't look at her. Her features are much too persuasive. Cade watches as a black SUV comes down the street. The window begins to come down.

"Get down!" He suddenly shouts, grabbing her fragile body and pinning it to the ground.

Glass shatters. The store's alarm begins to go off. More glass, the hissing of a tire. The scratching of metal. Screaming civilians.

After a moment, the destruction stops. The world seemingly stills.

"F*ck, it's mayhem." He curses.

Evangeline looks up at him, desperately confused and terrified.

"A sort of anarchist group. They palled up with the Irish a long time ago." He stands, pulling her up with him as police sirens near. "I gotta go, baby. If you want to sleep at night, I recommend you come with, but that's your choice." He jogs around to the driver's side of his car, quickly sliding in. Biting her lip and looking to where she should walk to get back to her dorm, she thinks.

Her friends are there, but can they protect her from whoever's after Cade and her? Could she sleep better at night with him? Her hand is pulling open the door before she can really get in a second thought about it.