Redemption

Chapter Seven: The Close Call

How long I stayed asleep, I wasn't unsure, but I tossed and turned most of the night. The few minutes of respite I actually got were interrupted by images flashing by at such a quick speed, I couldn't make heads or tails of them.

Only one scene paused long enough that I could comprehend it- the handsome man with the mesmerizing green eyes. He was smiling at me, but it didn't take long for his kind face to transform. His smile was replaced with a grimace, and the sweet, caring look in his eyes just moments before, was soon plagued with a panicked expression.

"Alexis... Get up. Get up! You have to go! Run!" he said, shaking her shoulders. "Run!"

The urgency in his voice was so pressing, it instantly woke me up. I bolted upright, gasping for breath and searching for the green-eyed stranger, only to find myself alone in the guest bedroom.

"Just another dream, Lexi," I muttered to herself.
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But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true. The image was too realistic, too life-like to be a dream.

I glanced at my shoulders and could see the red outlines of fingers where the man had shaken me. What sort of "dream" would leave you with visible marks? No, this was something else. Something more. 

I stood up and paced the room fretfully, trying to think of a reasonable explanation for the marks on my skin. No matter what ludicrous theory I conjures up, the one thing that remained true was that this had been no ordinary dream.

I paused mid-step at the sound of hushed whispers from downstairs.

"Can't we just talk about this for a minute?" I heard Jerry ask urgently.

"The Malin don't have time for your foolishness. Unless you would like to join your friends, I suggest you move aside," a man commanded, his deep voice resonating through the house.

A chill crept up my spine at the man's voice. Straightaway I knew that something was off. It was the middle of the night and Jerry and Katherine happened to have visitors over? Not likely.

Run, Lexi! I heard the dream man's voice urging me. I knew whoever this man was, he was right- I had to get out of here.

I thought about using the door, but with the unknown danger downstairs, it wasn't really an option. I spotted the window across the room and knew that, once again, this was my only way out.

I grabbed the wooden chair from the nearby desk and dragged it quietly to the bedroom door, propping it against the handle. I hoped that this would help keep the door wedged shut from the outside.

I found my backpack next to the bed and put it on my shoulders. Thank God I hadn't wasted time unpacking when I'd gotten here, or I would be in a mess now.

I tiptoed to the bedroom window and opened it slowly. I was hoisting myself onto the windowsill, when I heard the sound of feet running up the stairs. Not one pair, but dozens of stomping boots were coming up the staircase, making their way toward the guest room at an alarming rate.

I turned frantically back to the window, knowing I had no time to waste. I looked for a way to the ground from the third floor window, but there was no tree trunk to help me this time.

The doorknob behind me began to rattle, gently at first, but then more aggressively. Someone started banging against the other side of the door, as they tried to force their way into the room. Realizing that I only had moments before the infiltrators would find me, I took a leap of faith and launched myself from the window.

The deafening rush of air hissed in my ears as I plummeted toward the ground. In a matter of seconds, I hit the earth hard. A loud thud resonated through the quiet night air, as my body met the grassy surface.