My Covert Bodyguard

15: The Waltz of The Flowers

A sound coming from my window made me look up from the book I was reading.  A small smile crept on my lips as I jumped onto my bed to open the window.

"Hey." I said to Kyle as he slipped inside my room.  I had gotten used to him coming into my room this way, and as much as I deny it I really liked having him around.  Kyle sat down on the fluffy reclining chair, and pulled out his phone.  Just like usual, he stared intently at it, at times typing something into it.

He told me it was a tracking device and the only means of communicating without unwanted people reading his texts, but I still wanted to know what he was writing.  I wanted to know more about him, in general, and his 'organization' but I knew I wasn't going to get much information out of him any time soon.

I looked down at my book again, but suddenly I felt so tired.  It may have been because I was wearing my favorite warm hoodie, or because I was feeling safe and comfortable, but soon my eyes drifted closed with my book still in my hand.

I ran and ran and ran until finally in front of me came a dead end.  I was stuck.  I swivelled around, just for me to see the approaching man walking up to me slowly.  I looked around.  There was no means of escape.

"Don't do this." I cried, but the man wouldn't listen.  His breathing was ragged, and as he came closer, I noticed I recognized him.

The dark shadow.  His arms hit the wall on both sides of my head as he blocked me.  I bit my lip as I fought a sob, a whimper escaping my lips.  A crack of a grin formed on the shadow's face, and I felt its hands slipping under my shirt.  I expected his hands to feel misty or like air, but it was cold and chilled me to the bone.

A shiver went down my spine as I pathetically yelped out, "someone help."

The shadow's breath raked down my neck and I screamed.

"Cass!"

My eyes snapped open, with Kyle's face close to mine as he shook me awake.  I felt disoriented as I sat up.  I was still in my chair, but my book had fallen onto the ground, a few pages bent.  I crouched down to retrieve it and set it on my table.

"It was only a dream." He told me, and I nodded.  I wondered how much he heard.

"I...I'm gonna go take a shower." I said, and my voice shook slightly.  I hoped he didn't hear it, but then again, he probably heard much more than most people did.  

The moment I stepped into my bathroom, I noticed I was drenched in sweat and my face was ghastly pale.  This was the second time I had a nightmare about that black shadow, and it definitely had to do with Zayden and that night.

But what was this eerie feeling that there was something more to it?

The warm water fell on my shoulders and I relaxed slightly, and I changed into a light nightgown and slipped on an over-sized sweater over it.  I pulled up my hair into a bun and stepped out of the steamy bathroom.  Kyle was sitting on one of the bean bags, and he was examining the book I was reading before.  

He looked up and put the book down.  I went over and sat on my bed, the mattress scooping down a little under my weight.

A minute passed, and finally Kyle asked, "what were you dreaming about?" I glanced at him, and his eyes were on me, curious, calculating.  I wondered if I should tell him.

So I asked, "how much did you get from it?"

Kyle shrugged.  "You were crying out for help, and you screamed before I woke you up."

I felt embarrassed that he heard and saw so much.  I didn't like feeling vulnerable in front of someone like this.

"Well...in my dream, there's this dark shadow.  And he's assaulting me."  I hesitated and added, "sexually."