Before It Struck Midnight. *COMPLETE*

Chapter Twenty - I'm Sorry...

I sit in my bed, awake. I don't know what to do.

The sun is slowly rising as birds begin singing their morning songs. Everything is so happy, so fairytale-like.

I turn my head again towards him...

He is still asleep.

Why did he act so nice towards me for the past few weeks? He hates me... He hates me... That is why he hurt me, that is why he kicked me, that is why he hit me, that is why he whipped me... That is why he wanted to kill me.

I feel a tear running down my face as I continue to look at him, sleeping.

But he does look very peaceful when he is asleep, better than when he is awake.

He jitters, opening his eyes, but just slightly. Next, he stretches before opening his eyes fully.

He rubs his eyes before he looks at me. A big smile forms across his face.

"Good morning, beautiful, how did you sleep?" he asks me.

Beautiful?... He called me beautiful... He-he never called me that.

I bit my lip to stop more tears from falling down my face, as I force myself to look down at the white blanket covering my bruised legs.

"Hey... hey..." he gently says, walking over to me, his touch lingered on my shoulder, making me feel... reassured?

"Who are you?..." I ask him, I feel hurt.

"What do you mean?... It is me, Chris..." he says as his smile is substituted by a look of worry.

I begin to shake my head.

"No... No..." I mutter.

I feel him take my left hand, gently wrapping both his palms around my hand.

"Emma?... It is me... It is me, Chris... Please... Can you remember me?...".

I close my eyes, letting more tears fall down my face.

"Emma... Please look at me... Please..." I can hear him plead behind me. He never pleaded before, if anything, I was the one who pleaded.

"What are you going to do to me?..." I ask him, turning around to see his face.

When I did, I see his frozen.

"What do you mean by that, Emma? I am not going to do anything to you. Emma, I am here to protect you. I want to protect you.".

"You should have told me that a long time ago..." I reply, bitterly.

I can feel a lump form in my throat.

"Who are you?..." I ask him.

"I am Chris, Emma. It is me, Chris, " he replies.

"No... No, you are not Chris..." I reply.

"What... What do you mean, Emma?" He asks me as I can see a tear roll down his face.

My heart begins aching.

"What do you mean?..." he mutters, lowering his head as his hands grab his hair.

"Chris would never do this to me. He would never hurt me, he would never raise my hand on me, he would never whip me, kick me. He would never do the thing you did, Brenden..." I tell him coldly.

Suddenly the sobbing stops as he slowly looks up at me. I cannot describe the emotion on his face. He looks like he has just been shot.

"Where is Chris?..." I ask him.