Hard To Love Again..

9. A Hideout

She breathed rapidly as she layed on the ground, her hands and legs tied up together and her mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth. She was already in pain with multiple bruises and scars decorating her naked body, yet she struggled to get her limbs free from the restrain, fearing for what was coming next..
She gave up trying after using all her strength in freeing herself and laid still, defeated in the corner..
She saw her own blood dripping on the floor, after her wounds were aggrevated due to her jostling..
She lifted up her head in terror and made a frightened sound from her throat when she saw a blurry figure, sitting at a distance.. She blinked her eyes a few times and tried to focus on the figure.. She also heard him humming a particular tune, as she tried hard to look clearly.. In few seconds, she saw it was him again, the man she feared so much.. She sobbed lightly, what was she thinking? Would it be so easy to escape all this? She felt angry over herself for being hopeful..
For hoping when he went, he won't return..
She prayed he shouldn't return, and she believed that he won't..

Her breath hitched when he got up and his piercing gaze met her. His lips curving into an evil smile as he strode towards her form.. She started kicking and thrashing around violently in an attempt to free herself from the tight ropes.. She cried in terror but only miserable muffled sounds came out of her throat.. Her breathing turned into rapid short breaths, and she was hyperventilating..
He chuckled darkly after seeing her looking at him with extreme horror in her eyes.
He lowered himself when he reached closer to her,
"Aah... My dearest, Charlene.. You thought I'd never come back?"
Her short breaths quickened even more, and she made a helpless sound from her throat, as she sobbed..
Tears spilled from her eyes, while she looked at him..

"Char.."

"You okay?"

"Wake up!"

She woke up with a start, and her body started convulsing with fear, clawing at Loki's face just above her.. She was beyond terrified, the nightmare seemed too real for her to recognize Loki hovering over her.. He quickly caught her wrists until she stopped fighting him..
"Hey hey hey.. It's me"
She stopped fighting, but she was still breathing heavily and rapidly, her gaze was disoriented and perplexed.. She was still fearful..
"Calm down.. Its just me.."
She tried to focus her eyes on him, while tears kept spilling from the corners of her eyes, wetting the already drenched pillow..
"You were crying in your sleep", he stated..
She noticed that she was still sniffling severely, her upper body jerking with hiccups and sniffles.. Her body felt cold and drained; and her head was burning, she felt feverish.. Her eyes were half lidded and tired, and her eye lids felt hot, but her gaze were trained to Loki.. She was afraid if she looked away, he will be gone..
She cried more, she couldn't control it, even when her sobs sounded pitiful to her own ears.. Her upper body jerked with each sniffle, and her lower lip sucked to her teeth, each time she sniffled..
"Ssshhh Ssshhh Ssshhh.. Hey, I'm here"
She sniffled more, and her chest heaved..
"You-you are here"
She repeated blankly, with her eyes fixed on Loki, trying hard to believe that this was reality and not some trick her mind was playing on her.
His eyes shone with tears, as he tried hard to fight them back by blinking twice.. He just nodded in reponse, and she shook her head, imitating his action..
His hand reached for her head, as he proceeded to gently caress her hair.. His thumb brushed over her heated forhead and he almost cursed under his breath due to the high temperature..
"You are burning!"
He took a pause and continued,
"I'll be right back, okay?"
She nodded in response, eyes still fixed at him..
Soon, he returned and carefully placed a damp cloth over her forehead.. She flinched due to the cold feeling on her forehead..
"Get some rest.. ", he said while adjusting the cloth..
"The fever will decline soon.. "
Though her eyes were tired and droopy, she struggled to keep them open.. She didn't say it out loud.. she couldn't, that she was scared and that she wanted him to stay.. But the uncertainty in those vulnerable eyes were enough for him to read..
"Want to hold my hand?", he offered his hand to her, holding it infront of her..
She hesitantly placed her trembling hand over his hand.. Slowly, she held his large hand in both her palms, and rested them over her stomach.. After a few moments, he started rubbing  his thumb soothingly over the back of her hand.. Her heavy eyelids slowly drooping close, and she finally drifted to sleep...