Stolen By Him | ✓

day sixty one

||DAY 61

After an hour of trekking in the subtle light of the morning sun, Lana didn't need any kind of announcement that they'd arrived when they stopped in front of a little stone house. But the vision of the sight before her was dulled out by the thoughts of her mind. It was a swirling mess of emotions and intangible thoughts. 

They had fallen asleep soon after their talk the other night and when she woke up the next morning, she was still in his arms. It amazed her how the comfort and safety she'd so desperate sought had been right in front of her this whole time.

"How do you know all these places?" She asked.

For some reason they'd stopped moving, as if taking the moment to breathe in the sight before them. It was smaller than the previous hut- if that was even possible- and from where they were standing, there didn't seem to be any windows.

How long will we end up staying here, Lana wondered.

When she didn't get a reply back, she turned to him to be stunned with the sight of an ashen face as Matthew stared intently at nothing in particular. She moved to him, taking a hold of his arm.

He was ice-cold and she could feel his muscles rippling with tremors.

"Matthew, what's wrong?"

"I- uh- just don't feel too well. I think I need to lie down a bit." His voice was unsteady, lacking the usual strength and firmness it held.

A pang of worry resonated within Lana, and she was filled with a sudden urgency to rectify this situation.

"Come, let's get inside."

As they stepped into their new residence, she was struck with surprise at how uncannily similar it was to the cabin hut, but even more so at the fact that such likeness comforted her. Even being doused in the darkness of this room, she started to feel much safer here than she had as they were traipsing around the forest.

Matthew headed straight for the bed and slumped onto it, like some sort of rag doll. This only intensified the trepidation flooding her. How could someone as strong and firm as him be compared to something so limp and lifeless?

Lana stood there for a second, hating how helpless she felt.

"Do you need anything?" She said.

"I just need some rest. I'll be okay."

"Okay. I'll be here then... If you need anything."

There was no other bed in the room, not even a futon like in the cabin. But the bed was big enough for two, so she sat down next to his lying body.

The rise and fall of his chest was soothing, like the ticking of a metronome. Slowly, her eyes started to grow heavy. There was no point in resisting the wave that overcame her; there wasn't anything else to do anyway.

So, she let sleep pull her under.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Lana jolted awake to the harsh sounds of dry-heaving.

The initial disorientation left her fumbling in the dark before she remembered where she was.

Matthew.

He was still lying down beside her, hanging onto the edge of the bed. His whole body was convulsing with the urge to release the contents of his empty stomach.

"Oh my God, Matthew!" She put a hand to his head and pulled back almost immediately.

He was burning up.