Haunting Eyes

Chapter six

I was blinded temporarily by what seemed like a row of energy balls floating around the ceiling of a long, narrow corridor. He pushed me in front of him, taking both my palms in one of his, staring through my back, pushing me on painfully. I would not show weakness, I wouldn't show the pain, the fear, the worry that pulsed through me quicker than my blood.

Alfie, Alfie where are you?

He pushed me towards a door, bigger than the rest, darker than the rest.

"Here we are deary."

Chapter 6

It was one of those times, when you think to yourself, ah trust me to get into this situation. I was always clumsy an unfortunate form of unluckiness, I'd never leave a room without at least knocking over one thing or getting a paper cut from absolutely everything.

My mam used to laugh at how many mugs I could break each day, she resorted to buying plastic ones. I shook as I remembered her, my cheeks tingling, my eyes scrunching together, my mam, my mother, my best friend. Yet I had no idea where she was, I had no idea where I was. Panic sunk in. I could feel my lungs seizing up, they wanted to break down, my whole body did.

I opened my eyes and sunk to the ground, hissing with pain as I remembered that I was being held tightly by my wrists. I could feel my wrists bruising under his force. Force that I realised he must've used on that other girl. Her screams echoed round my mind, her screams seemed to personify my own fear, my own pain.

It was dark, that was the first thing I noticed after the shooting pain diminished, handing back power to my senses. It wasn't the darkness that I had been accustomed to in the other room, that beautiful yet melancholy greyness. It was more sinister, more threatening, more hidden. It was silent, there were no breaths. Apart from my haggard, pain felt breaths that seemed to roar around the room. There were no footsteps, no muttering, there was nothing but the heart wrenching silence. I slumped down further on to the floor. There was nothing I could do, I didn't have his strength, I didn't have a plan. I had nothing.

I slumped into the darkness, my wrists free, no longer feeling that same level of pressure applied to them. I could feel the bruises on my wrists, my lower back and my side. Not only was I clumsy but I bruised like a peach, a winning formula eh? I rose a little, so I was sat on my knees, the cold floor causing goose bumps to flood my entire body. I looked round the room as I felt arms wrapping around my elbows, reaching out towards me, lifting me off the floor, gently. My knees slid out from under me, my body rose with no question of rebellion, I let it happen. The hands were soft and tenderly caressed my arms, once I was standing up on my own two feet. I had not expected this, not after him. That brute. He was nothing like my Alfie. Well, he had those eyes, those eyes that flew around my head making me remember the touches, the kisses, the love, yet those were the eyes that now haunted me.  I inched away from those arms and I felt them come closer to me, his nose almost touching my ear. My body froze, it tingled. My body recognised this feeling. I recognised the scent, the heat, the love.

"Al-fie..." I whispered my voice cracked with emotion. He was back. He was here.

"Beth, I'm right here, calm down, I'm right here." Alfie said to me, as he embraced me tightly, like nothing had happened, like we were still lying in his bed happy and together. I was shaking, but only a little.

Candles ignited all around the room. It was beautiful but frightening at the same time. Small candles were sat on ornate candle holders all around the room; some surrounded a beautiful antique looking mirror that was on the far wall, but most were on the table that almost ran the entire length of the room. It was tremendously beautiful.

Then I noticed Alfie in the candle light, he glowed. He was utterly golden, like an angel. His eyes stood out more than I had ever noticed, they were so bright, they truly shone. Alfie had always been beautiful, he had always been the one all the girls wanted. My heart temporarily grew, he had chosen me, he wanted me, I thought smiling to myself.

I realised how many others were in the room with us. Golden eyes were all on me. Questions flew around my mind as my eyes flitted from one pair of golden eyes to the next. There were six of them sat around the table, with no sign of the brute from before. A tall man with a neat mustache sat at the head of the table, he didn't look up from what I guessed was a piece of paper, to look at me. There was an empty seat to the right of him and on the left, was the most stunning lady I have ever seen, she looked at me. Her golden eyes passing from me to Alfie with eyes that puzzled me. Her face was beautiful, tiny freckles dotted her graceful nose and pronounced cheek bones that any model would die for. Her lips were full and smiling creating the most astounding smile lines that seemed to make her more beautiful.

Alfie grabbed my hand, intertwining his fingers through mine and walked forward, indicating to me to walk with him. My legs didn't move, they couldn't.

I looked at the rest of the table; a boy was sat next to the woman. He must've been about sixteen; he was equally as handsome as the woman. His golden eyes shining along with the smirking grin. It was not unfriendly but it put me on edge. His mouth moved quickly but I didn't hear what he said. Alfie nodded back to him, obviously understanding what the boy had said. Next to the boy there was a girl, no older than eight or nine. She sat there sweetly grasping a toy rabbit by its long golden ears. She smiled at me with a glimmeringly white smile, although her front two teeth were missing her smile was still mesmerising.

I looked back toward Alfie who was still trying to move me closer to the table. His eyes darting around my face, I knew that fear was etched all over it. I took a step toward him. My shoulder fitting into the crook of his arm. He wrapped himself around me, touching the skin of my lower back, trying to comfort me.

Noise erupted as we walked together, toward the table. The distance was little, but it took a lot of my strength to stay beside Alfie, placing each foot in front of the other. I looked down at my tattered boots, they looked red in this light, adding false beauty to my old, rain stained boots. It was the noise of chatter, polite and civilised, something which did not suit this environment. Well, it suited this elegant room, but not the corridor, not the room where the screaming came from, not the room with her in, or rather, them. Her face shot into my mind, her blonde hair flying in the wind, her wild eyes, that I could've sworn had a hint of gold within them, the noise that I thought no human could ever make.

I realised then and there, I was not safe here.