The Concession

Chapter Nine

Work was different that day; it was Monday.

Will sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the empty space that Hope's body had been not ten minutes ago.

His heart fluttered a bit just thinking about her. Yesterday had felt so surreal. It had been just the two of them talking about their time together before everything.

It'd been bliss.

And also, eating her food the other night had been great, it'd been better than anything he could have made.

She'd left quite in a hurry and hadn't had breakfast.

She'd left early to prepare for work. She'd been so flustered waking up.

Will smiled a bit remembering the sight of her in the morning light.

She was still so breathtaking.

He still couldn't believe that the woman he'd been missing, the woman that hunted his dreams had been there by his side all these years.

It felt like a dream. He wanted to know why she had kept it from him.

Why would she knowingly pretend? It was so strange.

Everything was strange. He didn't know how he was still sane.

He stood up from the bed and had a shower. The water cascaded down his body.

A lot was on his mind.

He could still remember the encounter with the shadow last night.

Things were already getting too complicated. What could it possibly want with him?

How was a shadow able to talk in the first place? None of it made sense.

He stared at his hand. There was nothing on it to even indicate the existence of a burn, to begin with even though his hand had been entirely seared.

But somehow his whole hand had been restored.

Hope's smile flashed across his mind.

Who exactly was she?

She definitely wasn't ordinary.

And the pastor must know something.
It seemed he'd even prepared the room they'd taken him to beforehand.

It was obvious some people knew what was going on. But what did it have to do with him?

Why was he at the center of it?

He clenched his hand into a fist at a loss of what else to do.

Hope had said something about a concession.

He'd consented to something, but to what?

What on earth had he agreed to?

'He's coming for what's his.' The creature from his dreams had shrieked.

What was that creature?

He sighed, turning the knob to the shower to cut the water flow.

He got dressed and got ready for work.

His memories we're returning way too slow for his liking.

Thankfully he'd had no nightmares and he was sure Hope had had something to do with that.

She had a calming effect on him without her even knowing.

Will had observed something strange last night.

She'd been talking in her sleep as though she was conversing with someone -it was almost as though he heard her call 'brother' and 'sister'.

Will sighed.