Speculum

Speculum Page 1

The darkness grew thick, smothering Elise. She clawed at it in front of her, dull nails tearing and grasping at the nothing surrounding her as her breathing grew rapid and hysterical. She couldn't scream, the sounds bubbled in her throat but couldn't erupt. She'd be found if she screamed and although she didn't know who or what would find her, she knew she couldn't be seen. Panic gripped her tight, like a vice on her ribcage squeezing the air from her lungs. She could hear her heart in her ears, thundering like a storm and beating frantically as blood surged through her veins. She tore at the shadows and at her neck, peeling the black off and scratching down her arms before her feet started moving. Elise took off out of the dark and into the night, running as fast as she could, arms pumping at her sides as she tried to pull herself through the stale night air.

Elise finally let a scream tear through her raw throat. The sound echoing hauntingly as her body began free falling in the dark, the ground beanth her disappearing tossing her back itno the immense darkness she had struggled so hard to escape.

"Elise!" her body jolted and Elise fought against hands gripping her arms, shaking her. Struggling to find herself, Elise's eyes opened and she looked around the room in horror, fighting against the hands that held her and struggling to catch her breath. The light flicked on and both Elise and the young woman holding her winced at the sudden brightness. Elise looked up to see Zoe kneeling beside her bed, her dark gold hair pulled back in a bun at the top of her head and blue eyes full of worry. Zoe looked at the third roommate in the dorm room, Kasha, who wore an unamused and annoyed expression, dark eyes darker with fatigue.

"Think you can go one night without waking the whole damn building, Eli?" Kasha asked as she crossed her arms and arched a finely plucked eyebrow. Elise looked at Zoe as the blonde pulled her hands away so the brunette college student could sit up in her bed. Elise pushed a trembling hand through her thick brown hair and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"You were screaming again," Zoe informed her quietly as she rubbed Elise's back, sitting herself on the edge of the bed. Elise nodded mutely and looked around the room trying to remember what had frightened her so badly, but all she remembered was Zoe waking her up. Zoe wrapped a comforting arm around Elise's slender shoulders as Kasha snorted and climbed back in her bed, pulling a sleeping mask over her eyes.

"Who the hell has night terrors in college?" Kasha mumbled as she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Zoe shook her head at the dark haired woman before looking at Elise who was calming down enough to breathe normally..

"It's not her fault, Kasha, college is really stressful for Freshmen," Zoe defended as she brushed fingers through Elise's hair as Elise moved green eyes up to her and then over to where Kasha lay. Kasha snorted and pulled her Egyptian cotton sheets over a dark shoulder and turned her back to them.

"I'm doing just fine, and so are you Zoe," Kasha retorted earning a roll of the eyes by Zoe. Zoe looked at Elise who was finally calming down. Kasha shifted in her bed as Zoe brushed Elise's hair with her fingers which always calmed the brunette down. Green eyes closed for a minute as Elise took deep breaths, still confused about why she had been so frightened. She never remembered her nightmares, only the startling fear and panic that seized her after every single one of them. That panic would last forever it felt like, only Zoe could calm her down. Elise tilted her head to the side to stop Zoe from continuing to brush her hair. Zoe stopped and gave her a gently squeeze before she stood and crossed over their shag run to turn the light back off. The dark hit like a wall and Elise could feel her heart begin to speed back up.

"I'll stay with you tonight, Eli," she offered as she crossed the small room back to Elise's bed. Elise moved over to make room for the woman and Zoe climbed in, tugging the blankets up and over them both before she wrapped an arm around Elise and gently shushed her. Elise took a deep breath and looked around the dark room once more before slowly closing her eyes and letting Zoe lull her to sleep.