“You think this life is worth living…?” The light shined through the roof, bouncing off metal and pools of blood around my trembling limbs.
“I-I have no choice – I,” I began but she lifted me with her strength, unmatched by no other, and threw me across the room. I could feel shards of glass and the tips of nails dig into my shoulders and back. I gasped, my lungs shuddering beneath my ribs. It hurt to breath. No doubt my insides were bruised.
“I can hear what you’re thinking you know? Thinkin’ about all the pain in your weak, human body, but I can make it so much worse. I can turn you inside out, little girl.” She hissed, her tongue sliding across her lips slowly, readily. I could see her eyes sparkle in the darkness. She wanted me, all of me to herself – but if I didn’t get up, I would die. I would be hers. I can’t let myself be hers.
“You want to know the damndest thing about pain?” I winced as I stood from the glass and rubble, remaining shards dancing down my skin and shattering further on the stone floor.
“Hmm?” She hummed with venom, taking a few steps towards me.
“It reminds you that you’re alive – unlike you. You don’t even exist.” A smile crossed my face and I flinched from a burning sensation on my right cheek. I had forgotten that she slapped me awake earlier. Wouldn’t be surprised if there will be a bruise there later. Good thing no one can see it but me.
“You dare question my existence?” I could see tears well up in her eyes. What a weakness. You tell a demon they aren’t real and it makes them crumble. At least for a little while.
“Oh, I dare.” I kept a smile on my face, regardless of the pulsating heat that ran across my cheek.
“You know you love me though. I remind you what this world is really like. You remembered how I kissed you? How I touched you? Don’t you?” She continued forward, mere inches from me. Stoic. You are stoic. Stay stoic. She raised a hand to me, swooping my hair away from my face and neck. I inhaled sharply, but held my ground. The dust. Focus on the dust in the air…focus on the light in front of you. Focus on your heartbeat. It’s beating. Remind yourself to slow it down, you can slow down. “Do I have to remind you?” She breathed heavily and put her lips to my neck, pushing me towards the wall. My only reaction I allowed myself was a stifled cry when she furthered multiple shards of glass more deeply into my back as she pinned me.
“This isn’t love.” I stuttered, but she continued hungrily, up and down my neck, my shoulders, my collarbone – never my lips though. She had never touched those, and I’d die before I let her (or after I let her…I’d be dead either way.)
“You’re just lying to yourself, you know you need me…” She looked up at me, half her face still buried in the side of my neck, her hands pushing my shoulders back firmly.
“No. Don’t lie to me. You know you’re hate and sorrow in disguise. You encompass almost every negative part of me. And most of those parts you create out of your own accord. For. Fun.” I spat and she stopped, meeting my eyes.
“Because I like making you bleed when no one else can see it.” She pulled me forward into her, her hands searching my back for glass shards, which she found very quickly.
“Ah! Stop!” I screamed out as she dug the pieces forcefully from my shoulders and spine. I threw my head back, feeling the blood pour out of me in thick streams.
“Look at me! Being so kind to help you… you realize this would all get infected if you let it stay this way, right? Let. Me. Help. You – ” She continued and I could feel my body begin to seize from the pain. But she held me, and held me, and held me. All I could do was look up at the hole in the roof.
The light touched my face the moment someone called my name.
“Nora? Noora? You okay, I just asked you where you wanted to get lunch and you started crying…”
You usually expect tears to fog your vision, but in that moment, my sight was cleansed. I looked up at my best friend, Jean, and let myself smile. I had to smile for her. She made me smile. Well making her smile made me smile, at least.
“Oh, ha, it’s fine, I was just thinking of fries and then was hit with such a huge wave of joy that the waterworks kicked in…” I wiped my tears and bounced out of my seat. “So Moira’s Tavern and Pub it is? We haven’t been there in over two weeks, and that’s two weeks too long.”
“Nora…” Jean looked me right in the eye, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“What? I said let’s go, let’s get a few drinks, have a good time, good shit, hell yeah, let’s do it.” I stammered and she shook her head.
“You’re not telling me something.” She said and I could feel my throat begin to swell. Hold it…
“What? I already told you I was hungry.” I said.
“No. You’re not telling me something.” She goaded.
“…Fine. I’m tired is all, okay?” I murmured.
“That’s all?” She asked.
“That’s all.” I answered.
To be continued…