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She was dreaming.
“Oye.”
She didn’t move from where she sat her legs swinging back and forth, her eyes on the birds that flew high above.
“Oye, where are you?”
She glanced down and watched as her mother looked for her. She covered her mouth, trying not to get found. It had taken her less than four minutes to climb the largest tree in their backyard, she wasn’t going to give up her seat just yet.
“Oye, I swear if you don’t say something I—” Her mother’s words were abruptly cut off, as a sharp high-pitched noise. She clapped her hands over her ears, as her body slipped from the branch. She opened her mouth wide in a silent scream as she fell into the pitch-black abyss beneath her.
“Oye.”
Her mother screamed for her, and she could only cry out in pain as something pulled at her feet. She was older, her larger hands attempting to pull her from the pit as thousands of hands with claws tried to drag her back into the dark.
“Mom. Mommy.” She cried, her eyes welling but her mother’s figure continued forward, leaving her behind.
“Mom, please. I’m here.”
“Oye.”
“Mom.”
“Oye, wake up.”
She couldn’t, she didn’t want to.
“Oye.”
Her body jolted awake. Her eyes popped open to meet brown ones. She blinked, and quickly realized she was staring into Castian’s eyes. She released a shudder, pulling away from him. His large hands fell away from her shoulders. His gaze searched her face, “Are you okay?”
She nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah.” She turned, so that her feet hung over the side before she stood. “Bathroom.”
Without looking at him, she hurried away making sure to shut the door behind her. Leaning against the door she focused on breathing.
How long had it been since she’d had such a bad dream?
She’d thought she’d gotten past this long ago. When she’d been sent to live with Mama D every night had been filled with nightmares. She’d been haunted by images of Dr. Clinger torturing children, shortly followed by dreams about her dead mother.
Reopening her eyes, she met her disturbed gaze in the mirror and immediately closed them again. She didn’t want to look at herself right now. She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead.
“Forget it, forget it.” She muttered, squeezing her eyes tighter. “C’mon, Oye. Dammit don’t do this now.”
Oye lowered her hand to her side, and reopened her eyes blatantly ignoring her reflection. Walking over to the sink, with a flick of her finger she turned it on. Bending at the waist, she splashed the cold water on her face.
This wasn’t the time for the bones in her closet to make an entrance. She could struggle with her past at another time.
“Focus, focus.” She straightened finally meeting her own stare. “You won’t go back.”
Feeling better, she yanked the towel off the hanger and walked to the door just as she placed her hand on the doorknob she hesitated.
Castian was on the other side of the door. She didn’t want to explain anything to him. She bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever.
Pushing the handle down, she entered the bedroom to find the man she’d been worried would be ready with questions, instead fiddling with her lotion with a curious look on his face. At the sound of the door opening, he turned and looked at her. He lifted the bottle and shook it, “Is this why you smell so delicious? Honey, and cherry?”
Completely thrown off rhythm she stared at him in surprise. When his gaze turned feral, she finally answered him, “Yeah, I guess.”
He slowly gave her body a long look, which made her lick her lips in reaction as her mouth grew dry. “I have to say out of your many looks. The wet t-shirt look is my favorite so far.”
