AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I needed a second to look at the girl to make sure she was okay, and my eyes landed on hers as she observed me with great interest.
“Malika!” she cheered, and I could only assume it was her name. She looked past me the next second, and I watched as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “Uh…oh.”
“Uh oh?” I repeated the words, only to curse as I scrambled to sit properly while my left arm instinctively lay upon Malika’s body like an added seat belt. “Fuck!”
The speeding car was losing control, the driver’s dead body contributing to the acceleration of the car while we began to drift before heading straight for the metal rails of the bridge.
My right hand instinctively reached to grip the upper handle in the car, my heart going into a panicked gallop while my eyes seemed to dilate to take everything in. As if this weren’t a déjà vu moment, I took stock of what was happening: the slowing of the world around me, the approaching sense of doom hurtling at my senses, and the intense fear of the drop that was about to occur any second now.
I can’t do it…
There was no way I was mentally prepared to do this again. I wouldn’t make it out of it. I knew down in my fucking gut that if I went off this bridge, my life would end simply from going into shock, and maybe that was exactly what triggered the assault of immense fear that froze me to the bone.
And suddenly, I was slammed by a memory…
"Wrong. Wrong. WRONG!”
My scream echoed across the room as I slammed into the wall on the other side.
“My queen…time is almost-”
“I don’t CARE!” she screamed while I struggled to get on my hands and knees. I couldn’t even try to get up; a hand wrapped around my throat before I was slammed into the wall behind me.
“Why!” The demands began as my head was slammed back into the wall.
“Are!” Another slam.
“You!” Again.
“So!” And again.
“Useless!” When my head hit the wall this time, it cracked, and I was thrown to the other side of the room until my body crashed and dropped to the floor like it was a rag doll.
“Y-Y-Your Majesty! Y-You broke her skull. I don’t think there’s enough tim-”
“MAKE MORE TIME!” she snarled. “This is my only chance to have this weak puppet under my control! Do you not understand what’s at risk?!”
Things crashed and shattered through the room, but all I could do was shake as warm liquid left a part of my head.
“She perfect! She can stop fucking time! How can she easily accept my spells and that rotten mental case couldn’t?! She fits everything I need to regain my spot on the High Court! Why couldn’t I have birthed her? I did everything I could to be with Roberto! I should have killed him for betraying me, but no. He was so fucking obsessed with that bitch. What was wrong with me? I had to fall in love with the wrong fucking man! I should have killed them all when I had the chance!”
There were more shattering sounds. It all started to fade away, but I heard those approaching heels. The footsteps belonged to the evil woman. The pair of black pumps came into view and slowly the woman crouched down until my head was forced to look up and peer into those eyes that burned with anger.
“You’re my prize possession. You’re exactly what we need. With you…I can get everything back. My love…rank…everything.” She leaned in even closer, and that sinister smile could make my blood freeze into ice. “I’d gladly be your new mommy, Willow. I’d treat you nicely, give you everything you want. You can live happily with your puppy dog of a boy and enjoy the best of both worlds.”
My eyes widened in fear, and all I could think about was my best friend.
“Ah. I know that face,” she began and pressed her finger upon my trembling lips. “Shh. Don’t fear. I won’t harm your best friend, Aurelia. That would be rather…cruel of me.” She began to giggle as her finger moved to my neck and her hand once again was around my throat.
“You promise you’re not going to say anything, Willow?”
All I could do was blink, even as tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Good,” she sweetly sang as her grip grew tighter. “You won’t tell a soul about this until you’re the perfect key to my diabolical plan. You’re my Forbidden Fruit, and one bite will deliver everything I deserve to enjoy. Absolutely everything.”
In a flash,I was back right when the car slammed into the protective rails of the bridge. The car tipped forward, my eyes catching the first glimpse of the water down below.
My mind was flooded with memories of the first incident, as if I’d suddenly triggered what I never wanted to acknowledge was PTSD.
