Survival ( Book 2: Stronger Series )

7. Fight or Flight

"Wake up, Jaden," a low soft voice whispered to me.

I tossed and turned in my bed, fighting something in my head, but I didn't know what it was.

"Come on, babe. Wake up, you're dreaming," it said again and I felt a large warm hand gently shake my shoulder.

And then, finally, my eyes opened and I jack-knifed out of bed, my loud gasps on the verge of screams as I tried to cling to my state of sudden reality.

"Hey, Jaden, it's okay. It was only a dream."

And then I felt a familiar warm hand on my back, rubbing softly up and down, and I noticed myself calm almost immediately.

I looked over to find Jason sitting up in bed with me, concern on his face as he tried to comfort me. A huge wave of relief abruptly washed over me as my hand reached up to touch his stubble covered face. He felt real. This felt real. And when I finally came to that conclusion, I quickly clutched him to me, holding him as tight as I could so that he could never let go, instantly melting when my skin connected with his body heat. So real.

"Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked me softly with that same concern in his voice again. It made me want to cry.

"I just had the most horrifying dream ever."

"You're okay, Jaden. Everything is fine," Jason said reassuringly.

God, just hearing his voice was a symphony of relief, a chorus of salvation, giving me the soothing confirmation that I was safe, that I wasn't a prisoner and that I was home ... where I belonged.

"I know," I said, sniffling back tears, thankful none of it was real.

He pulled back, taking my face in his hands, and softly rubbed my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Tell me what happened," he said.

"I dreamed I was kidnapped and sold into human trafficking. And this guy. This fucking horrible guy, who ran the place, bought me and made me his sex slave and I ..."

I suddenly felt strange. Like sick to my stomach strange.

"And what, Jaden?" Jason pressed.

"And ..." I tried to continue with my story, but my stomach continued to ache with a strange pressure that seemed to wrap itself entirely around my torso. I suddenly couldn't breathe; I felt the panic rise as my blood rushed and my heart began to race. Darkness shrouded my vision, and I could no longer see Jason.

"Jason?" I called out to him, but there was no answer. "Jason!"

I felt the pressure grow until my limbs gradually locked in place. Something was constricting me, coiling and tightening around me like a boa constrictor, squeezing the life out of me.

"No, no, no, no!" I screamed. It wasn't real. It wasn't supposed to be real.

Darkness consumed me until I felt invaded by it. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, couldn't see, yet all I could hear was a hauntingly familiar voice echoing in the background. "Mine," it kept saying. "All mine." I fought with all my might to move, but not a single muscle was able to penetrate the force. I couldn't even scream.

Jolting from the bed, I screamed so loud I shattered my own ears. The sheets were a scattered sweaty mess around me, and my chest heaved as I sucked in heavy breaths. My heart was racing and I put my head in my hands to try to calm myself down. Tears poured from my eyes as I came to realize that dream had been the false one, and I was still trapped in my nightmare. I was panicking, and I could feel the walls closing around me. I had to get out of here. I had to get the fuck out. Now.