Left Behind

XV

Mary's nightmares weren't over, terrible images made her shake in her sleep until she woke up out of breath. She tried to calm down, but the gigantic room surrounding her didn't help relax her tense nerves. What before her might have been the normal shapes of furniture, had now become giant figures ready to hurt her.

After the third time she woke up in a pool of sweat, the little borrower couldn't take it anymore. Tears rolled down her face and her breathing was too fast. She quickly sat up on the pillow she was lying on and put a hand to her chest. She tried to breathe slowly, and instinctively she turned to look at the human.

Chloe slept curled up in the chair. She covered herself with the blanket and managed to lie down on one side. Mary could see her relaxed, kind face. The borrower decided to focus on her, knowing that by giving her attention primarily to something familiar, she would likely calm down.

Mary watched the tangled brown hair fall over the human's shoulders. Her lips were parted slightly, and Mary could watch her chest move slightly to the rhythm of her breathing.

The borrower felt her heart tighten as she looked away from her, and she tried to get as close to the human as possible. She was now on the arm of the sofa, but it wasn't enough to allay her fears.

And at that moment, with her tiredness making her muscles burn and her eyes red, Mary realized that Chloe was her only source of comfort.

After all, deep down, she knew she could trust the human. Even just for one night.

And with this thought in her head, that she repeated over and over, she found herself reaching for the chair the human was lying on. Fortunately, the two armrests touched each other, so the borrower didn't have to exert too much effort.

Chloe rested a hand under her cheek and one of hers was dropped onto her armrest. Mary approached hesitantly and froze for a moment. Now came the hard part.

She had to wake the human and get her attention, plus she had to find the courage to ask her to sleep with her, or at least to be as close to her as possible.

If she had been more lucid, she would never have reconnected with the human. But the fatigue and fear were stronger than any other sentiment the borrower could hear.

So Mary took courage one last time and went to her hand placed right in front of her. She slowly approached hers and touched the back of the human's hand. Mary immediately pulled her hand away, but your touch had been so delicate that Chloe probably hadn't felt anything.

The borrower took a deep breath and again used her fingers to touch the human's skin. She tried to get used to that feeling again, at least a little before she was touched again by those giant hands.

Mary continued with her gestures, and after a while, she felt quite calm and comforted. When Chloe moved her hand slightly, the borrower immediately stepped back and looked up.

Two large dark, half-closed eyes looked at her with curiosity and concern. Mary felt her heart rise in her throat and continued to back away.

"Hey..." the human whispered in a sleepy voice, trying to figure out if something had happened to the borrower. She didn't look hurt, but she was agitated. Mary shivered visibly as she limped backwards, keeping her fearful eyes on her gigantic dark figure.

"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked, keeping her voice low and being careful not to move an inch. Was the borrower feeling unwell? Or had she done something to her in her sleep by accident?

Mary squeaked slightly and tried to form a meaningful sentence. She stopped on the edge of the sofa and started playing nervously with her fingers.