Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 33. Broken*

Chapter 33. We Are Broken by Paramore

Although the darkness completely surrounded her, Evan felt when the assault on her body was instantaneously removed. She was thankful for the peace darkness brought her. She thought perhaps she was dying. That might explain the peace beyond understanding she was feeling. She thought she felt a cool hand touch her. Then a cold mouth touched hers. It must be heaven, she thought. Her most sweet dreams were coming true, believing Emil was kissing her. Her suffocated lungs protested when air was pushed into them. She was too weak to protest. Then an even more intrusive pain came when her chest was pushed on. She couldn't seem to open her eyes or move. Maybe this wasn't heaven. Then the cold lips were on hers again. And again. Her lungs sucked at them like a bellows when finally she felt her body respond. Her eyes would still not obey her.

Her head hurt again as cold fingers probed her scalp. The burning pain as they pushed was much worse than the pain of the wound itself. The darkness returned though, against her will.

She thought she was dreaming, not able to wake from yet another nightmare since Matt Thomas had become the monster in her dreams. A waxing and waning scream sounded all around her now. It felt as if many hands were touching her all at once. Not one was the icy cold one she wanted.

Then Evan felt more movement. She didn't want to move anymore. Her stomach was twisting. The smell of the plastic tubing that was pushed into her nose was offensive. There were little moments of pain as it felt like someone was sticking needles into her. Then she felt quiet again. For a long time, she just felt like she was floating. She could tell when someone was near and touched her, as little zings of energy flowed into her where they made contact.

Then there was the cool hand again; the one that did not send any zings of energy into her. The air filled with a sweet piney scent. Then a weight settled down next to her, seeming to anchor her floating consciousness to the earth. The disconnectedness went away. She heard voices. Maybe she was going to be able to open her eyes. No! The cold hand was gone, but then the cold lips she had felt before grazed her cheek leaving an icy heat there.

Someone pulled the coverings off of her and made to move her legs. They were pulling on her clothes again.

No! No! Not again! "NO!" Evan managed to say in an exaggerated whisper. The hands didn't stop. Suddenly there was a commotion and the cold hands had gathered her up and pulled her away from the grabbing hands.

She struggled to open her eyes though they were thick and tender. Blinking rapidly, she tried to bring the room into focus. Her head really hurt and as she reached to hold it, the IV in her arm pulled out with a sharp tug.

"Oww," she said weakly.

She felt a warm hand holding pressure over the place where she was now bleeding.

She moved her head against the rock it was leaning on, looking up and finally finding focus on the face she had wanted to see.

"Emil." His name came out of her bruised throat as a mix between a cry and a croak.

"Shh. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you again," he murmured into her hair.

She thought his eyes looked particularly black. Oh, no. The blood. She stiffened only slightly, but he answered her, "It's okay, it doesn't matter. It doesn't bother me."

She tried to turn to look around the room she was in, trying to place where she was. The room looked familiar, but like she was seeing it from a different side. There was an IV pole with a pint of blood on a pump hanging on it, now turned off since she had pulled her IV out. She took in the faces of the doctor and nurse then the memory of what she had endured crashed down on her.