Safe Haven

Chapter 8

Olive felt like she was underwater, everything was muffled and fuzzy and her head was swimming sickeningly. She was surrounded by voices but none of them made sense. The words were jumbled and backwards and Olive wanted them to go away so she could sleep. Hands were touching her, her arms, her face, her legs. A hand grabbed her ankle and she screamed, thrashing violently, trying desperately to get away. The pain was too much, too intense, she was going to be sick.

She screamed again, swinging her arms wildly. Her arm slammed into someone and she heard a grunt, and the hands that were trying to hold her shoulders down fell away. Olive managed to roll onto her side and retched onto the ground.

She fell back, her face wet with sweat and tears. More voices floated towards her and she whimpered.

"Please, just leave me alone!" Olive cried out, sobbing harshly.

A hand touched her forehead, leaving a trail of tingles wherever it went and Olive felt a wave of calm wash over her. The hand was warm and soothing, gentle as it skated down her cheek. This hand didn't hurt.

It took her a while but Olive was finally able to calm down, and as she calmed, she drifted deeper, and everything was dark.

She was drifting weightlessly, floating close to the surface. The voices were back, calmer this time, quiet, but she still couldn't understand the words. Her arm was tingling and she was hot, uncomfortably hot. Olive moaned and tried to pull at her shirt but something held her back. A soft voice mumbled in her ear, low and soothing, warm breath tickling her skin. She tried to turn her head and see who was there but she didn't have the energy to move. She could feel herself starting to float away again and she let herself sink into the darkness.

"Olive?"

She groaned lightly, turned her head away. She wanted to sleep, but the voice had other ideas.

"Olive? Can you hear me?"

"No," she rasped the word out through a dry throat. "Go away."

Someone snorted out a laugh.

"Can you open your eyes?"

"Can you go away?"

More laughter. Olive struggled to open her eyes, blinking several times in the dim light before she could focus on the face at her side.

Ren grinned widely when her eyes caught his.

"It's about time, Olive! I thought you were gonna sleep forever."

"I would if you'd shove off," she snarked the words at him and lifted a heavy hand to scrub at her face. Her arms felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.

"Oh please, you know you missed my charming personality."

Olive snorted as she glanced around, took in her surroundings. She didn't recognize the bedroom she was in but the bed was easily the most comfortable thing she'd ever slept on.

"Donovan brought you back to the cabin. You're upstairs in the guest room."

Her eyes widened at the mention of his name. She vaguely remembered Donovan in the forest but it was faint, like a dream.

"How did he find me?"

"We tracked you."

The sudden voice from the doorway made them both jump. Benjamin was hovering in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. Olive couldn't stop the warmth that flooded into her face as he stepped into the room, his eyes locked with hers.