Dream

A Flash of Hope

    I pursed my lips. I'm not safe in either situation. The only option is telling him.

    "He uh, he just," I stammered, "He was t-trying to...,".

    "Touch you?" Kieran finished.

    Our eyes locked but I looked away, beginning to feel the uncontrollable fear bubble in my body. I shut my eyes and sighed before letting myself nod my head yes.

    "Did he?"

    "Very little..," I answered.

    "Where?"

    I clenched my jaw, "My legs,".

    Kieran hummed and went quiet for a concerning amount of time.

    "Let me take a look,".

    "W-why?" I stuttered.

    "I need to make sure you're okay or if you need treatment," Kieran answered, already standing up and kneeling down in front of me.

    He took the cup from my hands and as he set it aside I scooted further into the corner, trying my best to disappear from his sight. Kieran set his hand on my knee, searching my legs for anything. I pulled down at the hem of the shirt, discreetly trying to cover my upper thigh; only it wasn't enough.

Already trembling in place, Kieran's eyes locked with mine before he snatched the shirt from my grip. My bruised thighs became exposed to his eyes.

    I let out a gasp. Tears began to fall down my face.

    Please, please, please don't hurt me. It wasn't my fault. I tried to stop it. It's not my fault.

    I flinched at the touch of Kieran's hand grazing over the bruises. His eyebrows twitched into a pout but I couldn't read his face, as usual. My eyes trembled as they traced over Kieran's every move, his broader shoulders tensing.

    He tilted his head towards me.

    "I-I'm sorry," I blurted out, a tear falling after.

    To my surprise, Kieran didn't stare at me with a look of fury but one of empathy. His eyes shined in the dim lights of the room, almost a tint of green was noticeable to the eyes. Kieran let his hands rest on my thighs and cocked his head at me as he smiled gently to me.

    "It's okay, you're fine," He assured me, "They're not that bad so they'll heal in no time,".

    I gulped. Still trying to control the build up of fear Kieran had just given to me.

    "Why don't we watch a movie, yeah?" He suggested.

    I searched his eyes for any tricks he could be playing on me but nothing was there. Only the glimmer in his eyes. I let out a breath and nodded my head in agreement.
He's letting me watch TV. I snuggled back into my corner of the couch. Kieran grabbed the remote from somewhere, I wasn't paying attention. He returned with a blanket as well. But the softest blanket I had ever touched, so soft I could barely even feel it. I held the blanket to my face.

    "It's nice huh?" He chuckled.

    I nodded.

    Kieran sat next to me and kicked his shoes off before laying his head on my legs. My shoulders tensed. I wanted nothing more but to kick him off as the amount of physical touch he was giving me was suspicious. He snuggled into my legs and clicked the TV on. The light illuminated my face and the first traces of technology were exposed to me for the first time in forever. It felt...wrong. Weird.