Lethal

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I tossed and turned all through the night, as even my dreams were disrupted by Dean's lingering presence. His words played in my mind like an old broken tune whose lyrics had begun to slur. Last night, there was a promise in his eyes, concealed behind the timbre of his voice. I anticipated Dean's arrival, waiting for him to emerge from the shadows of the late night. But, as the night wore on, I waited tiredly for something that never came.

Although the time I have spent with Dean was very little, I was vaguely aware of the games he and I played. Dean took pleasure in manipulating me, using both his words and my own to do so. He could effortlessly plunge me into a turbulence of turmoil and for that, I quickly learnt to pay close attention when he spoke. He never provided straightforward responses, and his words always held an unseen message. This was the same last night. He wielded his words deviously, withholding the truth to be revealed at a later date. It was a game of cat-and-mouse.

My ears, which ringed from the pin dropping silence in the room, were startled away from my thoughts when I heard a knock at the door. My heart faltered in my chest, and I swiftly sat up and checked the time. It was still early, earlier than I typically woke. Curiosity and a touch of anxiety drove me to the bedroom door as the knocking persisted, now more insistent. With a deep breath, I opened the door, and my brows furrowed in confusion as I laid eyes on Sophia.

"Morning, Ms. Holland," She greeted me. As always, her voice was devoid of emotions.

"Sophia? What are you doing here?"

"Breakfast has been prepared. I will escort you down." Hearing this, a slight frown pulled at my lips. Sophia had accompanied me to breakfast only twice before— both occasions were shortly after my arrival here. After the second day, I was instructed to attend breakfast alone. Sophia only ever appeared in front of me just before dinner, or when she was sent to fetch me.

"There's still two hours until breakfast." I said, without faltering. Nevertheless, I found myself glancing over my shoulder and taking another look at the time; noting that it was indeed much earlier than my usual breakfast time.

"Breakfast will be served early today." She insisted. Her response was quick, as if expecting my resistance.

I couldn't stop my eyes from narrowing suspiciously. "Why the change today?"

"If you wish to eat, Ms. Holland, I strongly advise you to come down for your meal at this time." The icy woman was good at getting what she wanted.

"What about my clothes? I'm not dressed appropriately." I gestured towards my pajamas. I thought Sophia would allow me time to change, but her cold resolve proved unyielding.

"Now, Ms. Holland." Her response was curt, leaving no room for negotiation. "The cooks will be saddened if all their hard work was to go to waste."

At that moment my stomach rumbled noisily, loud enough for both Sophia and myself to hear. Sophia took that as a sign of my approval and began to make her way down the corridor. With reluctance, I matched her long strides with my own and refrained from making any further protests.

We reached the dining area and, as promised, there were several trays of food waiting for me. Unlike the dining hall where I attended dinner with Dean, I saw to breakfast in the another dining area, which was relatively smaller in size. As I attempted to enjoy my breakfast, my gaze traveled to Sophia as she had yet to make her leave.

"Is there something you needed from me?" I finally voiced the question that had pestered me away from my meal. When I didn't receive an answer, I attempted to ignore her presence, but the room grew colder with the iciness of this woman presence, and her continued silence only added to the unease.