Chasing Sapphire

12. NIGHTMARES

SAPPHIRE

My shoes made clicking noise on the marble as I walked through the hallway of this place. Despite its modern architecture, there was something weird about this place that I couldn't exactly pinpoint. The air here was filled with a strange scent, probably that of the jungle and all the wild animals.

The walls of this hallway were painted bright red, like the color of the blood. I wondered why someone would paint their walls with such color? How creepy.

I was about to turn back when at the other end of the hallway, a door caught my attention. My curiosity took over my sanity and I walked over to the door. I gently pushed it and it opened with a creak.

The room looked like a normal study room but ten times more massive. The front wall was covered by a huge book shelf containing books of every size. I moved forwards and gave a closer look to the large array of books. From the dust on the top ones, they looked like they had been here for centuries.

On the wall next to the bookshelf, there was a painting hanging that covered almost half of the wall's height. I gulped as I watched the pack of wolves in the picture. They were painted with every detail clear that it almost looked surreal.

I extended my hand out to touch the white wolf in the middle, it's eyes were closed and his face raised towards the sky. It reminded me of the wolf that I saw earlier, the night I met Connor.

"Outsiders are not allowed to enter this room." I heard a feminine voice and I jumped up in surprise. I turned around and stared at the woman I saw earlier, the one who was Atticus West's younger brother's wife.

"Sorry," I whispered slowly.

"It's okay." She passed me a brief smile and stepped forwards, her eyes left my face and focused on the painting behind me.

"Grace? Is it?" I asked.

"Yes," she nodded without looking at me. "Hope you are feeling better now."

"Yes I'm perfectly alright. Actually I wanted to ask, when can I leave?" I asked her in hope-filled voice.

"When Atticus decides." She smiled at me, a smile that looked like it was hiding many things. My spine got a shiver and I sighed in hopelessness. "Don't worry, it's better for your health."

"I don't live here. I have to go back to the city." I exhaled in exasperation but her expression didn't change.

"You should take some rest. You look pale," she said and walked past me. While she was leaving, I saw the mobile in her hand, the screen showing someone's number.

'There is no signal here.' he had said.

My heart jumped up in my chest as I realised the possibility of being locked here forever.

°°°°°

There was darkness all around me. I tried to move my hands but felt like they were tied. I tried to scream but no voice left my mouth.

Suddenly I heard the door creak and then footsteps came towards me; muffled, scary footsteps. I wanted to turn my neck to look at the intruder but my body didn't help me at all.

Then the footstep came closer, until I felt a presence behind me. The person leaned down and I felt warm breath on the side on my face.

"Sapphire!" The voice was masculine and I have heard it before.

The voice was followed by a soft touch on my cheeks. He touched my forehead with his finger and trailed it down my face, all the way to my chin, causing goosebumps all over my skin.