Lost

Chapter 17: The Haunting Past

"Please, don't," he begged her again. "Please! Just come with me. We can -"

"Don't-" William tried to intervene.

"Yes or no, Zayn?"

"Put the knife away, and we can talk about it!"

"Do you love me or not!" she shouted. William heard the finality in her voice. There was no denying that she was going for it. William figured he had to get to her before she ended up doing something stupid. He tried standing up, only to fall off the couch. A wave of nausea washed over him.

"Stop," William slurred, fighting off the dizziness, "He's not worth it . . ."

"Say it, Zayn!" she demanded savagely, ignoring William's request completely. "Yes or No!"

Harris hesitated. She tipped the handle, ready to swipe the blade across her sensitive vessels. Seeing the mad glint in her eyes, both of the boys panicked.

"NO!"

There was a swift motion and a glint of the the metal. Harris dived towards her, but her blood was already sprayed crimson on the wall next to her. Feeling nauseous upon realizing what she'd done, William stumbled towards her. However, he was roughly shoved against the table by Harris. By the time his dizziness subsided enough to let him see straight, Harris was halfway through the door with her in his arms. One of his hands tightly clasped against her bleeding wrist.

"No!" William tried to reach for her.

The door swung behind them. He saw her face. White as a sheet. But it was her half closed brown eyes, and dark hair that took William by surprise. He gasped as her features registered in his mind.

Sally?

"No . . . !"

William's mind cleared and his vision sharpen the moment the door shut tight and Zayn took her away. A tortured sound escaped his lips as he screamed her name.

"Salma!"

William jolted awake and sat up straight in his bed. His breathing was quick and shallow, and his body was drenched in sweat.

Oh God, please no! He ran a shaky hand across his face, Not this again!

Salma's expressionless face flashed acrossed his mind and he felt the urge to throw up.

It wasn't her!  he told himself firmly, burying his face in his hands, this was just a dream. It wasn't Salma!

It has been years since the events of that night had haunted him. Years since Harris's egotistical need to control everything ended up in her losing all she had. If only William was there for her quick enough. If only he could have protected her from his arrogant desire to keep someone around who worshipped him constantly. Someone, he did not give a damn about, till they decided to quit and get a life. If only William could have saved her.

He was nearly there. He almost had her. She virtually fell for him. That night, she basically chose him over Harris, but then he had to come barging into her place, acting like he gave a damn about her. That inhuman, possessive git just had to toy with her till she could not take it anymore.

She decided she had had enough. William never saw her again.

His stomach twisted in painful knots when it crossed his mind that Salma could be his next prey.

No! She won't! He fisted his hands tightly. I won't let him!

His phone started buzzing, pulling him out of his haunted memories. Swallowing hard, he reached for it and swiped across the screen when he saw Asim's I.D.