Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 53

“LYELL!” 

Lyell sat bolt upright in bed. His eyes strained in the dawn light. He quickly scanned his room to see where the scream came from. Rushing to the front door he unlocked it and looked up and down the corridor but saw nothing. Locking the door he ran back into to the bathroom and stared into the mirror.

It was then that he noticed how steamy the bathroom was and the hot water tap was running. The mirror was so fogged up that droplets of water were running down the mirror. As he watched the droplets running down the mirror he thought he saw his name written in the steamed up mirror and stared as the droplets washed away what was left of his name.

The scream that woke still echoed in his ears. It was Annjelica. She was in trouble. She needed him. But how was he going to find her?

“Annjelica I’m trying to find you. Please, please hold on. Give me a sign. Help me to find you.” Lyell pleaded as he stared into the mirror.

Feeling lost and desperate he dragged his fingers through his hair and realized he was soaking wet. Droplets of water were running down his face from his wet hair. He knew he hadn’t showered yet he was dripping puddles of water on the bathroom floor. As he stared down at the puddles of water around his feet a heavy knock sounded on the front door.

Grabbing a towel he wrapped it round his shoulders and went to the door. He opened it cautiously, feeling strangely anxious. One of the hotel staff stood at the door holding bottles of water.

“Can I help you?” Lyell asked.

“Sir, you requested bottled water.”

“Sorry, I didn’t ask for any. Maybe you have the wrong room number.”

“It’s fresh spring water, Sir. You’ll need them for your travels on the underground today.  Temperatures down there can become overbearing in this heat.”

Just then his phone rang and Lyell ran into the bedroom to answer. It was a wrong number and by the time he went back to the door he had gone and had left four bottles of spring water on the dining table.

“Annjelica, is this a sign I must take the tube? Will I find my way to you underground? I can’t help feeling time is running out. Oh God Love, please hold on.”

***

Annjelica screamed out Lyell’s name as the needle sunk deep into her arm. Within seconds she found herself drifting into darkness and instead of colours this time she stepped into a bright orange light that felt warm and comforting.

“Come.” A gentle voice echoed through the orange light.

Annjelica felt warm and safe and the voice soothed her. She stepped into the orange light and followed the voice.

“Come Annjelica. Close the door behind you. Leave the past, the pain, and the dark and find your warmth and peace here with me now.”

Annjelica hesitated a moment and looked behind her at the black heavy door that stood open. The black hole she had come from was cold, unseeing and represented pain.

“Come. Why do you hesitate? Do you really want to go back to the pain? Come and stay here with me in this bright sunny warmth?”

Annjelica looked from the darkness behind the black door to the warm orange light. The further she walked into the orange light the less afraid she felt. She stopped hurting. The darkness in her mind was lifting.

“Annjelica come.” The soft voice said.

She looked back at the black door. Something was pulling her back, but why would it want her to return to the dark.

“Close the door Annjelica.”

She was hypnotized by the voice and slowly she closed the door. When she turned around a hand reached out and handed her a key. Without looking up she took the key. Her movements were robotic and she obeyed without question. Everything seemed surreal. The voice seemed a million miles away yet also very close, right beside her.

“Lock the door and throw away the key and you’ll never have to step back into that dark pain again.”

She took the heavy ornate black key and pushed it into the keyhole. She stopped, hesitated and looked back at the orange light.

“There is nothing to go back to Annjelica. Your new life starts now. Turn the key.”

She obeyed without thinking and turned the key. As she pulled it out the voice spoke soothingly.

“Don’t think… just throw it at the door.” The voice encouraged her.

Annjelica pulled the key from the lock and threw it at the door. She stared unbelieving as the door swallowed up the key inside its wood work. A sudden pain wrenched at her heart and she felt it tearing apart. She had lost something. Something she loved had been torn from her. The pain was unbearable and swallowed her up. She collapsed and fell into the arms of the voice who had called her out of the dark.

“Sweet Annjelica when you wake all the dark and pain will be gone, as my blood runs through your veins. Sleep now and rest. Your new life is just a breath away.”