The Heart That Beats For Her

Chapter Five

Warmth is swallowing her whole, but she's content, she's happy. She rests her head back, her neck rolling to the side to admire the stunning grin that consumes his entire face and persuades her heart to skip merrily along. He reaches and she doesn't necessarily feel the contact, but she sees the way he grins as he brings her knuckles to his lips and presses a gentle kiss. He lingers, his eyes drifting away from whatever lies ahead to meet her gaze and flash her one wink.

She feels so utterly loved and she knows her heart is full.

She blinks, her eyes trailing back to find out what's ahead, but everything in her line of vision is black. So pitch-black that a haunting, eerie sensation crawls down her spine and demands that all the little hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. Her heart starts racing and she knows something is wrong. Something is so terribly wrong and she's screaming at herself to stop the madness. Get out.

The sound of crunching glass echoes all around her...

No....

No....

Get out!

Her body jerks so violently, her eyes spring wide open and her hands fling out to brace her fall, but she isn't falling. She's blinking rapidly against darkness, her body scrambling up in bed and she doesn't even recognize the agonizing scream that's ripping from her own throat and attacking the walls.

"Regina, I'm here," her mother's voice coos, but she is so disoriented, she hasn't a clue as to where the woman is or where the hell she is for that matter. "It's alright, darling, it was only a dream. It's all over. You're safe, in your room," she vows and that's when Regina feels the warmth enveloping her, along with the comforting touch of her mother's loving embrace.

"Momma, I-" she can't catch her breath, she's struggling to inhale one simple breath and her heart is raging so painfully in her chest, she is sure it's going to burst right through her sternum.

"I know, dear. It's alright. I promise you're safe."

Her mind allows her mother's words to wrap her up tight and keep her safe from the demons taunting her from the nightmare. She inhales sharply, breathing in her mother's perfume and forcing her heart to calm back down.

Once she can finally breathe again, Cora pulls her face to meet her gaze. She's wearing a depressing frown as she wipes away Regina's tears, her own eyes wet.

"Regina darling, these nightmares are becoming more frequent now. Are you sure you don't remember them?" Cora gently asks, knowing Regina is going to clam up like she usually does after every night terror.

"I don't," she mutters, curling her fingers around her mother's wrists and easing her away.

But she remembers. All too well. These nightmares are terrorizing her now, lingering in the shadows beneath her bed for the moment she drifts off to dreamland to torment her. Every night, it's the same thing; his playful smile, the kissing of knuckles and then comes the sound of shattering glass, but that's as far as her mind allows the memories to come back to her.

Truthfully, she doesn't know what's worse; not remembering the accident and what actually happened to her husband or remembering and having that horrific memory burned into her mind?

"Maybe you should consider seeing someone to discuss these nightmares? I have a feeling it has to do with the accident," Cora sweetly whispers into the night, brushing Regina's damp locks away from that angry gash still trying to heal near her temple.

"I-I just don't know if I want to dig deeper. I don't know if I want to remember what happened," her shaky voice admits and she sounds so foreign to her own ears. She sounds so utterly broken, nothing like her usual, in control tone.