Chapter Forty Five:
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"And if somebody hurts you, I wanna fight.
But my hand's been broken, one too many times.
So I'll use my voice, I'll be so fucking rude.
Words they always win, but I know I'll lose."
The breeze was chill and the night sky was darker than usual. There was not a single star illuminating the sky and every single thing in the surrounding was eerily quiet with an occasional whoosh of the air.
I was walking barefoot on the concrete path that led to God knows where.
It was an alley.
There were walls on either side and my feet were tired of walking.
It seemed like an endless alleyway.
There was a small ray of light peeking out at the end of the passage and my feet were moving at a quicker pace towards it, now.
In my haste to reach the end, my feet tripped over something and I nearly toppled over but thankfully maintained my balance.
I looked down to see that it was my dress.
I was wearing a white dress that reached below my ankles and it had a long trail that rustled behind me on the floor.
I frowned in confusion but decided to brush it off. For some reason, I wanted to reach there.
I could make out a silhouette leaning against a wall beside the light. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look and figured it's a tall man.
His head suddenly whipped in my direction, as if sensing my gaze on him, and he straightened his back before he started to walk towards me.
I halted in my tracks.
Why is he walking towards me?
Nonetheless, I willed my feet to move forward due to the curiosity rising in my chest.
As he walked closer, I saw his eyes and a smile lit up my features. He was wearing a white shirt and black slacks, formal, as always.
"Darius." I whispered.
"Eirene." He said back and I ran towards him while picking the sides of my dress to avoid tumbling again.
We met halfway and he picked me up before twirling me high in the air. My hands rested on his shoulders and I giggled, the sound of my voice cutting through the pin-drop silence and suddenly making everything alive.
He put me down after a few seconds and placed a tender kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes, basking in his love and scent.
"What were you doing there?" I asked.
"I was waiting for you." He replied.
"You knew I was going to be here?" I asked with a silly grin.
I loved him so much.
He hummed in response and nodded his head, "That man told me." He said and pointed in the direction he came from.
I looked in the said direction and saw another man who was now walking towards us.
"Who is he?" I questioned as my heartbeat picked up.
Suddenly, the feeling of love that filled the air around us was dissipated.
I looked at the man again, his hands were shoved in his pockets and he had a cowboy hat on his head, it was hard to make out his face.
He suddenly took one of his hands out of his pocket, a gun clutched in his hand, and my eyes doubled in size.
Alarm bells went off in my head as I saw that it was the same gun that I had used to practice shooting.
A nine millimeter.
He pointed in it Darius' direction and shot before any of us could comprehend whatever was happening.
I screamed as Darius' body fell on the concrete with a loud thud and looked at the man who was now walking away like he had no care in the world.
Immediately, I fell to my knees and picked up Darius' head to place it in my lap.
"Darius." I whispered in shock. "Please wake up, καρδιά μου." I cried but he had already drifted to the other world.
(My heart)
"HELP!" I screamed and looked up but there was no one in sight.
That man had also disappeared.
My tears blurred my vision and some of them fell on Darius' face.
"Please don't leave me, please." I begged and shook him but he was not responding and his face was turning white.
My eyes moved frantically around us to see if there is someone I can call for help but instead, I saw that the walls from both sides had started to close in.
"No." I mumbled.
My body felt as if it was being swaddled and I was all too familiar with this feeling.
My breathing picked up and I tried to move Darius' body so we both can escape but he was too big.
I needed to get out of here before the walls squish us but I was unable to move.
I would never leave Darius alone.
"Please wake up for my sake, καρδιά μου." I cried even though I knew I was asking for the impossible.
The walls were getting closer now and I knew I would not be able to escape them so I leaned down to kiss Darius' head one last time before resting my forehead against his cold one.
If this is our end, so be it.
At least, I was with the man I loved.
I had just begun to accept the reality when I felt myself being pulled from the back of my dress and my eyes snapped open just in time to see the walls closing in completely on Darius and then he disappeared.
"DARIUS!" I screamed and my eyes snapped open.
The familiar ceiling came into my view and I sat up in my bed, panting heavily. I looked at the walls and the panic rushed through my veins.
I pushed the sheets away and ran to the bathroom, at once. I opened the door with a loud thud and saw the shower cubicle beside the bathtub.
I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head before instantly running towards the cubicle and turning on the faucet before sliding down the glass wall. I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my head in them as the water cascaded down my semi-clothed body.
I realized that I was shaking.
The nightmare repeating in my head over and over.
Where was Darius?
I rocked back and forth as I kept mumbling incoherent stuff under my breath.
The water was cool and it somehow calmed me but I was unable to shake the feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach.
I needed Darius.
I could feel the walls closing in on me, once again, so I tried to convince myself that I am safe and I am in Darius' home.
Our home.
Nothing was helping me so I dug my fingernails in my arms to feel some form of physical pain.
It was better than being trapped inside of my head.
Suddenly, I heard rushed footsteps coming my way and I looked up to see Darius with a perplexed look.
He stepped inside the shower, not caring if the shower ruined his clothes, and sat in front of me.
"What's wrong, Κούκλα?" His voice was rushed and his eyes went over my form to see any signs of physical harm.
When he spotted the tiny droplets of blood on my arms, his green eyes turned a shade darker, and they snapped up to meet mine.
"What are you doing, Eirene? What happened?" He inquired and turned off the faucet.
"Where were you?" I sobbed.
"Jason had called in the middle of the night, he needed my help with something. He had just left when I heard you scream. Tell me, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare, Κούκλα?" He all but said in one breath.
I nodded my head meekly.
"And what is this?" He pointed towards my arms.
"I-I felt like I was trapped. The walls," I paused and looked around to see that everything had gone back to normal, "They were closing in on me."
He shook his head, "I got you, little angel. Nothing's bad going to happen."
"You weren't here." I pointed out.
I was not accusing him. In fact, it strengthened my belief in the fact that bad things happen only when he is not around.
"I am so sorry. I was just gone for less than an hour and I was in my home office downstairs. I wouldn't leave without telling you."
Seeing him talking to me, comforting me, and most of all, alive calmed my nerves to no end.
"I'm sorry. It's just-"
"Shh, I understand." He intervened and brought my head to his chest.
I clung to him like my life depended on it and he stood up while I wrapped my legs around his torso. He walked us out and sat me down on the edge of the bed but I fisted the front of his t-shirt in my hands, not wanting to let go.
"I am right here but you have to change before you catch a cold. Let me grab something for you, real quick." He said.
Only then, I looked down at myself and saw that I was completely drenched.
I stood up but I did not let go of him, "Please, don't."
He sighed and cupped my cheek, "Come with me."
He took my hand gently in his and walked us towards the closet, "Change your clothes, Κούκλα. I'll be right outside."
I quickly tightened my hold on his hand, "No! Don't leave."
"Eirene, you have to change." He reasoned.
I shook my head in return, "Turn your back but please don't leave me alone."
He stared at me for a couple of seconds, probably having an internal debate, before agreeing and turning around.
I quickly grabbed new panties and one of his t-shirts, not wanting to wear a bra, and discarded my soaked undergarments before slipping on the new ones.
"I am done." I whispered and he turned around.
His eyes raked over my form once before meeting my eyes, "Can I change, now?" He pointed towards his semi-wet clothes.
I nodded and turned my back to him.
I was not leaving without him.
I heard the rustling of clothes and after a few minutes, he was dressed in a fresh pair of sweatpants and shirt.
Wordlessly, he grabbed my hand and we made our way to the bed. My eyes went to the clock on the nightstand and it read three fifty-nine am. He tucked me in and slid in beside me before finally meeting my gaze.
"What was it about?" He quietly asked.
The mental image of him being shot and crushed between the walls reappeared in my head and my hands shot up to his chest.
I stayed quiet.
He rubbed my back soothingly, "Was it about me?"
I ground my molars and nodded my head, trying hard not to think about it.
"Stop thinking about it. I am right here, with you. See?" He tilted my chin up.
I looked into his eyes and they gave me all the reassurance I needed.
However, there was one question stuck in my head and I had to ask him.
"Where's my father, Darius?"