Darkroom - Ten Sleep
THEA'S POV:
"Thea."
"Baby, it's morning."
"Come on, it's time to get up now."
Groaning softly, I shifted in the bed covers and peeled one eye open. Sunlight spilled through the open curtains onto my pillow, lightening the familiar dimensions and pink walls of my room. I rubbed my eyes.
"What time is it?" I asked through a yawn.
"It's eleven-thirty."
"Hm?"
I opened my eyes fully this time, having not expected an answer, and found Papa sitting on the side of my bed with a hot drink in his hands. Why did he look so concerned?
I shot upright.
Memories of last night came flooding back in waves and I grasped my head in one hand. There was a dull pain at the back of my scalp, probably from when I hit the ground and Ruffles...
Frantically, I looked around my room. Papa reached forward and clasped my hand in his own gentle one, eyes full of worry. My gaze was drawn to the sleeping cat curled up on my bed sheets, her back slowly rising and lowering as she inhaled and exhaled. I breathed a sigh of gratitude. Thank God she was safe.
"How are you feeling, Thea?" my dad slowly asked.
"I-I think I'm okay. What happened last night?"
Papa's careful eyes flickered about my face. "That's what I was hoping you'd tell me."
I furrowed my brows.
"Here, drink this," he said before handing me the mug. The tea sat in the cup like a golden mirror. "Jasmine. I know you like that one."
I took a few sips, then licked my lips and wiped my mouth. "Papa... how did I get home?"
"You honestly don't remember?"
I shook my head.
Sighing, he scratched the back of his neck. "A man brought you home," he said and I almost dropped my cup. "He said he found you passed out on the side of the street and- God, do you know what I almost did to that poor man after seeing him with my daughter? Thea, tell me. Be honest with me. Did he hurt you? Did he do anything to you?"
"No!" I interrupted. "No, no, no, that's not what happened."
"So was he telling the truth?"
Anxiously, I chewed at my lip as Papa's eyes bore into mine. His usual, calm brown eyes now churned in expectation of my answer. I rarely ever saw my father angry; he was the definition of serene. I'd only heard stories about when he used to get bullied at school but he'd always fight back. It turned out that the others were scared of him. I knew that if I told him the truth about what happened, how I'd almost been...
He wouldn't let it slide.
But what had happened to those men? Had they gotten away? Or had that stranger done something to them?
"He was telling the truth."
The mug almost trembled in my hands. I hated lying to Papa but I just wanted it all to go away. I didn't want to remember it.
"Baby, I'm not understanding this," said Papa gently, brows furrowed. "Why did you pass out?"
"I don't think I ate enough yesterday. I, um, only had tea and biscuits."
He gave me a stern, reprimanding look. "What on earth were you thinking?" My shoulders shrunk guiltily. "Do you know how dangerous that was? What would have happened if that man didn't find you? I don't even want to imagine, baby. On such a cold night, and so dark as well. What if that guy took you to his place instead? How did he even know which house to take you to? "
"Ruffles' collar," I mumbled, giving him a little glance. "Our address."
Angrily, Papa sighed before eyeing my expression. A hint of regret pierced through his mask.
He pulled me into his arms and placed his hand on my head. I clutched my mug tighter. My eyes moistened as he held me and I inhaled his welcoming scent. It was a mixture of warm tones of musk and aftershave, a complementary pairing that didn't make much sense. Holding back a sniffle, I wiped my eyes and smiled gratefully against his shoulder. He was my sanctuary and he didn't even know it.
"I'll drive you home from now on, okay?" he told me. "I don't want you coming back alone."
"Honestly it's fine, Papa. I promise to eat better, I will."
"Thea," he exhaled.
"What if I called you before I left?"
He hesitated. I tilted my head to the side.
"...Alright."
Beaming, I pulled away. "Thank you, Papa," I said before taking a small sip of my tea. He shook his head at me, as if knowing my puppy eyes were his weakness, and he placed his hands on his thighs and pushed himself up from the bed. Then a thought struck me. "Does Mama know?"
"Of course she does."
An awful feeling crept up my spine.
"Come down for breakfast in a bit, okay? Mum's made scrambled eggs."
With that, Papa left my bedroom, but not after leaving my door open a crack.
As soon as I heard his footsteps go down the stairs, I set my tea down next to me and looked at the sleeping cat on my bed. She was curled up in a croissant shape, paws stretched out in front of her as she unworriedly dreamt away. I reached over and stroked her head with one knuckle - she responded with a twitch of her ear.
I felt like a mess. I couldn't believe that something so petrifying had almost happened to me last night, and the mere thought of it only sent unsettling shivers down my spine. If it weren't for that stranger, I didn't know where I'd be - perhaps I'd still be lying in that damp alleyway, or maybe I'd even be stuck in a creepy, white van somewhere. And what would have happened to Ruffles?
I didn't even want to think about it.
But his voice... I couldn't get it out of my head. There was something so unique about it, so rough and foreign to my ears. From what I could remember, it reminded me of chocolate being slowly chopped and ground on a wooden board, each syllable pulsating with the knife. I didn't know why I remembered it so vividly; I was only half conscious. But he spoke... so softly.
Embarrassed that I had even been thinking of such a thing, I shook my head and sent my hair falling over my reddening cheeks. Bad, bad Thea. That should have been the last thing on my mind after something so traumatic. What was wrong with me?
"You're crazy," I chastised myself as I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
I paused at the sight of my coat hanging at the door. I approached it and fumbled with the material on the peg. Where had my hat gone? That was my favourite hat as well.
But more importantly, I'd left my phone in one of the pockets. I silently prayed that no one had stolen it while I was unconscious. As I reached into the pocket, a grin pulled at my lips upon the cold screen touching my fingertips, but my brows twisted at the crinkling of paper along with it.
I pulled the piece of paper out, along with my phone, and stared at what was written on it.
Your cat fucked up my arm. Be glad you're cute enough for me not to hold a grudge against you for it.
There was a number written underneath.
Call this number if you need it.
I gaped at the words in shock, reading it and rereading it until I could recite the message word for word without looking. "Ruffles," I scolded, shooting the named culprit a glare, but she didn't even budge; she just opened her eyes from her sleeping position and observed me for a moment, pupils narrowing.
I couldn't believe what was written here.
What was this supposed to mean? Was I indebted to him now? No, that couldn't be, not when he was offering his help if I was ever in a situation like that again. I just couldn't help but feel slightly... intimidated by the message.
But I also couldn't just move on and forget about him. He had saved my life. I owed him that much gratitude.
And so, with trembling hands, I unlocked my phone and typed in the digits of the mobile number, my fingers trying not to slip and make a mistake.
There was no need to be afraid.
I blinked when I realised that I had already pressed the call button and when slow, steady rings started to sound from my phone, I frantically began to panic. Oh no! Should I end it and prepare what I was going to say first? And was I supposed to speak first or was he? What if this was all a ploy just to get my phone number and stalk me and my cat? What if-
"Qué coño quieres? Usted sabe mejor que llamarme en mi número privado."
[Who the fuck is this? You know better than to call me on my private number.]
Huh?
"U-Um," I said, feeling my body tense up at the voice.
That voice.
It was almost unrecognisable. What I had heard last night was a butterfly from his mouth; now I was met with a venomous wasp, distaste and dominance leaking from its stinger. But I was sure it was him. The voice gave me the same sensation in my stomach.
For a split second, my throat went dry. My breathing went ragged. But I managed to control myself before it became too audible - audible enough for him to hear.
"Is that Italian?"
Stupid. Stupid. I should have asked if this was the right number!
There was more quiet on the other end and I felt myself growing even shyer. "Hello?" I repeated quietly, as if asking such a question in the first place was a terrible insult.
"I'm here, baby."
I almost choked at his final word. Did he really say what I thought he said?
"Hi," I whispered again. I almost slapped my forehead - why was I such a doughnut? "I-I mean, pardon?"
There was a deep, amused hum on the other end, and then a quiet mutter of, "Tan linda." Before I could ask what that meant, he was speaking again. "Why did you call this number?"
[So cute.]
His accent was so gorgeous, I was afraid I would pass out again before I could hear any more of it. And there was also the fact that I had never really engaged in conversation with a man outside of my family, aside from when it came to work or school. Then again, this was hardly a conversation, with me struggling not to make evident gasping sounds as I calmed down my thundering heartbeat.
I stammered, "I-I just wanted to say thank you for last night. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd-I'd have ever reached home."
Something clinked at the other end of the call like a glass being set down. "There's no need to thank me. I happened to be passing by and wasn't about to let a young woman be attacked by two... fuckers."
"But still, I'm not sure where I'd be if you didn't help me so, um, really, thank you."
"They deserved what was coming," he said ominously; it was somehow augmented by the distinct accent of his tongue. I couldn't help but shiver.
"You didn't hurt them... that badly, did you?"
There was an unsettling pause.
"I dealt with them fairly. I can promise you won't hear from them again, to put you at ease." He didn't really answer my question. "Was that all you wanted? To give me your thanks?" There was a tension to his voice, almost like he wanted to get away from the conversation because it was painful for him to have. I didn't want to bore or discomfort him.
"Well, I also wanted to ask if... you had a safe journey home too?" I queried weakly.
I squeezed my clammy hands before I heard movement on the other end. And then, the quietest of laughs; it was deep and one of slight amusement, perhaps interest, or I could have been misinterpreting it all. The sound made me blush embarrassedly. I wanted to shrink into the corner of the room and hide but I found myself glued to the spot, listening to the enticing sound.
My heart was still beating wildly in my chest from the nerves of speaking to a stranger but when he spoke, I could feel those worries dissipate a little. "Thank you, but I don't think I'm the one you should be worried about," he rumbled. "You take care of yourself first for me, alright?"
"But what about what my cat did to you?" I reminded him, silently glancing over at the small animal snoozing on my duvet.
"Consider your name as repayment."
"What do you mean?"
"Your name. I want to know your name."
I pondered to myself while still playing with my lip. "I'm not really allowed to give my name to strangers," I said apologetically, wandering back over to my bed to sit beside my cat. The mattress sagged at my weight as I stroked Ruffles' head, but my heart rate quickened when I realised that the man wasn't talking anymore. "I-I'm really sorry. I'm still grateful for your help but my parents said-"
"Eres absolutamente adorable, ¿lo sabes? Pero eso no me impedirá averiguar," he rumbled. I didn't know why but when he spoke that language, it made me squeeze my legs together.
[You're absolutely adorable, you know that? But that won't stop me from finding out.]
"I don't understand," I admitted embarrassedly.
"That's what makes it fun, no?" he said and I huffed in response. I felt like Ruffles being teased by a treat; no wonder she looked so grumpy all the time.
"Well, is there any other way I could maybe repay you?"
I thought I heard the man murmur something under his breath but I must have misheard again. It sounded like he was speaking his language (which was starting to sound more and more like Spanish rather than Italian). Then, his strong, powerful words turned into a soft command, and I almost melted at the sound.
"Don't go home on your own."
I squeezed my phone tightly.
"And I'd like to ask you a question," he added.
"O-Okay."
"When I found you last night, something wasn't right. I know you were scared. I know they tried to hurt you, but why were you hurting... yourself?"
With that, reality struck me like a lightning bolt.
Here I was: conversing with a man; a man whom I hardly knew; a man whose name I couldn't even fathom. I'd clawed and tried to tear apart my own neck last night at the fear of a man touching me, and now I was sitting here giddily and waiting to hear a stupid man's voice. I wasn't supposed to be talking to a stranger like this, let alone a male stranger. What would Mama say?
I didn't realise I was shaking until Ruffles raised her head and gave me an annoyed look, unaware of the situation at hand. Even when using every force possible to keep myself still, I couldn't control my trembling hands as my breathing quickened. Why was this man asking me questions? What if this man was trying to get close to me to hurt me? I couldn't think of another reason for why he was acting like this towards me. No one had ever treated me like this before.
With my breaths becoming wheezier, my eyes stung with tears and I couldn't prevent them from falling. A short gasp left my lips as I struggled to take in any air, my lungs collapsing and my throat tightening as if a coil was being wound around the opening.
"I'm sorry," I managed to say into the speaker, wiping my cheek with one hand. I thought I could hear the man say something on the line but it was blocked out by the empty ringing sound filling my head.
"I h-have to go," I choked before cutting the call.
I dropped my phone onto the bed and buried my face in my hands, gasping for air.
I shouldn't have called him. I shouldn't have called him. Stupid, stupid Thea. He was going to be angry with me for hanging up on him. He could hurt me now. He had a reason to hurt me just like those men wanted to. I was so stupid. Just a stupid, stupid little girl.
I rocked back and forth on the bed, clutching my head in my hands. It was swimming. It was aching. I was scared. I was so, so scared. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably. I cried to myself for what felt like hours but it must have been mere minutes. What possessed me to try and talk to that man? What did I think would happen? I should have known better than to risk my safety in such a way.
"Thea, your food's getting cold!"
Sucking in ragged breaths, I gulped down the lukewarm remainder of my drink and forced myself up from the bed at the sound of Mama's voice. I couldn't keep her waiting any longer or I was sure she would storm up those stairs and bombard me with questions. So, I staggered out of my room and made my way into the bathroom, going straight for the sink and splashing my face with cold water.
I gripped the sides of the sink tightly. Tears fell from my face like broken shards of glass, then disappeared down the plug. I winced when I glanced up in the mirror, finding my usual tan skin a pale and sickly colour. My cheeks were flushed and so were my nose and under-eyes. I could never hide when I'd been crying - it was far too obvious.
Again, I dashed my face with a cupful of water and worked on making myself more presentable, starting with brushing my teeth and running a comb through a few parts of my hair that were especially knotted. My curtain bangs had grown out too much and the rest of my hair fell down to the middle of my back in unkempt waves. With a sigh, I padded down the stairs, the tension refusing to leave my chest; but I covered it up with a tired smile when I saw Mama.
Her back was turned, arms crossed as she watched Mulan playing on the television screen - her favourite Disney film. Even from here, from the length of her neck and her black, glossy curls, anyone could tell that she was beautiful. The ironic thing was that everyone said I was the spitting image of her, except for the part where my hair was brown and a bit straighter. I couldn't see the resemblance though. Perhaps it was in the eyes.
"Mama," I called, drawing her attention.
She spun around. Within seconds, I was crushed against her chest in a hug equivalent to the strength of a python. I was almost smothered by her shalwar kameez. She pressed a hard kiss on my cheek as I squirmed.
"Mama, I'm okay! I'm not hurt, see?"
"Don't you ever worry me like that again," she ordered, cradling my face in her hands. I gazed back into endless depths of comfort. "What do you think you were doing last night? You almost gave me a heart attack when that man walked in here carrying you."
"I'm sorry-"
"Imagine what could have happened if he didn't find you. Imagine what could have happened to you, Thea!" she rambled, grasping my shoulders. "Anybody could have found you last night. Anybody could have done- could have hurt you. God, Thea... God knows what I would have done if something happened-"
Mama faltered, face twisting with emotion before burying her face in my hair, pulling me even closer to her. Her warm hands fisted the back of my sweater, as if desperately grasping for something to keep her afloat whilst drowning. I stroked her back in an attempt to console her, guilt swamping me for the lie that would slip my lips.
"Mama," I mumbled, "I promise I'll start eating better. It won't happen again."
"I know it won't," she said in a muffled tone, raising her head. Her pupils thinned, dark irises growing more defined and stricter than ever. "Because I'm going to watch you eat every bite of this food I made you or you're never setting foot in that place again."
"Okay, I'll eat, I'll eat," I said reassuringly and untangled our arms, dropping into one of the swivel chairs at the breakfast bar. She sat beside me, setting her elbow on the counter and placing her chin on her palm, and watched me closely as I began to shovel scrambled eggs into my mouth along with buttered toast. As she raised a hand to my head, I stilled for just a second before she ran her fingers through my hair.
"My sweetheart," she murmured. "Eat well, okay?"
I nodded my head and smiled at her. Before I knew it, I was enraptured by the characters of Mulan and Li Shang once again whilst eating my food, too caught up in the plot to care about anything else.
Or perhaps I was too caught up in my thoughts revolving around a certain stranger, guilt pulling at my every puppet string.
*****
Read 5+ chapters ahead on my Patreon: patreon.com/Fudgecakexox
Hey fudglings!
SO HERE IS THE SECOND CHAPTER HDJSJDKSD I know things are slow at the moment but don't worry it'll all pick up in the next few chapters hehe
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? Thoughts on baby Thea? Her interactions with Mama and Papa? The phone call with the stranger? It makes me sad how much her fear affects her life, like she can't even have a decent conversation without having a panic attack. My baby :(( BUT YES I AM IN LOVE WITH THE MAIN GUY AND I LOVE THE SOUND OF SPANISH PLEASE IT"S So BEAUTIFUL
Bro my little sister just tested positive for covid today ._. I cannot BELIEVE this because we've gone these entire two and a half years without getting covid and now?? NOW WE GET IT but don't worry, she's only got a mild fever and sore throat. I'm bound to test positive too soon because me and my sis come as a pair and we share a room so I apologise if any near-future updates are delayed at all ,_, also I have a crush on Max in stranger things sorry not sorry
Potato question of the day: Do you have a pet? If so, what is it?
You guys should probably know from the last chapter that I do have a baby cat, Ruffles, who I've had for 12 years and I love her to bits :D
Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you guys did, please do vote, comment and share with your friends! I love you guys!
- Fudge x