Free Darkness Follows by J.L. Drake Page A

He leaned down to my ear and whispered, “He won’t stop. Give me two weeks.”
    My lip started to tremble. I couldn’t handle this right now. Everything was still too raw inside. I felt myself to start to slip away from reality. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, and the hysteria plowed through me like a freight train. I heard the door close.
    “Are you all right, miss?” the nurse asked. I nodded but turned away from her as the sobs came. “Here.” She held up a needle and kindly showed me the label. “This is for the pain, and it will help you sleep some more. Your body needs time to heal.”
    “I don’t want it,” I said through short breaths. I was incredibly afraid to let my guard down.
    “Emily,” the nurse said as she took a seat next to me on the bed. “I know you’re scared. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. But if you want to get back to living your life, you need to heal first, and that means lots of rest. You have a security guard outside your door twenty-four hours a day and a boyfriend who barely lets you out of his sight. I don’t think you could be any safer. So please let me help you.”
    She smiled and waited for me to nod. I did, and she slowly pushed the needle into the IV. Then she gently touched my arm as my breathing slowed and my eyes grew heavier.
    My fingers flexed and curled around the wooden arm rest. A sudden jolt to the heart, and my eyes popped open. Had I just seen a figure behind the light? Where was I? I squinted again, trying to see who it could have been. I forced myself to focus. My tongue moved about pressed against…the gag? “No!” I kicked my feet out but they didn’t move. Oh god! What was happening? My heart pounded against my breastbone. I squeezed my eyes shut and told myself to stop.
    I opened them again, but now I was by the computer. Seth was staring at me, but I couldn’t hear him. What was going on? I had a sudden urge to look around; something nagged at the back of my brain. I moved, but I didn’t know what it was that pulled me.
    Footsteps above me made freeze, then an odd noise and music started to play. A slow, paralyzing chill crept up my back. Bach flowed down the wooden stairs and held me hostage with his haunting melody. I swallowed back a scream. I was not alone.
    A muffled voice reached my ears, and my senses came alive. A low growl from the corner raised goosebumps on every part of my body. No, no, no.
    “Stop!” I closed my eyes again and tried to force my brain to let me out of there.
    Water poured into my body through every opening. My eyes were wide open as I kicked my way to the surface. I popped up and saw a hand and grabbed for it, then felt a set of cold fingers pull me free from the river’s hold. I lay on the ground and fought desperately to fill my lungs. His boots stopped by my side, and he bent down and moved the hair out of my face.
    His hand curled around my neck and applied a light pressure. “Oh, darlin’, I thought you were smarter than this.”
    I squeezed my eyes shut again and knew this couldn’t happen. I was very close to losing the war with my rational side. This is a dream. This is a dream. I know it isn’t real . It had to be the medicine they gave me. I just needed to wait it out.
    “Anywhere but here,” I whispered a plea.
    All noise faded away, and I was pulled down. The ground beneath me changed from dirt to cool concrete. I opened my eyes again and found myself alone in a dark room. The only light came from the moon. After I confirmed I was alone, I settled into the corner, deciding to wait out the drug’s effect. Anywhere was better than there. I allowed myself to relax. I’d be safe here.
    ***

Seth
     
    I watched as my friends piled into the elevator, then sipped my coffee as I walked back to the room. It was nasty, but it was caffeine. When I stepped into the room, a nurse was next to Emily and stroking her arm evenly. She looked up at me with an annoyed face.
    “What’s going on?”