Free The Hazing Tower by Leland Roys

something else told her the world had changed. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling; it made no sense. She was different. Something had changed inside her. She felt alive, energized. Her emotions seemed amplified, and then her senses, almost like a volume knob had been turned all the way up.
    She thought about Alex. She actually hadn’t stopped thinking about him since she woke up the other day. He clearly could have killed her. They let her drive away, why? Was it a long con? A way to gain her trust? But that made no sense. She didn’t have any money; she was worth no ransom. None of it made sense.
    Then there was the most pressing matter. She was dead. She tried to block it from her mind. The diagnosis had been clear; there was no cure. It had been almost a year, and yet she was stronger, healthier than she had ever been. It wasn’t possible.
    She focused on slowing down her breathing and it calmed her. She focused on the steam and the glorious water, her mind clearing, the racing thoughts slowing down. She closed her eyes and let the water surround her.

    Almost an hour must have passed. She shut the water off and stepped out onto the warm floor. She dried off and pulled on a thick white robe that was waiting for her.
    It was like a wave, a huge wave hitting her all at once. She started to cry. She fell to her knees, put her head down and cried, uncontrollably. She saw it as if it was happening right then. She saw his eyes as he pulled her back to the ledge — the look of fear in his eyes, fear that she would fall.
    “Miss! Are you OK in there? I’m going to call Sir Alex!”
    Alex slowly opened the door. “Nikki, it’s me, Alex. May I come in?” He looked inside.
    She nodded her head, she was sobbing and it shot through him like a knife.
    He opened the door. She looked so sad, totally broken inside. He had known that feeling himself, when you begin to feel the change inside you, the realization that the world will never be the same. He tried to speak and nothing came out.
    He sat down next to her. “I’m sorry, Nikki.”
    She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. “Why? You saved me. I remember now; you pulled me back onto the ledge. Am I dead now? What’s wrong with me?”
    “You’re not dead, Nikki, far from it.”
    “I’m sick, I think I’m sick, Alex. I saw you fall. You fell saving me. How can you be alive? It’s not possible.”
    He took her hand. He felt warm and strong at the same time. She didn’t try to pull away. She didn’t care that she was sitting on the floor in a robe. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. She tried to wipe her tears, but they came faster than she could clear them away.
    “Nikki, you are not sick. I will explain everything, I promise. I am to blame for this, all of this. I understand if you hate me.”
    “I don’t hate you. I don’t understand. I feel lost. I remember it all now, I saw your eyes when you pulled me up. You were scared. You were scared I was going to fall. You sat next to me when I was sick. Why? How did I get here? My mind feels like it won’t stop!”
    “Do you want me to leave? I apologize for coming in. I was worried for you.”
    “No! I mean, not now. Just sit with me. Can you just sit with me for awhile? I don’t want to be alone.”
    “We can sit for as long as you wish.”
    She felt herself grip his hand harder. She looked at the gun by her side. She kicked it away and it slid across the floor. She closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder.
    He softly touched her hair. It felt soothing beyond all reason. She could feel herself drifting off again. This time she didn’t try to stop it. There was no fear anymore. He had saved her, somehow he had. Her memories were clear now. She saw him sitting by her bed for what must have been months. He looked worried. She could see his face like it was happening today. He clearly was not a killer. Somehow he had been there for her, that was all that mattered. She felt safe now, safe