Page 3

Elliott

"What do you want to watch?" Samuel says, bringing me closer to him on his mattress.

"Thumbelina?" I smiled up at him.

"Again?" He giggles at me.

I sink into the pillow, "We can watch something you like this time?" I whisper, too afraid he’s going to be annoyed with me.

"No no, my Eden wants Thumbelina, my Eden gets Thumbelina.

" He grabs the remote off of the nightstand, pushing buttons until the movie starts on the screen.

I grab the bowl of popcorn between us, putting it on his lap so I can cuddle my big brother more, as I watch all of the barn animals and old ladies sing and dance in front of us.

I giggle looking up to see Samuel watching me, not the movie.

"What?" I say as I shove more popcorn into my mouth.

"I just love watching you enjoy yourself is all." He pushes a strand of hair out of my face, securing it behind my ear.

The noises coming from the TV start to crackle as the voices change from the playful music to blood-curdling screams. I go to look but Samuel grabs my face in his hands and forces me to look back at him. When my eyes refocus, he is different– older, with eyes that look pitch black.

The screams continue to flood the room as he holds me in his grasp, "Eden, are you ready to be cleansed? Like all the girls before you?" His mouth turns into a sinister grin, his lips spread clear up to his ears.

"Wh-what?" I feel my legs shake, when I look down , I see that I’m standing in water wearing a sheer dress and Samuel is towering over me with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Shh, it will be over soon. Then you’ll be my little Eden forever.

" He pushes me backward and I feel like I am falling forever.

A shriek leaves my throat as I plummet, waiting to hit the water, but it never comes.

Instead my back slams against a hard surface, taking all of the air out of my struggling lungs.

"Open for me, Eden."

I try to scramble away but stone hands reach for my ankles and wrists, one wraps around my throat keeping me in place.

They pull to spread my legs for him but I attempt to break free.He is already crawling towards me, his eyes pitch black and horns breaking through his scalp as blood drips down his forehead.

He takes slow crawls towards me, "Praise the Divine for your sins, Eden. Pray they forgive you." He hisses before leaping on top of me.

I scream with everything I have, jolting awake to free the grasp from my limbs. But hands grab my shoulders as my eyes focus on the room I’m in. I start to feel the fabric wrapped around my legs, I drag my gaze from the bed and see green eyes staring.

Green not blue. They're green, not blue.

"Hey, you’re safe. You were having a dream." Reality starts to take hold and I remember I’m no longer in Everton. "Well, a nightmare is more like it." The man says.

Hunter was his name, right? Am I safe?

I watch the way those green eyes scan as if they’ll find a wound, as he looks me over. I pull away from his hold yet the lingering touch of his hands stays. He releases me and holds his hands up, letting me know that he won't harm me. I pull the blanket up to my chin, sliding back into the bed.

"Do you need anything? Food? Water?" Hunter asks me but I don't answer. I just close my eyes and let myself fall back into the dark hole I’ve created here in this room.

I don't want to be able to think. I don't want to put words to what happened to me. I don't want the demons that are lurking in the shadows of my brain to have a chance to sink their teeth into me, I can't. Not yet. I'd rather chance my luck at another nightmare .

He lets out a deep breath before adding, "I'll check on you later. Rest." His weight on the mattress leaves and I hear the door latch click into place. The loneliness gnaws at my throat, giving me no choice but to let the tears fall from my closed eyes. Another piece of control I no longer have.