Entwined IN YOU (In You #2)

by Cassandra Night

Beep… Beep… Beep…Whoosh! Beep… Beep… Beep…Whoosh!

  Chapter 15

  Twisted Fairy-tale

  ~Cassandra~

  He stands by the fireplace in the softly-lit living room, in a sleek black three-piece suit, his hands in his pockets. The place dances with blueish flames, making the living room seem mysterious, holding the promise of magical adventures and causing my heart jump excitedly in my chest. I descend the stairs, moving closer to the fireplace.

  The long evening dress fabric wisps along my legs seductively as the V-neck cut silk wraps around my figure, a long slit exposing one leg. I take a glimpse at my crushed crystal stilettos peeking out from underneath the gown, catching my eyes as they shimmer. I feel empowered and beautiful as I soar towards him.

  Logan is captivated by my red lips. The glint of appreciation makes me gain more confidence, and the sway of my hips becomes more bewitching. I stop to appreciate the man standing just a few meters away. His captivating green jewels mesmerize me, and I am stuck to the spot as he starts to move.

  My breath catches in my throat as he eats away at the distance, but I hold my ground with a stubborn resolve, refusing to step back. Logan always had this unnerving effect on me that never failed to wake up my fighting instincts.

  Obviously, we’ve waltzed a lot, learning the curve of each other’s personalities. I find it thrilling to get into a fight with him. He brings my hands to his mouth, gently kissing each one.

  “You look stunning, Cassandra. Allow me.”

  I’m amused that he brings a very old-fashioned charm to my door, or rather, my stilettos.

  “It would be my pleasure, sir!” I curtsy for effect, making him beam, and his eyes sparkle. I link my hand with his.

  Thrilled by the adventure and mystery, my senses are heightened, and I follow my handsome man into the night.

  “Want to know where we are going?”

  I look at him, smiling, because for the first time, I don’t care.

  “Surprise me.”

  Shaking his head in amusement, he holds me tight. He takes us to watch an incredible musical performance. After the play, as we walk to a fancy restaurant, I ask him why he brought me to this one.

  “I am fascinated by the animals and their inherited beauty.”

  “What kind animal do I remind you of?”

  “A gazelle.”

  “Really? I don’t believe you, Mr. Lion.”

  “And here I thought I was complimenting my little mouse that sometimes breathes fire. The gazelle is a very graceful animal, Cassandra.”

  “Also, very tasty. Gazelles run fast as hell. So, you better remember that, Mr. Lion, before you pounce.”

  He laughs and then counters, “A lion is very good at tracking and stalking. Don’t underestimate his resolve, Cassandra.”

  The beauty of the restaurant takes my breath away with all ornaments of the majestic architecture with cleverly located lights enhances the character, and we enter the mystifying ballroom.

  The mysterious masks hide their identity, and the hairs on my nape rise.

  Beep…

  My heart stops, and then restarts.

  Beep… Beep… Whoosh!

  My breathing returns.

  The most amazing tunes of the violin and piano orchestra reach my ears, and my heart flutters with the soft uplifting tones.

  “Want to dance?”

  I only nod, as I am incapable of making any sound. I am astounded by the royal blue and gold interior.

  The empowering energy overtakes my senses, and we get lost in the waves and shifts fluctuating and commanding our pace. Logan leans and bends me as we twirl around, making my dress sway and swirl in a seductive rhythm. The music dispels all nervousness and frees my soul to glide.

  Logan’s masculine scent fills up my lungs, and I submerge in a melody, his essence permeating my body. Oh man, this princess is in trouble.

  “Are you hungry?” I shake my head, drinking him in as he asks, “Want to get out of here?”

  I tell him that I do and we both leave.

  “Where are we going, my Prince Charming?” I tease, just wanting to be with him.

  “To look for a winter wonderland, my dazzling Snow White!”

  A carriage with three white horses arrives, shortly after we leave the ball. Snuggled in his arms, I watch the city of London passing by, revealing all sorts of scenes full of life at this hour. Finally, we come to the park, illuminated by the Christmas lights and other decorations. Glowing angels and stars in blue or white lights welcome us to a winter wonderland.

  In the middle of the scenery is a rich velvet, white fabric chaise for two, with a small table housing a bottle and two flutes. Somehow, in the middle of the town center, it’s snowing in this little magical corner.

  “Thank you for this night,” I tell him, as he holds me in his embrace, and I listen to his steady heartbeat.

  “Don’t you ever forget how our hearts learned to fly, and our souls became one life, threaded for eternity.”

  A shiver runs down my spine as I look at him, trying to grasp the deeper meaning behind those whispered words. But his mysterious eyes captivate me, erasing all questions from my mind.

  Later, we walk towards the carriage from the winter-kissed park, hand in hand. We find the bus instead, a beautiful winter wonderland painted on its surface. My head tilts to take the beautiful canvas in its entirety.

  Beep… Beep… Beep… Whoosh…

  Suddenly, I am feeling dizzy. Wobbly. Tired. My heart beats like a drum, trying to tell me something.

  Drops, like red crystals, drip on the ground, and I watch them, captivated. The blood coats my dress with red splashes, and my hands are covered in the bright, warm substance. The overwhelming booming sirens are trying to get my attention. The darkness is consuming the light, and I look around, trying to find Logan.

  Somebody stirs me, disturbing my magical sleep. I hear the sound saturating the air as the agonizing cry pierces my hearing. I taste the iron in my mouth, and I grow annoyed by the loud commotion. I plunge into darkness, desperately trying to get back to the dream. Logan's scent surrounds me, and his warmth seeping into my aching bones is comforting. I drink in the essence like a thirsty animal.

  Tears wash my face. They fall from the skies like the rain on the thirsty ground, and I hear someone’s heartbreaking screams. The agonizing hoarse cries are begging.

  Struggling to make myself open my eyes, I wrestle with the darkness. I must wake up. The suffering wails hurt my heart. The hot kiss pressed against my lips feels like a hot poker seared on them. My lungs are full of excruciating agony, invading my senses. The surroundings rush in, taking me under again.

  Please, don’t leave me…

  Stay.

  I need you.

  Open your eyes.

  Like a whisper on the wind, I hear, “Don’t take her from me. Please…”

  The screams and shouts melt into the harmony as a waltz played by the violin and piano merge into the melody, taking away all the problems. I soar on the dance floor, in the arms of the man I love.

  His heart beats with mine in one rhythm, and I breathe him in.

  I open my heavy lids.

  Helplessly, I watch his wild green eyes, promising me everything and anything I want. I smile, silently telling him, “I love you.”

  I fade again.

  The winter chill invades my bones.

  I can’t make sense of his frozen expression. Something is not right with me. The tears of excruciating pain reflected in his gaze squeeze my chest. My lips feel numb, unable to make a sound. His lips are painted blood red, his face is distorted. Broken.

  I fade.

  I wake up.

  I smile, needing him to understand it will be all right. I love him with all my heart and soul. Before I can profess my feelings, my eyesight fractures for a moment and two shadows appear.

  I blink. My beloved boys. They are here.

  Ethan gives a toy car to me and kisses my
forehead, giggling. But Nate watches the distressed man next to me, squeezing my hand, trying to get me to wake up.

  He shakes his head, and disappointed, looks back at me. I let out a desperate wail of pain, seeing my boy sorrowfully looking down at me. Nate picks up the car and gives it back to Ethan, then takes Ethan by the hand, leading him away from us. They are not coming back.

  Why are they leaving? No, please don’t go!

  Frantically, I try to lift myself to stop them, but I can’t. I am stuck. My limbs aren’t moving. Bleeding. Logan’s face is as if frozen in limbo, with red tears stuck on his twisted features. Nothing makes sense. Even my uttered name disappears into nothingness, steeling his breath from his trembling lips.

  The agony is excruciating, as if every bone in my body has been broken.

  His hands brush my torn skin, and as I look at him, my vision starts to fade. The flashing light makes me slip away into the darkness.

  Somebody lifts me, and I begin to soar into oblivion. Only whispers keep me grounded. I want to escape this soul-crushing pain invading my slumber.

  I feel my body incapacitated from the freezing cold, and the heart in my chest stands still, a chilling power gripping me.

  The last heartbeats sound in my chest until they stop.

  The rhythm of life ceases. Then restarts again.

  Beep… Beep… Beep… Whoosh…

  Beep… Beep… Beep… Whoosh…

  Chapter 16

  In between

  ~Cassandra~

  The beeping sound rouses me from the comfortable slumber. I try to lift my hands, but they are too heavy. They are locked in place. I pull my legs into my chest as I lay on my side, waiting for my eyes to open. Am I safe? I slip again, deeper into the dark, not comprehending the meaning of my sterile surroundings.

  “Mummy!” The scream from upstairs disturbs my reading as my palpitating heart launches me to action.

  I run upstairs, shouting, “What’s wrong,” but no one answers me.

  I find them crying. As soon as my son sees me, he runs into my embrace, crying, “Mummy, don’t let me die, please!” He is horrified, only five years old.

  My hands wrap around Nate’s head as I press him into me, and I notice Arianna hiding underneath the bed.

  “I won’t, I promise. You don’t need to be scared.” I brush his hair, sensing wetness there, and lower my gaze to find out why. My fingers come out coated with red blood.

  “What happened?” Quickly, I pick him up and carry him downstairs, shaking as I hold my boy. I shout out for Arianna to follow me, as I look for a first aid kit to patch him up.

  Eventually, I calm down both kids, telling them no one is dying today. While cleaning the wound in his head, I probe, “How did you get this?”

  “We were jumping on the bed, then falling down on the soft covers, pretending that we were flying. But it hurt me here.”

  As Nate talks, I notice a glittering shard on the yellow hoodie, like a breadcrumb left for me to follow.

  I pick it up, realizing that it is indeed glass, and I run upstairs to find the source of the broken shard. Panicking, I pat the bed with my hand, lifting covers, and my hand is sliced by something sharp. Underneath the pillow cover, there it is, the broken snow globe.

  I look at the little wonderland that’s now empty of the glittering liquid, as only the snowman and a few broken reindeers are left, with red drops painted on them.

  As I turn to go back downstairs with the dangerous pillow, to discard of the sharp shards, I step on a toy car. My eyes catch the little blue vehicle, as my now cut hand releases a small red drop to fall on it. Entranced, I don’t comprehend what I am affronted with. I stand still, watching the explosive chaos around my legs. Shaking my head to get rid of the foreboding feeling settling in my chest, I turn to go back.

  Suddenly, the scenery changes, and I am standing in the street as cold invades my heart. The glass shards glistening on the road submerged by the blood looks like ruby ice crystal. I am captivated.

  Then I hear him crying for his mother. A boy’s scared to die. Dumbfounded, I begin to run towards him, trying to get to the car, but somebody stops me from reaching him, and I turn to look. Like ivy wound around my leg, is a little boy’s arms.

  A small hand envelops mine, and I look down to see Ethan smiling at me with a sense of peace reflected on his face.

  “It is ok, Mummy. He won’t cry for long. I am waiting for him, you know? You should go home and rest.”

  Astounded by his calm and heartwarming smile, I realize he is right. I start walking with him, hand in hand, away from the blood-red nightmare. We walk and walk until we come to the tree, and both lie down on the ground, covering each other in leaves. We close our eyes to rest, and I pull my youngest son into my chest. I kiss his head and tell him the story of the angels above and the stars shining in the dark.

  His small body enveloped in mine falls to the eternal dream.

  Much later, my other son, Nate finds us. Kissing my head gently, he stirs me awake. I open my eyes to see him kneeling next to me. The soft smile and loving deep blue eyes are no longer in pain.

  “It is time for us to go, Mummy. I’ll watch over Dad, I promise. He will be coming home soon.”

  “Stay with me. Show me where you are hurt, Nate!”

  But my six-year-old son shakes his head and collects his little brother in his small arms.

  “I am here, buddy, we can go now. There will be no more pain.”

  Burning tears run down my chest. I desperately try to hold onto them, kissing their heads and begging them to stay. Wailing, I grab onto them, pulling my sons back into my embrace. I feel icy cold numbing my fingers. Small bodies hug me for the last time, kissing me on the cheek.

  I refuse to let them go.

  Someone embraces me from behind.

  Familiar hands seize my wrists, releasing the boys from my clutches.

  “I will take care of them, Sandra. Let them follow the light. Don’t be afraid.”

  I turn around to see who it is.

  The memory emerges.

  In my old house, I walk to the bed with a teddy bear in my hand, shaking her awake.

  “Grandma, I don’t want to sleep anymore. Play with me, please!”

  She rises from her bed without complaint, even if she is old and tired.

  She picks me up, placing me under the covers. “Wait here until I start the fire, Sandra. It is freezing. I don’t want your little feet to get cold.” Kissing my cheeks softly, she lets me bask in her still-warm nest. U

  I listen to the crackling wood as it burns, and see the soft yellow glow as she feeds the fire with paper and wood. I watch the magical world through a small window. Heavy snowflakes calmly fall from the skies, covering the ground with a crispy coat as nature sleeps, lulling me back to sleep.

  “You will be all right, my child. I promise. Stay warm, go home. You are lost.” Her soft comforting whispers follow me to the dream, to the leafy covers enveloped by the roots of the majestic tree.

  I let my boys go with my grandma, while I rest under the tree, lost and cold.

  Gradually, my consciousness returns. I slowly open my eyes to find myself lying on the soft snow-covered ground. Actually, it’s a white cushioned cave. The dim light’s shining from the ceiling, and I blink my eyes as I try to grasp why my hands are not moving. My dry throat makes me want to cough as I try to force the words, but no sound comes out.

  Finally, I wiggle into a sitting position, pushing myself until my back is pressed against the soft wall. My breath increases with the sense of déjà vu, and I try to come to terms with where I might be. Gathering my courage, I look down at my unresponsive limbs. The sleeves are tied behind my back, like those used to tame a mental patient. The cave is indeed a restraining chamber.

  Panicking, I wiggle and twist, hoping to escape the restraints, as dread settles in my chest. My screams are muffled as I wail, and my throat closes, going mute. A great sense of betrayal overwhelms me, as a
resonating wave of rage stirs inside me. I slide down the walls, heaving.

  What did I do wrong to deserve this? Why I am here? Please, let me go! Silent words trapped in my mind circles. Why did no one stop them from taking my freedom away?

  Collapsing, I recall my family with determined expressions. Dad grabbed me, holding me in his shackles, while I squirmed like a screeching trapped animal. Mum pushed me down on my knees, and the rest helped to hold me down. Raine enclosed my head, stopping it from banging into any obstacle, while Aisha held my hands, whispering “calming” nonsense.

  Their goodbye kisses and words of love were like poison. The worst damage was inflicted by my sisters. Their treachery to team up against me punctured my heart. The slick malicious betrayal still churns inside me.

  Here I am, in a padded room, with tied hands and my soul crushed and broken. The traitorous fate is a bitch, pitiless and cruel. Never mind, I will find a way to screw them all. The heat gathering in my chest announces a fierce entity rising, churning and burning all the pain and helplessness with rage and fire, molding and changing me to survive.

  I will never be helpless again! I promise myself never to be pinned down.

  The woven lies will be the smokescreen, you see. The shields I will wear to protect them. Every memory, I wrap in love, and hide from the world to see. Later, my children, I’ll come to grieve! Cassandra, rise.

  Dressed in white, two women come and force down the tablets for me to swallow. I lay there with cheeks wet, bound. My drugged brain shuts down, bringing a strange sense of peace that dulls my own mind. There is no loss. No love. No pain. No joy.

  I am floating like an astronaut in space. Darkness is soothing me. The room saturates with sounds of a monotonically whooshing sea and beeping alarms, trying to wake me. Strangely in this state, I hear them talking, trying to reach me through the haze.

  “Hey, sister, it’s me.” Warm chapped lips brush against my forehead gently. The hot drops fall onto my skin, and a salty well of memories pulls me into a vision.