She found herself standing on the top of a mountain, gazing over the green blanket of the treetops. She kept her eyes across the expanse of the deep blue ocean that stretched out into the distance and fused with the horizon. The sun dipped slowly into the ocean, spurting a mixture of red and orange hues across the patterns of the gray and white clouds, turning the water to a simply breathtaking sight. The experience offered something special beyond the power of words to describe; perhaps it was just a dream.
She stood in complete stillness, draped in silence, as the light of the day started to turn dark. Why was she alone? What was she doing alone on the top of a mountain? Why everything was so quiet? Where was everyone? She tried to process and discharge the images that were passing through her hazed mind.
Time seemed to fly, and suddenly, it was dark, very dark, and she was still standing on the top of this mountain— alone. What was she to make of the shadows? Could the shadow’s end carry the answers to her questions? She started to panic, a blistering rush of adrenaline spreading through her veins, and she could hear the steady thud of the blood thrashing into her ears. Panic turned to fright, and a voice in the back of her mind was telling her to run, but she couldn’t move.
Her feet were sinking into the soggy soil, spreading terror through her body. She moaned fearfully and tried to run again, but to no avail. Sharp pain shot across her muscles once again and she tried to scream but there was no sound coming from her vocal cords. This had to be a horrible nightmare, and any minute she would wake up. She was tired very tired and the pain, oh the pain. Why do I hurt this badly? She inwardly moaned, and before any further thoughts, she was consumed by darkness once again.
The clock was ticking away, and Arielle was still unconscious. Her father rose to his feet, his hand still stroking his wife’s back. She looked up watching him, sadness spread across her beautiful face. His hand moved to cup her cheek lovingly and she lifted her hand to cover his. She leaned against it and, closing her eyes, felt the comfort he was giving her. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Dani, dear, I will go, let everyone know how she is doing, and have a cup of tea. Would you like a cup?” he whispered, and she nodded in agreement.
Tapping of light footsteps were back again. Rolling emotions began to drop into Arielle’s memory and, suddenly, she stiffened. An unwelcome memory of her captivity made the blood run cold in her veins and sent shockwaves right through her brain. Two very angry sets of eyes overcrowded her thoughts and a chill crept down her spine. She suddenly recalled her escape attempt and the horrible beating she received by her captors, but she was still in a drab haze that obscured the clear memory of their faces. She had this strange feeling that she knew them, but nothing was coming into her memory bank right now.
She could actually feel the pain as she recalled the terrible plunge down the stairs, the bleeding, the difficulty trying to breathe, and the sharp pain in the back of her head. The pain! The excruciating pain! Her face fell in response to the sensation as another sharp pain shot right through her body suspending her reverie, and she groaned loudly. Terror and hopelessness of still being locked in the room brought fear that vibrated right through her. Oh God, I must be back into that awful room. Please don’t let them hurt me anymore! Where is Sebastian? Why didn’t he come for me? The tears burned the back of her eyes and started to stream down the side of her face. They signified what her life had turned out to be in a matter of seconds in the campus parking lot.
“She’s coming out of it.” A woman’s gentle voice broke her reverie.
What? Who is she? Arielle couldn’t remember a woman being part of her abduction, but before she could process the statement, the voice urged anxiously. More footsteps approached as the nurse in charge of Arielle entered the room. The same woman’s voice sounded once again.
“She’s in pain! Please do something!” The tension in the tone of her voice struck a chord, but interpretation of anything at this point was way too advanced.
Who is she? Arielle’s brain reeled wildly while the pain intensified, and she whimpered. She needed help and she wasn’t able to move or open her eyes. She called out in sheer desperation. Please help me! Where am I? She waited for a short moment, but nobody replied to her desperate plea. Why can’t they hear me? I’m screaming! Suffocation was the closest feeling she was experiencing at this moment. Silence stretched. She was isolated and her fear was that she was still locked in that room.
Immediately, a drugged, warm sensation surged through her limbs and body, and the pain vanished as she was enveloped in pleasant comfort. Her eyelids felt heavy, and no matter how hard she struggled to open her eyes, she failed. Why don’t I hurt anymore? Am I dead? she asked herself, but the silence from her mind was deafening. Finally a new voice, gentle like the soft whisper of a spring breeze, disrupted the solemn silence.
“This will take the pain away and help her sleep peacefully.”
What? Whom was she talking to? No one seemed to reply to her requests or hear her screams for help, so she was sure that she couldn’t connect with the people in the room cognitively or emotionally. Suddenly, the fog swept through her mind again, and everything went dark.
It was dusk, and she felt lonely…a huge meadow in the far-reaching twilight just before the dawn. She walked slowly through the meadow, feeling inexplicably isolated. Her feet started to feel heavy as if she were dragging them through mud. She tried to find someone or something familiar, but to her dismay, all she could see was darkness. It was as if in the blink of an eye, she had been transported to a different universe.
This has to be a dream. She stopped in the middle of the meadow and closed her eyes. If this was a dream, she could change it just by wishing away the darkness. She prayed hard and opened her eyes as she held her breath. She smiled wide as her eyes fell on a beautiful meadow that was now being bathed in the brilliance of the sun, crammed with a vast amount of the most exquisite flowers in all colors and all shapes. They swayed in the light breeze, creating a moving sea of colors. She lifted her eyes toward the sky, and pleasure filled her senses. Where in the world am I? It all appeared so very strange, but so beautiful.
Her gaze fell into the distance, and her smile faded away when she noticed a huge wall of fog at the end of the meadow. But how could that be possible? It was sunny and bright over the meadow. Almost as if someone had taken a pen and drew a line starting at the sky and ending on the ground, splitting her world in two. One was a brilliant beautiful world, and it ended at the beginning of another, not-so-brilliant, not-so-beautiful, bleak and obscure one. She lifted her eyes again toward the sky and followed the clear blue color out to the distance and it turned dark and hazy exactly at the line of separation.
Confusion spread quickly through her mind. Tears pooled in her eyes again and she lowered her gaze to the edge of the meadow. Startled, she noticed a man standing right in front of the foggy wall, waving eagerly for her to come. She strained her gaze, but couldn’t clearly see his face. She held her hand up, shading her eyes against the sun, and started to walk toward him. It wasn’t long before his face became vivid, and she grinned in delight. “Sebastian!” she screamed and started to run toward him. He held his arms open, ready for her to fall in. She closed her eyes in sheer delight as she reached the edge of the meadow, but when she opened them again, he was gone! “Sebastian!” she screamed, and tears streamed down her face. Why didn’t he wait for her? She made a quick decision to follow him and stepped right over the line and into the haze and everything became dark.
She had no further thoughts. The meds pushed her into a deep sleep.
“Thank you, Miss Walker,” Danielle Lloyd murmured, glancing at the nurse thankfully. The nurse had just administered a strong dose of pain reliever to Arielle.
“She is awfully peaceful now,” the nurse said and gave her a reassuring smile. “She’ll sleep for a while longer. The doctor should be in shortly to give you all the details,” she continued, her voice lac
ed with compassion.
“I’m sure she will need pain relievers for a few more days,” Danielle murmured as if she spoke to herself.
“Yes, she will, and the doctor will prescribe what she needs,” the nurse replied and, smiling gently at Arielle’s parents, she left the room discreetly.
They both sank into the two chairs next to the bed and sat quietly. James Lloyd reached over and clasped his wife’s hand with one of his, and with the other, he took Arielle’s hand and held it tenderly. His heart was breaking. It was quite clear that he needed a great deal of strength to bear the pain for both himself and his wife. He saw tears streaming down Danielle’s face.
“Dani, darling,” he murmured, trying to keep his voice steady. “She’ll be fine. Let’s see what the doctor says.” He released her hand to wipe her tears away. She gazed at her husband lovingly and nodded in agreement. He started to say something but closed his mouth as the doctor came in, a soft smile on his elderly, kind face. James Lloyd stood up as the doctor approached.
“Good evening. I’m Dr. McKenna.”
“Good evening, Doctor. I’m James Lloyd and this is my wife Danielle. We are Arielle’s parents. How is she doing?” he asked eagerly.
“Arielle is a strong and healthy girl. However, she has received serious trauma to her body and face. She has four cracked ribs and her body is pretty bruised up. She took some bad hits on the face and her eyes will be closed for a couple of days. The bruising and the swelling on her face will eventually go away. She received a two-inch laceration on the right side of her face with a sharp object,” he said softly and pointed to Arielle’s face. “I used small sutures to close the cut and that will reduce scarring after it heals. She took a bad hit in the back of her head and she has a large bump that will be sore for a couple of weeks.” He gave them a gentle smile. “She will be fine. She just needs tender loving care,” he added. “The people that did this beat her up pretty severely.”
“Good Lord, who could do that to a young girl?” her mother murmured, completely stunned by the news.
“That would be a good question for the authorities,” the doctor replied.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Mr. Lloyd said, and shook the doctor’s hand.
“I’ll check back with her in the morning, but I’m sure we’ll keep her here for a couple of days,” Dr. McKenna said and left the room, shaking his head in clear wonder.
Arielle woke up in a heavy black cloud. Nothing to see, nothing to feel, just this unresponsiveness of her whole body. But where was she? What happened? Was she dead? Was she dreaming? Why was it so dark? She attempted to sort her thoughts, but they remained confused. There was a clear inconsistency between what she was feeling in her heart and what she was thinking in her head.
A distant noise drew her attention. It sounded like a steady beeping, like a machine monitor. She tried to move, but she couldn’t. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. God, what is happening to me? I can’t open my eyes! She inhaled deeply and a cold feeling began to creep through her. She shivered and her muscles contracted. Something was happening, but what?
She tried to think, but absolute silence was coming from her brain. As if her thought processor had ceased to function. She panicked, as anxiety took over, and she started to hyperventilate. What in God’s name is happening to me? She tried to move again, but nothing worked. She struggled to open her eyes. She heard distant male voices and footsteps approaching. Arielle stiffened and remained perfectly still.
They are coming back, she thought, and fright took her breath away. What now? I don’t want to be raped, and I don’t want to be hit again, and oh! God! Where is Sebastian? She was going to die in that awful room—alone. She moaned softly and felt her mind hazing away once again.
Sebastian burst into the hospital room. He approached the bed with a few long strides and gazed down at Arielle’s small frame. His eyes widened in sheer horror. It was his fault that she was in here. His body ached, his eyes burned, and he thought he was losing his mind.
“Sebastian, dear!” The soft voice of acknowledgment came from the other side of the bed. He caught Danielle’s eyes, as her mouth quirked into a half tormented smile that stilled him. He saw the depth of sadness that painted her face and, glancing next to her, he saw James Lloyd sitting quietly, his expression completely crushed. Danielle dropped her eyes to Arielle’s battered body and uncontrolled tears entwined its way down her face. She clasped her hands together over her lap and sat completely motionless like a statue.
Sebastian was lost for words. He dropped to his knees and, leaning on the bed, he rested his head on his folded arms. His love for Arielle was infinite.
“Oh, baby,” he muttered. A surge of sullenness coursed through him, followed by a long unbearable pause. “It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he murmured in clear distress. He drew in a shuddery breath and mentally cursed the horrible situation he created for Arielle once again. His gaze swept the room that swirled hazily before his eyes. He reached over and took Arielle’s hand gently. Raising it to his mouth, he brushed his lips softly across it without disturbing the IV attached to it. He then placed it tenderly against his cheek and leaned into it, wanting to feel her warmth against his skin. He had absolutely no idea how long he remained in that position. He was utterly lost. He finally lowered her hand back on the bed and, closing his fingers over it affectionately, he held it, as if he was holding a lifeline.
A soft hand touched his shoulder and jerked him out of his reverie. He saw Arielle’s mother who had left her seat, and she was now standing right behind him and caught his breath.
“It’s not your fault, Sebastian. We’ll find the people that did this to her,” she said sympathetically.
Recovering his poise with extreme effort, Sebastian shook his head. “I should have been with her. I shouldn’t have left her alone,” he said bitterly.
“Sebastian, you can’t be with her all the time,” James Lloyd said quietly from the other side of the bed.
“Has the doctor been here?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes, he actually just left. He said she’ll be all right; it will just take time,” Danielle replied.
Sebastian glanced from one to the other, and letting go of Arielle’s hand, he rose to his feet. Pulling a chair close, he helped Danielle to it. He then walked around the bed and took the seat next to James Lloyd. They just sat quietly without speaking, staring at Arielle’s pale distorted face.
It seemed like a century passed slowly, agonizingly. He wanted to scream from anger, from anxiety, from frustration. James and Danielle had their eyes closed, and their lips were moving to a soundless prayer. Sebastian closed his eyes in distress and wished he could go back in time and change everything.
A soft moan broke them out of their reverie. Startled, they opened their eyes, and their gazes rested on Arielle’s face. Tears were streaming down the side of her face and disappearing into her ears and down the bed sheets.
“James! James!” Arielle’s mother called out. “I think she’s coming around,” she murmured and inched the chair closer to the bed. Sebastian sprang to his feet and stared motionless at Arielle’s face.
“I think she is still asleep, Dani,” James replied quietly.
“No, no, she’s not asleep. She’s trying to open her eyes. She is moving her eyelids, but she doesn’t know that her eyes are swollen shut,” Sebastian said, anxiously. He wanted to fall on the bed and hold her tightly in his embrace, but he didn’t move. He wanted her parents to have time with their daughter. He would have her for eternity.
James Lloyd clasped Arielle’s hand in his and leaned closer. Gazing on his little girls face, his heart was breaking. She was the love of his life. His pride and joy, everything that meant anything to him in this life. Danielle Lloyd walked around, draped her arm around her husband’s shoulders, and let her tears flow freely down her face.
Chapter 14
ARIELLE TRIED TO MOVE her arm and a sh
arp pain shot through her. Her head hurt, her chest and arms hurt, and her face was burning up. Her throat was dry like the desert. She was thirsty and she needed to open her eyes. Why was she still draped in this awful darkness? She was groggy and confused.
A soft hand landed on her forehead, and a warm voice whispered in her ear. “Arielle, it’s Mummy, darling, I’m right here. Daddy and I are here.”
Where is right here? she thought. How could my parents be here? How did they find me?
“Mummy!” Arielle mumbled due to her swollen lips. Tears flowed freely down her face, while trying to squeeze the hand that was clutching hers. “Where am I?”
“You’re safe, dear. You’re in the hospital,” her mother replied joyously.
“The hospital? Ho—how—who brought me here?” she whispered, her pulse elevating.
“Ian brought you into the hospital, darling!” Danielle replied reassuringly.
“But—but—,” she started to say and stopped for a long moment. She tried to open her eyes once again and her unsuccessful attempts made her eyelids jerk back and forth. Sweat started to form on her forehead, and she frowned. “Sebastian…” she murmured. “Where is Sebastian?” Tears still flowing uncontrollably down the side of her face.
Danielle’s eyes shifted to Sebastian as he inched closer and, bending down, he pressed his forehead against hers. Arielle heard the intake of his breath.
“I’m here, baby. I’m right here,” he murmured, and his lips brushed hers softly. She wasn’t sure if Sebastian was truly there or if she was hallucinating. He was her only love, her sanctuary.
Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Page 14
