Chapter Twenty–Five
was running in the middle of the street, desperately trying to get away from something that was chasing me in the dark. I could hear its growls, and feel its sickening breath on my neck. But no matter how fast I tried to run, the shadow kept getting closer and closer.
“You’re mine,” a cold voice whispered. “No matter where you go or where you try to liide, I will always find you. And you’re never going to get rid of me, no matter how hard you try.”
I was screaming at the top of my lungs, desperately calling out for help. But no one was coming to get me. I was all alone, and sooner or later it was going to get me.
A sharp pain suddenly pierced my ribs, and I collapsed to the ground as the darkness descended on me, and I heard Marcus laughing through the shadows.
“I’ve got you now,” he whispered. “Nowhere to run anymore, little dove.”
I screamed for my life, and the next thing I knew, I was walking up drenched in sweat, screaming while Rachel held me down and whispered soothing words into my ear.
“It’s alright, Liv,” she kept saying over and over again. “It’s alright. You’re safe now. You don’t need to be afraid. No one is coming to hurt you. No one is after you.”
가
But I found that hard to believe. I was sobbing like a child, cradled in Rachel’s arms while the pain and fear ripped through me like a hot knife. It had felt so real, and I could still see his face staring at me through the darkness, and hear his cold, sadistic voice mocking me. After all this time, it still felt so real. And I wished I could just wave my hand and make it all disappear.
But I was tainted by the devil, and there was no escaping from him.
Rachel stayed with me until I calmed down, and she continued to stroke my hair. Neither of us said a single word to each other, because this wasn’t the first time it was happening. And it surely wasn’t going to be the last. Sometime afterwards, I managed to fall back asleep. And the next time I woke up, it was midday. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the air, and I made my way to the kitchen to find Rachel making brunch.
“I called your office and told them that you’re sick,” she said. “I knew you would need a chance to rest.”
