the gash at the back of her head.
Jane gently ran her hand over the sprigs of hair that poked out of the white gauze. She looked like she wore a choppy short hair wig. From her multi-colored skin, bloodshot eyes and to her head wrapped up like a demented present, she definitely wasn’t a prize. She looked scarier than the walking dead.
She closed her eyes and shifted her stance for a moment to collect herself, but moved too fast. She wanted to puke from the dizziness. Jane’s pulse quickened. The room spun. A burning migraine seared the back of her head like a branding iron to flesh. The pain became unbearable. She clutched her head to control some of the pressure but it wasn’t helping. She almost collapsed onto the floor, but she held onto the sink and breathed out the pain.
The room turned cold, turning her skin into gooseflesh.
She had her head down, her eyes open to the dripping water off the faucet.
Breathe.
The hard spasms subsided. She gulped in the air with relief. She looked up and saw frost iced the edge of the mirror. It climbed inward toward her reflection. She sucked the cold air into her lungs and exhaled her chilled breath.
Jane shivered. The person in the mirror wasn’t her. Terror flooded her as she faced death.
Chapter Eight
J ane’s scream echoed at the other end of the hallway. “Not again,” Elias spat out. He bolted to the room. He rushed in and found her crumpled on the bathroom floor.
She shook uncontrollably. Jane covered her face with her arms and kept repeating, “No…”
Elias swept her up into his arms and held her tight to his chest. Jane’s cold skin made him shiver. Her heartbeat was fast and erratic, it matched his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck like a vise. Elias had to turn his head to breathe.
Magda, Dr. Rollins and another nurse rushed in. They encouraged him to put her down on the bed, but Jane wouldn’t let go of him.
“Please, don’t let go,” Jane uttered in a weepy whisper in his ear.
Elias’s heart dropped at her plea. Jane’s tears soaked his collar. “I won’t,” he whispered back and held her tighter. “You’re safe, Jane.”
Her cold cheek against his warm skin sent chills down his back. Elias’s instinct was to take her and run, but he stayed cemented. He held her for as long as she needed him.
His blood charged through his veins in a thunderous rush. Elias’s adrenaline flashed through his body like an electrical storm. His lungs burned as he took a shallow breath.
“What happened, Jane?”
Jane loosened her grip, leaned back and looked straight into his eyes. Their lips were an inch apart; her stuttered breath caressed his jaw. Terror was etched on her face. The urge to lean in and kiss her shocked him. Instead he pursed his lips tight and pulled her further back, at a safe distance. Elias had a hard time thinking straight. He wasn’t sure where the sudden irrational inclination came from, but he stopped himself before he made that terrible mistake.
Jane shook her head. “Not safe.” She put her face back in the crook of his neck. “He’s after me.”
“Who, Jane?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see his face,” she sobbed. Elias tightened his hold on her, but his insides were breaking down fast.
“Jane, look at me.” Elias’s tone came out harsher than he wanted. “Look. At. Me.”
She complied but didn’t release her tight grip.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. Do you trust me?” Asking her to trust him was a lot, but that was the only way he could cut through some of her fear.
“I…trust you,” Jane gulped out. She loosened her grip around his neck.
“Then let me put you down. Magda and Dr. Rollins are here to take care of you.” She looked over at them and then back at Eli. She nodded and released her grip.
With reluctance, Eli laid Jane into bed. The second he released her, both nurse and doctor came forward and
Jane gently ran her hand over the sprigs of hair that poked out of the white gauze. She looked like she wore a choppy short hair wig. From her multi-colored skin, bloodshot eyes and to her head wrapped up like a demented present, she definitely wasn’t a prize. She looked scarier than the walking dead.
She closed her eyes and shifted her stance for a moment to collect herself, but moved too fast. She wanted to puke from the dizziness. Jane’s pulse quickened. The room spun. A burning migraine seared the back of her head like a branding iron to flesh. The pain became unbearable. She clutched her head to control some of the pressure but it wasn’t helping. She almost collapsed onto the floor, but she held onto the sink and breathed out the pain.
The room turned cold, turning her skin into gooseflesh.
She had her head down, her eyes open to the dripping water off the faucet.
Breathe.
The hard spasms subsided. She gulped in the air with relief. She looked up and saw frost iced the edge of the mirror. It climbed inward toward her reflection. She sucked the cold air into her lungs and exhaled her chilled breath.
Jane shivered. The person in the mirror wasn’t her. Terror flooded her as she faced death.
Chapter Eight
J ane’s scream echoed at the other end of the hallway. “Not again,” Elias spat out. He bolted to the room. He rushed in and found her crumpled on the bathroom floor.
She shook uncontrollably. Jane covered her face with her arms and kept repeating, “No…”
Elias swept her up into his arms and held her tight to his chest. Jane’s cold skin made him shiver. Her heartbeat was fast and erratic, it matched his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck like a vise. Elias had to turn his head to breathe.
Magda, Dr. Rollins and another nurse rushed in. They encouraged him to put her down on the bed, but Jane wouldn’t let go of him.
“Please, don’t let go,” Jane uttered in a weepy whisper in his ear.
Elias’s heart dropped at her plea. Jane’s tears soaked his collar. “I won’t,” he whispered back and held her tighter. “You’re safe, Jane.”
Her cold cheek against his warm skin sent chills down his back. Elias’s instinct was to take her and run, but he stayed cemented. He held her for as long as she needed him.
His blood charged through his veins in a thunderous rush. Elias’s adrenaline flashed through his body like an electrical storm. His lungs burned as he took a shallow breath.
“What happened, Jane?”
Jane loosened her grip, leaned back and looked straight into his eyes. Their lips were an inch apart; her stuttered breath caressed his jaw. Terror was etched on her face. The urge to lean in and kiss her shocked him. Instead he pursed his lips tight and pulled her further back, at a safe distance. Elias had a hard time thinking straight. He wasn’t sure where the sudden irrational inclination came from, but he stopped himself before he made that terrible mistake.
Jane shook her head. “Not safe.” She put her face back in the crook of his neck. “He’s after me.”
“Who, Jane?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see his face,” she sobbed. Elias tightened his hold on her, but his insides were breaking down fast.
“Jane, look at me.” Elias’s tone came out harsher than he wanted. “Look. At. Me.”
She complied but didn’t release her tight grip.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. Do you trust me?” Asking her to trust him was a lot, but that was the only way he could cut through some of her fear.
“I…trust you,” Jane gulped out. She loosened her grip around his neck.
“Then let me put you down. Magda and Dr. Rollins are here to take care of you.” She looked over at them and then back at Eli. She nodded and released her grip.
With reluctance, Eli laid Jane into bed. The second he released her, both nurse and doctor came forward and
Similar Books
