Chapter 41

I was in Clare and Luke's room. Standing there in the doorway, everything looked to be in the shadows. And when I say everything, I mean mainly just the bed. Because that was the only thing in the room. No dressers, no safe, no pictures or anything. Just the eerie room and their bed.

I was confused. What was this about? How...? I walked in the room, taking it all in. And the fact was, there wasn't much of anything else to take in. I felt a rush of cold come over me as I took in the grey walls and black bottomless floor. Everything had changed. So dark... especially the bed. It was black with black pillows. Yet, it was as if it was the brightest thing in the room; I couldn't keep my eyes off it. That was until another thing came into this strange existence.

Three chairs appeared near where I was standing and looking around. Right in a row, they were lined up in the middle of the room and all facing the bed. It looked even more creepy now. The chairs shinned in the shadows just like the bed did. But this was worse. Because unlike the bed, these chairs hit a nerve because the moment I saw them, I couldn't look away from the letters each chair's back held.

One chair had bright letters, spelling out the name Albany.

The other chair, in the same manner, had the name Emily spelled.

The third chair however had no name on it. I wasn't sure what that was suppose to mean but I didn't like it.

"We haven't decided on a name yet," I heard a voice come from behind me. Whirling around to where I heard the voice, my eyes instantly met with Clare's. They were bright, shinning with happiness and the need to rub something in my face. Before I could take anymore of her in though, my eyes immediately shifted to the person next to her. Her hand holding Luke's, they stood in the doorway together, facing me. Looking between the two of them there, I started noticing more things. Like the fact that Luke was blindfolded and didn't appear present with how absent his blank face and frozen body were. Like he was Clare's little puppet. I also noticed he was shirtless with nothing but jeans on. Clare also deserved a raised eyebrow from what she was wearing. She was wearing light blue and lacy lingerie, flowing out gracefully until just above her bare thighs.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her, staring between them in such a creepy air. Her eyes were nailed in mine in a way that was beyond eerie. It was scary, the intensity behind that look. Her smile only grew with her teeth showing, white and excited I asked. It made her look that much worse.

"Luke and I... we are going to make a baby together. Tonight. You'll have another brother or sister soon enough."

I could register thoughts or feelings. I just looked at her in shock, unsure of how to take this. "No, not if I can help it," I said.

But before I could try anything, everything shifted. My vision went black and the next thing I knew was that I was sitting in the first chair, the one with my name on it. The worst thing about this was the fact that I was restrained. By what? I didn't know. All I knew was that I couldn't physically get up and move, attack Clare. I was forced to stay where I was, facing the bed. I however was able to notice something else, something beside me. Or rather, someone.

Emily was sitting in the chair besides mine, in the one with her name on it. She looked up to me, her eyes filled with sorrow and fear. I wanted to hug her, help her since she was restrained as I. But I couldn't. I was bound by invisible ropes to the chair and so was she.

"Albany," she said, managing to look up at me. Her big beautiful eyes went for miles, her smooth skin and long hair beautiful shined. She was beautiful. Yet, so sad with a broken voice. "I don't want momma to have another baby. She's going to hurt the baby."

I nodded in understanding. It was a cycle. Clare had me, my dad left, she beat me, hated me. Then Clare had Emily and the father left too. She beat her, hated her. And went even further by killing her. If Clare had a baby again... she might try to love it. But what if Luke leaves her? Then like the other times, she would hate the baby. And looking over to her now, I could see it. She knew that as well. She would try maybe but she knew if Luke left, she would start beating on the baby too. Looking at her smile, I think she liked that. She liked having children and ruining them if she couldn't love them.

"Neither do I," I finally said, watching Luke and Clare come into the room more. Clare's teasing eyes kept finding mine as I sat there, watching. She led a lifeless looking Luke towards the bed and pushed him back onto it. Laying on his back on the bed, Clare smirk at me as she climbed on the bed as well, moving over Luke. I internally groaned and cringed, trying to look away. But my eyes felt physically forced to watch this.

Laying over him, she pressed his lips against hers, moaning as she staring to rub up against him more. Luke in return, still wearing that blindfold, wrapped his arms around her too and kissed her deeply back. It wasn't long until she broke away, leaning up slightly. Looking to me, she grinned as she started to unbutton his pants.

"We are going to do it Albany. And you're going to watch the man you love make your mother pregnant." She pulled his jeans down and off as she kissed him again, grinding against him. Luke's hands wrapped around her held her tightly to him, his lips moving down and to her neck. She arched her back, rubbing herself against him as she peered back into my eyes. Her hand wrapped in his hair, holding him to her neck, she smiled to me. "Your going to watch the man you love move in me. And your going to see that he's too far gone to save. He's mine and always will be."

Before I realized what happened, Clare leaned up over him, her hands pressed against his chest as she straddled him. His hands on her hips, she started to rock back and forth, moaning loudly in that terrible rhythm. I tried looking away; I didn't want to watch them. But my eyes wouldn't move. I felt a scream want to reach my lips but it didn't. I wanted to let out the pain and scream as she moved over him more, moving up and down. When she started moaning his name with every thrust she made, I started to really feel the hurt and betrayal in my chest. I wanted to die and take her with me. Seeing them together and in that merger state... it scarred me. It burned me. Literally.

As I was restrained in the chair, forcing me to watch, the more time passed in agony, the more I felt my chest burning. Not with the pain and unbearable hurt the sight was doing to my heart, but my chest felt like it was literally burning. I let out an ear piercing screams, never in so much pain before. So much physically and mentally.... My eyes burned into them, my screams unable to block out Clare's loud groans. She was moving faster over him, her hips grinding faster. Her skin again his... oh god, stop! Stop! My heart was shredding, my body crumbling, all handcuffed down to suffer. Suffer in the pain of the flames working to escape my body. Suffer in the sight of Clare fucking him.... My stomach twisted, my heart ripped apart, I yelled and screamed at the top of my burning lungs! Oh fuck! Oh god! Luke! Luke!

"LUKE!" I cried out, tears streaming down my hot face and my skin burning up. Falling down my cheeks cooled my face but didn't stop the fire. It only sped up and I could feel my throat sting with blood. Yet, I couldn't make myself look down. I could only watch them....

Clare grunted harder, her back arching as the bed shook. She closed her eyes in the passion she felt. "Oh! Oh Luke! Yes!" She grunted, opening her eyes to glare at me, moving harder as that stare broke me, taunted me. Told me she was better than me for getting him. "Oh knock me up baby!"

Moving my blurry eyes down to Luke, his eyes were still blindfolded. His lips parted, breathing hard, hands on her hips... he thrust back up and into her. I cried harder, the fire traveling up my throat. My lips parted from crying, it was cut off by the uncontrollable flow of blood. It flowed out of my mouth, down my chin and down my chest, my cries turning into coughs.

"Luke!" I was able to get out again, screaming. Only it came out too quiet for a scream; my lungs and throat were burning up. "Please... Luke! Luke!" My screams turned into sobs, slowly quieting. I tried screaming louder but it didn't come out well. "LUKE! God please don't... I love you! I love you, Luke."

The flames engulfed my mouth until I could no longer release any sound. Clare leaned down and kissed him, moving harder over him. The sight started to blur however when bright licks of fire lit my vision. The pain started to swallow me whole, until all I could stand was internal screams inside my head. Nothing but black and screams.

Soon, those screams somehow came out. I could feel my voice vibrate in my throat again like before and after a moment, there was more besides black. There me, my body laying on my bed. There was my window right next to my bed. There was the four walls surrounding me that made up my room. There was the headboard that came back into existence when I sat straight up and pressed my back against it. There was the darkness from the night in the corners of my room and light from the bright moon. There was a sting in my ears from a loud noise. There was realization that it was me.

And there was a man, standing at the foot of my bed. It wasn't Luke.

Before I could accept anything yet, before I realized that what I just went through was a dream, he was moving when I screamed.

Everything that was happening... it was just so fast. I was watching Luke and Clare have sex. I started burning alive. Then I could scream again and I was in my room. There was a man in my presence. And he was coming at me. Through the darkness, I could see his mass move too fast to even really register anything. Hell, I was still reeling from what I just witnessed with Clare and Luke. Now, I had another reason to scream.

He ran and jumped over me in that small second, my screams were instantly cut off. It was like being jerked into space. No time, no air. I felt my eyes widen and my throat burn. Ironically, it wasn't the literal burns like before in what now I was discovering was a dream. Because it was a dream, that I watched Clare and Luke have sex. It was a dream that I actually burned up. Now though, I was awake and was burning in a different way. Now it was because he was choking me.

Looking up at the man that pinned me down, a constricting feeling moved around my neck. Tight, tight, so tight.

"Backstabbing Bitch," he hissed harshly in my face an inch from his. His words had no affect compared to his belt. Heat rushed over my face, my lips begging for air but getting none. He was choking me. Choking me....

Happened so fast... and such a shock. My vision blurred, but it didn't mean much. It was already hard enough to see. But with his breath in my face, eyes an inch from mine, I knew whose soul I was staring into trough those eyes. So much hate and anger, he tightened his belt even more around my neck, making me let out a slow gag. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream. My eyes were watering from the pressure, my face heating much more. Even worse was the fact that I was pushing against him and nothing worked.

It was instinct what I did next; I tried screaming, but nothing came out. In a quick motion, I raised my palms to his shoulders and put all the force I could to push him off me. I squirmed under him, trying to get free of him. I hit him, tried kicking, did anything I could to try to get out from under his pressing weight. The only thing that happened was that the belt he wrapped around my throat tightened even more, digging into my neck and making my groan.

I couldn't scream and with each second passing not being able to, it got worse. Pressure built to where I needed to breath. The belt tightened, my throat tightened. No breath. But even though he cut my screams off, it was too late for him.

Because the fact was, I had screamed. From my dream when I woke, I sat up and screamed. It was enough for Luke to hear apparently.

He was over me, drawing the life away from me with that damned belt. Then, in an instant, he wasn't. My constricted neck was released and I gasped loudly at such a relief. It was like a shock again. Breath taken away so quickly and then rushes back in on instinct. Unsure of what the hell happened, I couldn't help but rest back against my bed, breathing rapidly in and out.

As he had released me, I realized it was because Luke barged into my room. However, the minute the door swung open and Luke was in sight, that's when the man completely stopped and let his grip go. I was unable to do anything in my state. Luke however was just too late when he started to move after him.

It was rather a strange sight. The man moved fast over my bed and to my window. Without hesitation, he threw his body out the window and onto the roof. Apparently, my window was already open for some reason so it made his escape much easier. That must have been the way he came in, through my window. Now, he was out of sight.

Not a second after he jumped out my window, Luke was on my bed quickly after him. Luke stopped moving after looking out the window. I wasn't sure what he saw but I assumed it was too late to catch the man since Luke didn't continue after him. I could see that he really wanted to and hell, maybe he could have. But he instantly turned towards me instead at that moment.

His eyes grew larger at seeing me and he scrambled up my bed more to see me better. Looking down at me urgently, my eyes finding his, the only thing I could think about besides his beautiful eyes were the luxury of breathing. It felt so good, to just breath. There have been many times in my life where I wanted to kill myself, wanted my breath to stop. Tonight, air was very precious to me. It felt so good while stung with every inhale and exhale. The man did try to strangle me after all.

He instantly took me in his arms, pulling me up and into his lap. My vision was blurry and I felt my insides shake, my lips parted as I was whimpering with every breath. "Clare! Clare get up! Clare!" He yelled, his eyes moving away and to my doorway as he shouted. "Clare!"

A moment later, I noticed Clare was in the room. Luke was talking to her quickly, ordering for her to call the station. He told her then to give him the phone once they picked up. As she ran out of the room, playing the caring mother card, he looked down at me a second later.

His hands holding me up to him, he leaned down and petted my hair away from my face, stroking my skin and trying to comfort me while he was the one that was unstable. "How do you feel?! Shit, deep breaths. Deep breaths," he said, nodding to me, looking so panicked. Listening, I stared up at him, catching my breath as well as everything in the last few seconds - because yes, it all took place within a few seconds. So you can imagine that was a lot to take in so fast, including the dream, my original reason for waking. And thank god I did. "Good, good...." he said, breath hard too. "Deep breaths, sweetheart. You are doing good."

He called me sweetheart. I liked that a lot. Yet, at the same time, I wanted him gone. Just looking at him... that dream was back.

Wheezy breaths, I managed. I heard something off to my side and Luke looked up and away from me. The next thing I noticed was his hand leaving my face where he was stroking my hair back. He took the phone from Clare, speaking in such a fast voice, I didn't bother or even know if I could make out his words. He spoke with order, with need. I understood enough that he called the station and reported what happened, all while pulling me up in a sitting position more. I just breathed as I felt his hand lightly run up and down my back, his words over the phone urgent background music.

The only thing he asked me: "It was Mark wasn't it?"

I only nodded and that was enough of an answer. A few minutes later, after he called the station and gave the report, he said for them not to bother coming to the house but rather have them search the area in all directions within a couple miles (apparently with time, he shouldn't be far at all yet). It sounded like he was going over board with that yet it sounded as if he was in charge on that part. Hell, I wouldn't question his orders with the panicked and urgent voice he used.

As I looked up at him as he spoke into the phone, his eyes didn't leave mine. I felt myself want to cringe from his touch, his presence. I loved him, so much. I wanted him and felt safe with him here now. But that dream was just so real... I couldn't help but be completely disgusted with him.

It wasn't long before he was off the phone. His main concern was me and since he told his friends at the station enough for now, he focused on me. And the moment he did and dropped the phone to my bed, he wrapped both of his arms around me pressed me closer to him. That was when I noticed he was shirtless and was only wearing cotton shorts. It made me more upset, bringing me back to that dream. Unlike in the dream though, there was so much in his expression, it was overwhelming. He continued whipping the sweat away that I hadn't realized formed around my forehead and face. He was trying to soothe me as best as he could with how close I was to breaking down. "I'm taking you to the hospital. I don't care what you say. Your carotid arteries cou--"

"I'm fine," I said, managing a stable voice as best as I could. I just wanted to lay back down and die. I didn't want this now, especially with both of them in the room with me. I didn't want to think about how close I came to death. But I wasn't dead; I got very lucky and physically was good enough. I shook my head as best as I could, as if my answer was not enough. His eyes read not debatable though.

"You are not! Jesus Christ," he murmured, eyes wouldn't stop looking me over and mainly my neck. He cringed and swallowed hard, brushing his fingers over where the belt cut into my neck. He shook his head, panicked, even more so than me it appeared - which was a big deal since I wasn't sure how to deal with this. I think I was still trying to register it all.... I mean shit like this happened before and I've been through worse. But when it all happens so fast like that... it was kind of a shock. The dream really affected me, though it shouldn't have. Then, Mark tries to strangle me and get away. The last thing I want is to go to a hospital. "I care to much about you to--"

It took a lot to cut him off. It usually was easy, what with how polite I am engaged in a conversation. But I was hyperventilating it seemed, breath incredibly hard right now, but it wasn't from what happened exactly. It was also because of that dream, which ultimately saved my life. I was ready to give in and scream again, needing some release if I wouldn't allow tears. But I didn't. I had to make sure I wasn't going to the hospital first.