wedLOCK

The nightmare came that night. She saw herself entering the cavernous building. She knew there were people there, waiting, watching. But she could see only him. He was also waiting for her. She felt the paralyzing fear sweep over her, rendering her immobile. He turned his head, saw her and smiled. The knowing smile sent an overwhelming wave of panic searing through her.

He took a step towards her and the thought of him reaching her broke the hold that rendered her immobile and she turned to run. To flee! But something was weighing her down. There was a dead weight on her finger. Something there was constricting her. Choking off the flow of blood in her body. She struggled to move, to run, to breathe. But it was a fruitless struggle. She was doomed!

She raised up defeated eyes to his handsome face as he reached her. He stretched out his hands and gripped hers tightly. Somewhere in her mind, she heard a click and understood at that moment she was lost! It was over. He had won.

The room swirled all around her and she felt him dragging her down. Deep down!

She could not struggle. Could not even summon the strength to want to. The darkness closed over her. In the distance she could hear the sound of the faceless crowd as they swarmed over her. Following her into the darkness like vultures. Each one pushing to take a bite.

She opened her mouth to take in the darkness. Hoping that would hasten her descent into nothingness. But even that was denied her.

Something pushed up from inside her, up through her throat and out her mouth. To her horror, she realized it was a hand. A small hand. She looked down and saw it was all over her body. Tiny hands, feet, legs, heads thrusting out from every opening; some poking through flesh to get out. Her body arched and jerked spasmodically as she was stretched and torn from inside.

And through it all, he kept on smiling down at her as his minions destroyed her alive. She closed her eyes to block out that smile and felt his warm breath as he leaned close to her. Afraid of what he was about to do, she snapped her eyes open and jerked awake in bed.

She jumped off the bed in one leap and dived for the lights. When the room was bright and the visible shadows had been banished, she braced herself on the dresser and panted, the fear still churning in her.

She knew what had caused the nightmare to resurface after all these years. And she knew what had to be done to get rid of it. It was time to move on once again. Time for another identity, another life.

As she began to pack, she thought of him and felt a flash of anger, he was the cause of the nightmare. The reason she had to leave the life she had built here.

Everything had been going so well but he couldn’t just let things be. He had to ruin it. He had to propose!