'No!...No more!...Don't touch me!"
Images of evil.
Darkness.
Cages, bars.
Red roses dripping blood.
Running, running but the 100m track goes on forever.
'Leave me alone!'
Ethan grasped the writhing woman gently shaking her, his initial pleas unheard. Wildly thrashing arms swatted at his, one swipe neatly clipping his chin. Ignoring the pain Ethan stilled her in the time honoured tradition by drawing her in close and holding her tight. It only took a few seconds. Whatever chased her in the dark must have given up because she slowly relaxed. Gently Ethan pried her hands off the lapel of his dressing gown and lowered the quivering form back to her bed. He brushed the damp hair back from her glistening forehead and straightened the neckline of her nightie which was showing a tantalizing glimpse of one creamy breast. Unsuccessfully he tried to treat his ministrations as if the sleeping beauty was his daughter Chloe.
As if!
He had resisted the impulse to kiss her brow when he had checked on her the night before, her first night under his roof and in his care, fearful that at that moment she may have woken. Now he realised there was no real chance of that. If a demon couldn't wake her then his chaste kiss wouldn't. Still he reminded himself she wasn't his daughter and she definitely wasn't a child as he still felt her impression on his chest, his thin robe and her filmy gown proving an inadequate barrier.
In any case his stirring loins made short work of the idea that his kiss could be chaste.
Ethan stood and smoothed the tangle of sheets and blankets trying hard not to notice the way they outlined her figure. So petite and yet so curvy. He also tried to remind himself that she was not his type, that she was his temporary ward, that she had no memory and that she was vulnerable. She was way off limits.
With a deep resigned breath Ethan decided to leave the bedside lamp on and left sleeping beauty asleep, alas unkissed.
Waking feeling dreadful was becoming a drag.
The nurses in the hospital said she had been plagued by nightmares. Looking at the neat state of her bed she thought that this time a nightmare couldn't explain why she felt so washed out and drained. Then she noticed that she had left the light on. Maybe its glow could account for her poor sleep. Looking at the clock she let out a heart felt groan. 6am! Now why was she awake so early if she was still so tired? Then she heard it.