𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬

~Stella Grey~

I feel like this song goes perfect with this chapter ^^^

"Daddy...where is momma?" the small girl chirped curiously. She couldn't be more than five-years-old.

Little Ariella found her father turned around, sitting, with his back towards her and his face in his hands and body rigid as stone.

Ariella's smile turned into a frown of concern when she saw her father slumped and tense. She walked around to face him and peek at what his large body was hiding.

A shriek of horror came from her little body when she saw her mother lying on the ground, blood pooling all around her as her green eyes remained horrifically opened and chest still.

Her mother's dark onyx hair surrounding her face like a crown.

Such a shame...

Stella Grey was such a beautiful woman...

Her dark hair and bright green eyes...there wasn't any doubt. However, her beauty was ultimately got her killed.

The beauty she passed onto her daughter to bear the same fate.

She attempted to sprint over to her dead mother but a firm and rough hand pulled her before she could. Tears spilled uncontrollably as she screamed and thrashed in her father's hold, crying out 'We have to help mommy!"

The arm turned her around roughly to face him and the little 5-year-old came face to face with her father who had blood splattered on his face in small dots as his clothes were stained in metallic red.

His eyes were dark and wicked as he stared at the crying girl in front of him. He raised his hand and swiftly gave her a sharp blow to the cheek, making blood trickle down from the small and innocent girl's face as she cried harder.

She tried to fight away from his hard grip, but with another sharp blow to the other cheek, her movements still and her sobs quieted as she struggled for air from her cries. Her small body began to shake in fear as she looked down at his blood-soaked-shoes.

Poor little Ariella didn't know how everything could be fine one moment, and the next her mother would be dead and her father starts to hit her.

"Mommy did a bad thing...and I had to teach her a lesson. Bad things happen to bad people, but I know that Ariella won't be bad...right?" he whispered to her as tears fell like an endless river.

Ariella began to violently shake her head to the side to avoid another hit as she tried to erase the image of her mother's bloody body and the smell of rot from her lungs.

Her father smiled approvingly as he got up and pulled little Ariella into his arms, carrying her away from her mother's decaying body.

Ariella put her chin on his shoulder as she looked into her mother's lifeless green eyes that now reflected her own.

She woke up abruptly, the bedsheets sticking to her shaking body from the sweat that glossed her whole body.

Her chest burned with the intense pressure of her heartbeat. She stumbled out of bed and fell to the ground on her knees as she felt she was choking and fighting for air. Her head grew light as her vision blurred and small black blotches were all that was in view.

Her heart was palpitating in her chest as her body trembled unconditionally with sweat sticking to her skin. Her eyes strained as everything seemed to be unbalanced and she grew dizzy as she knelt on the floor and hugged her shaking frame.

Her breathing was labored and short as she felt like someone was pressing her throat.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal a shirtless Cameron who came into the room to kiss her goodnight but panicked once he found her trembling and small body on the floor, hugging herself.

He sprinted over to her and pulled her close to his warm, tattooed, and muscular chest; her ear pressing directly above his heart.

He pulled her hair away from her face as he drew small circles on the small of her back.

"Listen to my heartbeat, Lilac," he consoled calmly, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. His voice shot straight through her, pulling her out of the daze as she recognized she was having an anxiety attack.

She did just that, as she tried to focus on the thumping of his heart, the steadiness of it beginning to match her rapid heart rate. She started taking deep breaths that were uneven and shaky, but they were something.

"You're doing so good, Lilac. Everything's okay, nothing is going to hurt you. Breathe, Lilac," he cooed as he held her close, worry filling his soul.

Cameron's POV

It's one thing to have an anxiety attack...but to watch someone you care about having one is a whole different thing on its own.

I had my fair share of them but now looking at it from another point of view, I realize how scary it is to watch it happening in front of your eyes while it seems like you can't do anything.

I did all that I could. I held her and didn't let her go. I breathed with her and made sure she knew that she was safe and I wouldn't leave her.

After a few moments when I was sure that it was safe to move her, I picked her up bridal-style as her head fell into where my neck met my shoulder. Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly, as if she was afraid I'd leave.

I would never leave her.

I placed her gently on the bed and when I went to let her go she pulled me tighter and began to shake again.

"Please stay," she spoke, a broken whisper that was barely decipherable if her mouth wasn't by my ear.

Right then and there, my heart was beating twice as fast.

She wants me to stay...

"Anything for you, Lilac," I responded as I got in the bed without letting her go.

Her head snuggled in my bare chest as I craned my face down so I could bury it in her neck. I wrapped my arms around her small waist tightly, bringing her as close to me as possible. Our legs automatically tangled together, entwining our beings along with our souls.

If she was a drug, I'd be using for the rest of my life...because I'm already addicted. I've been addicted for a long time.

She is a drug I can't forget and nor do I want to. Her name echoes in my head constantly and I am under her control. She doesn't understand how much power she holds over me.

The universe doesn't fucking understand how much I'm enamored, obsessed, devoted, and solely infatuated with Ariella Lilac Grey.

It's true what they say.

Behind every great man is an even greater woman and I'd gladly let her be in front of me. I worship her like a goddess and it's dangerous like walking blindly on a battlefield with no weapon.

I'm high on my Lilac.

And I never want to go to rehab...or I'm afraid I'll relapse.

~

Word count: 1185