Sea of Flames | f. odair

CHAPTER 28 | THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 28 | THE SHADOWS

Staring up at the perfect blue sky above her, she stretched her arms out in the water, enjoying the refreshing cool against her skin. It felt so good to finally bathe. Dirt was coating her body in a thin film that had her pores crying to breathe. She could hear birds chirping in the tall trees and the soft rushing water tickling her ears.

"I can smell you from a mile away," the male voice behind her said teasingly.

Cassia stood up, laughing as she splashed Griffin, enjoying the displeased expression on his face. "That makes two of us," she retorted.

Pulling his shirt off, he joined her in the little oasis. He was tall like the trees and for a moment since entering the arena, Cassia felt safe. She grinned at the thought, licking the water droplets off her lips.

"What are you so happy about?" He asked with a gleam in his green eyes. They were so vibrant they reminded her of the everglades and the underbrush after it rains; dark and comforting and earthy.

"Nothing important," she broadly smiled back. Turning to continue swimming, she looked down at the water, feeling the breath die in her lungs.

It wasn't crystal blue anymore, but bleeding towards her in red. Spinning to face Griffin to warn him, to do something, she found herself watching as his head fell off his neck and into the water. His body swayed and began to tip forward in Cassia's direction. She cried out, scrambling backwards until her spine slammed into the edge of the deep pond. Pulling herself out of the water, she crawled through the grass and underbrush, twigs snapping under her palms and thorns cutting into her face. Her knees bit into the hard earth, continuing to drag her wet form away from the red.

"Cassia, Cassia, Cassia," Griffin's taunting voice cut through the air, through her mind.

Cassia opened her mouth to scream, but not even a sense of air passed through her as she continued crawling faster, digging her feet into the ground, trying to find purchase of tangibility.

"Cassia."

"Cassia!" someone was shaking her hard, needing her to wake up, but Cassia was terrified to open her eyes. It was difficult to trust what was real and what wasn't. Would she see Griffin's dismembered head floating around her bedroom? The kids she killed at the bloodbath? The list of her fears were endless.

"What's wrong?" another voice asked. Hands were grabbing her and she couldn't help herself—she started screaming.

"Cassia, what's wrong!"

"I'm calling the doctor."

"No, don't do anything until I get back."

Please go away, please, please go away! Cassia screamed until she couldn't hear the voices or feel the hole in her chest. The vibrations in her throat soothed her and the trembling of her body wracked her so hard that it felt like she was in anaphylactic shock.

Loud footsteps raced towards her and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. He had found her finally. Griffin was going to take her away and drag her into that pool of blood where all of the other people she had killed were. Maybe it was where she belonged. Maybe if she was dead—

"Look at me," a strong, yet calm voice ordered. Warm touches caressed her face and the back of her head, circling and creating tiny fires along her skin. "Look at me, Cassia."

She couldn't open her eyes. She was afraid, so afraid. What if it was Griffin? What if she opened her eyes and saw another corpse? Her screams had turned into short, sporadic sobs that had her gasping for air with every intake.