She'd been imprisoned in every way. She couldn't even think to take a step out of place. She had disappeared into the furthest shadow of her mind to escape and conceded to the man who had ruined her.
Submission had been forced onto her until she...
The world no longer exists to me. I live only in my parallel reality. This otherworld where I watch the amber-eyed little girl grow up. She is so small. She is the most perfect thing I've ever seen.
Much like me, the little girl never seems happy. Sometimes I look and find her bruised and frightened. I do not understand who or what could hurt her. I see her and feel only love. Who is making the little light cry?
I hear a commotion going on around me. Trying to sense my reality is difficult and hardly worth it. At best it feels like I'm at the bottom of a pool. I look to the distorted surface where garbled sound leaks through. I do not dare push myself up. The world above is cold and painful. I am safe under the water.
I think someone is fighting. I do not know why. I do not know who. They mean nothing to me.
I turn my attention back to the girl. She is weeping and her cheek is black. I run to her as best I can. I water slows my steps and she stays just out of reach. She's always out of my reach. She is light and dawn and new beginnings and I can never have that.
I open my mouth to speak to her but, the water rushes in a fills my lungs. I do not mind this, I drowned a long time ago. The words do not travel. She can never hear me.
Someone is moving my body. I follow after them. They seem familiar but, their face is too blurred to know. All I can see of them is a shock of golden hair. They are screaming at me as they run.
Then the man is gone. All I feel are fireworks. The surface is too bright. I close my eyes and sink further. It's peaceful down here. I think this must be what death is like.
I close my eyes and dream. Linens float around me in the breeze. They are tethered to ropes to keep them from drifting away. A woman stands among them all pinning more to a line. I go to but, don't feel myself moving.
"Who are you?", I ask. She turns to me with eyes crinkled in laughter or tears.
"I know I love you but, I don't know who you are", I tell her. She does not answer.
"Are you my mom?", nothing.
"My sister?".
"My aunt?".
"My grandmother?".
She acts as though I have said nothing.
"You make me feel safe", I say, "please help me remember". She puts a hand on my shoulder.
"It's time to wake up", I don't know who says this maybe, neither of us did.
"Are you me?".
My eyes open and I'm no longer underwater. Where am I?
The room is bright and smells of antiseptic. My body feels too warm. It's so overwhelming. I try to blink the worst of the world away. My eyes do not follow my wishes.
There's a sinking feeling in me, one of desire. My head is swimming with lust. Am I in heat? No, I can't be. You have to be healthy and in good physical condition to experience heat. Last I was aware of my body I was starved and wounded.
I become aware of a beep sound. I manage to gain enough control to look around the room. The sound is coming from a heart monitor. I watch the green line rise and drop. Am I in the hospital?
Finally, I realize I'm in a hospital bed, just not alone. I am laying on Grimm's chest. He looks smaller than I remember. Still, he is as handsome as ever. Full dark lashes rest on high cheekbones. His full lips part for his even breaths to pass. The lust in me grows still, I push it down.
He groans and his eyes open lazily. They sweep the room before landing on me.
"What's going on?", he asks. I do not answer him as I do not know how. He lifts a hand and I see him flinch. I notice for the first time an IV tube trailing down to it. He rips it out.
He starts to push himself up but, I weigh him down. I'm laying on his chest peering up at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Who are you?", he asks. I still do not answer. He grabs me around the arms about to push me off of me when he pauses. I feel the fireworks strong as ever coming from where his hands rest.
"Are you my mate?", he asks. A smile grows over his face. He pulls me up to kiss him. His hands tangle in my hair and press me against him by the small of my back. My well-trained body immediately gives into him. I'm not sure when I started wearing clothes again but, my hands remove them quickly enough.
"What's your name first?", he asks. I do not answer because I do not know. My body does what it has done a million times before. I drift off in my head but, not as distant as before.
When we finish I lay beside him. He holds me in his arms. This is all entirely new. When did he start cuddling with me after sex? When did he start pressing such soft sweet kisses to the crook of my neck, where he's buried his head.
"My head hurts", he mumbles, "did something happen?".
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