State Of Grace

Chapter 18 - Haunted

Gracie couldn't move from her bed, not only would she risk pulling out her IV and various monitors if she tried to stand, but her legs were like jelly. It wasn't long before the door swung open to reveal Rachel, holding a giant teddy bear and an equally astounding bouquet of roses.

"Rachel," Gracie cried out. Conflicting emotions of relief and panic filled her. If she lived a normal life she would be able to see her girlfriend without fear of being found out, "Please, you can't be here," she tried to stand up and stumbled.

"I've got you," Rachel caught her before she fell.

"Please," she grabbed the IV stand for support, "Just go, my sister will be back any second," Gracie begged and tried to shove Rachel out of the door. Another stomach pain jabbed Gracie in her belly.

"What's going on?" Riley arrived, as if on cue. She didn't have to have met her to know who Rachel was, all she had to do was see the way Gracie looked at her. "You need to go," she demanded.

But Rachel didn't move towards the door, instead, she stood defensively in front of Gracie and inched closer to Riley.

Riley stood her ground, "I'm serious!"

Rachel shoved Riley, and Riley shoved back. Before Gracie could catch her breath, she watched as Rachel approached Riley again, raising her fist. She could hear the sound of her hand colliding with Riley's face as Gracie collapsed, hitting the floor with a thud as loud as the punch.

Waves crashed against the pillars that held steady a rickety old pier, with each wave, the whole platform shook and Gracie started to lose her footing. She stumbled but managed to hold on to the metal handrail, slick with rain and salt water. Why she was standing on the edge, she didn't know. All she knew was that, for some reason, she couldn't walk to the shore.

A larger wave curled and dispersed onto the decking, bringing cold water around her feet. When the water washed away, it pulled her with it. She tried to hang on, to keep her feet steady, but the water had other plans. She slipped down, now dangling from the rail by just her hands.

The water below began to settle quickly, it wasn't acting like normal water. Within minutes it had completely dried, and Gracie was now hanging above a cluster of jagged rocks, her hands slowly sliding loose from the rail as the rain continued to beat down on her skin.

A hand touched Gracie's, it was dark so she couldn't see who it was, but she grabbed it, and the stranger pulled her up to safety. She was over the handrail, her feet planted firmly on the deck. She was safe.

At least she thought she was.

When she looked up at the person who had saved her life, it was the last face she wanted to see, and by the looks of things, the last face she would ever see again.

John was still holding onto Gracie, he was gentle at first. He was always gentle at first. But suddenly, he pressed her body up against the handrail, crushing her. When she cried out in pain, he pulled away and looked her in the eye. She thought maybe he'd realized what he was doing was bad, then he proved her wrong.

He grabbed her by the wrist and flung her over the rail. He could move her ragdoll-like body with such ease. He dangled her above the rocks again, she screamed out for help but no one was coming to save her.

John had the power in his hands, he could pull her to safety again, but instead, he chose to let go of her, sending her plummeting into the rocks below.

"No!" Gracie sat up and found herself back in the hospital bed. She was panting as Lilah rushed to her side. She examined her surroundings, making sure it was just an awful nightmare. She looked up at Lilah. "What happened? Where's Rachel? And Riley, is she okay?" She tried to get up again, but Lilah held the frantic girl still.