ENTANGLED STRINGS OF PAST

CHAPTER TWELVE

Hazel Grey

I opened my eyes. I was sitting on a chair in a very beautiful room. Everything felt so happy for a moment, suddenly Janet called me "Hazel! Hazel! Help me!" Everything turned black. I was aging in the same dark room. My hands, my hands suddenly got tied to the chair. I was not able to move. No! No! Please not again. JANET! PLEASE LEAVE HER!

"Hazel! Please help me! Please!" Janet kept shouting. They took her and tied her to the same chair as me right in front of me. I could see her but I was helpless. Tears started falling from my eyes and I was crying hard. She was pleading for help but I could not do anything. They stab her multiple times with a sharp knife. Blood started flowing from her body.

"Please leave her! It was I! Everything was my fault!" I shouted but no one heard. No! No! Please stop! Please...

Someone grabbed my hair, and I shouted in pain, "Yes sweetheart everything is your fault" he said and disappeared into the darkness.

They poured some liquid on Janet and lit the fire. Janet's body caught fire within some seconds. She started screaming in pain. They were burning her alive. STOP IT! STOP IT PLEASE! I was shouting, struggling to free myself from the chair. All of a sudden I fell from the chair on the floor

My eyes opened.

I... was on the floor of the study room but everything was dark. I stared shaking in fear. I had nyctophobia. "Please someone open the lights" I wanted to shout but words could not form on my tongue. My heart was beating abnormally because of the nightmare. I was not able to breathe. I was not able to see because of crying and darkness. My panic attack was growing hard but I was not able to do anything just as I could not do anything when they were burning Janet alive.

I was crying helplessly on the floor.

"Hazel!" someone called me. "Oh god! Hazel Are you okay?" it was Aiden; he rushed to me and picked me up in his arms. "Please switch on the lights" Finally the words left my mouth. He hurriedly opened the lights and came to me. He held me tightly and I did not resist him. He held my face in one of his hands and rested mine on his chest.

"Take deep breaths hazel! Calm down; I am here; no one is going to hurt you. Calm down" he said but I wasn't able to calm down, my heart was beating loudly in my rib cage, I was shaking like a dry leaf on a tree, I was not able to calm down.

"Look into my eyes hazel, concentrate on my breathing. Take deep breaths," he said. I looked into his eyes, and at that moment all I could see were his blue eyes, all I could feel was his breathing and all I could hear was his beating heart we stayed like this until my breathing and heart rate became normal, and I went back to sleep again but this time, in his arms.

______

I opened my eyes and found myself wrapped protectively in his arms. Last night was terrifying yet I slept the best sleep in the past few months. Having nightmares has been common for me for the last two years but sometimes it feels real, everything, I used to shout at night. It was horrible for me but more for my family.

However, this time someone was there to hold me. Aiden, not only calmed me down but also stayed with me all night. I was thinking about all this I found out that I was staring at Aiden who was sleeping silently. I noticed the features of his face, his sharp jawline cleanly shaved, and he messed up light brown hair. My eyes traced his lips and then his eyes. I remembered the blue-green eyes I saw last night. All of a sudden, he opened his eyes and they met with mine. After a moment realizing we were staring at each other, I freed myself from his arms.

"How are you now?" he asked breaking the awkward silence in the air. "I am fine" was I all could say. "What happened last night...?" "Last night I...I just read the book and fell asleep here. I am nyctophobic, that's why it all happened," I snapped before he could complete his word, hoping he would not ask any more questions. "I am sorry for barging into your room" I added and rushed outside the room without waiting for his words.

I walked straight into the bathroom as soon as I reached my room realizing tears flowing through my eyes. I started the water in the sink and washed my face, and my arms in the hope that I could watch those memories too but I could not. I could not save Janet, even in my dreams. I felt so frustrated, and angry with myself but I could not do anything. The voices shouting inside me. HOW PATHEIC YOU ARE! The scenes of nightmare started replaying in front of me but  I could see  Aiden's eye in the mirror calming me. I walked into the shower and turned it into burning hot to clear the thoughts from my mind. I  saw my skin turning red but it was not hurting like the scars on my heart, however, it was relaxing.