FROSTBITE • mikaelson mate

chapter sixteen: repercussions

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
repercussions

Fear enveloped me as I sat in the fetal position, awaiting my evident demise.

I squeezed my eyes closed and held a hand over my mouth to muffle the panicked sobs that threatened to escape me. My heart pounded so hard that I feared he'd hear it through the flimsy plywood of the wardrobe. My chosen hiding place was nearly pitch black. A slither of light from where the door hadn't completed shut was the only thing saving me from total darkness. I'd always been afraid of the dark but I knew that it was a better alternative to him.

"Pretty flower, hair so red,
Cut your stem and now you're dead."

The twisted lyrics were sung in a similar tune to a children's nursery rhyme. I bit my lip hard and a metallic taste flooded my mouth. I knew my hiding was futile, he would find me eventually. I was prolonging my torment and I knew that he was loving every minute of his depraved game.

Slow footsteps became louder and louder. I held my breath as the footsteps stopped just outside the wardrobe. Silent tears fell from my shut eyes as my hand gripped tightly onto a wire clothes hanger that I'd bent to resemble some sort of weapon. The sudden silence was terrifying and for a moment when nothing happened, I thought I might be safe.

Then the door flew open.

My eyes opened as a scream escaped my lips. I looked around the room in panic, not knowing where I was. After a moment of shallow breaths I realised I was in Klaus' bedroom. It was only a nightmare of a cruel memory I'd had no desire to relive.

The door flew open and Elijah and Klaus sped into the room, looking around for an assailant. When they found nobody, they turned to see me sat up in bed with tears staining my eyes. Henrik ran into the room and took one look at me before realising that I'd screamed due to a nightmare and not because I was being attacked.

He rushed over and sat on the bed and waited for me to indicate what I needed him to do. After some nightmares I needed comfort and cuddles whereas after others, I couldn't stand to be touched. I reached my arms towards him and he instantly embraced me.

My other mates awkwardly stood at the other end of the room, not quite knowing what to do. They knew how to protect me but they didn't know how to comfort me. I couldn't blame them for that since they barely knew me.

"I want to go home." I whispered as I clutched Henrik tightly.

"Back to England?" He questioned and I shook my head.

"No, back to the hotel." I clarified, "Although I do miss our house."

"Let's get you back to the hotel then." Henrik said, standing up and gently pulling me up with him, "And we won't stay here forever, we'll go back to England soon."

I gave him a small smile as he took my hand and led me out of the room. Klaus and Elijah followed and they were engaged in a hushed conversation. My heart had finally stopped pounding from the nightmare but the words still echoed in my mind.

"Pretty flower, hair so red,
Cut your stem and now you're dead."

***

It was nearly seven in the morning when Elijah, Henrik and I returned to the hotel. Klaus had decided to stay behind, claiming to have a few loose ends to tie up. I was disappointed by this but he promised that he would join us soon. Henrik instantly went to his room to sleep, mumbling something about how not even coffee could keep him awake. I wasn't tired so I sat with Elijah in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil.