I Love You To Death

Chapter Thirteen

Dan

I fold my reading glasses and tuck them into their case gently so I don't disturb Vivienne in her nap. I can't help but watch as her chest rises and falls, the subtle rolling of her eyes and the whispers twitching on her lips. Peaceful does not do her justice; she is the picture of harmony.

"Excuse me, Sir?" the flight attendant interrupts my trance.

"Yes?"

"Would you like me to adjust the chair so she can sleep more comfortably? You know this is first class after all."

"No, thank you. She's perfectly comfortable the way she is." I smile at her politely and try to hide my annoyance, as if I didn't know that this is first class.

"Alright, enjoy your flight. You know what to do if you need anything." She smiles placidly and floats away.

Vivienne shifts in her sleep and burrows into my shoulder, I adjust my position so I can wrap my arm around her, pull her closer to me. She sighs inaudible words and the corners of her mouth turn up slightly, and I think she's just as happy being in my arms as I am. Sleep materializes into the scent of her coconut shampooed hair as my eyelids lift weights and all I want to do is kiss it. I rest my lips on her head, breathe in the scent of a girl who could make flowers bloom in the driest of lands and purse my lips into a long, heartfelt kiss.

Sleep oozes into my mind and hypnotizes me into a mirthless dream.

The forest is dark, I can barely see the earth I walk on, but I don't need to. I've been here before, memorized every detail. The turf that once thrived has been reduced to random patches of green in a path of powdered dirt, worn down by the countless times I've walked on it. With every step the whispers come at me, increasing in intensity. It's just a matter of time before it comes. It always comes. I wait in the center of the forest and it does not disappoint. The white orb floats to me, peaceful in its quest.

One

Two

Three.

I take cover behind the tree and watch as the orb slams into an invisible wall, shattering into a million little pieces, like a supernova of light. Time then reverses itself as the shards of glass come back together to form a black entity.

Like a banshee she screams as she comes to life, and I've already prepared the spear I've hidden in the foliage. Her eyes dart from one rustle of leaves to another, trying to pinpoint my location.

I rest my head on the tree trunk, gather myself and take one long breath before I jump into plain sight. I will not play hide and seek anymore. Her neck bends at an unnatural angle as she exposes her needle like teeth in a wicked smile. Quit with the niceties. I run at her, dodging every trap she set up for me, hurling myself underneath a branch lined with razor like teeth. I hate this part. I rip off my tattered shirt and ignore the blood that seeps from the fresh cuts on my body.

We're standing face to face, she licks the black slime that is supposed to be her lips and breathes in the scent of my O+ blood.

"I've missed you." She shrieks, before she can make a move I stab her with my spear and dart to the nearest tree for cover, but she sees through me and does the impossible. She whispers to me and I must endure the pain of her voice as it burns my skin, at this point there is nothing to do but scream as my flesh melts underneath the fiery pressure of her vocal cords.

"Dan?" her voice slices through the Black Forest Queen and jolts me back to life. The Black Forest fades until I remember that I'm in the airplane . Vivienne watches as I take one long, deep breath to steady myself.