Your Worst Fears

Chapter 23: Thanks, Gran

As I laid immobile, still unable to move, I was thankful I could still blink. At least I had that and was able to shut my eyes. I couldn't stand to see the torture in Nick's eyes as he silently apologized for what he was being made to do. I don't know which was worse; what was about to happen to me, or the fact that he was being forced to do it.

When his hand stopped tugging on my waistband and began to slide across my stomach and under my shirt, I tried to think about something else; pretend I was somewhere besides this bed. I tried to think about the last vacation we went on to Panama City Beach and how I'd gotten stung by a jellyfish. It hurt so bad I cried, but I'd go back there in a second if I could and experience it all over again—twice. Physical pain is far less excruciating than what our emotions can do to us. The worst scars are the ones you can't see.

Nick's fingers crawling up my chest, aggressively digging into my skin, yanked me from the memory of sand and tears right back to the here and now of this freaking bed. As his nails broke into my skin, clawing their way between my breasts, I felt more tears fall, tickling my hairline.

Please, God, make it stop. Don't let it make him do this.

Suddenly, I felt a tug around my neck, and at that exact moment, Nick's body flew off me, slamming into the wall near the foot of Nick's bed as a horrific scream filled his little room. I sat up and pushed myself away from it, up the bed, hitting my back against the headboard of his bed, welcoming the pain; I could finally move.

It hissed, glaring at me in shock as it rubbed the inside of Nick's hand, which was obviously in pain. Once I realized what had just happened, I reached inside my shirt and pulled out the cross necklace that I'd forgotten I was even wearing until Nick grabbed it. Nick....

"Nick!" I yelled, holding the necklace up as far as I could with it still clasped around my neck.

As it looked at the necklace, I could tell it was slowly starting to understand. "Give me the necklace," it demanded, taking a step toward the end of the bed. "Give it to me now!"

"No." The necklace was the only protection I had now. "Don't come any closer," I warned, yanking it off my neck and holding it out in front of me like a shield.

"You don't scare me, child." It smiled at me, causing chills to crawl up my spine. "You can't scare fear—" it took a step closer "—just like you can't kill death."

I knew I had mere seconds to figure out what I was going to do next, which was nowhere near enough time. When that high-pitched laugh filled the room, I knew it was about to strike. Being nowhere near strong enough to fight it, I realized there was only one thing I could do.

As it dove towards me, I held on to the small cross, making sure that no matter what happened, I never let it go. I held the gold rope that was threaded through it like my life depended on it, because, at this point, it really did. Even though this thing wanted my body as its own, I knew it'd kill me to survive.

Nick's hand wrapped tightly around my throat as his other hand grabbed for my wrist, but I was faster, mashing the cross into the side of his neck. It screamed out again, grabbing the side of his neck, which now had a nasty burn on it in the shape of the cross. When it looked back at me, I knew it was really pissed now.

"No mere child or relic will stop me from seeking the things I need. The things I want!" And with that, it came at me again.

I wasn't ready and fell backward, which I don't think it was expecting, either. When it went to grab my wrist, it missed and grabbed my hand, trapping the cross between us. It let go, but unlike last time, it didn't jump back. Instead, it kept coming at me, but that little slip had cost it a couple of second, allowing me to move my arm.