Unfamiliar (Book One: Colt and Clara's Story)

Chapter seven

Clara

It was three in the morning and Clara was wide awake after another nightmare. She had just sent Iris back to bed, that poor woman had been frantic with worry when she had shaken her awake, she had sat with her and comforted her while the tremors had violently racked her body.

The dream was the same one she relived every time she drifted off to sleep the chanting woman and the one they called Dominus.

They dragged her in and made her part of their torture, she felt the pain as the knife cut into skin of the people who were slaughtered, she smelt the burning flesh of Annabelle as she was executed, her scream of sheer agony penetrated right into Clara's soul.

Iris had awoken her out of the dream tonight before it replayed again, because it always did it was on a loop repeatedly. The screams and the smell of blood, they seemed to intensify the more they replayed.

She had been violently sick in her nightmare last night.

She had woken to Iris roughly shaking her screaming at her to 'WAKE UP'.

Iris had said she thought she was going to choke to death, the fear in the woman's face had told Clara how scared she must have been.

In her delirious state, she had begged for Iris to bring Colt back and get him to lay with her like he did the other night she had screamed that he was the only one could stop the evil in her brain.

Iris had cleaned her up and sat with her stroking her head until she had fallen back to sleep whispering that he would be back soon.

She was mortified that Iris had to witness that and had apologised repeatedly the next morning. Iris of course told her to stop apologising.

They had talked about the nightmare and why it had made her sick. Just reliving the smell of her flesh burning made bile rise in her throat again.

She missed Colt an awful lot which was slightly weird considering she had only just met him. Maybe it was because he had saved her and brought her here. She needed to get herself out of this, she had never pined after a man or needed one to comfort her, she had always been tough and didn't let her feelings rule her heart.

The bastard who took her had really done a number on her sanity and changed the way she usually handled things, she was so conflicted.

She decided trying to sleep was a waste of time and she could do with some fresh air, she had ventured out around the gated grounds a few times throughout the few days she had been here. The back garden was beautiful so full of different types of flowers, trees, strange herbs she had never heard of and a massive vegetable patch.

It was Autumn but it wasn't cold outside so she just grabbed the white house coat from behind the door and put on some slippers. She crossed the landing without turning on the lights, and made her way down the stairs. She moved carefully through the hall to the kitchen to the back door. The key was a little stiff in the lock and made a loud clonk when it opened, she cursed and stood there quiet to make sure she hadn't disturbed Iris.

She didn't want to wake her; the poor woman must be exhausted after dealing with her and her relentless night terrors.

Thankfully she heard no movement come from upstairs so she opened the door and let herself out closing it behind her.

A light cool breeze blew against her face and she closed her eyes welcoming the fresh night air.

The only noise was from the rustling leaves on the trees, she stepped onto the lawn and made her way to the back of the garden.

From as far back as she could remember she always loved twilight hours, they always seemed like the calmest time.

Her and Emmie used to set up a tent in their parents' garden when they were young and stay up all night just watching the stars and talking about nonsensical things like boys or music.