Unknown- A Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 33- Death Warmed Over

My heartbeat throbbed in time to my harsh breathing as I stood in front of the door, and panic suddenly slammed through my chest when the door flew open in front of me.  The faceless man was standing there, his teeth shining in the dark, and again he had the blade in his hand.  This time it was already covered in blood, and I glanced down at my chest to see sticky red spreading rapidly across my shirt.  The red opened a hole in my chest, and I could see my heart beating through it, hear the loud thud thud thud every time the muscle pulsed another spurt of blood free from my body.  I glanced back up, but the door was closed and the man was gone.  Now the blood rushing through my ears drowned out all other noise, but it sounded unusual, like a rapid series of barks. 

With a gasp I jerked up in bed, my sweaty hair falling in my face. Over Chocolate's vicious growling I heard someone yelling, "McDowell, call your dog off!"

I clambered out of bed, stumbling across the floor and leaning against the wall as I made my way down the hallway.  Starbursts kept flashing in front of my eyes, and intermittent blurs of gray and black kept blocking my vision.

I straightened up but kept a hand pressed firmly against the wall once I recognized the tall figure literally flattened against the door.  Chocolate was raised up on his haunches, both of his front paws planted on Reid's shoulders, barking ferociously in his face, his teeth snapping wildly.

"Chocolate, down!" I commanded, my voice rough from sleep, but he listened and fell back, releasing Reid but standing menacingly in front of him, growling low in his throat.

Frazzled, Reid straightened up and nervously tugged at the hem of his sweater and readjusted the strap of his satchel slung across his chest, but his eyes didn't leave Chocolate for a second.

"Come, boy," I said, trying to keep the weariness out of my voice. 

The dog hesitated for a second longer in front of Reid but then turned and came over by me.  I hooked my fingers in his collar and then pulled him after me until he willingly walked with me down the hall before I shut him in my bedroom, leaving him whining and scratching at the door.  I felt bad, but I didn't have the energy to control my dog and talk to Reid at the same time right now.

"Sorry," I apologized, shoving my hair back out of my face again. 

My legs were cold because I wasn't wearing any pants, but the change in air temperature felt nice through the thin shirt pasted to my skin. 

"Chocolate's a really good guard dog, it's been three days and he still goes rabid on Mrs. Mulcahy," I told Reid, exaggerating only slightly.

"Chocolate?" Reid questioned.  I noticed his gaze flit to my closed bedroom door.

"I like misnomers," I said with a casual shrug, trying to pretend I wasn't sick as I flopped down on one side of the couch so he could sit down next to me. 

The sudden movement sent my thoughts and my eyesight floating out of the top of my head, though, and only rapid blinks cleared my vision enough so I could see him taking a seat on the other side of the couch.  Goosebumps prickled across my bare skin, but it felt like a rush of heat was seeping out across my skin instead of my body trying to keep it in.

"Charlie, are you okay?" he asked, sounding almost cautious.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?  Did you guys solve that last case already?" I asked, a bit surprised.  It had only been a few hours, as far as I knew our job was never that easy.

"Sometimes it only takes two days," he answered nonchalantly.

"Today's Friday," I corrected him.