INFINITE (Eminem Fan Fiction)

Chapter 17: Living Proof

Chapter 17: Living Proof

No matter how fast Riley tried to run, it seemed as if she were going in slow motion. She put every ounce of strength and energy into every step but never seemed to go faster than a slow jog. And the hall just kept going and going, almost stretching before her eyes. And he was closing in on her. She threw back a glance as she sprinted as hard as she could, only to see that he’d gained more ground. He was a mere few feet from catching her. Panicking, heart racing a thousand times a minute, she ran faster. She was going to die here….

Suddenly, there was a huge pressure in her chest, as someone grabbed the back of her clothing and her body slammed into the front of her shirt. Gasping for breath, she knew he’d caught her and her knees sagged. Lifting her up, easily, fear pounded through her chest as he hurled her across the room.

For a moment it felt like she was flying but she came to the cruel harsh reality of falling and landing horribly against the hall wall. Pain flared through her body and she found herself wounded, hardly able to breathe from the force of the blow. As she looked up, vision blurry, she saw him closing in, shadows encompassing his entire body, as if he lived in the dark.

Putting her hands up to shield herself she was horrified to hear him say her name, “Riley…” He drawled his creepy voice out, it echoing slightly in the dark, empty halls. “Riley.” He continued to close in. “Riley!” There were further steps.

“God, please no.” She cried out.

“RILEY!” He called out again.

She shielded herself more, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Richard, please don’t hurt me!”

Riley slammed back into her own body, and sprung upwards, breathing heavily. Dream. It was just a dream. Marshall was standing over her, concerned plastered across his face. Relief washed over her. It was okay. She was in Michigan with him. No one could hurt her here. She tried to catch her breath and buried her face in her hands.

“Riley, are you okay?” Marshall’s voice interjected.

She lifted her eyes to him. How embarrassing. This was not a moment she wanted to share with him. “Yeah…” She returned, absently. “Just a dream…”

Marshall’s face was unreadable as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He gave her a hard stare, an expression she didn’t like on his soft face. “It was about Richard, wasn’t it?” It was hardly a question but he wanted her to admit it.

“I’m fine, Marshall.” As he was blocking the edge, she swung her legs out of the other side of the bed and reached for her robe. Glancing back at him, she saw his wounded face. “It’s not…” She stopped. She wanted to open up to him but her instinct was to shut him out. Sighing, she sat down beside him, looking down at her lap.

“It’s okay,” He insisted, reaching out and clasping her hand with both of his. Unlike hers, which were cold and frail, his hands were warm and soft. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Riley shook her head, “I was running. No matter how fast I tried to go, he still caught me. He was going to hurt me and he kept closing in and calling my name-”

“Actually, that was me,” Marshall said, with a smirk. He turned serious. “Riley, you don’t need to be afraid of him. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Riley could only smile as she sat beside him. It was nice to think that he would protect her. “Thanks.” She said, going red again. God, if she could stop blushing she’d be the happiest person alive. He only seemed to smile at her embarrassment.