Betrothed To You

Dreams

My head split and blistered, the pulsating rocking my brain. It felt like I had been twisted inside and out, as if nothing was left of me.

I peeled my eyes open to observe my surroundings. The walls were sparkling white, the smell of bleach and blood dancing underneath my nostrils causing my eyes to water and my nose to scrunch up.

The light above me was so bright that my emerald eyes immediately squeezed shut "is this a dream, am I dead?" I whisper, my voice cracking from the lack of use.

"Your not dead love" that voice, that sweet familiar voice of comfort.

I jolt upright, my matted hair clinging to my sweaty face, I look up instantly and see his beautiful face "John" I choke, the water springing to the back of my eyes, the automatic stinging sensation causing discomfort.

His features swim into a state of panic, he jumps forward off of his chair residing next to me and places his hands on my shoulders, gently pushing me back down as I latch my trembling hands into his arms "don't leave me here" "I can't be here" "my f-family needs me" "we have to go John! Please we have to go!" My words are rambled together and forced. Every ounce of my being frightened.

"Calm down, everything is going to be okay" he assures me, stroking my clammy head lovingly.

Why doesn't he understand, he needs to understand "they are dead John, something is wrong"

He looks down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with me.

I reach my hand out and touch his face, my thumb stroking his cheek "look at me. Please"

"There wasn't anything Tommy could do. She tried to kill you"

My mouth and throat turn to cotton, her lifeless glass eyes staring at me. So young and full of life, no children, no future. Everything ripped out of her grasp. Because of me. "It's my fault"

"What?"

"It's all my fault" I can't stop the tears from streaming down my face, cascading down my neck and into the white pillow.

Suddenly multiple people burst through the door to my bedroom, the Shelby's flood in. All of their faces mixed with relief and horror.

Pol, practically runs to my bedside and hands me a glass of water "you must be thirsty as hell darling" she almost forces me to take a sip of the water. However, it does help the drying feeling running through my body.

"Fucking hell, your in bad shape" Michael mumbles, staring down at my stomach, fully wrapped in gauze.

Arthur smacks him in the back of the head and tuts "way to make a girl feel better idiot"

"I'm fine!" I bark, throwing the sheet away from my body, I'm too hot, it feels like my skin is burning.

"Darlin your not" John hums, forcing me to look at him, his eyes pleading for me to listen "your not okay, you could of died. You nearly did die, right in front me. I could of lost you okay. And that scared the Shit out of me" I've never seen John so close to tears, but right now it was like a broken man trying and failing to fix himself.

Tommy stands looking at me, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, "your not involved in this anymore, not after well...that" he flicks his head towards my stomach wound.

"What?!" My heart jumps, he can't just take this away from me. "My family is dying"

Fin steps forward, the youngest of the Shelby's the ripe age of fifteen, one year younger then Em. "We are your family now, and I don't want to see you die" he admits. Walking over and taking a seat next to me, fiddling with his fingers.

"I don't think you understand that we protect you now, your one of us! And you can't just leave and get yourself into a situation like that!" John says raising his voice.

Pol smacks John away from me, seeing his temper rising "give her a break idiot, can't you see she has been through enough" she whispers with warning. Her eyes scanning all the angry men in the room.

I rest my head on the pillow and look back up at the ceiling, why does everything have to fall apart all at once, why can nothing go smoothly. "I love you John...but I love my mother and sister and brother. And now my brother is out there on his own, a seven year old boy. I need to find him" my lip quivers, I have to shut my eyes to stop myself from cracking like a porcelain doll.

"We will find him okay?" I expect John to respond but his head is staring down at the ground. I look up and see Tommy staring at me, his ice eyes flicking with care and determination.

"You promise?" I whimper, my knuckles turning white from gripping onto the bedsheets.

"I'll find him if it's the last thing I do Eva. You have my word"

Well that's my first come back. I know it's short. But I need to slowly get myself back into the story and it's characters. I hope this is good enough for now.