The Darkest Eternities

XXXIV. Untouchable

Cara

The water felt like ice on my back. I turned up the knob, increasing the pressure at which the water poured down on me. The water came down on me from different sides - it was one of those multihead showers.

I grabbed the shampoo and applied some of it on my hair. A soft honey scent spread in the air. I rubbed the shampoo into my hair then washed it out and did the same with the conditioner.

The shower cleared my head and rid it of the harsh memories of my most recent nightmare. The dream had given me quite a shake. It had been so vivid. So real. Every moment had felt real and for a moment it felt like... I was looking into the future.

Without even dressing up, I secured the towel around my body and took my phone from where I had kept it in my luggage bag.

The first thing I saw upon unlocking the device was the my screensaver, a photo me and my father smiling, eating pancakes at this diner we used to go to before we moved to California. I remembered that day. It was the first day of the previous summer vacation, almost exactly a year ago. The memory brought an ache to my chest and I felt the urgent need to talk to my father.

It was a few minutes to six o'clock. After the having the nightmare, I had woken up suddenly, drenched in sweat and panting like a dog. It hadn't been the funnest of moment. Thereafter, I made the decision to just get started with my day.

I dialed my father's number. He immediately picked up.

"Dad." I stabilized my voice as best I could. I didn't want him to worry.

"Cara, are you ok? Is everything fine? Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"I'm OK. Are you ok?"

"Yes. Where are you?" He asked the same question he had the day before and I gave him the same answer. "Somewhere safe."

"Location."

" Ummh... " I used the back my hand to urge away the curtains and peered outside. Rays of early morning sunlight streamed into the room. Looking past the balcony of the room, I saw an endless wood, rising and falling in altitude. " About thirty degrees north of the house."

"A more accurate location that I can use to get to you," he ordered.

"That's all I can give you," I said.

"I can't believe you left like that. How could you? Why did I let you leave? Do you truly believe that that man can keep you safe? You don't hide from the mafia in the mafia."

"I assume you're witness protection ,"I shot back. He sighed audibly. I changed the subject. "How is Liza? "

"You are changing the subject, but she recovered. Whoever Ivan sent came and erased her memories...along with her parents. And she left....Cara, promise me you will never do that to me. Even if you need to. "

With a shaky breathe I responded, " I promise."

May it never come to that...

I cut the call short, careful not to start crying with my father hearing.

A knock sounded at the door, succeeded by a louder one and the door came ajar. I had barely taken a step when two neatly dressed women entered the room.

"My lady," one greeted and they both curtsied before me. It was weird seeing women way older than myself bowing at me. They showed so much respect just because I was their master's guest. I wondered how they treated the master himself!

"Good morning,"I greeted back.

"Master Vasiliev has sent us to ready you for the departure " Listening well as she spoke, I noted her Polish accent. It was light but still noticeable. "I'm Brienne, this is Anna."