Chapter 55: Panic Lingers

Sebastian could tell that she was considering accepting his invitation so he fanned the flames a little bit.

"I'm also a very good cook. My Ma used to own a restaurant and l helped her prepare all the meals. I can cook up some amazing finger-licking Costa Rican delicacies, I assure you."

Sharon decided to go with the flow and accept. There was no harm in having dinner with him so she decided to.

Sebastian wasn't lying when he said he could cook. Sharon acted as a sous chef, following his instructions and helping him prepare the meal. He really knew his way around the kitchen and was gifted with the spoon.

The dinner, much like the preparation of it, was also very enjoyable. The food was delicious and Sharon was sure it was the best thing she had ever tasted, maybe second only to Martha's and Roseline's meals but definitely, one of the best.

After dinner, they sat on his sofa and shared a bottle of wine, telling jokes and exchanging basic information about themselves with each other.

Later, Sharon decided it was time for her to leave.

"I have to go. I have to wake up early tomorrow to go work in the shelter," she said regretfully.

"You volunteer in the shelters?" Sebastian asked, surprised.

"Yes, I do,"

"So do I. How come I've never seen you there before?" He asked.

"I only started last week and I go only on the weekends," she explained.

"Oh, I see," Sebastian said.

Later, Sharon left and went back to her room but not before kissing Sebastian on the cheek and thanking him for the pleasant evening.

After she got into her room, she went to the bathroom to take a bath. With the water cascading down her figure, it gave her a clear head to think about everything that was happening in her life.

She thought about Sebastian and how he made her feel, she thought about the possibility of having something with him that she had deprived herself of having with Ethan back in Boulder.

She thought about how he could be the one to finally make her happy and forget about her past but she also thought about the risks.

Addicus was surely still trying to find her. She didn't want anyone else she got involved with to be hurt by him, especially someone she was in a romantic relationship with.

Would it be worth the risk? She asked herself.

She was at a crossroads and the conundrum was a big one; Lose the

chance at happiness and suffer an indefinite period of loneliness on the chance that the person you care for won't get hurt or killed OR explore this road to happiness and company on the good chance that any moment, it could all come crashing hard into the ground and the life of the one you love could be lost.

**A dilemma indeed!**

As she was about to step out of the bathroom, she stared at the mirror on the wall and saw Addicus' face.

"Dear Sharon," he said and she quickly put her towel over the mirror that had steamed up with condensation which made the reflection quite blurry.

"You're not here, you're not here. It's all in my mind," she repeated to herself and removed the towel from the mirror only to be faced by her reflection.

Sharon was done with her bath which, to her, felt like it took forever. She dried herself off and went to bed. She hadn't had nightmares about Addicus since she cut his hand off, mostly because she had won a battle against him which proved that he wasn't so untouchable after all and also because she had distanced herself from people so if he

wanted to hurt her, and he did and she was aware, he would have to hurt her and no one else.

But, because she had opened her heart once again and had let down her walls, the fear, worry, and anxiety found their way back into her mind.

That night, in her nightmare, she found herself in a meadow. The field was filled with tall trees and beautiful

flowers which illuminated the view from the horizon. She was clothed in a flower print dress and was running across the meadow, running to her parents who stood at the other side waiting for her.

As soon as she saw them, she began running even faster, eager to embrace

them. She looked beside her parents and saw Lily with her arms wide open and a smile on her face. She saw Martha as well. Everyone she had lost to death, all in one place, waiting for her.

She continued running and it seemed like they were even farther away but she finally made it to them. She hugged them one after the other and felt like she was whole again.

"Mama, Papa, I've missed you so much," she said to them in tears.

"We've missed you too baby girl. More than you could ever imagine," her mother said.

"Lily, I'm so sorry for getting you involved in all this" she apologized to her.

"It's not your fault, Sharon. It's okay," Lily said back.

"Martha?" She called to her.

"Don't even bother with that child," she said, swatting away any impending apology, "I'm just happy to see you.., and you look so beautiful, just like you always are."

It was a beautiful reunion but then it all went sour. The expressions on their face suddenly changed and they looked angry and possessed.

"Why won't you come to us, Sharon? Why do you still run away from Addicus? Don't you want to be with us? Let Addicus catch you. Let him kill you and we can all be together," they said to her.

"What?" Sharon asked, confused and scared.

***"Die Sharon, die"***

***"Die Sharon, die"***

***"Die Sharon, die"***

They chanted in unison, which completely terrified Sharon and she started backing away from them but they followed her.

It was something you only experienced from either horror books or the most terrible of nightmares.

The meadow was now on fire and the fire was getting closer to where she stood. All of a sudden, they were all tied up against posts and were on fire, screaming for Sharon's help. She tried to move but realized that she was also tied up to a post.

She noticed Hector, Victoria and Sebastian tied up as well but they weren't on fire yet. Addicus crept up

behind them from the smoke and smiled evilly at her.

"I told you I would destroy everyone you've ever loved, didn't I?"

"No please, don't hurt them. It's me you want," she begged desperately but to no avail.

He lit them on fire, one after the other and they screamed in agony. Sharon could only watch as everyone she loved burned to death and she couldn't save them.

"You're next," Addicus said and brought the flame closer to her.

Sharon woke up with a shriek, sweating all over and breathing heavily. Relief was what she felt but the panic lingered on.