Chapter 12 The line that should never be crossed
Rafael
A part of me wanted to comfort her and tell her everything would be okay.
But a larger part of me was angry. Why was she still fighting this?
"Why do you keep running from me?" I asked quietly.
"Because you're insane!" Tears streamed down her face. "Because you're trying to turn me into someone I'm not!"
"I'm trying to help you remember who you are." I said softly.
"I know who I am! I'm Flora!"
That name. That wrong, false name.
My hand moved before I could think. I reached for the towel and pulled it.
Before she could talk, the towel fell to the floor.
"Argh!" She screamed, covering herself with her arms. "You monster! Get out!"
Flora
Tears streamed down my face as I tried desperately to cover myself with my arms. But it wasn't enough. My breasts were still in his face.
I could feel his eyes on me. He must be studying me, comparing me to his dead wife to see if it was really her.
I was angry and embarrassed at the same time.
This was humiliating. No man has ever seen me like this. And now my first had to be this madman!
I wanted to scream but I couldn't. I stood frozen, my arms wrapped around my chest.
This couldn't be happening. This nightmare couldn't be real.
I had slept all day after the training session. I was so exhausted. Emotionally, physically and mentally. I had cried myself to sleep, my whole body aching from practicing Eva's walk over and over.
When I woke up, it was evening. My body felt dirty and contaminated by everything he'd done to me today. So I decided to take a shower.
If I was going to survive here, I needed to stay strong and healthy. I couldn't let myself fall apart completely.
The hot water felt good against my skin. For a few minutes, I could pretend I was somewhere else. Anywhere else.
After bathing, I planned to eat dinner and go back to sleep. Maybe if I slept enough, time would pass faster. Maybe someone would find me and save me.
As I walked towards my wardrobe, I was humming and swaying. The madman hadn't come to torture me today. So I was in a good mood.
Almost a day without seeing his face or hearing Eva instead of Flora.
Has he gotten tired of me already?
Or, maybe he realized this was impossible?
A smile spread across my face as I foolishly hoped.
I knew that as long as I was still in his house, I wasn't completely free, anything was possible.
I continued humming my favorite song when, suddenly, the door burst open. And standing there was him. My worst nightmare.
He stood frozen, staring at me like I was something to consume.
And the seeing him ogle at me was disgusting. It made my skin crawl.
“Don't you knock!” I screamed. I was mad enough that he was here, but him seeing me partly covered was worse.
He didn't leave, he walked in, coming closer to me.
Madman!
“I missed you,” he whispered. But that wasn't my concern.
I kept walking away till my back hit the wall.
He had pulled my towel.
And now, here we are.
He was staring at my naked body while I tried uselessly to cover myself.
I wasn't expecting him pull the towel.
Tears stung my eyes as I looked down at my trembling naked body.
"Lay on the bed." His said. His voice was low, deadly, and cold enough to freeze hell over.
I was too terrified to speak. Too terrified to move.
"I said lay on the bed." He repeated, louder this time.
"Why?" I managed to whisper, tears streaming down my face endlessly.
He didn't answer. Instead, he took a step closer.
I pressed myself harder against the wall. If the wall could just open upand swallow me now, I would be grateful.
My arms were still covering what I could. "Please. Please don't do this." I begged but he wasn't listening.
He lifted me effortlessly and paced me on the bed. Before I knew what was going on, he grabbed my breasts with so much force, I gasped in shock.
“You used to love it when I fumble with your breasts.” He said smiling.
“I'm not Eva!” I screamed, but he wasn't listening me. “Don't do this ti me, please!”
He put my breasts in his mouth, sucking and biting in them. They burned and stung and I screamed loudly, my throat burned.
I don't know if it was the tears or the scream, but he stopped. Something flickered in his eyes. He blinked slowly, like he was waking up from a dream.
Then he turned away suddenly. He grabbed the duvet from the bed and threw it at me.
"Get dressed," he said, his voice was quiet now.
I caught the duvet and wrapped it around myself quickly. My whole body was shaking so violently I thought I might collapse.
He stood with his back turned to me, his shoulders were tense. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I thought... I thought you would..."
"Would what? Welcome this? Welcome you?" My voice was shaking as much as my body. "You're insane. Completely insane!"
He turned to look at me. And for just a moment, I saw regret in his eyes.
But it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Get dressed," he repeated. "I'll wait outside."
He walked towards the door. But I couldn't let him just leave.
I couldn't let him pretend this was normal.
"You're a monster," I said quietly. "You know that, right? Whatever you think you're doing, whatever you think this is, you're just a monster destroying an innocent person."
He stopped at the door but didn't turn around. "Maybe I am a monster. But I'm a monster who loved Eva more than life itself. And I'll do anything to get her back."
"She's dead!" I screamed. "She's dead and I'm alive and you're killing me trying to resurrect her!"
His jaw tightened but he didn't say anything.
I stood there wrapped in the duvet, my whole body shaking. I wanted to scream. To break something. To hurt him the way he was hurting me.
But I was too weak.
I stumbled towards the bed, trying to get to my clothes. I needed to get dressed. I needed to cover myself and feel human again.
But my legs gave out halfway there.
I felt myself falling. The room spun. Everything went dark at the edges.
But I felt strong arms catch me before I hit the floor.
"Eva," he whispered.
I tried to push him away, but I had no strength left. My body was shutting down.
"Let go of me," I whispered. But the words came out slurred and distant.
The last thing I felt was his arms tightening around me.
Then darkness swallowed me whole.
And I passed out in his arms.