"You've got it precious." Patting my hand she returned my smile and stood.
"I'll be back soon dad. Rest for now, ok?"
Before she reached the door a knock sounded opening to reveal my current cause of headache. Graverobber, leaning against the doorframe. With eyes locked upon me he seemed to be frowning. The way Shilo seemed to visually relax when hearing his voice made me increasingly annoyed. Heaving myself upwards, despite the pain, I pointed at him as he came to stand beside my daughter. When he laid an arm about her shoulders my vision tinged red.
"Don't you lay a hand on her!" Came the deep and gravelly voice. Ignoring the almost crippling pain to stand I hauled Shilo behind me before turning on Graverobber. "She is all that I ha-"Then a sharp jolt shot though my left lung. A haze claimed my mind as a sensation of falling pulled me once again into the dark abyss.
When my vision returned I found myself in a long corridor. It stretched before me, walls plastered with wallpaper eerily familiar. I felt weighted to the pine colored carpet which ran the length of the space and my breathing escalated because of it. Taking in the surroundings I noticed a door at the far end of the hall. I forced my breathing to even out and my brain to make sense of the situation I found myself in. Opening my mouth did no good upon finding a useless tongue as a resident. It felt glued to the roof of my mouth. Suddenly the door I'd hung my gaze on creaked open and a figure tall, slender, and elegant silhouette stepped from the shadows and into the dimly light hallway. The brunette took another step looking behind her; she seemed to be summoning another from the doorway. Another moment passed before a small child joined her side. This one had long raven hair and looked straight ahead. Even from my distance I could clearly see their face. Recognition jolted my voice back into working order.
"Shilo?" I whispered tentatively. Neither person appeared to have heard me as the taller woman still had yet to look in my direction. Her face was hidden behind her curly locks and by shadow. Shilo although looked right at me, or it seemed, through me. Slowly they began to approach, and the numbness in my limbs began to wear off. With each step trepidation seeped into me.
They stopped a few feet from me. Being this close I took the chance to discover the identity of the woman holding onto my precious child. I took the liberty of taking just a step or two closer.
"Who are you?" My tone bold and imploring. Her breath caught, she visibly swallowed before answering.
"Oh my darling. You forgot me after all didn't you?" That voice. No, it couldn't be, not again
"Your wife." Marni's head turned sharply and I couldn't believe what I saw. Her face was sunken, flesh pale and decayed ,eyes a sickly yellow, and a cheek completely rid of skin.
"This is what you did to me Nathan..." She whispered leaning in close to me. I stepped back shaking my head in pure disbelief.
"No. No, I tried to cure you. Save you. I love you to my very soul I would never-"
"No!" Marni shrieked. "You failed to protect me Nathan! You killed me. You killed me Nathan. My death is your fault! You killed me!"
Stepping closer she raised her arms and began to wrap them around me squeezing me tightly. I couldn't breathe from how she held me tight in her arms. Still Marni wailed.
"Nathan! Nathan! Nathan! You killed me Nathan! You killed me!"
"Dad!" Eyes unfocused from lack of oxygen barely caught sight of Shilo. In a feeble attempt I reached out to her...before everything went black.
"No...Marni..its all my fault. Come back.."
"Dad! Oh god please wake up. Please..." My Shi, oh the wrongs I've done you. I wanted you safe and yet again I fail to protect the one I hold dear. Forgive me precious...
"Dad!"
I love cliffhangers, don't you love cliffhangers? *Hides from intense glares* Ok ok I know but good news is I'm already working on chapter three and man is it going to be good. I know I said in my last note that chapter two wouldn't be up until Thanksgiving but I was in a good place and when I finished I couldn't not upload it. I hope you enjoy and send me any feedback please. I love knowing what the readers think. Chapter three should be up either tomorrow but if not it won't be any later than thanksgiving. Enjoy!
~Je Na! (See you soon!)