Chapter 02

Someone was binding her and speaking a dark language she could understand somehow, inside her head, pounding, pounding, pounding...

It hurt so much.

It was dark and there were demons, red-eyed demons who ran after her, to rape her. She fell to the mud and he grabbed her hair, cut a strand and proffered some magic...

"Let go of me!", she cried.

They laughed, a raucous laughter.

She could see into their minds and it was a rotten world.

"No, stop, don't touch me!"

"Saoirse! Saoirse!"

Saoirse awoke in the arms of a man. He was shaking her.

She let go of him abruptly and held on to the covers.

"Where am I?"

"You don't remember? We spent the night together..."

It was Vedek Merrick.

"You look scared.", he said, keeping away from her. "Your nose is bleeding, I couldn't wake you up. What happened? It isn't the first time..."

She felt his concern coming out in waves.

"No, I'm sorry.", she held him. "I had a bad dream. A terrible dream, actually."

"What kind of a dream?", he probed her dark eyes.

"I... I can't remember. But it was horrible. It makes me afraid to sleep again."

"I think you should return to Deep Space Nine and talk to your Doctor for a treatment. I don't want you to suffer."

She smiled.

"You're so sweet!", she kissed him.

"Well, it's just because I love you and can't lose you."

"Love me? Merrick, you don't even know me."

He blushed.

"I forget to guard myself around you.", he said.

And she always forgot to pay attention.

There it goes. Saoirse answering to people's thoughts again.

"I'm—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be impolite..."

He laughed.

"That's one way to put it. You sleep with someone you have no feelings for then you insult him."

"I like my independence. But as a shameful confession, I won't go back to the station just yet to spend more time with you."

"I think the best to do now is to have some breakfast.", he blushed.

"How about some Bajoran cuisine?", Saoirse suggested.

"Oh, you'll love it."

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After a week, Saoirse returned to DS9.

She couldn't help but think how guarded she was. After her Andorian boyfriend (ex-boyfriend, Saoirse!) got too scared about her ways... Oh, she had loved that man...

She got rid of those useless thoughts and dressed her Starfleet uniform to go to Sickbay. But while she brushed her hair, strangely, there was a huge strand missing, as if cut.

Could Vedek Merrick be that obsessive?