Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 40
Brady was hot on Chloe's heels as she fled out the doors of the hospital. His heart stopped as she ran blindly out into the street. He saw her stop, looking dazed and disoriented. And then he saw the large delivery truck and he didn't have time to think.
"CHLOE!" he yelled as he lunged at her. He slammed into her with the force of a professional quarterback. They both hit the rough cement and rolled, their momentum carrying them to the other side of the street. Brady wound up on top of her as the truck barrelled past them, blaring its horn belatedly.
Brady drew in deep, ragged breaths and tried to calm his racing heart. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. A minute passed as he tried to process what had just happened. What had almost happened.
Chloe had almost died. The realization hit him like a wave of ice water, chilling him to the bone. {I almost lost her. Oh my God. One second later and I'd be cradling her lifeless body.} He shuddered involuntarily, going into shock as the adrenaline surge faded. He felt cold all over. {Don't lose it now, Brady. Focus on Chloe.} Chloe! He had forgotten about her.
"Chloe?" he breathed, panting heavily for breath. He looked down at the trembling girl beneath him.
She was in shock also, drowning in images and visions that refused to go away. She can't breathe, crushed by a huge weight. Hot, panting breaths hit her face and neck. She hears someone moan her name. NO! It's happening again!
"GET OFF ME!" she yelled. She slapped him hard across the face, raking her nails across his cheek, drawing blood. She brought her knee up and planted it firmly in the pit of his stomach. Her attacker groaned and doubled over, clutching his sides. She didn't wait for him to recover, but bolted away from him. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't know where she was. She only knew she had to run away.
"Chloe!" Brady cried through the agonizing pain in his gut. He pulled himself shakily to his feet and tried to breathe. He saw that Chloe was headed toward a small park on the hospital grounds. Ignoring the protests from his stomach, he started off at a brisk jog, praying that he would be able to reach her.
Chloe slowed to a walk when she reached a secluded, wooded area. She sat down on a cold stone bench to pull herself together. She was beginning to feel the bitter winter air. The visions continued to torment her, but there weren't as many, and she was beginning to make sense of them. She was beginning to remember who she was, where she was, and how she got there.
She froze when she heard footsteps crunching through the frozen grass. Brady stepped into the small clearing and saw her, frozen in place. A deer trapped in headlights. She was poised for flight, fear visible in her wide eyes.
He took a slow step backwards. He held one hand out in front of him and with the other hand slowly reached into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. I found her. We're in the park. Okay." He hung up the phone and replaced it in his pocket. He then addressed her, keeping his voice low, calm and steady, mimicing Marlena's therapist voice.
"Chloe, it's okay. No one is going to hurt you. Listen to me. You are seventeen. You live here in Salem with your mom Nancy and your step-father Craig. You have lots of friends who love you and care about you and I am one of them. It's me, Brady."
She looked at him, tears running down her frozen cheeks.
"I know."
He sighed, relieved that she was coming back to herself. He walked toward her, to comfort her, hold her. He reached out a hand to her, and lightly caressed her shoulder. She recoiled from his touch, from him, like she was repulsed by him.
"Stay away from me." She said coldly. Conflicting thoughts warred in her mind. This is Brady, your friend, your soulmate. But he's one of THEM. Given time, he'll use you up and spit you out. She didn't really believe it, but the pain, the wounds were too fresh, too raw.
"It's me, Brady. I would never hurt you. I love you." He told her, his blue eyes almost pleading with her.
But it was the wrong thing to say. It echoed through her mind. {I love you, my sweet little Chloe.} Her 'father' had told her that everytime he forced his way into her, like that would make it okay. And she let him, she let him rape her because he loved her. She was so hungry for someone's love and affection that she let him hurt her time and time again. She never fought him, and she never told.
"You love me? My mom loved me and she gave me up for adoption. My daddy loved me and he left me. 'Father' loved me and he raped me. Phillip loved me and he punched me into a brick wall."
Chloe looked at him, tears streaming from her eyes, her heart breaking. "I know you love me, Brady. And you aren't like them. But I can't hear it now. It hurts too much." She sobbed, clutching her hair, fists pressed against her temples. "They won't go away! I can still see it. I can still feel it.! His hands are crawling on my skin. I can't breathe. I can't.... I can't."
Brady reached out for her, but she pushed him away. "I can't I can't..." she cried and ran away from him. He moved as if to follow, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. He jumped and spun around. He calmed when he saw who it was.
Marlena and Craig were just entering the clearing. "Let her go, Brady. She needs time alone, to deal with this. For her it's like it just happened. She needs time to grieve." Marlena said gently.
Craig watched Chloe leave. "It looks like she's headed home. I'll let Nancy know to expect her, and have her call me when she gets there."
"Tell her to leave Chloe alone. No offense, Craig, but I believe the last thing Chloe wants or needs is her mother smothering her. Just leave her alone. For the next day at least. I'm going to give her a few days to herself, and then we'll start with regular counseling sessions." Marlena told them. She took in the heartbreak on Brady's face, the despair in his eyes. "Brady, why don't you go on home. I'll follow shortly. I'm waiting for Chloe's file to come in from the orphanage, and then I'll be home." She gave him a deep hug. "We will get her through this. She will be okay."
Brady stood there, stiff and unresponsive, his face a stoic mask of the pain he felt inside. He stared at the path she had taken when she left, feeling his heart ache for the pain she was feeling. He stood for a moment, then with an inaudible sigh, he turned and walked away.
Chapter 40
Brady was hot on Chloe's heels as she fled out the doors of the hospital. His heart stopped as she ran blindly out into the street. He saw her stop, looking dazed and disoriented. And then he saw the large delivery truck and he didn't have time to think.
"CHLOE!" he yelled as he lunged at her. He slammed into her with the force of a professional quarterback. They both hit the rough cement and rolled, their momentum carrying them to the other side of the street. Brady wound up on top of her as the truck barrelled past them, blaring its horn belatedly.
Brady drew in deep, ragged breaths and tried to calm his racing heart. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. A minute passed as he tried to process what had just happened. What had almost happened.
Chloe had almost died. The realization hit him like a wave of ice water, chilling him to the bone. {I almost lost her. Oh my God. One second later and I'd be cradling her lifeless body.} He shuddered involuntarily, going into shock as the adrenaline surge faded. He felt cold all over. {Don't lose it now, Brady. Focus on Chloe.} Chloe! He had forgotten about her.
"Chloe?" he breathed, panting heavily for breath. He looked down at the trembling girl beneath him.
She was in shock also, drowning in images and visions that refused to go away. She can't breathe, crushed by a huge weight. Hot, panting breaths hit her face and neck. She hears someone moan her name. NO! It's happening again!
"GET OFF ME!" she yelled. She slapped him hard across the face, raking her nails across his cheek, drawing blood. She brought her knee up and planted it firmly in the pit of his stomach. Her attacker groaned and doubled over, clutching his sides. She didn't wait for him to recover, but bolted away from him. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't know where she was. She only knew she had to run away.
"Chloe!" Brady cried through the agonizing pain in his gut. He pulled himself shakily to his feet and tried to breathe. He saw that Chloe was headed toward a small park on the hospital grounds. Ignoring the protests from his stomach, he started off at a brisk jog, praying that he would be able to reach her.
Chloe slowed to a walk when she reached a secluded, wooded area. She sat down on a cold stone bench to pull herself together. She was beginning to feel the bitter winter air. The visions continued to torment her, but there weren't as many, and she was beginning to make sense of them. She was beginning to remember who she was, where she was, and how she got there.
She froze when she heard footsteps crunching through the frozen grass. Brady stepped into the small clearing and saw her, frozen in place. A deer trapped in headlights. She was poised for flight, fear visible in her wide eyes.
He took a slow step backwards. He held one hand out in front of him and with the other hand slowly reached into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. I found her. We're in the park. Okay." He hung up the phone and replaced it in his pocket. He then addressed her, keeping his voice low, calm and steady, mimicing Marlena's therapist voice.
"Chloe, it's okay. No one is going to hurt you. Listen to me. You are seventeen. You live here in Salem with your mom Nancy and your step-father Craig. You have lots of friends who love you and care about you and I am one of them. It's me, Brady."
She looked at him, tears running down her frozen cheeks.
"I know."
He sighed, relieved that she was coming back to herself. He walked toward her, to comfort her, hold her. He reached out a hand to her, and lightly caressed her shoulder. She recoiled from his touch, from him, like she was repulsed by him.
"Stay away from me." She said coldly. Conflicting thoughts warred in her mind. This is Brady, your friend, your soulmate. But he's one of THEM. Given time, he'll use you up and spit you out. She didn't really believe it, but the pain, the wounds were too fresh, too raw.
"It's me, Brady. I would never hurt you. I love you." He told her, his blue eyes almost pleading with her.
But it was the wrong thing to say. It echoed through her mind. {I love you, my sweet little Chloe.} Her 'father' had told her that everytime he forced his way into her, like that would make it okay. And she let him, she let him rape her because he loved her. She was so hungry for someone's love and affection that she let him hurt her time and time again. She never fought him, and she never told.
"You love me? My mom loved me and she gave me up for adoption. My daddy loved me and he left me. 'Father' loved me and he raped me. Phillip loved me and he punched me into a brick wall."
Chloe looked at him, tears streaming from her eyes, her heart breaking. "I know you love me, Brady. And you aren't like them. But I can't hear it now. It hurts too much." She sobbed, clutching her hair, fists pressed against her temples. "They won't go away! I can still see it. I can still feel it.! His hands are crawling on my skin. I can't breathe. I can't.... I can't."
Brady reached out for her, but she pushed him away. "I can't I can't..." she cried and ran away from him. He moved as if to follow, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. He jumped and spun around. He calmed when he saw who it was.
Marlena and Craig were just entering the clearing. "Let her go, Brady. She needs time alone, to deal with this. For her it's like it just happened. She needs time to grieve." Marlena said gently.
Craig watched Chloe leave. "It looks like she's headed home. I'll let Nancy know to expect her, and have her call me when she gets there."
"Tell her to leave Chloe alone. No offense, Craig, but I believe the last thing Chloe wants or needs is her mother smothering her. Just leave her alone. For the next day at least. I'm going to give her a few days to herself, and then we'll start with regular counseling sessions." Marlena told them. She took in the heartbreak on Brady's face, the despair in his eyes. "Brady, why don't you go on home. I'll follow shortly. I'm waiting for Chloe's file to come in from the orphanage, and then I'll be home." She gave him a deep hug. "We will get her through this. She will be okay."
Brady stood there, stiff and unresponsive, his face a stoic mask of the pain he felt inside. He stared at the path she had taken when she left, feeling his heart ache for the pain she was feeling. He stood for a moment, then with an inaudible sigh, he turned and walked away.