Roger had been lazily walking about the house…cleaning while Norman was healing at the hospital. Dusting, sweeping and finally cooking. He got to catch up on some reading until he fell asleep and melted into a nightmare most unpleasant.
He was drowning…in the water below Paradigm and when he looked up, he could see the surface was colored an orangish red. Swimming upward he kept hearing his name being called, "Roger…why didn't you save me?" He was constantly having to looking around, but could never find a face for whom the voice was leaking. It sounded most familiar though. Echoing all around him, he just learned to ignore it until he reached the surface. Immense heat, feelings as though he had caught on fire and he opened his eyes. The world of Paradigm was burning, and as he was treading the water he looked at a pier and saw a figure standing. In the wind her shredded, dark clothing waved…she was just standing there. When he finally reached the ladder he climbed up and met the person he saw afar…it was Dorothy.
"Why didn't you save me?"
"Dorothy!" Roger was plagued. Dorothy was standing there, bleeding from her wrist, and her eyes were masked out into a deep, painful blue. Roger was caught off guard by her blood…androids don't bleed…Her tears fell and looking at her, her dress was ripped, charred and barley holding on to her figure. He could see various curves on clinging to her pale, anorexic form. She seemed weightless, and her lips were glazed in drying blood. Her hair matted from sea water and dirt…Dorothy began to cry in front of him…her voice bled through, her real being shined for a split second and all she could say was,
"Please, Roger…save me….?" she fell to Roger's grasp but merely fell through him, like he was a ghost…Trying desperately to catch her, she just fell into the water…sinking. Breaking down to his knees he because insanely concern and he just tumbled over to dive after her.
Reaching her underwater, just almost there to touch her hand, her face changed to demonic smirk.
"I know why…you loved her didn't you! DIDN'T YOU!" She forced herself a top of him, scratching and biting into him liberally, all over his body. Roger was loosing his breath and his blood was bleeding through his clothes and into the water. The sensation was endless, like needles stabbing him…creating an extreme throbbing pain overtook him in a dead, numbness…he could feel no more…
But then his breath caught him…he woke up, from his normal sitting position in the chair he was sprawled on the floor and balled up, rocking himself back and fourth. Tears stained his t-shirt and blood stained the carpet around him. He couldn't stand, the pain would increase and so instead he turned over. He saw that his shirt was ripped, and torn…his black jeans the same. He felt his face, feeling the deep cuts on his cheeks and his lips were chapped, blue and red. His mouth was full of blood and he began to cough and choke. Spitting blood out he felt his flood of tears. He ripped off his shirt and on his chest was another "X", his arms were cut horizontally all the way from his shoulder to down to his wrist…Bite marks were intentioned in the side of neck and all over his back…His legs were cut and pieces of loose flesh hung, bleeding …
He crawled, of what he could before loosing his breath and strength… Suddenly, a voice called…Angel?
"Roger, Roger Smith! Are you here?" Her footsteps were being heard from the stairway and frantically tried responding,
"An-A-Angel…Angel?" His voice was raspy and low, and he choked more blood. She appeared from down the hall and when she laid eyes on him, her eyes were flooded of fear.
"ROGER!" She ran to him.
Angel's eyes, seem to die of her color. She was faintly pale and her eyes of blue were gray. She eventually got him to the bathroom and laying him on the tiled floor she ran hot water from the tub, soaking a cloth in. For some reason, she showed compassion for him and kissed his cheek now and then wiping the infection way with medication and hot water. For the bigger gashes here and there she had to put rubbing alcohol on him and it was painfully hard, since Roger flinched in anguish of the sting. Angel's eyes flooded tears and she cradled his face. Roger was deathly cold and she was afraid he was dying.
"What the hell happened to you?" She twitched. Roger looked up at her, with sore eyes.
"I had a bad dream…"
"What?"
"Dorothy, she did this to me…in dream."
"Her demon?" Angel asked, terrified…and Roger nodded.
"I'm sorry." She kissed his cheek, cradling him.
After she was done washing him off and bandaging him, she dragged him to his bed. She held him close to her, feeling his whole body tremble beneath and his body was growing colder by the minute. A tear fell from her eyes and into his mouth, that was half open. He was too weak to re-act to her kindness…too weak in his agony to speak. Eventually after another kiss, she left him to sleep….
Hours passed and Angel stayed to look after him. He slept and when he woke the pain had subsided to a deep ache. She entered, and smiled…weakly.
"Why did you help me?" Roger asked, in a clearer voice.
"Because…you were hurt, because I-" She stopped. For a long moment, there was no conversation but instead she sat beside him. Stroking his hair, he gently grabbed her wrist, and pulled her body close to him. Her face closing in and with his other hand elevated her neck, arching her head in for a kiss…Their lips met and they explored one another's mouth. She was careful not to cause him more pain but locked both her hands on his neck. Roger suddenly pulled away, remembering his dream and he flinched.
"What are you doing?" She asked, softly.
"I can't do it…" He responded.
"Why?" Angel asked, and she had pain caress her expression.
"Because"—
"But…I love you" She said.
"I…" Roger was speechless…
"But you…you love her," Angel's mouth quivered, and a tear fell. Roger just nodded. Silence melted the moments and Angel just wiped her passing tears away, watching him. Roger didn't move, in a sense he didn't care but he also wasn't the type to pass off a sad woman. He leaned up and looked at her in the face and wiped her tears away. She cocked her neck over for another kiss, but Roger pulled away…
"I can take a hint…" She said, getting up to leave.
"You going to be alright?" She asked before leaving the room. Roger nodded again.
"And whether or not you believe me…I meant what I said, I do love you." Angel whispered, leaving him.
The whole dream earlier was so unreal and it felt like it never happened since the pain had died down but now Roger bore a huge, healing X on his chest…it happened alright…
Roger was afraid to fall asleep after that…he was haunted by two ghost…the ghost of Dorothy and how she used to be and the ghost of Angel, she seemed to die when Roger put it bluntly that he couldn't love her back…Eventually he began reading the Bible that Taylor gave him and for the first time in his life he prayed.
-butterflykisses-
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