Chapter Four: Troubling Dream
"Oh, Lord... She's having a fit," Marie-Christine's mother nearly screamed the obvious statement; usually a refined, pious woman, apt to keeping to herself, and never admitting to anything scandalous-- now practically going insane over her precious daughter's safety, and well-being, "Hurry," she hissed at her husband, as the baby began to cry in the other room; without another word said, her husband fled down the stairs, while his wife focused on their very sick daughter; Marie-Christine was still asleep, and it was nearing the fourteenth hour; she was gasping for breath-- screaming, as well... Her face was frightening as well; contorted into a scared, helpless expression that her mother had only seen once before in the face of a mad gypsy woman...
"Wake up," her mother begged, "wake up..."
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His eyes were yellow; two fiery coals in the almost darkness that was the forest this time of day-- though it was only around five'o'clock in the afternoon-- the trees that grew so closely together enveloped them; shielded them from the rest of the world; his eyes flashed with humor, and though she knew how deeply she hated them, she remained-- alone, and cut off from the rest of the world by the dark trees.
"I've never been this far in the forest," she whispered, falling to the ground, and taking some of the wildflowers that grew there, "You look beautiful," he pressed on, and she could feel his rough hands-- without warning-- wrapping themselves around her own, and his bitter tongue entering her mouth in an equally unwelcome and strange kiss...
She attempted to protest, but he was too strong for her; she fell on her back, and felt nothing but pain.
It faded to darkness...
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"Hurry," her mother nearly screamed, as her husband reentered their daughter's bedroom, carrying a smoking goblet, "Pour it down her throat... Not like that! Here," she snatched the goblet out of his hands, and forced Marie-Christine's smooth lips open; they were scarlet-- nearly bleeding; the scalding liquid would probably burn her throat, but it didn't matter...
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She was screaming now, but he wouldn't stop-- he wouldn't; she did not even understand what was going on, but one thing was certain; she wanted it to stop, "No!" she managed to gasp through the searing pain, but he wouldn't leave her...
The forest grew darker still.
A lifetime seemed to pass-- although it was probably only a few seconds or minutes...
When he had finished at long last, he darted away-- leaving her bleeding and broken on the forest floor, surrounded by leaves, and as the wind blew throughout, they covered her body-- almost making a neat grave.
Yet she still screamed...
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Her eyes snapped open; the room was totally dark, and she was having trouble breathing; at first she wondered if she was still on the forest floor; she was sweating buckets, "Mother!" she screamed; tears streaming down her cheeks-- cool hands held her face, "Shh, baby," her mother soothingly cooed, "it was only a dream... You're fine-- No one will hurt you."
"It was awful," Marie-Christine managed through sobs, "he held me, and tore at me-- He took something, and there was blood..."
"It's all right," her mother whispered, "just calm down..."