Hello my little sunshine pies!

Yes I am back and with TWO chapters already written and ready for you, and more in the works as we type!

Lucky things, lets get into it shall we?

Love

Nessa

xoxoxo


Chapter 8: Our haven

The sun was beautiful over the mountains of Aspen and the man next to me wasn't too bad either. It was early, early enough that I could watch the sun waving it's first hello to the world. Austin was still sound asleep beside me, dreaming of beautiful things I hoped. He was gorgeous was my husband, husband, it still felt so strange to say that and know it was real. Austin was truly mine forever.

My fingers traced the ring that had already left an indent in my hand absently as I watched the morning sky slowly wake up the world around me. Soon the ski slopes would be open and the air would be full of sounds of cheer and care free personality. I sighed, wondering if I would ever truly feel that myself again, I pondered what it would feel like the feel completely relaxed. It was odd really to look out at the mountains, where I should feel completely free and yet feel just like a trapped bird.

"mmm, Ally what's wrong?" The beautiful blond beside me looked up from his place on the plush pillow and his arm snaked around me, trying to coax me into the comfort of the bed again.

"Nothing." I smiled and snuggle against him for a moment before getting up, "you hungry?" I got up before I could see his pout and made my way to the vast kitchen. The cabin was lovely, it was real wood, looking out to the mountains so widely loved by many. The cabin was bigger than I had expected and the vast rooms felt luxurious even though the same walls were my prison. We weren't allowed to ski or go out and explore in the fear of her seeing us. Everything we needed was bought to us and we had no reason to go outside other than to keep our sanity. I often opened the windows and let the birds sing to me so I could feel like I was outside even though I was stuck inside this expensive prison.

I got to work creating a breakfast that wpuld keep me busy, whilst listening to the local news on the wide screen tv that overlooked the room. The reporter was muttering something about no snow fall and how global warming was the reason and I soon blanked out, concentration only on the eggs I was preparing. "In other news, a trail of animals have been found killed on a route up to the mountains this morning and locals are fearing the worst." This bought me back to the present and I stared intently at the screen. "Holiday makers have reported the unusual trail of animal remains leading up to the isolated cabins up near the summit of the mountains, the animals were said to have been all but decapitated or sliced open and the blood drained from each. No bigger animals have been harmed and it is believed to be a mountain lion that has caused this alarm, locals are being warned to keep an eye out when hiking through the surrounding forests…" My face felt 100 degrees colder as I looked at the photos flashing across my screen.

It's happening again, my mind screamed and I rushed over the basket that had held all of our necessities, scanning through for the letters that we had received. The usual stuff about welcoming us to Aspen and if we wanted to visit any local attractions were spattered along letters of welcome from fans who somehow got the address of where we were staying. One letter stood from the rest and the cursive writing was one that I knew all to well. My hands were shaking too much to even attempt opening the envelope and I just stared at the thing as if it was a poisonous snake ready to strike.

"Ally are you okay? What are you looking at?" Austin had wandered from the bedroom and wrapped his arms around me from behind, peering over my shoulder. "Is that…" He reached over me to grab the envelope and I found myself shying away from it as if it would burn. He moved to sit down on the sofa near the TV and peered up at the same news story that had scared me early, a troubled frown gracing his perfect lips. Slowly, as if to torture me further, he opened the devil letter and I all at once wanted to read it and run away from it. The look on his face was thunderous and yet terrified and I had only seen this reaction from him whenever she was concerned. I reached out my hand for the letter and Austin looked at me as if he didn't want me to see what it contained, as if he thought I was too fragile to handle what was held inside. I grabbed it from his reluctant grasp and frantically turned the paper towards me, instantly wishing I hadn't.

The letter had blood spatter across the page and the ink has run into it but that wasn't what bothered me, no, what bothered me was what it said;

You can't hide from me my love,

I can feel your heartbeat.

M x

I turned and walked slowly to the box that had seemingly been attached to the letter and numbly lifted the lid. What hit me first was the smell of death and decay that suffocated me as I looked inside the box. What was inside made me retch and I had to work hard to not scream and alarm the neighbours, inside was one thing…

An animal heart.

Austin tore the offending letter from my hand, took one look inside the box and grabbed that too. I watched as he stormed to the fire and threw them both in, watching as her latest threat went up in flames. And then as if someone had wound him up with a key he moved around the cabin, gathering our things and grabbing food for the road. I knew that our time in Aspen was over and yet all I felt was numbness set in, we were never going to escape her.