Chapter 4: Dreams that aren't nightmares
I felt the ropes constrict around my body, the air rushed out of my lungs. The knife ran along my skin, searing pain pulsed in its wake. The evil voice laughed, enjoying my pain. The evil being ran the knife across my stomach and upper thigh, cackling to himself. I screamed against the gag as his body loomed over mine. With a slap of his hand I felt the sting, I whimpered softly as he climbed on top of me.
His breath was stale and rotten, his body reeked of sweat and dirt; he obviously hadn't bathed in a very long time. His hair was ragged and matted, mud dried throughout his locks. His body was bent over, sort of like a hunch back. I felt his eyes scanning my exposed body; he licked his lips in satisfaction. I felt my stomach tighten in disgust, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. He had ripped my other clothes; they had fallen to the floor long ago. I was wearing a battered bra and boy shorts, the scars of my torture clearly showing on my once perfect skin.
His hand ran along my cheek and across my bottom lip, he untied the gag before making his lips crash into mine. I threw up; I couldn't handle the smell or taste anymore. He pushed me off the table, I landed on the ground with a hard thump; he started kicking me to the point where I swore I would black out.
A group of men mysteriously appeared out of the fog, forming a circle around my frail form.
"What are you going to do now? Scream for little Edward to come save you?" One of the voices taunted, I couldn't see his face because he was hiding behind a mask. I tried to get myself to stand but my hands were still tied.
"Aw the little baby girl wants to stand; maybe we should help her boys..." The group surrounded me even closer, their hands grabbing at my skin; touching me in inappropriate places. I screamed but no sound escaped my chapped lips. My mind screamed, screamed for someone to save me; to stop these masochistic demons. The hunched form cackled evilly, his voice ringing in my ears and head.
"Make it stop!" I screamed my mouth only moving.
The men enclosed on me again, tearing at the remains of the clothes I wore...
Lesley awoke with a scream, the horror of her nightmare spilling over into the night's shadows; setting her heart racing. Close to her Jasper sat with his hands behind his head. His smile was like an invitation of comfort. Desperately, she dove for the safety of his flesh. Delicately, he caught her in his inhuman grasp, the unnatural coolness of his flesh soothing her like a security blanket. Slowly, as the clock hands worked their way through the night, Lesley drifted back to her sleep; anxious as to what dreams she would have.
Hours later, Lesley awoke as the sun was rising, Jasper's small movement having awoken her from her light slumber.
"Do you have to go so soon?" she murmured, sleepily pawing at the corners of her eyes with the palms of her hands. Jasper chuckled softly in reply.
"You know why I must go." he said flatly and then without another word he was gone, leaving Lesley alone in the house; alone in the sunlight. Without a word of regret, Lesley rolled over onto her back and rose from the bed in one fluid movement. She could feel the pattern of the rug beneath her bare feet. Each thread like a lifetime, a lifetime of cotton pieced together by old wizened hands. As if compelled, she bent down and traced one of the swirling patterns with her index finger.
"Who wove this?" she wondered out loud.
"Who wove this rug, how did you feel when you wove this pattern? Were you tired? Were you stressed? Were you…loved?" Lesley finished, whispering the last word to herself.
Standing back up, Lesley walked towards the window and pulled the curtain back to reveal a perfect sunrise. The mist rising slowly from the ground like a legion of ghosts before being dispersed by the suns warming rays.
"I'm the only one in this house who can see the sunrise through the eyes of a human…" she said breaking the serene silence of the room.
"The only one who can feel the suns rays of human skin…" she continued to speak, looking out of the window.
"The only one…" she trailed off turning around as a soft growl was heard, followed by a playful bark as Florence entered the room, making her morning rounds.
Absentmindedly, Lesley knelt to pat the small wiry haired terrier before it scarpered off to check the other rooms for only she knew what. Like everyone else in this house, she had arrived as a stray and became part of the family.
Lesley sighed as the dog left her room, its wagging tail disappearing behind the doorframe. Then, as soon as Florence had gone; the nightmare flared up in Lesley's mind again. The terror she had felt in the nightmare, she now felt in full. It was all too much and she crashed to the ground clutching her head in agonizing pain. She gurgled wordless thoughts as blood leaked from her nose and tears made their lonely way down her cheeks. But in her head the events of last nights nightmare played out calmly and smoothly like they were choreographed.
"Stop!" She cried, her body starting to jerk suddenly with the pain. Florence had returned, taking a seat at the door; curious as to what was going on. The small dog cocked its small head to the side, trying to understand what was going on with her master.
"Make it stop!" Lesley's shrill voice screamed around the room, echoing off the walls. Her hands still clutching her head, the blood flowing freely.
Her sputtered cries continued for the next 5 minutes, they vanished as quickly as they came. Lesley lay panting, her blood dripping onto the carpet. To human ears it would be silent but to a vampire, you could hear the little patting noises as the blood dripped to the floor. Florence stepped awkwardly into the room, she found no one else in the house.
Lesley was covered in a freezing cold sweat; her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. She rolled onto her back, the blood now dripping down her throat and onto her pyjama shirt from her lip. She bit her lip at some point during the episode, when the pain was too much to hold in. Her breathing was ragged as she tried to move, her body still felt as if it were on fire. With a groan she turned over onto her stomach, the blood dripping out of her nose instead of down her throat. She closed her eyes, giving up to the tiredness.
What is happening to me? Lesley thought as her mind was a blur, nothing made sense. Her hearing picked up movement in the room. Since when could she hear that well? Florence scampered down the hall way, Jasper walked into the room at human speed. She opened her eyes to see his feet standing right in front of her face, she felt a wave of calm weave through her limbs, she sighed softly as she was lifted into familiar arms.
"Thanks," She whispered as Jasper carried her down the corridor to the bathroom, Lesley noticed he was holding his breath.
"Ah..." Lesley quickly said as Jasper placed her on the bathroom counter. He wet a face cloth and wiped her lip; Lesley winced but was glad he was the one helping her. Alice, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie and Edward...Edward would've overreacted and freaked out, Jasper was normally the only calm one.
Jasper wet another face cloth and put it on her forehead and made her lie down on the bench top, he carefully pinched the bridge of her nose and waited till it stopped bleeding.
"Another incident?" Jasper asked softly, running his fingers soothingly through her hair. Lesley nodded and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his horsey texas smell.
Only he felt her inner turmoil, only he knew what she was going through. He was the only one that understood, he was the only one she would let to see her thoughts. Jasper and Lesley were becoming inseperable and no one could do anything about it.