Oh, so comfortable.
The plush sheets and pillows that surrounded Grace felt like fluffy clouds, keeping her from leaving her dreams. Not that she could complain, her dreams were full of colors and lights that one would think only existed in a child's imagination. The lights swirled and twisted around each other, forming beautiful shapes and pictures before her eyes. Pink and green streams of light suddenly clashed together in front of her, splashing her like water. The beautiful liquid ran down Grace's arms, leaving streaks of light across her pale flesh. She gingerly pressed and long finger to her arm in front of a pink and green mixed drip; it felt and acted like water.
Where was she? Did she care about where she was. No, not in the slightest. The warmth and happiness that seemed to flow from wherever she was at wrapped itself around her, holding her there.
"I'm so glad you came, minn astir." A warm gentle voice sounded from behind Grace, but for some reason, she didn't turn to look, she didn't need to. That was when she noticed that the warmth that had wrapped itself around her were leather-bound arms. His leather-bound arms held love and silent strength in them. A promise to always keep her safe from harm.
Grace closed her eyes and leaned back into him, absorbing his warmth that emanated from his very being, "I would ask for nothing else." She let a small smile graze her lips.
A warm, wet drop suddenly slid down her cheek. Opening her eyes, Grace was shocked at the sight before her: she was staring at a dying woman on the ground, covered in too much blood to just be her own. The bright beautiful colors that had been Grace's company suddenly turned black and shot directly into the ground, bursting into ash. The prince from Asgard knelt next to the dying woman. What was his name again? Loki! Grace felt her cheek where the dampness had been and wiped away...blood. Was this her blood? Had she hurt herself? Where had it come from?
"Hold on, stay with me." He begged as he tore his helmet from his black hair, tossing it to the side. Loki suddenly looked up, "Heimdall!"
"I am so sorry." She let out a sob as she placed her hand to Loki's ash covered cheek.
"Fear not, minn astir, you will be in good hands soon, a healer's hands." Loki pulled the woman closer to him, cupping her face and wiping a blood and ash streaked tear away.
"H-he's..I tried..but I failed." A pained sob shook her body.
"No, he is safe, the boy is safe from their reach." Loki gave a sad assuring smile.
"Not" she paused for a struggling inhale, "that boy."
A surprising sob escaped Loki's throat, "I know..." he placed a shaky kiss upon the woman's forehead.
"I-" blood poured from the corners of her mouth, running into her long black and now mangled locks. Grace held a hand to her mouth as she fought back tears of her own. The pain and anguish written across Loki's features was enough to bring anyone to tears.
Grace closed her eyes and wiped the unwanted tears that had made a warm path down her face. However, when she opened them again, she found herself staring up at those teary green eyes. Grace suddenly realized, now that she laid on the ground beneath him, that it had been herself she'd been watching. Covered in blood and dying before her very own eyes.
She shot up in bed and looked around, taking in her surroundings. Grace let out a relieved sigh at recognition of her bedroom.
Her relief caught in her throat as the memories came flooding back: Norrah, pain, the house, her weird fucking dreams. But she's in her room? How? Why? Grace tossed the covers back and saw that she was in her normal Courage the Cowardly Dog pajamas. There is no way in hell that had all been just a dream. Right...? She stood and quietly tip toed over to her door, listening for anything but nothing, no sounds what so ever.
Opening the door, Grace slipped into the hallway that would lead to the small kitchen where she expected to find her mom and step father. Unfortunately, there was more than that.
As she entered, Grace noticed the uneasy stillness of her mother who sat at the table, facing away from Grace.
"Mom?" Grace approached carefully, reaching for her shoulder, "Mom, what's going o-" when Grace's hand landed on her mother's shoulder, she slouched forward, her head slamming down onto the table before her with a head-splitting thud. Grace gripped the older woman's shoulders and pulled her back, "Mom! Mom!" Her eyes were open. Dead, and staring aimlessly up at the ceiling above them, her head at an awful, unnatural angle over he back of the chair. Grace threw herself backwards, tripping and eventually finding herself pressed firmly against the oven door across the small kitchen.
"Oh, that's gonna scar ya." Grace's head snapped to the right towards the voice.
He leaned against the wall, tall and leering. Grace slid her back up the counter and held eye contact with him. He wore a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and well fitted black slacks finished with shiny blacks shoes. His skin was tanned to the perfect seductive tone that would have any woman swooning at his feet. The cropped blond hair on his head appeared to be natural given the subtle high and low lights that ran throughout. His nearly black eyes seemed to bore holes into Grace as she stood there too terrified to move, her own shiny silver eyes wide with fear.
"I wouldn't recommend it." he stated simply, placing his hand into his pockets.
"Wha-" the words she tried so hard to form wouldn't come out.
"Running. I wouldn't recommend it." he said again.
"Who the hell are you?" she breathed.
"Me? I'm just a friendly hunter." he gave a cold smile that sent chills throughout Grace's body.
"H-hunter?"
"Yes. I hunt down certain people who are valuable to...others" he blinked slowly as his eyes roamed Grace's body.
Grace fought a gag, "Why, why did you kill my mom?" tears sprang to eyes and blurred her vision.
"She was causing a problem. And she wasn't your mother." he stated.
"What a-are you going to do to me?" she began to slide along the counter, as he began his own slow approach towards her. Grace saw that the sliding glass door that lead to the back yard was open through her peripherals.
"I'm telling you, running will only make my night more fun." his eyes gleamed in the fluorescent light.
Grace grabbed a towel that sat on the counter and threw it in the murder's face and made a dash for the door that sat only ft away from her. Tearing open the door, she ran out into the yard, aiming for the wall, praying she could reach it before he caught her. His heavy foot steps sounded like they were gaining. Every part of Grace's body screamed at her to move faster, that he was going to catch up and kill her.
"I told you, lass! Much more fun!" with a strong leap he had Grace by her legs, dragging her screaming to the ground. Grabbing fistfuls of dirt, Grace fought to crawl away from him, throwing dirt in his face in the process.
"Help! HELP ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Oh! Fighting dirty are we? You found my turn on, love!" He laughed and dragged her backwards, pinning her small frame beneath his own.
"Please! Someone!" She sobbed, feeling for anything big enough to cause damage to her captor. Her fingers found nothing but tiny pebbles and pathetic weeds. Go for the eyes. Something in her mind clicked and she did just that.
A cold blade was pressed to her neck suddenly, making her frantic cries and pathetic attempts to escape stop, "Are you quite done?" Gripping the back of her neck, he quickly had her up and back in the house before she had time to process what was happening. He tossed her to the floor of the living room once they made it inside. Landing on her side, Grace was immediately face to face with Chris, dead with his hands bound behind him and his eyes open just like her mom. Screaming, she shot backwards, not getting very far due to the large couch behind her.
"Oh. I forgot about that little fucker. He tried so hard to bargain for his life." the man laughed as he wiped dirt and out of his eyes and off his now brown splotched shirt, "you got my favorite shirt dirty." He said with an irritated sigh.
"Didn't anyone tell you not to wear white when you go on a murder spree." Grace didn't take her eyes off of Chris' face.
A rich laugh filled the room as the man approached her once more, "I've just decided something, we are going to enjoy ourselves now, for a few hours anyway." Grace stared at him in horror, "Well I will at least." Another cold smile.
She sprang to her feet, making a break for the front door. He easily swept her up and over his shoulder, carrying her off to her parents' bedroom. Grace kicked and scratched at his clothes, hair, anything she could reach.
In one swift moment, she was tossed onto the bed and pinned down.
"No, no, please! Don't do this!" Grace sobbed as dread for what was going to happen filled her.
"Don't do what, darling? This?" with a flick of his knife the elastic waistband of her pajama bottoms popped loose making it easier for him to tear the remaining shreds off.
Grace's cries for mercy eventually turned into cries of rage and desperation as she fought him angrily. Kicking and bucking wildly seemed to piss him off.
"You little!" he back-handed her across her left cheek, a bruise immediately forming. Gripping her throat, he began to squeeze, voiding her lungs of air. Grace uselessly clawed and scratched at his wrists and arms as best she could before gray began to cloud her vision. The sudden release of pressure had her gasping and sucking in air as fast as she could. Something cold found its way around her wrist, sending her into a panicking frenzy.
Then it started again, the same familiar pain in her head. Grace knew it meant one of two things: 1. Light Tunnel 2. Burst of energy. Accepting the pain, the light tunnel enveloped both of them, shooting them upwards. The man on top of her cried out as they shot through space and landed on the soft green grass that had been Grace's first welcoming sight during her first travel through space.
The knife-wielding attempted rapist threw himself to the ground, dry heaving violently. Grace too found herself dizzy but ignored it and scrambled backwards.
"Where the fucking hell are we? Where did you take me? Where?!" He stood and brandished his small shiny blade at Grace as he stormed towards her. Unable to yet rise and run from him, Grace began sliding herself backwards in a sad attempt to escape. She began praying that someone had seen her arrival and would be there soon to help her.
As if her wishes were heard, a flash of green and suddenly her attacker was on his back and choking at the blade pressed to his throat, "How dare you lay a hand on her, you indignant little swine!" Loki's eyes burned like the sun.
Grace sat there for a second, too shocked to say anything. At first she was perfectly content with letting Loki kill the man who had murdered her parents and possibly even her at some point after he'd had his way with her. Something in her screamed for Loki to stop, to not kill him. But why? He deserved it. He was a murderer. A psychopath. He needed to be put down, to be stopped. But it didn't feel right.
"Loki.." Grace pulled herself to her knees.
"I am going to kill you slowly." the malice in his voice sent chills down Grace's spine.
"Loki." She said louder.
His shoulders lowered as he turned enough to look back at her, "How badly has he harmed you?"
"I'm fine. Don't...kill him," she hesitated.
"I'm sorry? Did you just ask me not to kill the man who was trying to harm you?"
"Yes, I need to ask him some questions." she said almost pleadingly.
Loki was up and by her side in a flash, "let's get you cleaned up." He said softly as he draped his cloak around her shoulders. Three guards rode up behind them and set on to deal with their new prisoner.
Ok, so I was going to write more but it's 2 am and I really wanted to post today so here you are lovelies. I apologize for Loki not being in it as much...yet. Right now I'm just building up Grace as much as I can before I start her a Loki's shpeel together. thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
Come chill on facebook with me! /SailingPianoMadness
Goal 1: 100 likes...lol we'll see how that goes.