Chapter nine

                                    

                                          
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It's dark. So dark. I hear footsteps above me, shouting, banging, glass breaking. A tiny light above me illuminates only a few centimetres of the floor surrounding my body as I remain motionless, too terrified to move. I quickly turn to look around as the footsteps approach, but all I can see is darkness.
As I try to see who's there, my heart rate increases and my hands start to get sweaty. A shiver runs down my spine and I hear a laugh that I know all too well. 
As his shoes come into the light, I remain motionless, not even daring to breathe. I feel a knot in my stomach, knowing what's going to happen right before the lights go out. A chuckle echoes through the room.
A pounding in my head was the thing that greeted me this morning. A stabbing pain travelling through my body from head to toe. Shivers and aches travelling through each muscle, not helping with the headache that I currently have. 
A groan escapes my lips, a full body shiver going through my body, the stabbing pains getting worse. I can hear shuffling from the left of me as a a hand grabs mine, warmth wrapping around my cold body. I tried to open my eyes, but no use it was like they've been screwed completely shut. I don't like the dark.... please. Help. 
My heart rate starts to rapidly increase, the shivers, the pain, the panic settling into my bones the longer I seem to can't open my eyes or move. Why can't I move?
I feel warmth curl around my body, as something warm and hard comes in contact with my back, legs tangling with mine, hard arms wrapped softly around my waist. The soft caress of something warm running across my scalp and my hair, starting to lull me into a peaceful sleep. The pain and shivers slowly disappearing, the warmth of whatever's holding me bringing me into a state of peace. 
Can I just stay like this forever? 
Slowly embracing the warmth, I let sleep take over me as the hand caressing my hair lulled me away into peace. 
No dreams remain that night.   
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This time as I start to come around, the pain and shivers have diminished but it's still uncomfortable. My eyes start to slowly open, still finding it difficult to fully open them. The bright white lights in the room causing me to close my eyes again, my headache returning pounding against my skull. 
Something warm and rough comes in contact with my cheek, as it gently caresses. 
"Eudora?" A deep voice says. Titus?
"Open your eyes for me love".
I'm trying Titus. I'm really trying. 
"Please wake up." He whispers, his voice gruff and deep. 
His hand comes to gently grab mine, caressing the skin on the back of my hand. Attempting to open my eyes again, I used all my concentration to force my eyelids to move. Bright white lights come into contact with my eyes as they try to focus on the room around me. 
White walls, white floor, a large glass wall on the opposite side of the room. Why am I in Titus' room? I notice the white sheets tucked tightly around me, my head on the hard pillow below me. Oh. Why is the pillow hard? 
I whimper as another wave of heat and pain washes throughout my body. A light material touches my forehead dabbing at the sweat dripping down the side of my temple. Looking to the right my eyes come in contact with a shirtless Titus, as he dabs the sweat on my forehead with his white shirt. His eight pack straining when he leans over to me looking me in the eye.