Challenge - Impending Doom
o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Her hands shook so she sat on them.
Which caused her knees to wobble so she slid down to the floor.
Only now her breathing came in short, struggling gasps, chest laboring with every rise and fall.
Eyes closed, she tried to center herself, willing her thoughts to calm their frantic swirling.
It had been 5 days since the thwarted kidnapping. Nearly a week.
But the truth was she hadn’t really suffered from the incident. It had been clearly evident that the kidnappers hadn’t been bad people and at no point during her captivity had she felt any sense of panic.
And afterwards, there had been no dreams, no flashbacks and certainly no psychological harm.
Not from the kidnapping, that is.
The events before and after, however, were a different story.
Dreams? Plenty. She blushed at the thought of the one from last night. Things she’d never experienced somehow snuck in, her vivid imagination compensating with remarkable clarity. Soft lips caressing hers in a way that sent chills through her entire body. Her nocturnal fantasies were filled with a dizzying array of sensations she’d never even thought of.
And certainly she’d had flashbacks. His hands, pulling her against him. Her traitorous body, leaning into the embrace. The way she willingly gathered the warmth he offered with both mind and body. And the overwhelming sense of relief and ecstasy that had flooded through her the moment his voice echoed into the warehouse.
A frown passed over her features as she considered the day to come. She’d been permitted to stay home from school the last few days - because of the stress, they told her. Normally the studious girl would have at least put up a fight, but avoiding school meant avoiding him and that suited her just fine.
Now the weekend was over and the very thought of how she would react had her feeling lightheaded and flushed all over again. Deep down she knew the only way to end the torture was to get it over with, but she’d clung to the refuge of the small apartment like a desperate recluse. So the uncertainty and apprehension continued to hang over her like a dark cloud… swirling around and dragging her down
Her hands began shaking again and she clamped them together. With a sigh, she gave up, padding into her room on silent feet. Reaching under her pillow she retrieved a small item, cradling it between her delicate hands. With an effort, the tremors ceased, breathing slowed to normal.
She hated her weakness, but the small object gave her comfort when nothing else would. Almost immediately the sense of foreboding lifted away, and though her stomach still fluttered and her cheeks were warm, there was a definite sense of serenity that hadn’t been present only moments before.
Giving in completely, she slipped the ridiculous ring on her finger.
Maybe the end wasn’t really at hand.
Perhaps it was only the beginning.
Her hands shook so she sat on them.
Which caused her knees to wobble so she slid down to the floor.
Only now her breathing came in short, struggling gasps, chest laboring with every rise and fall.
Eyes closed, she tried to center herself, willing her thoughts to calm their frantic swirling.
It had been 5 days since the thwarted kidnapping. Nearly a week.
But the truth was she hadn’t really suffered from the incident. It had been clearly evident that the kidnappers hadn’t been bad people and at no point during her captivity had she felt any sense of panic.
And afterwards, there had been no dreams, no flashbacks and certainly no psychological harm.
Not from the kidnapping, that is.
The events before and after, however, were a different story.
Dreams? Plenty. She blushed at the thought of the one from last night. Things she’d never experienced somehow snuck in, her vivid imagination compensating with remarkable clarity. Soft lips caressing hers in a way that sent chills through her entire body. Her nocturnal fantasies were filled with a dizzying array of sensations she’d never even thought of.
And certainly she’d had flashbacks. His hands, pulling her against him. Her traitorous body, leaning into the embrace. The way she willingly gathered the warmth he offered with both mind and body. And the overwhelming sense of relief and ecstasy that had flooded through her the moment his voice echoed into the warehouse.
A frown passed over her features as she considered the day to come. She’d been permitted to stay home from school the last few days - because of the stress, they told her. Normally the studious girl would have at least put up a fight, but avoiding school meant avoiding him and that suited her just fine.
Now the weekend was over and the very thought of how she would react had her feeling lightheaded and flushed all over again. Deep down she knew the only way to end the torture was to get it over with, but she’d clung to the refuge of the small apartment like a desperate recluse. So the uncertainty and apprehension continued to hang over her like a dark cloud… swirling around and dragging her down
Her hands began shaking again and she clamped them together. With a sigh, she gave up, padding into her room on silent feet. Reaching under her pillow she retrieved a small item, cradling it between her delicate hands. With an effort, the tremors ceased, breathing slowed to normal.
She hated her weakness, but the small object gave her comfort when nothing else would. Almost immediately the sense of foreboding lifted away, and though her stomach still fluttered and her cheeks were warm, there was a definite sense of serenity that hadn’t been present only moments before.
Giving in completely, she slipped the ridiculous ring on her finger.
Maybe the end wasn’t really at hand.
Perhaps it was only the beginning.