[Completed] ''I was born in flames and chaos. In one moment, I didn't exist at all. In another, air was tearing through the flesh of my lungs.''
Deep in an unknown forest, a young woman woke up alone and confused. She had no knowledge of her past, w...
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The following days of my life consisted of a phase which I liked to call the 'Fear of the Boogeyman'. It was an easy phase to define. It involved a lot of cowering, trembling of the limbs, and an all-around fear of one particular being: a man named Desmond.
I spent my nights hiding. Sometimes I hid under the bed. Other times I hid in the large walk-in closet, making myself a house out of clothes that weren't mine. When I got nervous enough, especially just after taking a shower, I hid in the towel closet within the bathroom. I wasn't sure exactly why I wanted to hide except that Desmond's warning had struck a nerve within me that was hard to shake. I felt he would appear at any moment and end my life all over again.
My only relief was Levi. He was either extremely patient or impressively good at pretending to be. Many times he would return from his own assignments, in which Miles appeared to be his partner, and coax me from my hiding place until I felt safe enough to spend the night in his protective arms. It was a pleasant contrast, having someone willing to allow me to sleep in their arms without it being followed by a threatening show of a family dinner or just disappearing altogether.
I hated being so afraid, but I couldn't understand my vision enough not to be. I was too afraid to explain my fear even though Levi hadn't asked me about it. I could only hide, cower, and hope Desmond wouldn't find me.
Only a few days had passed in this fashion before it changed. On one particular night, I was hiding under thick blankets quietly. Levi was in the room, so I was mostly relaxed. Despite my fear, I had learned that Levi loved to read novels. His room was absent of electronics. Along the walls were bookshelves filled with novels. Scattered across his room were tables with sofas and chairs nearby. On those tables were mostly more books. Levi was seated on a far sofa, reading peacefully. The only sounds besides my soft breaths were the slice of pages turning at a steady pace.
I was slightly dozing when there was an abrupt knock on the door. I immediately froze, my breath catching sharply as an irrational thought crossed my mind. It's Desmond. He's come for me.
"Come in," Levi called lazily, hardly loud enough to be heard by anyone on the other side of the door. But still, the door opened and footsteps entered the room. I tightened my grip on the bedsheets, but otherwise I didn't move. I felt somewhat safe under the blankets, much like a child hiding from a monster.
"Jax finished appraising another artifact so you and Miles will need to set up networking," Sebastian's voice rang out as he passed by my position to approach Levi. I felt my body relax with relief. It wasn't Desmond after all. It was only Sebastian and the sound of what seemed to be a folder dropping on a table nearby.
"Sure thing, Seb," Levi responded with mild interest. The pages of his book were still turning, telling me he wasn't completely paying attention to his guest.
"Scarlett says we're almost up for a gathering. Could you take care of that?" Sebastian asked politely, though his words were more an order than a suggestion.
