Reflections Beyond (Book 1) now published so sample only

Chapter 3

I had always been afraid of the dark when I was younger, to the point that I still needed a night light. I thought I had got over it but I was wrong. The dark here was almost sinister, it surrounded me so fully and deeply, that I felt there was no escape. I felt a sob escape me as panic overrode everything else.

“Charlotte?” I heard in the depths of the darkness, what sounded like Caden’s beautiful voice questioning.

“Caden?” I called out hesitantly, hoping I hadn’t imagined it, “Where am I? I’m scared.” I panicked a bit as I said those words, hoping so much that I wasn’t alone.

“Everything will be just fine; you are safe with me now. I know you are not too keen on the dark but this is the between worlds. Come toward my voice.” He soothed in his deep rumble.

“How do you know that, about the darkness?” I wondered, as I walked blindly, into the encroaching blackness that enclosed me. I held my hands out in front of me waving crazily while trying to keep my panic at bay by talking.

“That is unimportant right now.” He murmured in my ear as his warm arms wrapped around my waist. I felt shivers run up and down my spine as he brushed the hair back from my face.

“Are you all right, my Lovely?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Heck, I had never been better, with his warmth around me, soothing my jangled nerves. Darkness pfftttt!

“May I ask what are you doing here, though?” He asked curiously.

“Shouldn’t I ask you the same question?”

“I guess but I asked first, so you have to answer first.” He teasingly ran his fingers along my sides where I was most ticklish. It felt sooo good.

“Uh. Fine” I grunted, as I snuggled closer to him, “It’s my Dad’s fault. He was testing me. See since I got back from...wherever I’ve been. I’m different. No actually that’s not true. I think the problem is that I am the same, everyone else is different. My Dad is a curious man, always looking for answers. So when none of his silly tests showed anything, he decided to hypnotise me.” I felt Caden stiffen, “What’s wrong?” I asked hesitantly.

“Charlotte, if you did not arrive here by yourself, then I have to send you back.” He gripped me tighter, “I do not wish to, I have missed you more than you could ever know, but I have to protect our world, no one should know about it.” His lips briefly touched my forehead, then my lips, leaving tingles in their wake. “Please tell no one of this occurrence. This is going to hurt my love. I am terribly sorry to have to do it. I will see you tomorrow”

I’m sure I heard “I love you”, sound at a distance, as he wrenched himself away from me so fast that I was spun into the deepest depths of blackness. I felt like I was falling into a dark cave of terrors that was never-ending.

I awoke in Barbara’s office, screaming my lungs out. Panic engulfed me as I started to hyperventilate. Dad rushed over to me, hugging me tightly as my screams began to dissipate, and the terror started easing. Tears streamed from my eyes as I clutched at him.

“I’m so sorry,” Dad murmured, “We won’t do that again, I promise.”

“What did I say?” I asked as I calmed down.

“Not much really, you mumbled a lot. Do you want to tell me who Caden is though? He seemed a high point in your brain.” He tapped my head lightly as he frowned at me.

I felt myself go bright red as I mumbled “Just a guy from school.”

I looked around the room to try and distract myself from the conversation, which is when I noticed Barbara. She looked absolutely shell shocked, almost like she wasn’t even there. I apologised to her as we left. She smiled and said it was okay. But when I looked back at her again, her eyes were bright red, and she gave me the most evil glare as she licked her lips. I felt my heart tremor in fear, as I quickly left the room.