Hidden Hearts

Chapter 11. Back to the beginning

The night was rainy and cold, the smell of rain strong in the air, the sidewalk full of puddles that soon drenched my old tennis shoes leaving me cold and trembling. My heart was racing in a fast beat, accompanying the sound of the rain and my footsteps as I left Dr. Roberts home. After that first dreamless night I had spent the day locked inside the house, not daring to come out yet, while he went to work. When nightfall came and he offered me another one of those sleeping pills I refused because I hated how groggy those things made me feel. The result was that I had a nightmare. Again.

My body started to shiver from the cold and I told myself yet again why I was doing this. One moment, I just need one single moment out of the house, away from the nightmares that follow me everywhere no matter how much I fight them. I wish my nightmares were people, it is much easier to fight people, you just got to take a bat to their heads... see, easy.

I kept on walking; the cold water from the rain waking me up like nothing else could, my feet hitting the pavement with splashing noises that I didn't bother with masking, I had no reason to be stealth anymore, I told myself with glee.

My black, pajama pants were drenched, sticking to my body uncomfortably, the dark poncho protecting my upper body from getting wet didn't keep me warm or protect my face from the onslaught of Mother Nature. Hiding in the deeper shadows of the road I shivered as drops of ice slipped through the neck of my clothing and chilled me.

I was distracted inside my own head, not paying much attention to my surroundings, which is probably why the first thing that caught my attention was the strong smell of wet dog. The second thing was the weight of the mass that had hurled itself at my back making me fall and hit the pavement on my face. Oh, my poor nose.

"Hey!" Came the shout from behind me. I tried to get myself out from underneath the dog, but the animal kept stubbornly sitting on me. Planting my hands on the ground I made a push up and the dog finally jumped off me, just as its owner reached us. In the darkness of the night I couldn't see the face of the owner of my attacker, but something about him seemed familiar. Could this be...

Crouching down beside me he asked "Are you okay? I'm so sorry that he jumped you. Are you hurt?" The voice was smooth, the tone gentle, but it couldn't mask the hint of strength and command laced in it. Kota?

Standing up I touched my face with one hand, delicately, checking for damage. My right cheek was stinging from where it had grazed the ground and my nose was hurting, my knees were hurting too, and so were my palms, but nothing was broken. "I'm okay. It's fine."

"No, you're not. Come on, I'm going to take you to my house." He said with authority and caring, his hand grabbing hold of my own, diminishing the chill from the night. Walking a little behind him in the street light I could finally see his glasses and dark hair and knew that I had been right.

"Let's get out of this rain. We'll access the damage inside." He said.

"What about your dog?" I asked, the poor animal didn't deserve to stay in this rain, even if it had tackled me to the ground.

"He'll follow." He answered.

I snorted. "Really, Kota? First your dog tackles a complete stranger on the street and now you tell said stranger that he will obediently follow you? What has the academy been teaching you guys?"

He jumped startled and turned around to face me, green eyes wide, mouth gaping open before he closed it and then blurted, "WHAT!?"

Now we were both on the light and he could see my face through the rain. When he went pale it became obvious that he knew exactly who I am.