The Masked Stranger

Chapter 10

Jade's P.O.V

It’s been two uneventful weeks since James and I became official. Yesterday James took me out to dinner and then to the gravesite of his parents where we got to know each other some more and he shared what happened to his parents. When we got back I felt really extra tired so I went to my room and put on some of my pajamas and went to bed.

***

I woke up in the woods somewhere I heard voices I followed the sound and saw myself and three women and a man we were all talking to each other, then we walked into a house I tried to follow but something pulled me back and then I heard a girl’s voice.

“We are coming for you, you won’t be able to escape. Your head will be my trophy!”

***

I woke up from my dream gasping for air and trying to stabilize my breathing. I got out of bed and put on some jeans and a t-shirt since it was morning. I walked over towards the bay window in the room I was sleeping in, I was watching the sun move across the horizon, enjoying the beautiful view of all the land as well as a distant lake and the trees, tall, and short alike, it's all just so, so beautiful. I know... I should be enjoying this beautiful scenery... but I can't stop thinking of all the things that keep me up at night and the line about me only trusting this Apollo person. I don't understand why ever since I met James he has just been a huge part of my life, and I feel safe with him. I feel like he cares, for the first time I feel like I have someone who would do anything for me. If I'm being honest with myself, the fact that I can't live without him scares me. But I am still a little scared for him at the moment. What if whatever or whoever is after me goes after him. I stood up from my seat at the window and walked into James’s office where he was looking at some papers.

"James," I ask him.

"Yeah what is it?"

"I think it’s for the best if I don’t stay here" I say, hoping he won't panic or disagree. As I watched his expression, he had multiple expressions at once. First, it was sadness... then distress... then understanding... the words that came out of his mouth next shocked me.

"Jade..." He takes a few minutes, breathing in and out. "I will respect your wishes to leave, just know I will keep fighting for us to find whatever is after you. I will work on resolving this and when I find whatever wishes you harm I will kill it." He says, he takes one of my hands and kisses my knuckle before letting it go and looking at the floor. I watch him in surprisement, I see a teardrop from his eye and drop to the ground. "Just know Jade, my love for you will never end, even though we’ll be apart for a bit." he says before walking to the door but before closing the door he whispered: "I'll have someone drive you to your chosen destination, you'll leave as soon as I can arrange someone to take you." he says before closing the door.

I was so shocked by his response, I mean I didn't want to go away. I like being around him, I just can’t bear the thought of him getting hurt or worse dying because of me. I can’t afford to be reckless and get anyone else hurt.

“I’m such an idiot.” I put my palm to my forehead as I held back tears. I walked out of his office and tried to follow, before I stopped myself. What right do I have? I'm the one who said I needed to leave. I made my bed so I have to lay in it. It makes me even more sad because the last two weeks here have been somewhat normal, almost like there weren’t people out for my head. To be honest if it weren’t for the dreams I would never have even noticed that my life was irregular, but the dreams just keep getting more real and graphic by the night. I have to do something about it and soon otherwise my life may never be normal again and that is a thought I struggle with every day. Not that I was ever normal to begin with.

*

The rest of my day was spent loafing around the manor. I figured James would want a little space for the day to process what we had discussed earlier about me leaving.

By the time night fell I had an eerie feeling like whatever tonight’s dream was it would be very disturbing. However when my head hit those soft green pillows I couldn’t overcome the overwhelming sense of my sleep or lack thereof.

When I opened my eyes I was in another dream but this time I couldn’t move my arms and I was in what appeared to be a cell of sorts. Then the room faded to black and I was suddenly in the middle of the woods standing before my was a bunch of men holding weapons and one was standing on a tree stump giving a speech. I couldn’t hear a word any of them said though. I saw their mouths moving and that was how I noticed they were speaking, but for some reason all their words were incoherent to me. I then received a splitting headache and a man’s face flashed around me in a circle calling out a name I couldn’t quite register what it was. Then there was a scream that immediately drew my attention and I ran towards it but I didn’t know why. I then saw a woman carrying two babies and running as if her life depended on it. Then the entire area around me went black again and I was standing alone in complete darkness with absolutely no light. I tried walking around but I just felt like I was sinking similar to the feeling you get when you're sleeping and then feel like you're falling before jolting awake only it was a lot slower. Then a mirror appeared in front of me with a dimly lit light hanging above it. I walked closer to it and saw my face dripping with blood from my mouth. My mirror reflection left the glass and its hair changed color from mine to green. It started to morph into something straight out of a horror movie and that's when my body jolted awake.

I started panting and broke out into a cold sweat. I grabbed my chest to try and ease my racing heart from the panic and fear that awful nightmare caused me. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and just sat there with my head resting in my hands as I leaned my elbows on my legs. “What is going on with me?” I broke into soft tears as I slowly slid off of the bed and onto the floor pulling my knees to my chest. I sat there crying for a good long while then I decided to get up my legs now ice cold from the fact I was wearing short silk shorts. I walked out of the room and down the hall to where I knew James’s room was. I knocked softly, before opening the door slightly.

“James?” I whispered, to which he groggily replied.

“Huh..what? Jade is that you?” He asked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Umm, yeah James can I talk to you?” I asked hesitantly.

“Sure come on in.” He sat up slightly in bed and then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes again. I walked over slowly to be sure not to trip over anything in the dark. I then crawled onto his bed on the other side sticking my freezing limbs under the warm blanket. “Jade, what did you want to talk about?” He asked, leaning his head on my shoulder as he closed his eyes again.

“I wanted to clear something up with you about yesterday or earlier. When I mentioned leaving I promise I didn’t suggest I leave because I dislike it here to be honest that is the furthest thing from the truth I do like it here, but I don’t think I can stay here because that would cause trouble for you and I don’t want to do anything that could put you in danger of any caliber. You see I’ve been having these dreams and I know this might sound crazy but these dreams are well more like nightmares and they are a bit odd to say the least. I just think I need to figure out what these dreams are since I can’t sleep they’re so terrifying. I know for sure though if I see you in those dreams because I stayed here I would feel guilty more than I already do for dragging you into this mess in the first place. So that’s why I need to leave, to ensure that nothing happens to you because as cheesy as it sounds I don’t think I can live without you. It might seem strange that we haven’t known each other long and have been dating for even less time. You’ve become a big part of my life and maybe it’s my own unresolved issues talking, but I know you're the one who has helped me with everything that’s happened and so I’ve grown rather attached to you…” I started choking out my words to stop myself from crying. “James I know few things right now one I can’t put you in danger because I can’t lose you not now, two I can’t sleep, three I’m a mess and so is my life, and four you are a good man and I am not going to burden you with my problems because good people shouldn’t have to suffer and I won’t let you.” I turned to look him in the eyes to see his response. Only when I turned my head he was asleep. “You i***t here I am pouring out all the thoughts in my mind and you aren’t even awake!!!!” I yelled at him and whacked him with the pillows waking him up.

“Huh, You were saying?” He shot his head up, I pushed him off the bed. “Ouch what was that for?” He asked while rubbing the side of his body he landed on.

“For not listening, dang it now I have to repeat myself here. I was pouring my heart out about how I’m feeling about why I’m leaving and you're over there snoozing away. Have you no respect for me King cringy ugh grr. I'm hungry from all the energy you just made me waste, so we are going down to the kitchen where you are going to make me food while I repeat everything I just said because you were off in dreamland while I was having a serious conversation with the air.” I stood up and grabbed his hand and dragged him down the stairs.

“I’m sorry I was tired.” He pleaded for mercy, but I was not in a merciful mood.

“Too freaking bad you snooze you lose. That’s how life works. Get over it King Cringy.” With that I proceeded to repeat my earlier monolouge with him telling me I would leave in two days with one of his drivers only this time he was less sad knowing why I was leaving.