Malediction

Chains

I woke up to warm sheets and pillows that smelled like flowers on a field. A ceiling fan was above me, slowly cycling some air in the room. 

Wait, a ceiling fan?

I was still hazy from the crazy time we had at the island not too long ago but I expected a bright light to blind me at some point and a strong scent of bleach to punch me awake. The long stab wound would've done the job too but still. I wasn't in a hospital bed. I didn't die… right? I hoped so. 

A mess of dark shiny hair was beside me. The silhouette of a woman's back and curve was visible in the moonlight. An olive colored shoulder rose up and down ever so slightly on the same sheets. Andrea?

What the hell is happening?

"Is there something wrong?" She said with a groggy voice, turning to me. Clink. She squinted her eyes to adjust to the dim room and looked at me with warmth. It made my heart flutter. She came closer and clung to me. Clink. She was smiling. "N-nothing, just a bad dream." She sighed. “Hmm, okay. But don’t worry I'll always be here, unless you let me go.” She said, joking and giggling. It took me by surprise. “What do you-” She was already sleeping again when I tried to answer.

I tried touching my wounded arm. It didn't hurt one bit but it was still bandaged. Aside from that, I expected cuts and bruises from being dragged across the forest but apparently, they didn’t exist. I slowly let go of her arm wrapped around me, not to disturb her slumber again. I stood up on the wooden floor and found the bathroom. I carefully opened the door and went in, checking her before closing it behind me. 

I opened the lights soon as I entered. The restroom was decent enough. It had a shower with glass panes as a divider on the left corner and a toilet by the right corner, near the sink. A few cabinets below and a large mirror hung on top of the sink. 

I need to process this. 

One time, I was on an unknown island with natives and Chris trying to kill me and the second I'm in the same bed with Andrea, like lovers? I'm not complaining but how did it come to that?

I splashed my face with water from the sink faucet. But it slowly changed form. It became viscous, thick and it strangely smelled metallic.  Blood. What on earth?

The moment I tilted my head to see the mirror, I saw my face soaked in blood and Chris came out of nowhere.  Bloodshot eyes, and veins still popped on his temples. He was in a black jacket now, a kitchen knife in his hand.

"You can't be the only one enjoying this happy thought, James. No." He tried to stab me from behind by swinging the knife upward, attempting to s***h me into two but I pulled away from the sink and jumped to the toilet. Now with strength, I kicked him as he came forward. The door was in the middle, near the toilet and far from Chris. I opened it and ran. 

The bedroom was now in open lights and Andrea was nowhere to be found. I tried to find a weapon, and soon as I found a lamp on the bedpost, I pulled it out of the outlet. Chris was running towards me at full speed and I tried to swing the lamp to his head. It hit him exactly on the left side of his face. He staggered and dropped the knife, the lamp destroyed. I dropped the remaining lamp stand on my hand and kicked him on the chest the second time and he sprawled on the floor beside the bed. I took the knife.

I heard someone else gasp. It was under the bed. Clink. Rattle. 

Chris, who was beside the bedpost, tried to pull Andrea from under the bed. She fought him with her best under the circumstances. She struggled to keep herself away from him. She backed away. CLINK! CLINK! Metals shook, was it from Andrea? That wasn't important right now. His bloody face was with pieces of mirror sticking through the skin. I heard her scream and then it clicked me. I kicked him again, now to the face, away from Andrea. He curled in pain. I kneeled top on his form, and scored hits through his abdomen like a pen making paper holes.

I would never have even thought of doing this in my life, but for Andrea, I will. 

I just did it until I was tired. He ended up face down, his blonde hair was now colored crimson. I realized he wasn't breathing anymore. Lifeless. My head was still buzzing with adrenaline despite the exhaustion. I was breathless. I stood up again, struggling not to slip from the pool of blood. "Hey, Andrea? Are you alright?" I patiently waited for her to get out of there. Witnessing a murder under the bed would've traumatized her. A few minutes passed and nothing came out. 

Clink. Clink. Rattle.

That metal again. What was it? I noticed just now it wasn’t home décor swaying with the wind. The metal sound was in rhythm with relaxed steady footsteps. The bed was at the left corner, headboard sticking to the side wall. Something was tugging at the lower right bed leg. Round metal intertwined with each other, I followed the trail. The chains ended, wrapped around slender but purple ankles. It was enclosed tight by a thick lock. In confusion, I looked up. Before I felt the hard swing of a blunt object to my temple, I saw tears flowing in Andrea’s desperate eyes. I would never hurt her so why did she feel threatened? I protected her from this madman. Why was she chained? Another bizarre thought came to me.

Did I do that?

I couldn’t ask for more unspoken questions as darkness envelops me again.