Gamble of Death

Hindsight

Edith POV

I was awoken by the sound of a light song.I opened my eyes.It was dark outside.

"I feel so unsure.

As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor.

As the music dies,something in your eyes.

Calls to mind a silver screen.

And all its sad goodbyes.

I'm never gonna dance again.

Guilty feel has got no rhythm.

Though it's easy to pretend.

I know you're not a fool.

Should've known better than to cheat a friend.

And waste the chance that I've been given.

So I am never gonna dance again,

The way I dance with you..."

I smiled as he smiled at me.He turned down the volume and walked towards me.

"Careless Whisper?" I asked.He nodded and sat beside me.

"You a fan of that song?" I asked.

"Who isn't?" He asked.

"Yeah." I smiled...

"Blake?" I asked.

"Yes?" He looked at me.

"Can I apologize?" I asked as I gulped.I looked down at my nervous hands.

Eagerly waiting for his answer.

"Desdemona.This is not the time to all these things." He said.The way he talked,it reflected how disappointed he was with me.

He hurt me too but I didn't say anything about it.

I nodded and laid down in a comfortable position.I closed my eyes into the deepest slumber.

-

I looked behind me as I felt drops of water.When I turned around,it wasn't water,it was blood! Blood felt down the ceiling as several men hung up.Their limbs were all across the room, smelling disgusting.I wanted to throw up but I couldn't.

I screamed as I felt something was dripping on me.It was blood.I screamed my lungs out.Why wasn't nobody helping me? As much I tried to wipe the blood off me,it spread more and more.I looked at my wrists.The cuts I got from the shackles were cutting up my hands.

"No...!" I yelled as I felt the excruciating pain of my hands being cut off.My legs fell off too and all I could see was blood and blood.

I screamed as I saw man approaching me with a chainsaw in his hands.Before anything more brutal could happen.I opened my eyes.I was on the same hospital bed.A few nurses were holding me.I calmed down but there was fear in my heart.I was still trembling in fear.The doctor injected me with a medicine.I fell asleep immediately once again.

-

I opened my eyes and saw Blake walking around the room.He was nervous,worried and tired.He didn't notice that I was awake.I loved to watch him when he didn't see me.

He rubbed his forehead and suddenly punched the wall out of anger.

He took a deep breath.He was losing it.He was interrupted by a phone call.He grabbed the phone and walked to the balcony.

"She's not fine.She keeps having these nightmares."

"..."

"... it's-it's my fault.I locked her away.I tortured her so much."

"..."

"You can pay her a visit...Maybe she needs some jolly visitors." He said.

He came back after a while.He saw that I was awake.

"It's almost morning.Why aren't you asleep yet?" I asked.

"I couldn't." He replied without looking.He sat on the chair in front of me.

"Blake..." I sighed.I sat up and held his hands.

"Look at me." I whispered.

"Desdemona,I am sorry." He stood up.His eyes were bloody red and he looked so sad,like he was about to cry.

"It's not your fault.There was nothing you could do." I replied.

"Desdemona,it wasn't right of me to treat you that way.I left you to rot in a dirty place.I hurt you so much.I can't even say anything.If I didn't leave you there,none of this would've happened." He said.

"Look what I did to you.To your body.I am nothing less than those men. " He held my hands and massaged the wrists marks I had."You wouldn't have to face such trauma.It's all my fault." I placed a finger on his lips.

"Enough now, Alaric.It's my turn." I said.

"I am sorry for running away when I promised that I wouldn't.I am sorry for not living up to my promises.I am sorry for breaking your trust.I am sorry that I...I..." He held my hands tightly as my eyes filled with tears.

"I am sorry that I...used your feelings,used your trust,and...you.I wish that I could take it all back.I wish I could take away that night when I had thoughts of running away." I whispered.

"I thought you said you were happy staying with me." He replied.

"I-I was...I just don't know why I...why I wanted to run away all of a sudden.I guess I was afraid..." I narrowed down my eyes.

"Afraid of?" He asked.When I looked up into his eyes.The sun shone through the window onto his perfect face.His eyes looked like honey.He was so innocent.He tried his best to keep his demons locked up in front of me.It was me who broke his confidence once again.

I didn't know what it was that I felt when we were looking at each other.Maybe that's the feeling I was afraid of feeling.Maybe that's the feeling we were both avoiding.

Guilty feel has got no rhythm.Though it's easy to pretend.I know you're not a fool.

I should've known better than to cheat a friend and waste the chance that I've been given.

"Of falling." I whispered and narrowed down my eyes.I felt a sudden change in his breathing and even there was this heat wave surging off his body.

"H-how about you sleep? I need a little rest too." He said as he got off the bed.I nodded and laid down.

-

He brought me some good breakfast.We both avoided talking about this morning.I guess,it was for the best.

There was a knock placed on the door.Blake walked towards the door and opened it for him.

"Hey,man." A man hugged Blake.

"Hey, Jim." He let out a short smile.

"Didn't expect to meet you in a hospital after 2 years,but it is what it is." He said.

"Indeed." Blake replied.

"Hi,I am Jimmy Hills.Blake's best friend." He said to me.

"And here's flowers and best wishes for your fast recovery." He handed me a bunch of flowers.

"I...I am Edith Price.Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked.

"Really? I am having the same feeling." He said.

"You two know each other?" Blake asked.

"Oh,I remember.You were the i***t teacher who was caught-"

"Hey,hey,hey, it's okay.Yeah,you were my student.I remember.It's good." He nervously laughed at me.

"Is this something I should be informed of?" Blake asked.

"Oh,no,no nothing worth mentioning." He laughed and embraced him.I chuckled a bit and Blake noticed that.

"Buddy,you look sick.You should think about resting too." He said to Blake.

"I will." He smiled.

"Anyways,when are you getting discharged?" He asked me.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Oh,yes.I talked with the doctor this morning.He said she can be discharged by the day after tomorrow but if she is ready...after all the incidents,she can leave tomorrow." He explained.He didn't tell me that.

"Anyways,I have to go to work now.I just came to drop some flowers and an invitation for both of you to come to my place on 17th." He said.

"You're leaving so early?" I asked.

"Yep,duty calls,you know but I will catch up whenever I get the opportunity." He said.

"Okay,stay safe." I said to him.Blake also said goodbye before coming back to the room again.

"You should really rest,you know.You look not so nice." I said.

"I will rest." He assured me.

"How do you know Jimmy?" He asked.

"He used to be a teacher in our school.He was favouring students." I laughed by myself.

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"He used to raise grades when students pleasured him.One day,he was caught with a girl of 12th grade.Some how the word got out and he was fired." I explained.

"I was in 8th grade at that time.I was really young.I think it was 7 years ago.I was 15 only." I explained.

"The girl he was caught with...things escalated between them and he-he fell... but the girl was just using him.Poor guy understood it when it was too late." I sighed.

"He's never told me this." Blake placed his hand under his chin.I narrowed down my eyes.

"It's okay.Forget it.I needed to talk to you about something." He said as he sat beside me.

"Do you need a psychiatrist for ....what you went through.Do you-?" He asked me in a comforting manner.

"I...I don't think so.Apart from the nightmares,I think I am fine." I replied.

"I can handle it." I smiled.

"You are strong." He tapped my cheek and smiled.His smiled disappeared quickly and his body language changed within a second.He walked to the guest bed and continued with some work.

Maybe he was afraid of letting his guard down again.Maybe he didn't want to let me in like he did before.Maybe he was forgetting all that happened between us that's why when he realised that we both were in a complicated position,he backed away.

No forehead kisses,no goodnights,no asking if I need anything,no short glimpses of each other's eyes.

He just turned away just like that.