9. The Motive
1186 Words
The shadows in the room seem to thicken, coiling around me like a living thing. I can feel it—something is here with me, just beyond the edge of darkness that bordered my vision.
"Who's there?" My voice hitches, each word trembling on the edge of hysteria. I can feel someone is watching me, but I can't see him.
No answer came. All I hear is the sound of my own erratic breathing.
"Show yourself!" I demand. "I know you're there. I can feel you!"
A soft shuffle breaks the silence, the faint sound of footsteps—or perhaps the rustling of cloth. Every muscle in my body tensed, preparing for an encounter with... what? A ghost from my past life? A fragment of memory? Or something far more sinister?
"Chloe..." The voice seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. It doesn't sound like a man or a woman.
"Stop playing games!" Anger bubbles up inside me, pushing back against the oppressive fear.
Then, without warning, a cold hand settles on my shoulder, its touch ice against my skin. I jerk away instinctively, but the grip is firm, unyielding.
A chill ran down my spine. Am I going to die again?
"Please, don't..." The words are barely audible, choked out between shallow breaths. The hand feels real enough.
"Chloe, listen." The voice again, closer now, intimate and terrifyingly personal.
"Who are you?" I manage to gasp, straining against the dream that threatened to suffocate me.
"You need to die," the voice tells me.
Gasping, my eyes snapped open, the specter of that cold touch lingering on my skin. My pulse hammers against my throat. I lie still, staring up at the faint outline of the ceiling fan.
"Chloe?" Axel's voice pierces the stillness of my room, tinged with concern.
I fumble for composure, trying to steady my breath. "I'm fine," I lie, not ready to confront the intensity of his gaze or the implications of my dream.
"Nightmare?" he asks.
"Yeah," I answer.
Axel touches me, making me tremble.
"Want to talk about it?" he asks.
"Nothing to say." My voice is a whisper, betraying the storm inside me.
"Are you sure?" Axel's voice cut through the stillness again, softer this time, hesitant.
"I am sure. You can go back to bed, Axel," I say, my voice barely audible, even to my own ears. The darkness seemed to swallow my words.
He moves closer, and the mattress dips under his weight as he shifts. "You're shaking," he observes quietly.
"It's nothing." I force indifference into my tone, hoping it would mask the tremor in my limbs. "Just a stupid dream."
"Here," he whispers, reaching out. His fingers brush against my arm, tentative at first, then with more confidence as he draws the blanket up to my shoulders. His touch is light, almost invisible, but it might as well have been fire against my skin.
"Thanks," I manage to say. The warmth from Axel's fingers lingers like a question mark, one I am not sure how to answer.
"Bad dreams can feel real sometimes," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room. "You know you can trust me, right?"
"Trust," I echo internally, the word bitter on my tongue. Can I trust him?
"Sure," I say aloud, though my mind races with doubts.
"Try to get some more sleep," he suggests.
"Okay." My reply is automatic, a reflex. But as I watch him turn on his side and go to sleep, I can't help but wonder: is it even safe to sleep next to him like this?
With every breath, I will my body to relax, but I can't get rid of the tension. I had never felt more alone.
~-~
I am pulled from my sleep by a persistent shaking, and I groggily try to fight it off. "Wha-what? I just got back to sleep," I groan in protest.
"You will be late for work, Chloe," I hear Axel's voice whisper urgently in my ear.
Work? My eyes snap open in shock and confusion. "I have a job?" I rasp out, my throat dry and scratchy.
Axel shoots me an irritated look. "Yes. Cass, you have a very important job shaping young minds as a teacher. Now get up before you are late."
"Where do I work again?" I ask awkwardly, feeling completely lost and disoriented. This reincarnated life is proving to be much more difficult than I ever imagined. If this was God's doing, then he must be enjoying torturing me. Why else would he allow me to retain my old memories but leave me with no knowledge of my current life? It's a cruel and confusing situation.
"Are we playing the lost memory game again? Fine, I'll play along. You are a kindergarten teacher," Axel retorts.
Suddenly, something clicks inside me, and all the memories come flooding back. That's right! I am a schoolteacher! I can even recall my favorite student, Molly, and the odd boy in my class named Gary who has a fascination with drawing complicated giraffes.
I can't help but giggle at my own silliness. "Sorry, just joking around. Of course, I remember my job now. I'm getting up!"
Axel shakes his head as if he is tired of me, but he smiles. "Great. I am heading to the office."
"What are you doing at work today?" I ask carefully, as I don't want him to know that I still have no idea what he does for a job.
"I have a big meeting with the investors. We're trying to secure funding for a new project," Axel says. "I have to do a good job to impress my mother-in-law." He grins sheepishly.
Mother-...he works at my mother's business!
"So...um...what's it like being an owner?" I ask, choosing my words carefully again.
Axel's eyebrow quirks up. "Um...owner? I am not an owner. You are, remember? She put the business under your name. I merely work for you, so technically, you are my boss." Axel laughs, but I can't help but notice a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Axel's words hit me like a ton of bricks. I am the owner of my mother's business? Me? It all seems so surreal. How did this happen? And why don't I remember any of it?
"Are you serious?" I ask incredulously.
Axel looks at me with confusion. "Yes, I'm serious. Your mother transferred ownership to you about a year ago. She wanted you to take over the family business."
Wait a minute...this could be a motive for him to murder me in this life too! He wants my business to be rich!
I have to tell Cassie this. I wonder if she already knew. But if she did, why didn't she mention it?
I let Axel walk out the door and get ready to go to my own job. The memories of me teaching a class full of little kids are starting to flood black, and that puts a smile on my face. I remember enjoying their company immensely and dreaming about having one of my own all the time.
- Writer
