Page 161 of His Cursed Heart

It feels like one of those dates teenagers usually do. The dark room in which the only source of light is the TV, us two on the couch with the blanket and cuddling.

It's peaceful.

The movie starts and excitement settles in my body. It doesn't matter how many times I watch Corpse Bride because each time, I'm as happy as the first time.

Before I married Everette, the only reason I watched this movie was because I was so much like Emily. Victor married her by mistake and kept loving another woman despite Emily's tries to make him love her.

Victor chose the other woman repeatedly.

That's what I thought was happening in my life. Everette chose Keres and decided to marry her, even though I was the one he looked for.

I always looked at Emily and saw me. The way we both suffered after men who didn't even want us.

But right now, in this moment, my story has another ending than Emily's. I have my Victor. I have the truth and that makes me different than her.

Throughout the movie, I feel Everette's body stiffen at different scenes. One of them being my favorite.

I love you, Victor. But you're not mine.

I know he wants to ask me questions about the past but another thing that I love about him is the way he can read my body. Everette can figure it out by just one glance at me if I'm tired, or annoyed. Now, I don't want to talk about my past.

It feels like everything around me has a connection to it and just one moment, I want to live the present.

I feel his hand making circles on my thigh and I don't know what his intentions are. We are like a couple of horny teenagers that just discovered how a pussy and penis work.

I don't mind it though.

I try to keep my eyes on the screen, but two shadows are looking at me. Their eyes are red, piercing a whole in my body.

I look away and focus on Everette. Desperate to know that he's real, I take his lips in mine in a hard kiss. Everette chuckles and kisses me back with the same desperation, but deep in my black heart I know something is wrong.

The shadows are now moving around us, caging us in their presence. I kiss Everette harder, but he

separates from me suddenly. His eyes are worried and his body trembles.

"Why can't I feel you?" His voice is rough, full of fear.

I frown and I take his face in my hands, but his skin is ice cold.

"I can't feel your touch," He desperately yells. Everette tries to touch my hand, but his hand goes straight into mine, landing on the sofa.

Panic settles in my body. What the fuck is happening? I was kissing him a second ago.

I look around and hear the two shadows laugh. My blood boils when I recognize Hanibal and Ivan's laughs.

They are dead.

Ivan is dead.

Suddenly, my brain fills with memories of bombs, Everette's begs for me to not leave him, my sister and her baby.

Fuck, I-I'm dead.

"Althea don't leave me." Everette begs and his eyes are searching for me. "Don't fucking do this, Althea. In what universe do you think you'll escape me, baby?"

I don't want to leave you, Everette.

Three other shadows are joining the circle and my body is terrified.

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