Page 74 of Monster in Disguise

He's shaking, his whole body shuddering as he's rocking faster and faster.

"Marcello, you're safe," I try again.

I'm so scared. Just looking at him like this is enough to bring tears to my eyes. She touched him. She fucking touched him and now he's... he's shut down, hasn't he?

"Marcello," I lower my voice, "look what I have here. I made this with the materials you gifted me." I pull the bodice I'd made in front of him and start talking. Maybe changing the subject could help him get out of whatever place he shut himself in.

I tell him all about the process and how I'd worked on it.

"I want to make a princess dress for Claudia. You remember Claudia? She's my daughter." His rocking slows down a little, and he raises his head to look at me. His gaze is still blank, but one word escapes his lips.

"Claudia?" he croaks, and my heart bursts with emotion in my chest.

"Yes, Claudia is my daughter. You've met her. She's almost ten, and she's a little troublemaker." I tell him stories about Claudia scaring the nuns off at the convent, about her little stunts and her newly found love of chocolate.

"Catalina?" His voice is hoarse as he says my name, and I eagerly nod.

"Yes, it's me. Do you recognize me?"

His eyes look straight at me, and he furrows his brows, as if clearing the fog surrounding his mind.

"Catalina?" He blinks twice. He then leans forward, dropping his knees to the floor.

"Are you alright?" I move as close to him as I can without making him uncomfortable.

"Now I am," he whispers, "thank you."

"What for?" I ask, baffled.

"You made them go away..." he responds, looking above my head.

"Who, Sarah?"

"No." He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. "The demons. You made the demons go away," he says in all seriousness.

And then he does something that surprises me. His hand hesitantly reaches out and, with the tip of his finger, he strokes my cheek with the ghost of a touch.

"You always chase the demons away," he whispers, and a tear falls down his cheek.

Marcello

In that moment, it felt as if every nerve in my body had suddenly become a razor-sharp needle, each piercing into my skin with relentless force. Sarah's hand on my arm was barely a touch, but it sent me spiraling into a state of agony. It was the familiar feeling of being trapped and helpless, like I was drowning in a sea of pain that threatened to swallow me whole.

But then, just as quickly as it came, I retreated into my own mind. It was a place I had created long ago, a sanctuary from the outside world and all its horrors. It was a white room with no windows or doors, just an endless expanse of emptiness and silence. A place where the monsters couldn't reach me, where I could be alone... but at least I was safe.

Yet even here, in the safety of my own mind, the monsters sometimes found their way in. The room would suddenly feel too big, too vast for me to control.

That's when I would downsize. Imagining myself as small and insignificant, I would squeeze myself into a tiny box that held only me inside. It was a coping mechanism that helped me feel like I had some sense of control over my own mind.

But this time was different. As I sat in my small box, humming a quiet prayer to myself, I could sense somethingshifting. The air around me grew heavy and oppressive, like there were countless unseen eyes watching my every move. And for the first time, instead of waiting for the false sense of safety to come, I knew I needed to fight back. This time, I wouldn't let the monsters win.

As I retreated deeper into myself, a persistent voice from the outside world grew louder. It was gentle and soothing, speaking of simple things like taking measurements for a dress.

The melody of her voice washed over me, calming my nerves and providing a sense of security. She said a name... Claudia, and my heart tightened with a foreign feeling. Then she began to tell me about this young girl, her adventures, her journey through life.

Inexplicably, my walls started to crumble. The box that I had locked myself in started to expand beyond my control. I wanted to cling onto it and keep it contained, but it unraveled before my eyes until I was once again back in the room.

Only now, I was not alone. In my white room, there was a beautiful angel whispering comforting words. The more I listened, the more captivated I became by the sound.

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