Page 85 of Whispers of Obsession

She’s hurt. Rage burns through my veins at the sight of her injuries, but I push it down, focusing on her well-being first.

“Cora, who did this to you?” I demand, my voice tight with anger and concern. Cora shakes her head, fear flashing in her eyes as she looks past me toward her door.

My blood runs cold as realization dawns on me. Someone hurt Cora in her dorm room and could even still be lurking nearby.

My mind races with thoughts of how to keep Cora safe. “We need to call the police,” I say firmly, reaching for Cora’s phone.

But she grabs my arm, shaking her head frantically. “No police,” she whispers hoarsely. “Please, they’ll make it worse. I...I can’t explain right now. Please, just hold me,” she whispers, burying her face in my chest. I wrap my arms around her, feeling the tension in her body slowly ease as she clings to me.

Confusion swirls within me, but I respect her wishes for now. Instead, I focus on comforting her, wrapping her in a blanket and keeping her in my arms.

Why is she naked? She’s absolutely frozen and shivering. How long has she been like this?

Cora’s body trembles against mine, her skin cold to the touch. I stroke her hair gently, trying to soothe her without pressing for answers she’s not ready to give. The room feels suffocatingly quiet, broken only by the sound of Cora’s shaky breaths and occasional sobs.

It breaks my heart. I hate seeing her like this. Hate not knowing what’s caused her to be this upset.

After a while, Cora speaks, her voice barely above a whisper. “I...I...I was so scared.” Her words trail off, and she clings to me tighter, as if seeking refuge in my presence.

I can feel the weight of unspoken horrors hanging in the air around us, but I decide to wait for Cora to open up at her own pace. For now, all that matters is that she’s safe in my arms.

As the night wears on, Cora’s breathing steadies, and she eventually falls into an exhausted sleep in my embrace. I move us both to the bed, but remain vigilant, listening for any sign of danger and ready to protect her at a moment’s notice.

The first light of dawn filters through the window, casting a soft glow over Cora’s face, which is still lined with fear even in slumber. With a heavy heart, I gently disentangle myself from her grip and cover her with a warm blanket before tiptoeing out of her room.

As soon as the door closes, a terrified scream rents the air, and I race back inside to find Cora thrashing on the bed.

Her eyes are squeezed shut, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wrestles with unseen terrors in her sleep. I rush to her side, calling out her name in a desperate attempt to wake her from the nightmare that grips her so tightly.

“Cora, wake up! It’s just a dream, Cora,” I plead, shaking her gently. Slowly, her thrashing subsides, and she jolts awake, gasping for air as she looks around wildly, confusion clouding her eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe,” I reassure her, laying a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder. Cora blinks rapidly, trying to orient herself in the dim light of the room.

“What...what happened?” she whispers, her voice hoarse from screaming. I hesitate for a moment before deciding to tell her about the nightmare that seemed to grip her so fiercely.

“You were having a bad dream. It must have been terrifying,” I say softly, giving her a reassuring smile. Cora’s breath hitches as she remembers fragments of the nightmare that still linger in her mind.

“It felt so real...” she trails off, shuddering at the memory. I pull her into a gentle embrace, letting her lean on me for support as she recovers from the ordeal.

“Cora, you have to tell me what happened,” I tell her gently but firmly. “I can’t stand seeing you like this, and I need to know who hurt you.”

She shakes her head, tears still streaming down her face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry so much. She’s clearly stillterrified. “I-I can’t. I need to see my mom. She’s not called me, and I’m worried about her.”

I frown. That’s such a random thing to say, a complete one eighty on the conversation I was trying to have with her, but something tells me the two things, Cora’s fear and her worry for her mom, might actually be related somehow.

I nod slowly. “Okay. I’m not working until later, so I can take you over to her house.”

I help Cora get dressed and then gather a few essentials, and we quickly make our way to her mom’s house. The tension in the car is palpable, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Cora absentmindedly plays with the hem of her shirt, a troubled expression etched on her face. I steal glances at her, wondering what demons are haunting her.

As we pull up to her mom’s house, Cora’s anxiety seems to escalate. She practically bolts out of the car and rushes to the front door, fumbling with her keys in her haste to unlock it. I follow close behind, concerned for her well-being.

The door swings open, revealing a dark and quiet interior. Cora calls out for her mom, her voice echoing through the empty house. Panic creeps into her tone as she searches each room, but there’s no sign of her mother.

Just as Cora is about to dial the police, a soft voice comes from the kitchen. “Cora, is that you?”

Relief floods Cora’s features as she rushes toward the source of the voice. In the kitchen, Cora’s mom sits at the small wooden table with her head in her hands. Cora falls to her knees beside her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Mom, I was so worried about you,” Cora chokes out, enveloping her mother in a tight hug. Her mother pats her back gently, murmuring words of comfort, but there’s something troubled in her expression.

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