Page 44 of Visions of Darkness

“Shh ... shh, it’s okay, it’s just me,” she whispered, tossing a worried glance back at our door to make sure no one had heard and was coming to see what was going on.

Gasping, I tried to slow the way my heart ravaged at my chest. Banging through the disorder that I couldn’t quell, my spirit and flesh feeling as if it were being rent apart.

“I heard you crying.” Uncertainty surrounded her when she crouched down on her knees at the bed at my side. No doubt, she was wondering whether she’d made a mistake by coming to check on me.

She wrung her hands, then slowly lifted her chin to fully meet me in the eye.

Brave and kind.

Because I knew in that moment, she was truly afraid of me, and still, she took the chance.

Inhaling a steadying breath, I tried to clear the chaos from my mind.

“I don’t like it here, either,” Jenny whispered as she eased down onto her butt and crisscrossed her legs in front of her.

Empathy rippled from her in waves.

“I hate it, really.” She gave a small shrug, hesitating for a beat before she continued, “But I’m really glad you’re here. I somehow feel better just being around you.”

A deep gratification burned through my chest. Even though she didn’t know why she felt better, it meant something.

It meant something important.

And even if she was the only one whom I could help this way? If maybe, maybe the voices were cleared long enough for her to find healing? Purpose and hope and faith? Then it would be worth it.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. “You’re going to be okay, Jenny. I know you are. You’re an amazing person. I can feel it. So please don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. I promise you they have no idea what they’re talking about, because you are incredible.”

Even in the darkness, I could see the blush light her cheeks. “Yeah, I think I am going to be.” She squeezed my hand back. “We’re both going to be.”

She smiled at me, and I couldn’t do anything but smile, too, connected to her in a way I hadn’t been with anyone else before. “Yeah, we are.”

It didn’t matter if it was a lie.

Without letting go of my hand, she shifted and lay down on her side. “Is it okay if I stay here with you?”

“Of course.” I lay down beside her, face-to-face. Jenny was clinging to my hand as she almost instantly fell asleep.

Brushing my fingers through her hair, I whispered, “Yeah, you’re going to be okay.”

No matter how exhausted I might be, I knew there was no chance I was going to fall back to sleep tonight. I wouldn’t touch on that sanctuary. I wouldn’t find peace.

Instead, every sense I possessed was trained outside our room, listening to each voice and footstep, every rattle and creak.

Each time someone moved down the hall, I tensed, prepared to fight.

This time, I wouldn’t be taken by surprise.

Shadows passed by the door several times during the following hours, but no one paused or entered.

I didn’t begin to relax until the sun finally broke through the tiny horizontal window high above our beds.

Five minutes later, a male’s voice rang out as he bustled down the halls, knocking on doors as he went: “Let’s go, my friends. Time to get up. Breakfast is served.”

Jenny groaned and rolled over, giving me a tiny giggle when her eyes blinked open and her face was two inches from mine. “I guess that’s our cue.”

“Sounds like it.”

I rubbed a hand over my face to chase away the grogginess as a gush of relief pressed from between my lips.

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