Page 27 of Amnesia

Seconds later, he reappeared. “All clear.”

I sighed with relief. I knew no one was under there, but the lingering feeling of being spied on was very difficult to shake.

“Tell me what happened,” he urged softly.

I nodded, my eyes finding his and latching on. We didn’t touch at all, but I still felt him just through the blue focus of his gaze. He made me feel stronger. I didn’t know why.

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping.” I began, still leaving my eyes trained on his. “Since I woke up from the coma. Lying in this bed just feels so overdone, you know? I lay here for months without moving or thinking… just being here. I’m tired of lying here. It’s just all so unsettling.”

“You’ve lost a lot of time.” He spoke emphatically, sorrow deep in his tone.

It was as if he truly understood. I didn’t know how he did, but it wasn’t an act or even just sympathy. Eddie genuinely sensed the loss I’d experienced. Not just of the time either, but the loss of my mind.

“Last night I had a nightmare.” I pushed on, wanting to spill it all. I wanted someone to believe me. “I dreamt of floating, sinking in the lake. The water was so dark it was like an entire universe all on its own. And I was there alone. At first, I remember feeling relieved, like a soul-crushing weight was finally being lifted.”

“But?”

“But then I realized I was drowning, and my body began to fight. There was a dark figure, a person, lurking at the surface of the water.” I shivered as I recalled the vision.

Eddie gently reached out and took the nearly empty hot chocolate from my hands. I surrendered it to him, then tucked both hands inside his sweatshirt.

It was the softest thing I could remember touching.

“When I broke the surface, he raised something above his head and brought it crashing down over me. He wanted me back beneath the water… He wanted me to drown.”

“It was a man?” Eddie asked, his eyes sharpening on my face. There was a slight tick in the width of his jaw as the back of his teeth ground together.

My stomach fluttered a little, watching that muscle work.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t see them. It was too dark.”

“You said someone was here, in this room. Was that part of the dream?” He pressed.

Against the warm, plush fabric, my fingers flexed. I shook my head. “No. He was here.”

Eddie leaned forward, placing his hand on the bed between us. His palm lay open and exposed, inviting me in.

I stayed where I was, and he didn’t seem the least offended. He didn’t even pull away. Instead, he stayed there, offering his hand should I change my mind.

“I went into the bathroom to get a drink. I was upset from the dream. I couldn’t tell if it was just something my mind made up or if it was some kind of sick memory. I thought I heard someone out here in the room. But after a while, I figured I was just being paranoid. When I left the bathroom and climbed back into bed, someone grabbed my ankle from beneath the bed.”

Eddie’s open hand flexed. His chin lowered so I could only see the top of his dark head. “Then what?”

“We fought. I fell, and they climbed on top of me, covered my mouth and my nose—” I stopped talking, recalling how I felt in the exact moment I realized this person wanted me dead. Blindly, my hand found his, slipping against his inviting palm.

Instantly, his warm fingers folded around mine, clasping them in a reassuring hold. He was much warmer than me, as if he were the sun and I a glacier.

“I managed to get away and into the hall. The person ran away when I started to scream.” I finished.

The pad of his thumb brushed lightly over the back of my hand, just grazing over the thick bandage covering the spot where the IV had been.

“Is that why this is out?” he questioned, again lightly stroking the bandage.

I nodded. “It pulled out when I was fighting.”

Still with his head bowed, Eddie said nothing for long, silent moments. Paranoia ate at me, making my stomach knot. He didn’t believe me. He thought I was crazy, too.

When he pulled back slightly, disappointment crowded inside me. But he wasn’t pulling away. As he moved, he brought my hand up, lifting it so he could press a gentle kiss to the back just at the edge of the bandage. Warm tingles spread across the surface of my skin from the softness of his lips. The sensation seeped into my pores, creating a certain, quiet peace that spread like a tree rooting in the ground.

---