Page 107 of The Hate We Breathe
Darkness crowds against me, moving in shadows to flow over my limbs, clinging to my flesh and dragging me down, down, down into its depths. Unlike most people, I don’t fight it. Fearing darkness would be fearing what lives inside me.
Beep.
The sharp sound that invades is accompanied by a buzzing sound in my ear. Pain is there. I know I ache, but it’s as if the darkness is a fog protecting me from actually feeling anything.
Beep.
I swat at the buzzing. A memory intrudes, nudging me until it forces some of the darkness to release me. I flinch away from the light as the sharp bite of discomfort stabs at me. I don’t want to feel it. I’m fine being here, staying here. There’s nothing for me outside.
Beep.
Despite my attempts at ignoring it, both the memory and the annoying sound return. More forceful than before, it barrels past the fog and darkness until arms are wrapping around my chest. I look down, frowning as I take in the dainty fingers brushing over my pecs and down to my abs. They look familiar somehow, but I can’t figure out why.
Beep.
Shaking my head, I reach for the hands, prying them off one by one. Then I look closer. Short, blunt nails. Slender fingers.Feminine.
Beep.
I know these hands. Turning, the figure is immersed in gray, bright against the pitch black.
“Who are you?” I ask.
They don’t answer.
Beep.
Scowling, I release the hands only for them to come back to me, sliding up over my shoulders and around my neck as the gray figure brushes against my naked flesh. Lips touch my neck and a bolt of lust shoots through me. My cock twitches.
“Who are you?” I demand again, harsher this time. The longer their hands remain on my skin, the harder it is to block the pain.
Still, they don’t answer. Instead, a soft voice whispers to me, “Come back.”
Come back? Back where?
Beep.
Fuck.What is that annoying sound?
Shreeeeeeeeeee!
I swat at the little swarm of foggy gray creatures that fly about my head, the irritating buzzing sound jumping to a shriek that hurts my ears. Something smells burnt and I grimace as the scent of smoke and copper invades my nose.
What the fuck?
Shreeeeeeeeeee!
“Lex?”
I turn, glancing back at the call of my name, but there’s no one there.
“Alex… please… come back.”
Alex… no one calls me Alex. Not anymore. The only person who would call me Alex is…
Slowly, I turn back to face the gray fog, blinking as it gradually lightens, becoming more and more translucent until I can see the woman inside.
“Juliet…”
