Page 7 of Stalked

I turned to face her in the doorway, but she wasn’t there. The moonlight lit up the door, and I blinked in confusion, and a growing sense of panic hit me. I rolled over when I heard heavy breathing, only to see my mother kneeling over the bed. An object, shiny and silver, sparkled by her hip. My eyes widened when I realized what it was—a large kitchen knife.

“Close those little eyes of yours, Mercy,” my mom whispered softly. “I’ll make it quick, so you don’t suffer too long.”

The next few moments were a blur as searing pain took over my senses. I felt the blade go through my chest; the cold metal felt smooth as it pierced my skin. I had no time to react, fight back, or even scream.

The warmth of my blood trickled down the side of my body, soaking the bed sheets, and I blacked out.

After I awoke in the hospital, they told me I had managed to call 911, and an ambulance picked me up. Those memories of the aftermath had now been buried so deep within my subconscious?; a typical response caused by trauma, the doctors had told me.

For months, my brain struggled to process the thought that my own mother had tried to kill me—a woman who had sworn to protect her only child. A woman who loved me with all her heart.

They had found her in our backyard, sitting in the middle of the overgrown lawn, covered in blood?—myblood.

I wanted to know why she did it, but she refused to utter a single word until her trial. The only words I had heard her say since that night were spoken in court as she turned to face the judge.

Guilty, Your Honor.

To make matters worse, her fancy lawyer had pleaded insanity. He had collected enough documentation from doctors that declared my mom insane, and they gave her a life sentence at Raven’s Mental Institution in Salem, Massachusetts. It was one of the most secure hospitals where the most unstable criminals were sent. The judge promised never to set her free.

I felt uneasy the entire two hours the trial lasted. I could still see my mother’s eyes when I closed mine and feel the ghost touch of the blade as it pierced my skin. Sorrow filled me as I realized I’d never get my answers as to why she tried to kill me.

My eyes opened to the wave of panic coursing through my veins. I tried to take a deep breath, but I couldn’t. Then I saw Riley. Poor Riley, who still wanted me, despite everything that had happened.

He didn’t deserve this.

I wiped away my tears and watched as Riley took a step closer, careful not to touch my skin so close to the scar, as he gently pulled the sweater over my shoulder and zipped it up.

“Promise me that if those feelings you once had for me, never return …” Tears threatened to fall down my face again as his voice trailed off. “… you’ll find someone so much better than me.”

I swallowed down a sob. I needed my best friend, but the thought of us only being friends was weird. We had been in a relationship since junior high, technically even before. He was my first and only boyfriend and had been a part of my life for so long.

I could see the hope in his eyes, hoping that one day we could be each other’s forever. The forever that will never come.

He smiled and held his hand out for me to take. “Time to get you to bed, Mercy.”

_______________

I CRAWLED UNDERmy blanket that night, and my mind started reeling over everything that had happened. That night was supposed to be the best night of my life, as I celebrated new beginnings, but instead, it turned into a nightmare I couldn’t escape.

I closed my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep. The darkness faded away, and I saw myself sitting in a meadow. I gasped;hewas back. I had no idea who he was, but it comforted me to see him in my dream again. About a year ago, he started appearing in my dreams, a man with glossy, deep brown hair that fell just below his shoulders and light brown eyes that always put me at ease.

His fingers gently brushed my hair away from my eyes. I shivered as the tips of his nails caressed my skin. He gently tilted my chin up seconds before his lips captured mine. His kiss was soft and teasing at first, but it quickly deepened as lust and hunger consumed our bodies. Nothing else mattered, as I could feel his pulse under my hands—his soft skin touching my own. The man’s large hand trailed down my chest, gliding over my skin before it finally settled on my breast, teasing me. He let out a moan as if the expression of pleasure on my face was alone enough to satisfy him. I softly whimpered as he pulled away, wanting more.

“So greedy,” he purred, his lips lingering on mine. I could practically feel his warm breath against my mouth.

“Do you blame me?”

My God, he made me feel alive, even if he was just a figment of my imagination.

His other hand trailed up between my thighs and under my dress, spreading my legs apart. They instantly obeyed, allowing him easier access to my throbbing center. The man’s soft caresses trailed between my folds, prodding at my entrance before his finger entered me. My lips parted at the sensation, and he gave me a moment to adjust before moving his wrist. He thrusted in and out while his thumb ran circles over the delicate bundle of nerves. Pleasure roamed through my body as my legs clenched around his knee, bringing him closer to me. Never wanting him to be so far away.

I wanted more than just his hand inside me. God, I wanted more.

There, in my dreams, I could be myself and not hide from the world because I knew he would keep me safe. My body hummed whenever he was near. My head cleared, and I blushed.

He gradually built up the pace of his motion, bringing me closer to that blissful state I ached for. His eyes were glued to mine; he observed my reaction to the way he touched me—my head tipped back slightly; my lips parted as my eyebrows furrowed together. My body shuddered as he tipped me over that glorious edge, and I finally found my release. Momentarily, the pleasure that he provided flooded me. I struggled to catch my breath, and then my head dropped back to relax on the grass.

The beautiful man slowly dragged out his finger from inside me, putting space between us. This mysterious, gorgeous man made me feel things I had never felt with anyone.

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