"I was able to leave work early." An older Nick kissed my neck.
I stood up and hugged him back when he laid his lips on mine, before we could deepen the kiss the two children came running out to latch onto Nick, their Dad. They really loved their father, for good reasons because he was good at being a parent, it seemed. Nick picked up Felicity and put an arm around Zachary. Then quickly he put his lips on mine again...
But this time the scene seemed to rip like a photograph with someone screaming in pain. The screams seemed to get louder. The most horrible ear splitting yell that I have ever heard before that would make Grendel smirk with pride from his home in the darkest part of the world.
"Nick!" the screaming voice cried out, but the shrieks continued except in more pain than anything imaginable.
I wanted someone to make it all end. It was killing my soul hearing it all. My head felt like it was splitting. My lungs ached.
"Rachel!"
I felt firm grip on my shoulders and my eyes seemed to shoot wide open to see Nick looking more terrified than I had ever seen him before. My insides shook as my heart could not stop hammering, preparing to beat right out of my chest.
"Rachel, are you alright?" Nick checked as I could hear the panic in his own voice.
"I...I...."
Nick put his arms tightly around me as if he was afraid for dear life as he curled up next to me trying to calm me down. His grip needed to get tighter. My heart was pounding against my chest from the girl's cries as fear raced through every fiber of my whole body. I couldn't even close my eyes, too afraid to see what the screaming was for, what was causing all of the chaos. I drew myself against Nick, feelings his arms around me. My own arms gripped Nick, smooshing us together. I didn't think I could have escaped from his embrace even if I wanted to. Nick's head rested on mine in attempt to calm me down as I turned toward his chest to hide from the world. My hand clenched onto the fabric of his t-shirt near his shoulder to try to steady the shaking. I never wanted to detach myself from my living security blanket.
"It is okay now, Rachel, you don't worry. I won't let anything hurt you," he whispered against the top of my head before kissing my forehead.
14
Nick
Hearing Rachel screaming in pain that was killing her terrified me to no end. After jolting out of bed I rushed into the room to notice that she was asleep when she was yelling out and that was scaring me even more. I could not wrap my arms around her tightly enough. Quickly I sat next to Rachel. She soon curled up in my arms, too afraid to close her eyes. I started to stroke Rachel's cheek to her jaw-line, in an attempt to help her relax, brushing some of her loose hair out of her face as it fell. Each caress was tender so that I would not startle her. We both needed sleep, but she seemed to be trying to prevent herself from sleeping at any cost. I could feel my eyes still heavy from being woken up in the dead of night.
"Rachel, do you want to talk about it?" I whispered into her ear.
She just shook her head and put her head on my shoulder instead of my chest where it had been. Rachel was buried into my body. I thought that the best thing for her was to try to get her back to sleep. Sleep would help calm her nerves, she just needed to relax. So without trying to move her I placed the fleece blanket over us and Rachel started to fall back to sleep. I little by little shifted her onto on her side. Her eyes seemed to drift down a little wanting to rest. I pulled the blanket up to her shoulders to keep her warm. I stood up slowly and about to go to bed myself, I bent down holding back her hair to lay a sigh of a kiss onto her forehead. Rachel's eyes shot wide open once more.
"Where are you going?" Her voice was weak.
"Go back to sleep Rachel."
"I can't," her voice came out sounding so small.
Rachel was sitting up with her eyes large, playing with the edge of the blanket that was spread across her body. I stared at her and I scooped her up effortlessly in bridal style. She did not put up a fight. Her body conformed against mine like a ragdoll, but my eyes stayed on hers. I took careful steps to my room with her still in my arms.
"What are you doing?" Rachel whined, too tired to yell, her voice was so drained. I knew she was not going to try to squirm out of my arms, instead she draped her arms loosely around my neck, "Put me down."
Her head rested against the nape of my neck. Rachel's eyelashes fluttered against my skin. I closed the door with my back before I made my way back to my bed. Since the sheets were thrown over from waking up to get to Rachel, I laid her down so that her head was on the pillow and her legs were stretched out. I pulled the sheets up to her chest so that she would stay warm before I made my way
