ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴡᴏ

Demons in the dark

SOFIA

I was in a room, the walls closing in on me, the air thick with a sense of impending doom. Jenna was there, her eyes cold and unfeeling, her voice as sharp as a knife. "You took him away from me, Sofia," she would say, her voice echoing ominously. "And now I'm going to take something away from you."

The darkness of my dreams is broken by the echo of Jenna's laughter, her sneering voice playing on repeat. I'm back in that cold, dingy room she held me captive in, my stomach heavy with the child that Xavier and I had created. It's a nightmare I can't escape, an echo of the fear that clung to me those terrifying days.

Suddenly, the room vanishes, and I'm running down a dimly lit hallway. Behind me, Jenna's footsteps pound, growing louder and louder. The sound is deafening, and my heart pounds in sync with the rhythm; each beat a countdown to the moment she'll seize me again.

I reach out for the door at the end of the hallway, but just as my fingers brush against the cold metal, a hand grabs my arm. I scream, the sound ripping from my throat, raw and primal. I twist around, ready to fight, to claw, to bite...

And then, I'm awake.

"Sofia, wake up!" Xavier's voice breaks through the haze, his hands on my shoulders shaking me gently. His face is blurred, a mix of worry and fear etched on his features.

But the nightmare isn't over. Jenna's touch still lingers on my arm, her laughter still echoing in my ears. My heart is still racing, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. I try to tell Xavier that I'm okay, that it was just a dream, but the words get stuck in my throat.

My chest tightens. The room starts to spin.

I can't breathe.

"Sofia." Xavier's voice is panicked now. He's saying something else, something about deep breaths, and it's okay, but I can't hear him over the sound of my own heartbeat.

I clutch at my chest, my nails digging into my skin through the fabric of my pajamas. The world is slipping away, replaced by a whirl of colors and sounds that are too bright and too loud.

"Sofia, look at me!" Xavier commands, but I can't. I can't do anything but gasp for air, the edges of my vision going black.

And then, just when I think I'm about to pass out, Xavier's hands are on my face, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are wide, filled with fear, but there's a determination there, too.

"You're safe, Sofia," he says, his voice steady despite the terror in his eyes. "Breathe with me. In... Out..."

His breaths are slow and deliberate, and I try to mirror them. It's hard, so hard, but I try. For Xavier. For Saint. For myself.

And slowly, ever so slowly, the world comes back into focus. The panic recedes, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion.

"Jenna..." I whisper, my voice hoarse.

"She's gone, Sofia," Xavier reassures me, his hands still cradling my face. "And we'll make sure she won't come back. You're safe. Our son is safe."

I nod, pressing my forehead against his. His presence is a balm, a promise of safety. But the fear still lingers, a ghost of a threat that refuses to leave us. Jenna is still out there.

The threat never failed to send chills down my spine. I knew Jenna was out there somewhere, a specter lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. I had been living in constant fear since my release, my every waking moment consumed by the thought of her return.

I tried to shake off the lingering remnants of the nightmare, forcing myself to focus on the here and now. The soft hum of the baby monitor was a comforting sound, a reminder that my son was safe for now.

Xavier's arms wrap around me, pulling me close as tears stream down my face. I cling to him, seeking solace in his embrace. The weight of everything that has happened crashes down on me, and I surrender to the sobs that shake my body.

"It's okay, Sofia. Let it out," Xavier whispers, his voice filled with tenderness and understanding. He brushes his hand gently through my hair, his touch a soothing balm against the turmoil within me.

"I'm scared, Xavier," I manage to choke out between sobs. "I'm scared for Saint, for us. What if she comes back? What if she tries to take him away from us?"

Xavier's hold tightens, his voice filled with determination. "I won't let that happen, Sofia. I will do everything in my power to protect our son and keep him safe. Jenna won't lay a finger on either of you again."

My tears continue to flow, but his words provide a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. I desperately want to believe in his promise, to trust that we can overcome the horrors we've endured.

"But what if she's stronger than us?" I whisper, my voice trembling. "What if we can't stop her?"

Xavier tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes are filled with unwavering resolve, his love shining through the depths of them.

"Sofia, I will protect you with everything I have. She won't hurt you again... I promise."

I take a shaky breath, my tears beginning to subside.

"They need to find her, Xavier. Before she finds us."

_________

So I just realized I didn't give a visualization for the characters like my other stories, so here are the main characters. I'll show the side characters in the next chapter.