44

I screamed, sitting straight up in bed as I gasped for breaths. It was just a nightmare, I assured myself as I looked around my rented room in Alaric’s condo. It seemed despite my physical escape from Ace abuse, my unconscious mind was still trapped. I was haunted my nightmares every time I slept, and they were becoming more and more vivid.

I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and slowly got up. My body was still sore, and the bruises seemed to darken each day. I knew from experience they would peak in a couple days before slowly beginning to fade over the next couple weeks. It was never fast, but the mental trauma would last the rest of my life.

I wandered downstairs and almost expected to find Alaric dancing around in the kitchen like he so often did. Instead, I found an eerie and quiet home.

I grabbed some orange juice from the refrigerator and a glass from the cupboard. I set them on the counter and poured my cup when I noticed a note.

Steph-

I got called overnight to the