"Kiss me. That's the only compensation I desire from you."
I was stunned to hear such words. The raw honesty of his request left me speechless. My mind was racing, and I contemplated whether I should listen to him.
I trembled as I leaned over to him, and as soon as our lips met… I pushed him back the second they did.
"There… Now tell me–" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when he suddenly grabbed me by the waist. His face was so close to mine, our lips centimeters apart.
"You call that a kiss? How cute." His voice, a sultry whisper, sent shivers down my spine as he cupped my face. He drew himself closer, and his lips reunited with mine. The sudden contact made me feel as if the world around us faded away. My heart was pounding, and all I could think of was how I wanted to be with him. Did I just think that? Just as his lips parted away from mine, he looked at me with that gentle gaze of his.
"Enough of this, Aella."
"Haha.. I must be crazy."
Sitting up in bed, Aella traced the contours of her own face, her fingertips passing over her lips as she contemplated the dream's audacious nature.
"Dreaming about something like that... I must be absolutely mad," she murmured to herself.
Aella glanced at the clock on her nightstand, its glowing red digits showing 3:16 AM. She sighed, knowing sleep would not come easily after such an intense dream. She slipped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, hoping a glass of water might help calm her racing heart.
The kitchen was dimly lit by the soft glow of the streetlight outside. As she filled a glass with water, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a tall man behind her. She spun around, her heart leaping into her throat, but there was nothing, rather, no one there.
"Just my imagination," she whispered, trying to convince herself.
She took a sip of water and leaned against the counter, trying to shake off the lingering sense of unease. The dream had felt so real, more vivid than any she'd had before. The man's touch, his voice, even the way he looked at her… it all felt tangible, as if he had truly been there with her.
Aella returned to her bedroom, but the feeling of being watched persisted. She double-checked the locks on her windows and doors, then climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She tried to focus on the mundane details of her room, the patterned wallpaper, the ticking of the old clock, the familiar creaks of the house settling.
Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted back into an uneasy sleep. But this time, the dreams did not come. Instead, she awoke to the blaring sound of her alarm, feeling more tired than when she had gone to bed.
The morning light streamed through her window, offering a small comfort. Aella went through her morning routine mechanically, her mind replaying the dream over and over. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just a figment of her imagination.
At work, Aella struggled to concentrate. Her coworkers noticed her distraction, but she brushed off their concerns with reassurances that she was fine.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time Aella returned home, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She cooked a simple dinner, ate in silence, and then decided to take a long, hot bath to relax.
As she sank into the warm water, she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. But the moment she did, the man's face from her dream flashed behind her eyelids. His dark, intense eyes seemed to pierce through her.
With a start, she sat up, the water sloshing around her. She couldn't let this dream control her life. It was just a dream, she told herself firmly. Nothing more.
"Nothing more, you say?" A sudden, deep voice echoed ominously in the room, interrupting her train of thought. Aella's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding in her chest. Was she still dreaming?
She glanced around the room, the dim light casting eerie shadows on the walls. Before she could process what was happening, she felt a pair of strong hands wrapping around her waist.
Aella's breath hitched as it suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer into a tight embrace. Her body froze, her mind paralyzed with fear as she struggled to break free. But the hands held her captive, their grip growing tighter by the second. She could feel the man's body pressed against hers, his breath warm on her neck.
Aella's struggle intensified as she tried to free herself from the nightmarish hold. The man's breath grew hotter against her skin, his grip unyielding. The world around her started to spin as she gasped for air, the pressure squeezing the breath of life from her body.
Suddenly, the man's lips were on Aella's neck, his mouth sucking and tugging at her skin. He nipped and bit, leaving behind stinging sensations that made Aella's body recoil in pain and terror. She could feel her tears mixing with his saliva, the salty taste of fear mingling with his hungry lust.
As their bodies were pressed closer in their struggle, Aella suddenly realized the horrifying truth – she was not in the bathtub any longer. Instead, she finds herself submerged in a deep, dark lake, completely trapped in the man's grip. The water enveloped her, silencing her screams and filling her lungs.
As her mind struggled to make sense of her surroundings, she felt a harsh cough force its way past her lips. Her lungs burned and ached for air, and she felt a desperate need to gasp for breath. Her vision swam as water poured out of her mouth and nostrils.
Aella's eyes fluttered open, and she coughed violently, water spewing from her mouth as she gasped for breath. She blinked, her vision clearing slowly. She was lying on her back, looking up at the night sky.
The sound of distant sirens reached her ears, and the face of a man hovered over her. She couldn't believe her eyes as she recognized him immediately. It couldn't be. Was everything still a dream?
She thought to herself, "How did I end up like this? I could've sworn I was in my bathtub…"
"Stay still," he said softly. "I've called the ambulance, and they're here to help." Aella's mind raced as she couldn't make out what was happening. "Who... who are you?" she managed to whisper as her voice trembled.
The man gently brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. "I'm Bennet," he said. "You need to stay still.. You've inhaled a lot of water."
Aella's heart pounded as she tried to process everything. The warmth of his hands, the familiarity of his voice – it was all too much.