She ran and ran Kaelene ran until her lungs burned, not realizing where she was headed. She knew she had to get as far away as humanly possible from whatever was now trailing her from behind.
1...2...3...4, she stopped counting how many blocks she sprinted across at this point after a while and turned a narrow corner leading her to a dark stretched out alleyway. Great. Kaelene made way past a cat hissing stooped on a trash bin as she continued her speedy pace down the back alley wishing someone or something would save her when she heard the predator inching closer towards her slowing tired steps.
BAM!! Kaelene mowed into a hard figure in front of her.
Eyes closed tight, a loud yell was filling her lungs before powerful hands closed over her mouth and gripped her waist, dragging her away towards a dimly lit area leaving the dark abyss behind them.
She fought back against the figure all the way until they reached a familiar crosswalk. They loosened their grip on her waist while keeping its hand tightly around her mouth.
“Don’t move or say anything Kae, it’s almost gone."
She recognized the voice almost immediately and opened her eyes in both surprise and relief. Her brother, Payton was staring at her worried and confused expression with a sense of mindfulness that surrounded his ruggedly handsome face. The dark footsteps that were previously approaching her suddenly stopped and a few moments later, silence was set in motion. Payton released his grip on his sister and gave her the sternest look he could conjure up.
“What the hell were you thinking Kaelene! You could have gotten hurt! Who would have known what would have happened if I hadn’t spotted you in time what did I tell you about coming home early!” His eye brows bunched together with the typical scolding he gave.
She noticed her brother looking disheveled with his dirty blonde hair slightly flattened against his forehead, his t-shirt was backward and gym shorts heavily wrinkled with flip flops halfway off his feet.
Kaelene sighed in relief and could do nothing but chuckle and press her finger in between her brother’s eyebrows.
“You’re going to get wrinkles at this rate Payton, try to relax every once in a while, I'm safe now that you're here," Kaelene said relaxing a bit and stuck her tongue out walking ahead of him nonchalantly knowing well that she was trying to brush off situation that just occurred.
Looking back at the man who was currently muttering to himself silent curses, Payton then got in front of her to lead the way home.
“You know sis you owe me a whole carton of eggs… I dropped them when I saw you running earlier, I was on my way home from shopping and working out when I saw you running and had get dressed in order to keep your dumbass from getting hurt." Payton grumbled.
“You didn’t have clothes on when u went shopping?” Kaelene glanced up at her brothers' narrowed eyes, he knew that she was putting up a front but decided to go along with…
“No Kaelene,” he said.
“I was working out before I got the eggs and I figured you would be spooked with a completely sweaty shirtless man running up to you in the dark.” He let out a deep sigh of relief, “thankfully I got here in time” Payton said quietly. Kaelene nudged her brother and gave some silent thanks as they neared the small house they had to themselves.
Their fanatic hippie fortune teller parents were never home, feeling it was better for them to explore the world and its properties and feeling their kids should to the same leaving them to do just that. Amazing guidance they received... Payton unlocked the door as they entered the cramped 3-bedroom house, technically two, but their parents' room was filled with odd knickknacks from their travels and it was practically a storage room at this point. Her brother let out another heavy sigh as he settled down on their couch and took off his sweaty shirt revealing his strong fair back with not a spec of imperfection.
Kaelene always wondered why he’s never been a relationship himself, he has the strong looks and body, and to top it off the small beauty mark under his eye that female friends of her past would drool over. Perhaps Callisto could take him for herself; she laughed at the thought.
Her glamorous friend and uptight brother, now that would be quite an interesting pair.
“What are you laughing at smalls?” Payton tilted his head back and squinted his eyes suspiciously.
“Nothing dear brother! Just thinking about how uptight and unruly you are, no wonder you’ve never found a pretty girl to link arms with~” she shouted down the hall making her way to the shower listening to Payton choking on his breath while picturing his face in shock and disbelief with embarrassment. Kaelene went into the bathroom and stripped off the clothes she was currently wearing, a band t-shirt and jeans as she was one to like the more comfortable things in life, unlike Callistos whose style was the complete opposite of hers. Proceeding to wash and detangle her wavy locks she felt a greater sense of gratitude for her older sibling tonight.
Payton has always been there for her ever since she was born he was pretty much forced the responsibility at 5 years of age to be her caretaker. Kaelene's memories were quite hazy from childhood but she always had a clear image of her annoying big brother nitpicking at everything she did who practically raised her to be the woman she was today. She'd always appreciate and love him for that but wouldn’t let him know that though, his ego would go up like a hot air balloon if she did.
Hopping out of the hot shower and shoving a tank top over her head and grabbed a pair of Payton’s sweat pants and pulled them over her slender legs, he wouldn’t mind she thought, maybe. Taking a peek at the man lounging on the couch, mouth cracked open and snoring like a sailor she decided to leave him alone for both of their sakes. Don’t want another wrestling happening between them again and have another one of their plates smashed against the wall.
Kaelene made her way to her room, a small but comfy room filled with a single twin sized bed, a desk and small chair along with her reading lamp, clock and chipping window lined with duct tape. Payton had to put the tape on due to heavy rain that blows over every other season as a temporary fix to the minor leaking. She enjoyed the minimalism of her room as simple as it was, treasuring her bookshelf stuffed with all her favorite pieces of literature the most. Some books collected from old library’s needing to free up inventory, others gifted from Payton whenever he saved up enough money from working at the local bakery and gifted her the small luxury he could afford every so often.
Plopping herself in bed she immediately felt her entire body relax bed but now felt the after-effects of running a mini-marathon in her calves and thighs damn... was she going to be in pain tomorrow. Laying on her back and rubbing her hands over her face, Kaelene felt fingertips trembling still showing post-effects of the recent affair. She hated how weak she was in that moment, that vulnerability she never showed anybody at least anyone but Payton, who was kind enough to pretend like she was ok for her sake.
Tossing and turning Kaelene just couldn’t get that dark figure out of her head, what was that exactly? Why did that woman's corpse look so stilted?" Removing such thoughts from her head she stared up at the blank ceiling slowed her mind emptying her thoughts and quickly fell into a deep slumber.
Every time she'd dreamt she saw flashes of the same continuous images.
A man with shadows surrounding his face who would always look in her direction, he was suddenly on top of her, rippled body and hard chest covered in scars, strong thighs and knee pressed hard against her, Kaelene’s hands on his cheeks pulling him closer to her face. Closer, closer, as his lips brushed against hers and a pool of heat immediately churned below her stomach as the scenery changed instantaneously. Herself and the man who was now unrecognizable. He had his back turned and was now placed at a battlefield covered in blood, bursting out in heavy laughter that sounded of insanity. After that, the scene always ended as the man was about to turn to face her as a bright light and a blue flame came hurling straight towards her.
Wide-eyed and soaked in sweat Kaelene sat up and rubbed her stinging neck. She hated that dream. It’s one that she’s dreamt of for the past year since she turned 19, every night it’s been the same images flashing in her mind along with the mystery man who faces she could never see that frustrated her every time he shows up so... intimately.
Kaelene glanced up at her alarm clock. 2:30 AM it read in bright crimson lights, shimming back down in her sheets groaning in annoyance. She tried for sleep again until it was then she noticed there was a small illuminating light under the crack of her door that shone for a few seconds; then switched back to dark followed by light footsteps and the light creaking of a door being shut.
Payton knew of the dreams that kept her up at night and when he heard her light yelps start he stands by the doorway making sure she wakes and sleeps back again soundly.
He did this every night but whenever he did, it always gave her comfort in knowing he’s there making sure she’s always ok, after all that’s what big brothers are for. Kaelene snuggled hard against her blanket and slowly drifted off to a deep slumber once again, and this time she dreamt of nothing but a quiet light and peace. The same dream she always had right after the nightmare would take place. Little did she know at the time, that those nightmares were the beginning of a series of events that would change her life forever.
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