Balm To My Wound

As I coughed uncontrollably, the other guy attacked Vincent. But instead of backing down, Vincent threw him to the ground and positioned himself on top, delivering endless punches.

When Vincent went too far, I grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Please stop!"

Willow entered the kitchen, and I could feel everyone's eyes on us. "Are you okay?" she asked, holding me by the shoulders.

I nodded, my voice still out of my control. "I just want to leave," I excused myself.

Her eyes welled up with tears as she apologized. "I am so sorry, all I wanted was for you to feel better."

Forcing a smile, I said "Thanks for trying" as I made my way out.

As I walked, I stumbled upon a park. My head was spinning, perhaps due to the drink.

I sat on a nearby bench, trying to catch my breath. However, a sense of unease washed over me as I felt a shadow moving around me.

Looking around, I noticed the bushes shaking in an irregular pattern, as if something was disturbing them.

I scanned my surroundings and heard a faint whisper, calling out my name.

Fear gripped me, causing me to reach for my phone. Instead of calling anyone else, I dialed Mr. Darkwood's number.

He answered right away, as if he had been expecting my call.

"Can you please come and get me?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Of course, where are you?" he inquired.

"I'm in front of the park near our school," I replied, sniffing.

"I'll be there in a minute!" he exclaimed, sensing that something was not right.

As I waited, the wind grew stronger, its intensity increasing. I could hear growls and animalistic huffs in the distance.

Suddenly as I stepped back, I felt a jolt against my back as someone bumped into me. I turned around and came face to face with the guy who had harassed me.

His face was crushed, I could see the bones of his nose with blood.

I covered my mouth as I cried with fear.

"Look what you've done to me!" he accused, his voice filled with anger.

Backing away, I defended myself. "You were the one who harassed me!" I said.

"So you chose to let him beat me to death?" he yelled, his frustration evident.

"I didn't do anything!" I shouted back, turning my attention toward the park.

That's when I saw him - the man from my dreams this was our second encounter. His black hair and raven eyes were captivating, almost seductive.

I felt an overwhelming desire to run into his arms as he called out to me, promising protection. "Come to me, I will protect you," he said.

I shouted, "Leave me alone!" The wind began to howl, causing the leaves to swirl in the air everywhere.

"Look around you," he sneered, "No one is on your side. They're all waiting for me to leave you so they can get their claws on you."

He extended his hand toward me, and as I glanced around, I saw my wounded and bloodied parents, the person who had harassed me, and my friends also wounded badly, all staring at me, as if I were to blame for their suffering.

"Come to me, Love," his voice echoed in my ears once again.

I turned around and firmly said, "No!" But despite my protest, my legs betrayed me, and I found myself taking steps toward him, tears streaming down my face.

As I got closer and closer, I closed my eyes, only to be startled by the sound of tires screeching against the road, I was just a step away from him.

I turned around realized the people I was seeing were just my imagination and then I saw Mr. Darkwood.

Without hesitation, I ran toward him, seeking shelter in his arms. I buried my face in his chest and wept uncontrollably, not caring if what had just happened was real or not.

He trembled at first with his arms open in the air, unsure of how to react, but as he realized that I had found safety in his embrace, he wrapped his arms around me.

He gently rubbed my back, trying to comfort me, and whispered, "It's alright, I've got you."

His voice was like a soothing melody in the midst of that hauntingly dark night.

I continued to cry until I felt a sense of relief, and he brushed my hair behind my ear, cupping my face in his hands.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, wiping away my tears with his thumbs as I nodded.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he inquired, his voice filled with concern.

I lacked the strength to speak, so he gently took my hand and said, "Come!" Guiding me into his car, he drove us to a nearby cafe.

"I am all messed up," I made an excuse to avoid going with him.

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment before saying, "Wait!" Reaching out, he removed the hairband from my hair.

Leaving my hair cascading over my shoulder, he lightly wiped my cheeks. Then, he ran his fingers through his own hair, intentionally messing them up.

"Now we're both a mess!" He smiled and stepped out of the car, opening the door for me and extending his hand.

I held onto his hand and stepped out of the car. "What about my eyeliner?" I smiled.

"Your eyes still look beautiful, even with smudged eyeliner!" He closed the door and turned toward the cafe. "Honestly that's not even that smudged!" He smiled.

My gaze remained fixed on him. He wasn't just beautiful on the outside, but his heart was beautiful too. I felt something stirring in my own heart, a desire to know more about him.

As we entered the cafe, he asked, "What would you like to have?"

"I don't really feel like anything," I excused myself.

"Neither do I," he thought for a moment. "What can we do about this?" His eyes scanned the surroundings until they landed on the counter.

"Let's have some ice cream!" he exclaimed.

"Do you like chocolate?" I asked. "Who doesn't like chocolate!" He smirked.

He knew how to bring joy to people's lives. In just a few minutes, he managed to make me forget all the troubles I had been through. I couldn't help but smile uncontrollably. We talked and laughed a lot that night.