“Ollie,” I let out a small laugh, “I said yes.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
He grabbed my head and pulled me toward him for another kiss, smiles never leaving either one of us.
“Mia, I’m literally shaking,” Ollie said through a laugh and pulled my hand to his heart. “Fuck. I can’t imagine anyone as happy as you just made me right now.” He let out a heavy and shaky exhale.
Sunday morning, I awoke with a smile and Ollie by my side. Ollie had convinced Ethan to let him sleep in my dorm, and relief set in knowing I’d never have to sleep through a night terror alone again.
Hopefully.
I shouldn’t speak too soon, because if there was one thing I’d learned, anything could change like a flip of a switch … No pun intended.
“You don’t need a shower,” Ollie groaned, voice thick and husky and eyes still closed. “You smell amazing.”
A light laugh left me. “You don’t have to come. I’ll be fine. Just go back to sleep, and I’ll be right back.” The sun hadn’t come out yet—the dorm in complete darkness—and I gathered my things into my arms. He knew I preferred morning showers, and on most days, he’d join me. But we had been celebrating through the night, and he was exhausted from not getting any sleep the night before.
The hallway was empty. Ethan must have had the night off at home. I padded down the dark hall and toward the bathroom. Mindlessly, I went through my morning routine, flipped the light switch, turned on the shower, and stared at my own reflection, looking for changes.
I was someone’s fiancé, and not just anyone’s. I was Ollie’s. My face smiled back at me, and I dropped my chin before pushing off the counter, remembering the days I’d never imagined getting married to anyone and how the most significant changes were happening inside of me.
After two minutes of being under the shower, the entire bathroom went into complete darkness.
“Hello?” I called out.
The only sound in return was the shower pouring overhead.
I reached my hand out in front of me, unable to see anything.
Then a loud smash pierced the room as the sound of glass falling to the floor followed close behind.
My entire body froze until a second mirror broke. I curled in the corner of the shower stall, wanting to scream, but nothing could escape me.
All I saw was darkness around me.
All I heard was the crunching of glass under footsteps.
Then the sound of my curtain against its rod whipped through the eeriness.
Two gloved hands grabbed me from the corner and yanked me from the stall.
I fought against them but was unable to get a solid grip. I reached out to grab their face, but it was covered. I tried to find hair to pull, but a hood was over their head. My bare feet slid along the glass, and jagged edges sliced through my skin. Water dripped from my hair, falling to the floor, and mixed with blood and glass.
The figure pushed me back across the floor; my healing wounds broke once again. Fear gripped me as I fought against them, crying out for help. I screamed until my throat burned and all the air left my legs. Hands yanked my ankles, pulling me through the glass until something hard struck my head.
I went limp for a moment when all I wanted to do was fight. I had no control over my limbs. A hand fisted my wet hair and dragged me across the floor until my back was against a wall. They said nothing as tears rolled down my cheeks. My cries came out as whispered pleas, and I was afraid to move. Each time I tried to lift myself against the tile, the pain of the glass cut deeper.
And then they took a piece of glass to my thigh. It burned, and I screamed out from the excruciating pain until another blow to the head silenced me.
“Please, Jude,” I begged. “Please stop this.”
The silent figure moved the glass up to my center, and before they could slice another part of me, I pushed them onto their back. I tried to stand to run, but they were faster.
My head slammed back against the tile, and I spiraled through the blackness.
Cold air surrounded me as I floated. A light beamed overhead behind my eyelids, merely warming me, though not completely. For a split second, it was beautiful—until my consciousness kicked back, and the pain replaced the peace.
