“What’s wrong?” I whisper. I have an overwhelming feeling to hug him close until his sadness dissipates. His footsteps have stopped. I wonder what he’s doing?
“Esmeralda?” I tense when I hear my name on his lips. It’s not possible. Did he hear my whisper? No, I’m sure it’s a coincidence because the only person that could hear that whisper is me. Is he looking for me? Why would he be out at this time of night, still looking for me?
“Can you hear me?” once again I whisper, but as soon as I say the words, I shake my head, smiling sadly. I think I am so lonely that the thought of this man hearing me pleases me. It’s clear that it was a coincidence him saying my name just after I asked him what was wrong. but it made me feel like we were somehow connecting.
“Yes, I can hear you.”
What? how?
My hand lifts to my mouth to keep the gasp in. That’s not possible, I know that he’s quite a distance away, that would mean that he has very keen hearing like me. I can feel my heart racing. I’m not sure if it’s racing in fear or excitement that there is someone else out there that has the same ability as me. “Don’t hide from me, I want to help you.” His words are soft but clear, seeming closer. I wish I could believe him, wish that I could just throw caution to the wind and go out to meet him, but I know that I couldn’t survive the tortures that I endured before with Sean.
I have seen the Elementals before, and I know that they are not easy men. They are hard, dangerous men. Men that take what they want, when they want it. I have nothing else to give. Everything has been taken from me. The only thing left is my life, and I will be damned if I will give up my life without a fight.
It wasn’t just the physical pain but the mental pain that Sean imposed on me, the constant torture eating away at my soul every day. I can’t let that happen again; I can’t let myself be caught by anyone. I have learnt throughout life that there is no happy life for me, that I need to make my own happiness in my own way.
“Esmeralda, talk to me.” His hypnotic tones call to me, but I hold my hand firmly over my mouth. I would like nothing more than to have a conversation with him, but I won’t because if he can hear me, maybe he can also sense me? If so, he can easily find me here if I continue our dialogue.
Maybe if I were somewhere where I knew it would be easy to escape if he was close, I would encourage this conversation, but in a little closet in a dilapidated building with no way to escape is not the time to do it.
“Esmeralda, let me help you.” His words are sad, but there is an underlying note of truth to them. “Let me protect you.” I wish I could believe him, and could trust his word, but I can’t.