WHO: Clio Furiosa and Gabriel Knight WHEN: 3am October 12 WHERE: School Grounds WHAT: Reunions and Nightmares RATINGS: IDEK STATUS: Ongoing/Closed
She couldn't breathe.
That was the first thing Clio noticed when she woke up. Gasping, her hands immediately flew to her throat on instinct, nails finding purchase in the soft skin of the fingers locked tightly around her neck. Choking, she continued to claw, movements frenzied and desperate as she began to thrash in an attempt to relieve the pressure situated on top of her. A grunt from above drew her gaze, which was quickly becoming blurred and spotted, upward. The eyes staring back at her were crazed, full of anger, and shining with a feralness she'd seen all too often. Only this time there was more than what she'd seen countless times before. There was a determination in them, a violent satisfaction that bordered on glee that sent chills through her.
He wasn't going to stop.
The burning in her lungs intensified as her movements became panicked. Clio knew he was past the point of reason now. She couldn't beg or apologize her way out of this. He was going to kill her, right now, no questions asked. She fought, desperately pulling at his arms and trying to dig her nails in as much as possible, but he outweighed her by over a hundred pounds and she was already starting to feel disconnected from herself. It was like she was outside her body, only able to feel in a detached way; the pain slowly ebbing away to numbness as she her movements grew more feeble. Desperation surged and roiled within her, but she could feel herself losing control of her extremities. Her hands felt like...nothing. She couldn't feel them at all anymore, and each attempt to hit him now seemed more like a tissue blowing against the side of a building. It was sluggish and weak, just like her ability to think. A strangled cry came from lips that had lost all feeling, but it didn't matter. After the beating she'd received before this, it was a wonder Clio had been able to fight at all, really. All that mattered now was the that the angry face was fading in front of her eyes, morphing and changing until it began to take the shape of another. The new face had kind eyes, dark as melted chocolate, that seemed to light up whenever he smiled. He was smiling at her now, and if she'd had any breath left, she would've sighed happily. He was so beautiful. Clio knew he couldn't be real, yet somehow he was here; here with her, just when she needed him. He was the last face she was ever going to see, and it belonged to the only one who really mattered; the only thing that mattered.
Gabriel.
With a gasp and a jolt, she awoke, sweat drenching her nightgown and the sheets she laid on. Her hair was matted to her head at the top, and tangled around her moist face in damp curls. Slowly, she brought her hands to her throat, as if reassuring herself no other fingers were wrapped around her neck. Clio could still feel the phantom pressure, as happened sometimes, and she swallowed back nausea as the memories rolled through her brain. She didn't need access to a mirror, or any light in the dark room, to know that the dark necklace-like marks would be visible if she could see. There was no need for makeup when she slept, after all. The doctors had told her that the marks would likely fade like every other scar with time and care, though had been honest in warning here there was a very real chance they'd never go away completely thanks to the severe pressure Jerome had used when strangling her. As if the thought had slapped her physically, she quickly dropped her hands, suddenly feeling like she couldn't breathe again. The memories were playing over and over in her mind now, and Clio imagined all the places still scarred or bruised on her body throbbing in agitation right along with them. Her room seemed too small suddenly, and she was filled with the overwhelming need to get out.
She paused only long enough to throw on shoes once the tangled covers were on the floor, though her movements were hasty and erratic. When she got to the door, her hands were shaking as she tried to pull it open, her fingers slipping a few times on the cool metal; just like they'd slid off Jerome's unyielding fingers in the dream. Nausea rolled over her at the thought, and she wrenched it open without another pause. Practically sprinting through it, she ran outside, suddenly desperate to feel fresh air on her skin and breathe it in. Clio had no real idea where she was going, only knowing she had to get away; as if she could outrun what had already passed. Gabriel's face shimmered into her mind again, still lingering from the memories, and she bit her lip in an attempt to push it out. He wasn't here. He was gone. He had left her alone and she had to live with that. Shaking her head at herself, she was so preoccupied with the image that she didn't notice the figure in front of her until it was too late. Clio connected soldly with the form, making her cry out in surprise (and yeah, more than a little fear) She was too edgy now, her mind somehow tricking her into believing she'd run right back to Jerome; warping her sense of reality as trauma and sleeplessness worked against her. All she could do was act on her instinct to run, stumbling backwards as terror seized control and caused to trip.