A Shadowlander’s Dream: Book Three - Rules of the Flesh
Written by Kathryn K Williams
Chapter Four
As the Dorm Heads and the Head Mistress moved down to the lobby Kima, now preferring to be called Kimberly, sat up in bed, clenching at her chest and gasping as she tried to catch her breath. It felt as if someone had punched her in the chest, forcing every last bit of air from her lungs and now each breath came in quivered spurts. Air finally filled her lungs as she took several deep breaths, causing a dizziness to overcome her and she lay back in the bed once again. Her mind was a flutter of memories and images from the day’s events and dreams. She clenched at the sides of her head as a thousand thoughts threatened to crack open her skull and leak out upon pillow behind her head. She pulled off the blankets, with the intent to search for some painkillers, when she discovered a small, frail, nude girl with sandy brown, sweat matted, hair, curled up beside her. Her mind raced as it tried to recall how this girl ended up in bed with her. She reached out to touch the girl when another flood of memories invaded her mind. A foster home, several young girls, a dark room, camera and... Her lips quivered and she was over come by a queasy feeling that rose up from her stomach and made her lips suddenly felt numb and a heat rose up around her neck and behind her ears. Quickly she got out of the bed and rushed to the small bathroom that adjoined the bedroom. Without hesitation she stuck her head in the toilet bowl and processed to vomit.
A sicken sweet smell filled her mind and she could taste it upon her puke covered lips. She wiped at her mouth and smelt a linger scent of something familiar upon her finger tips, a scent that made her stomach turn once again and she crouched over the toilet yet again, awaiting the inevitable foul liquid to come pouring forth yet again. When only a dry cough emitted she sunk to the floor with her back to the glass doors of the shower. Her eyes wondered her surroundings as she tried to piece together where she was or how she got there. The last she recalled was being in Ma’am’s old foster home, cleaning the floors as she had been told, cleaning with her friends and sisters. She had no recollection of how she got from the foster home to this new place and this frightened her greatly. She scanned the room to find herself in the tiniest washroom she had ever seen. A single sink and a standing shower to either side of the toilet, taking up most of the space in the room, giving only a small square metre or more of moving space. A frost shaded bulb softly shed its light upon the rooms white walls and tile floor, a floor that was covered in a clutter of clothes that laid in crumpled piles in the corner near the door, a pair of pyjamas, a night gown and two pair of panties. She recognized the blue colour of the pyjamas and tiny paw prints that covered then within an instant. A friend has lent her those to wear, but what friends and why did they lend them to her?
Her eyes moved to one of the pairs of panties lying near the edge of the shower and she picked them up, inhaling its scent. It was the same smell from her memories, so sweet and so wonderful. She rubbed at her eyes as tears began to well up in the corners. What had become of her and how did she end up in this room with this strange girl? More over, how did she come to long for this scent? More memories and image filled her mind, images of her making love in the shower to the girl who now slept soundly in the other room. A girl that she now remember went by the name of Penny, a girl whom she had met in the foster home, where they had become very close. More then just foster sisters or just mere friends even, and this was not the first time they had made love to one another. There had been other times, but she would not have called it ‘making love’ those times, no those were nightmares and the images of being pressured to have sex with the girl flashed through her mind like the camera she was forced to strip before. With each flash of imagery she wrapped her arms around her head ever so tighter, hammering her head against the metal frame of the shower stall with increasing voracity in an attempt to ward off the horrifying memories.
“Kim?” A small weak voice drifted in from the bedroom, causing Kim to stop moving and search for a place to hide, she noticed she was still holding the underwear and shoved it behind her back as Penny stepped into the light of the washroom and stared down at the girl before her, “Are you alright?” She inquired worriedly, taking a ginger step through the threshold of the washroom.
“I... I...” Kim shook her head vigorously while clenching the sides of her head, trying to keep the tidal wave of emotions that crashed over her. She did not want Penny to see her this way and yet the closer the girl approached the louder the echoing voices in her head screamed at her to flee, but she held steady, cowering between the toilet and the shower stall.
Penny slowly lowered herself next to Kim and reached out towards her only to have the girl flinch back, hitting her head against the toilet’s tank and let out a scream of pain.
“I’m sorrryyyy...” Kimberly wept, holding her head, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Penny gently set her hand upon the trembling girl’s head, trying to coax her out from the corner and into her arms when Kim flinched in pain. Penny recoiled, “Kim, Kim it is just me.” She assured the girl, and then glanced at her hand to see spots of blood upon her fingertips. Her eyes moved to Kim again as worry built up inside of her, “Kim! You’re hurt!”
Kim reached up to touch the back of her head and quickly pulled away. She stared down at the blood that now coated her fingers and panicked, “No... no...” She slowly shook her head in disbelieve of what she was seeing.
Not able to take being in the room any longer she quickly pushed passed Penny and gathered the pyjama bottoms off the ground, “I... I have to go...” She stated nervously as she pulled on the pants.
“Go? Go where?” Penny stood as she watched the girl in confusion, “I thought you were going to move in with me?”
Those words caused Kim to falter as she tried to get her second foot into the pant leg. Penny rushed to Kim’s side, giving her balance and leading her over to the sink so she could hold onto something. For a moment the two girls stared into each other’s eyes, Kim pushed up against the sink with Penny’s arms around her.
“Please don’t leave me.” Penny pleaded, misery filling her tired green eyes, “I need you.”
Kim felt unable to pull away from those eyes, eyes that she clearly remembered now that she got a moment to look into them. She recalled those very eyes watching her through the night and how they silently offered themselves to Kim. Kim wrapped her arms around the girl and held her tight, “I... I’m not leaving you.” She stated, taking a deep breath as she tried to regain her thoughts. Something about holding the girl felt right to her, but at that same time there was the well of confusion, “I just need some time... to sort out my thoughts is all.” She rubbed at her forehead as another headache rose up from within, “And I need some Advil, or something, I have an awful headache.”
Penny stepped back from the girl and glanced around in search of something, “I’ll come with you.” She offered hopefully as she picked up the panties that Kim had only recently been sitting on and began to slip them on.
Kim reached out and took the girl’s cheek in her hand while shaking her head; “I need to be alone for a moment.” She said unhappily, “I just need to get some air, alright?”
A crushed expression crossed Penny’s face for a brief moment, which was quickly replaced by a fake smile, “All.. Alright... I... I’ll move my things around to make room for yours, okay?”
Kim forced herself not to flinch this time. Part of her did want to stay with the girl, but she did not wish to commit until she was sure where her mind set laid, however she could not refuse the pleading look in those eyes and let out a sigh of defeat, “Alright. You do that and I’ll be back in a bit.”
Penny smiled brightly as she rushed out of the tiny washroom and flung open the curtains, spiriting the shadows into the corners of the room. The room itself was rather large for one girl. It was square with the washroom in the corner and the bed up against one of the two sets of long windows that ran across the northwest and north eastern walls, Kim figured the building must have laid on an angel for she could see the sun drifting behind a large set of clouds in the distance.
Finding her pyjama top laying near the washroom doorway she picked it up, and pulled it on, as she watched the small girl run around the room, gathering her own clothes and getting dressed. Kim felt sorry for the girl and wished that her mind would sort itself out quickly so she could get back to the girl as soon as possible. While buttoning up her shirt she moved around the room towards the bedroom door and out into a hall.
“Come back soon.” Penny’s pleas floated to Kim’s turned back.
Without turning around Kim nodded, not able to face the girl again, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind herself and leaning against it. She thought she could hear the small sound of a chocked sob through the thick wood of the door and tried to force herself to ignore it, she was in no condition to be there for the girl at that moment and she knew it. She pushes off the door and glanced around herself, trying to regain her bearings but finding herself lost and confused. She did not recall being in an apartment building before; in fact she could barely remember what happened to herself and Penny after the foster home. She stood at the corner of two halls, one stretching out in front of her and another to her left. Halls covered in an old polished wood that darkened the area eve with the lighting, which was provided by the lamps that lines the walls. Down the hall, in front of her, she could see the light of the sun shining off the wood panelling and decided that would be the best direction to investigate first and started down the hall.
*****
To be Continued . . .
*****
Note: The world of the Shadowlands, Its stories, Characters and ideas are a copyright of Kathryn K Williams.
This story is based upon my manga of the same name. If you wish to view art from this series please visit my deviant arts site at: http://shinigami-shimai.deviantart.com/
For more of my stories visit my deviant hearts site at: http://www.devianthearts.com/viewuser.php?uid=159
Also if you spot any typos or other errors please contact me at katwilliams @ rogers.com
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