morning," he said angrily, pointing to the dirty
dishes in the sink.
"I had a lot of work to do today," she said,
still shocked.
"You sit around at home all day and do
nothing, the least you can do is clean the house. And do what I
ask." He glared at her.
"I don't do nothing all day," she said,
starting to seethe. "You know I have an online business to
run."
"That's just a bullshit excuse!" he yelled
and then his hand flew toward her so fast she didn't even know what
to do about it. He slapped her hard across the face and she
stumbled sideways. She couldn't believe he'd hit her. He'd never
done that before.
She stood back up straight, holding her cheek
in her hand. Her face was burning where he'd hit her. She stared at
him. "You hit me," she said, hoping he would realize what he'd done
and feel bad or sorry.
He didn't say another word, just pulled his
arm back and hit her again, this time with the back of his hand on
her other cheek. She lost her balance and fell against the sink.
She saw him grab his jacket and storm out of their apartment.
She let herself slide down the cupboard doors
below the sink as she sobbed. Her cheekbone hurt where his knuckles
had hit. She couldn't believe he was the kind of person who would
do that. They'd dated for a year. Lived together for four months.
She felt a horrible well of emotion in the pit of her stomach.
Panic and fear and sadness and shame. This is how it happened. This
is what it felt like to be one of those women involved with an
abusive man. Her head was pounding from the pain of him striking
her, and from her tears, as she leaned against the cupboard doors
and tried to make sense of this chaos.
Then she felt hands gripping her shoulders
and shaking her gently. "Karina, Karina," a man's voice said.
She opened her eyes and saw Luke. It was just
a dream of a memory.
"Oh, thank God," she said as she sat up and
threw her arms around him. He held her close and she felt safe
again.
"Another memory?" he said.
"Yes," she said, trying not to cry. "I dated
a man who hit me years ago. I moved out after the first time he
attacked me… but the memory was so vivid in my dream…"
"Shh…" Luke said. "It's over now. I'm so
sorry." He held her for a minute then stroked her hair and said, "I
figured out why this keeps happening."
Karina pulled away and looked at him. "My
nightmares?"
"Yes," Luke said. "There is a type of psychic
called a dreamwalker. They can access people's minds when they are
asleep. They probably have a vampire who is a dreamwalker working
for them. Bad memories are more… prominent. They're louder or
brighter. Easier to get to. That's why we keep remembering those
things."
"Wow," she said. "Why would they do
this?"
"I think they are trying to pinpoint our
location through our dreams. I had a nightmare earlier too. They
must not have found us yet. That's why they keep digging."
"Ugh. How horrible. I can't believe they can
get into our minds." She held her head in her hands. Then she
looked up. "How do we stop them? We can't stop sleeping."
"I'm pretty sure we can make a circle of salt
to sleep inside of. That will keep them out of our dreams," Luke
said.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "Salt?"
"It's been used for centuries to ward off
psychic attacks of various sorts. So… pretty sure."
He got up and glanced around the room and
then in the hall.
Karina got up and followed him.
"I'm looking for salt," he said. "Any kind
will do."
They searched the farmhouse and finally found
some salt in the pantry. One bag of rock salt for melting ice on
roads. And a canister of table salt.
"Thank God," Karina said, picking up the
canister.
They took the salt back upstairs and she
watched as Luke poured the salt out in a thick line all the way
around their sleep area. Karina gingerly stepped inside the circle.
"That's it, huh?" she asked.
"That's it," he said, stepping inside. "Why
don't you lie down and try to get some sleep," he said. "I'll watch
you and make sure you
dishes in the sink.
"I had a lot of work to do today," she said,
still shocked.
"You sit around at home all day and do
nothing, the least you can do is clean the house. And do what I
ask." He glared at her.
"I don't do nothing all day," she said,
starting to seethe. "You know I have an online business to
run."
"That's just a bullshit excuse!" he yelled
and then his hand flew toward her so fast she didn't even know what
to do about it. He slapped her hard across the face and she
stumbled sideways. She couldn't believe he'd hit her. He'd never
done that before.
She stood back up straight, holding her cheek
in her hand. Her face was burning where he'd hit her. She stared at
him. "You hit me," she said, hoping he would realize what he'd done
and feel bad or sorry.
He didn't say another word, just pulled his
arm back and hit her again, this time with the back of his hand on
her other cheek. She lost her balance and fell against the sink.
She saw him grab his jacket and storm out of their apartment.
She let herself slide down the cupboard doors
below the sink as she sobbed. Her cheekbone hurt where his knuckles
had hit. She couldn't believe he was the kind of person who would
do that. They'd dated for a year. Lived together for four months.
She felt a horrible well of emotion in the pit of her stomach.
Panic and fear and sadness and shame. This is how it happened. This
is what it felt like to be one of those women involved with an
abusive man. Her head was pounding from the pain of him striking
her, and from her tears, as she leaned against the cupboard doors
and tried to make sense of this chaos.
Then she felt hands gripping her shoulders
and shaking her gently. "Karina, Karina," a man's voice said.
She opened her eyes and saw Luke. It was just
a dream of a memory.
"Oh, thank God," she said as she sat up and
threw her arms around him. He held her close and she felt safe
again.
"Another memory?" he said.
"Yes," she said, trying not to cry. "I dated
a man who hit me years ago. I moved out after the first time he
attacked me… but the memory was so vivid in my dream…"
"Shh…" Luke said. "It's over now. I'm so
sorry." He held her for a minute then stroked her hair and said, "I
figured out why this keeps happening."
Karina pulled away and looked at him. "My
nightmares?"
"Yes," Luke said. "There is a type of psychic
called a dreamwalker. They can access people's minds when they are
asleep. They probably have a vampire who is a dreamwalker working
for them. Bad memories are more… prominent. They're louder or
brighter. Easier to get to. That's why we keep remembering those
things."
"Wow," she said. "Why would they do
this?"
"I think they are trying to pinpoint our
location through our dreams. I had a nightmare earlier too. They
must not have found us yet. That's why they keep digging."
"Ugh. How horrible. I can't believe they can
get into our minds." She held her head in her hands. Then she
looked up. "How do we stop them? We can't stop sleeping."
"I'm pretty sure we can make a circle of salt
to sleep inside of. That will keep them out of our dreams," Luke
said.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "Salt?"
"It's been used for centuries to ward off
psychic attacks of various sorts. So… pretty sure."
He got up and glanced around the room and
then in the hall.
Karina got up and followed him.
"I'm looking for salt," he said. "Any kind
will do."
They searched the farmhouse and finally found
some salt in the pantry. One bag of rock salt for melting ice on
roads. And a canister of table salt.
"Thank God," Karina said, picking up the
canister.
They took the salt back upstairs and she
watched as Luke poured the salt out in a thick line all the way
around their sleep area. Karina gingerly stepped inside the circle.
"That's it, huh?" she asked.
"That's it," he said, stepping inside. "Why
don't you lie down and try to get some sleep," he said. "I'll watch
you and make sure you
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