Marshal served Andrianna some fresh scrambled eggs and sat beside her pouring himself another glass of scotch. His sorrows blurring by the minute as the alcohol began to enter his system.
He was becoming numb.
Night came back faster than Andrianna wanted. So, did the sounds. So did the scratching. But tonight was different.
Tonight it was raining. The familiar scent of the earth was stronger here in the woods than it was in the living room of her house. The loud clapping thunder competed with the scratching noises of the walls. And it came back.
The eyes, it was always the eyes. The cold eyes of the devil.
The loud gust of wind blew from the open window. The loud echoes hovered around her ears, but tonight the breeze felt different. For she only hoped it was a breeze that she felt against her shoulder.
Until it was not. For she felt the soft strands of hairbrush against her face. The scratching was now replaced by heavy breaths against her neck. Andrianna could almost picture the dark figure of the woman. She pictured her dark golden eyes speckled with blue. She could almost see her dark long hair and the blood-stained lips. Her skin would be iridescent blue, like the cold death of a body. And her long nails would soon brush against her shoulders. She knew they would. She pictured her black dress flowing against the wind when she whispered in a deep raspy voice, "why Andrianna… don't you want to talk to Francis again? I could send you to her"
Bile rose to her throat as Andrianna remained still. Too scared to scream, entranced by the sheer dread of the woman that she saw now.
In the reflection of the mirror, she saw the shadow of the woman's face at the crook of her own neck. She saw the long fingers curl around her neck as the woman whispered, "Boo!"
The woman descended into laughter as she watched Andrianna scream and cry for Marshal. Andrianna heard footsteps before the smile on the woman's lips faded. And by the time Marshal opened the door. The darkness had already consumed the woman.
Andrianna could not sleep anymore. Despite, Marshal having slept beside her again.
For she still felt her breath, she felt her breath all night long.