Red, chapter 6

       “GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!”
       Colin awoke so abruptly that he felt a wave of sickness wash over him. But it was nothing compared to the one brought on by fear, when he discovered the screaming hadn’t been part of his nightmare, but something happening in the here and now. When he opened his eyes, he could see nothing, but heard sounds as from a fight in the corner by the window. He automatically reached out for his bedside light, forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t in his home in Melbourne. The few seconds before he remembered where he was made him nearly hyperventilate in confusion. Then he finally jumped out of his bed and made for the light switch by the door, careful not to turn his back on whatever was going on at the other side of the room.
       It was a woman screaming, and he knew it was Red even if he hadn’t heard her voice other than when she was mumbling in her sleep. Staring wildly towards the corner, he wasn’t prepared for the blinding effect of the light, and for a second it seemed he saw less than before.
       Lifting his hand up to his eyes, shading them, he could make out Red pressed up against the wall in fear. She screamed so wildly, almost unearthly, that he couldn’t gather his thoughts at first. When he did, he discovered that, despite her cries to be left alone, she was alone. Her hands were brushing and scratching all over her body, as if trying to get something off, and only now did he notice that she was naked. All over her skin were red scratches, some bleeding a little, and she was a lot skinnier than he’d imagined. Her hair falling down over her shoulders and half covering her small breasts couldn’t cover up her ribs visible through her white skin.
       “Red,” he said in a low voice, afraid to scare her if she hadn’t notice him. She seemed unaffected by the light and his movements, but by the sound of his voice she finally looked up. Staring directly into his eyes, hope mingling with the fear in her own, she reached out to him, suddenly screaming again in a panic:
       “GET THEM OFF ME! PLEASE! MAKE THEM GO AWAY!”
       He felt a chill go down his neck towards the base of his spine, as he could still see nothing on her, and no one near her.
       “There’s no one here,” he tried to insist, but his voice wouldn’t obey. He tried speaking a little louder. “You’re okay, there’s no one here who can hurt you. It’s all right, you can relax. I’m here, and you’re safe with me. Okay?”
       Despite the light in the room, the pupils of her eyes were open wide, making her eyes look black and shiny. He took a few steps forward, and in the silence that followed, he could hear Brian hyperventilate in the top bunk. He mutely cursed him for not coming down to help. He stopped, and considered her for a moment, before deciding that it was okay to walk up to her. Carefully he placed his hands on her naked shoulders. She was shaking violently, and underneath his own trembling hands he could feel her cold skin in goose bumps.
       “It’s okay,” he repeated, not knowing what else to do. She burst into tears and leaned her head against his chest, crying into his Nirvana t-shirt. He tried putting his arms around her, but it felt too intimate, and he rather stroke her hair gently until she calmed down. Her hair smelled of sweat and female endorphins, and something stirred deep in his stomach. Leaning a little away from her to see her face, he brushed some stray hairs away from her eyes. Her hands clutching the back of his t-shirt, she blinked away the last few teardrops, sniffling. She didn’t move as he kissed her forehead gently, and still didn’t protest as he pushed her away a little to look into her eyes.
       “How’s it going?” he smiled gently, trying – but failing – to hide his concern. “You okay?”
       She nodded quietly.
       “You just had a nightmare, that’s all,” he continued. But she didn’t react the way he had intended. Instead of calming down, maybe even laughing it off, she looked up at him, fearfully, and shook her head to explain that it hadn’t been a nightmare. It had been real. Her eyes looked past him, and fixed themselves on something behind him. He turned around quickly, his heart beating so fast he could hear a buzzing in his ears. There was nothing there. Then he realised it was the door she was staring at.
       “It’s locked, Red,” he assured her, but something made him feel less sure. With a final stroke of her hair he let go of her, walked over to the door and, without even pressing the handle down, pulled it towards him. The door followed his movement unhindered. Behind his back he could sense more than hear Red backing up against the opposite wall, and he felt a sudden urge to do the same himself. He didn’t know from where he took the courage, but opening the door wide enough for him to slip out, he took a quick look down the corridor in both directions. Nothing there. Bouncing back in the quickest he could, he made sure to lock the door closely behind him.
       “There’s nothing out there,” he said, his voice trembling. He had been the last one to come in the night before, and after the incident with the car, he had been sure to lock it. There was no doubt in his mind about that. Red sank down into a sitting position, her back against the wall. She picked up her t-shirt from the floor and covered herself half-heartedly.
       “I’m so tired,” she said in a hoarse voice, before putting her face in her hands. A few seconds later she took them away again, revealing her burning hot face, and shiny eyes. “I’m so tired of being scared, and I’m so tired of crying. My God, Colin, please take me away from here!”