Emily's PoV:

Horrible, was the night. Too dark, it was. The darkness penetrated from outside and invaded my dreams.

It was blood all around me. My hands, my shirt, my face, everything was coated with blood. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. I was too traumatized to do anything. I couldn't move, couldn't call out for help, couldn't even cry.

I looked down to find a person before me unconscious and bleeding. My tears blurred him totally but I could feel his agony. I could hear him struggling to breathe. I could sense him desperately fighting for his life. Too much of pain was inflicted on him.

Sooner I realized it was just a dream.

I tried opening my eyes forcibly, but I couldn't.

I was imprisoned by the nightmare.

It was not the first time such horrors were happening to me, but the trauma it caused never ceased to shake me to the core. I gasped for air and screamed from the bottom of my throat but my voice was restricted. I couldn't even shout to alert Jasmine. She never knew I had such a problem.

My hands rummaged the sheets and got hold of my mobile. My hands were too stiff but somehow I managed to throw the mobile down the bunk.

Miraculously it alerted Jasmine.

"Em! What's happening!" She panicked but nevertheless she was confident enough to get water and bring me back to consciousness.

I gasped for air like a person who was saved from drowning. Jasmine comforted me without asking any questions. I didn't know Jasmine much, but she was there for me whenever I needed her.

She fell asleep sooner but I couldn't. I was awake the entire night.

Situation is going out of hand. High time, I must meet him.

I said to myself and stayed awake listening to songs.

Jasmine woke up the next morning with a sudden jerk as I was staring at her sleep. I saw peace in her countenance as she slept, and wondered how could she do it. I must have looked like a pervert.

"Hey sweetie how are you feeling?" she asked, with her usual warm smile. Her smile made me feel at ease like the dawn after a long dark night.

"I'm good hon. I need to be somewhere today. Can you cover up for me?" I asked her for which she accepted with a nod without any questions. I hoped she would question me sometime but she never invaded in my privacy and implicitly expected me to do the same.

"Take care Em. Call me if anything shows up" she said with concern as I left.

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Should I go in?

Yes I should, I didn't travel so long to go back.

No it's too much consternation for just a dream. I must leave.

No, I must go inside.

Standing at the entrance of my psychiatrist's house, I pondered whether to get in or not before which he spotted me gawking at his gates.

"Em I know my security is on leave but I don't let my guests to replace him" he countered before welcoming me. "Why were you hesitating to enter. You know my gates are always open for you"

I clicked my tongue casually, "You know psychiatrists are usually old and wise. They normally aren't so good looking, so I was doubting whether you were authentic Dr Roberts"

"Ah..that hurts" he faked a heart ache by holding his chest and winked at me. He took me to the lounge of his house and offered me a seat. "A friend of mine is staying with me right now, that's why I didn't take you inside"

"That's okay Chris. It's more comfortable here" I assured. Chris was my senior at school so we had a friendly relationship. Though he might be young, he was too intelligent and highly empathetic which made him a successful counsellor.

He took a seat on the couch opposite and ordered the maid to bring coffee.

"So, shoot, what's the problem?" Since he knew me very well, he directly cut to the chase without beating around the bush.

"A dream" I mentioned. Chris was the only person to whom I could open out without any hesitation. He looked directly into my eyes and listened to each word carefully. I explained everything that happened the previous night.

"Emily I've never asked you about this in any of our previous sessions..." Chris cleared his throat before asking me for the inevitable. I knew where it was going. "Did you encounter any kind of trauma in your childhood?"

I could feel a lump forming in my throat which choked my vocal cord. In spite of the alarm blaring in my head, I pushed myself to come up with the truth.

"I had this best friend in childhood. His name was Nick. He was everything to me. He promised to protect me at any point of life. But...but..." Tears profusely poured down my eyelids before I could form the next sentence, still I forced myself to complete it.

"I watched him die right before my eyes"

I couldn't contain it anymore. I broke out into tears and it was unstoppable. Memories of Nick flashed before my eyes and made me even more miserable. After so many years, talking about him made me miss him so much.

His blood all over my hands, was a stain of affliction that could never be washed away in a lifetime.

"Sorry Chris I need to be alone for some time" I apologized and excused myself out of the lounge, wiping tears away with the sleeve of my shirt.

Accidentally I encountered the mystery man from the previous day at the gate. He was concerned on looking at me cry.

"Ms Greene, are you alright?" he asked

Out of the blue I poured all my rage at him, "Who do you think you are? Are you stalking me? Why are you following me to every damn place I go? Can't you leave me alone?" I yelled and pushed and threw blind hits at him, like he was the sole reason behind all my pain.

Surprisingly he was too patient, bearing all the hits I made at his chest. Gradually I was drained and passed out unconscious.

I felt his strong arms wrapping around me before I could hit the ground. My eyes closed shut involuntarily. He said something, which I couldn't hear.

"I never left you Em...

I couldn't, even in all that pain, leaving you forever was unbearable.

I held on to my life just for you.

Like I promised, I will protect you

Forever and ever..."

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A/N: Hola dear readers. Hope you all got to know the identity of our mystery man.

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