My sense of smell, and hearing was all I had left as a reminder of the fact that I was a Coleman. I traced her scent through the departmental buildings. It was a faint smell. She smelled like Lux soap and Cussons baby oil. She probably had soft skin too if the products she used were anything to judge it by.

Whoever took her couldn't have gone far. I heard when her footsteps stopped following me. I heard an oof and a help as though someone got hit, then footsteps. Someone was running far away from the scene. They were running towards the female hostels, muttering under their breath, "I need to hide, I need to warn him." It was Delilah. I knew her voice anywhere.

I went round the bushes to inspect who she must have hit. But the person was long gone, probably still after her. I ran towards the gate of the female hostels. I had her number. I wasn't a stalker, I just wanted her safe. I knew everything I could know about her with the limited resources I had. I had to and it was paying off now.

I dialled her number. It rung once and she picked before the second ring. "Who is it?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"Come out we need to talk." I said.

"I'm coming." No questions asked. She knew my voice.

Delilah came out. Her clothes from earlier were rumpled. The braids she had her hair done in were scattered in the pony tail she kept it in, like she tried to run her hands through the hair that was in a ponytail.

"I know you said I should stay away from you. But I couldn't. I can't. I lo- I care about you." She confessed. I narrowed my eyes at the words she almost said, then relaxed.

"Come here", I commanded, my arms outstretched to invite a hug. She looked at me weirdly.

"You said- " She started.

"I know what I said," I butt in rudely. "And I know what happened. It's fine. Come here." I commanded again. She complied obediently this time.

I pulled her in for a hug. "They th-th-they tried to kill me." She explained in a choked voice. "They said y-y-you were meant to d-die today."

I ignored her words, stroking her back and her hair. "I thought you'd be alright if I left you alone, but it wasn't meant to be that way." I confessed.

"What're you talking about?" She asked.

"Shhh, it's ok, love. I'm here now. They're not going to hurt you while I'm here. Whoever they are. But you can't stay here. You have to stay where I can protect you." I said burying my nose into her hair. She didn't deserve any of this. The cursed dreams I had hated, had now become a blessing. It was a warning. So I wouldn't lose the only other person I had. And I knew I wasn't going to. Because I had learnt my lesson.

I once heard a quote by Maya Angelou. "Love recognizes no barriers." It made sense now. Death, whether of those I had loved before, or the one that seemed to be lingering around the corner wouldn't stop me. No one could. She wasn't going to die. As long as I had breath in my body, I would keep her safe.

Total book word count: 3000 words