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CHAPTER NINE OF TWENTY

❝ COVENANT ❞

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THE FOLLOWING MORNING, (NAME) FELT A LOT MORE DISAPPOINTED TO REAWAKEN IN HER OWN REALITY. It was irritating. The little, button-eyed doll, instead of being propped against the wall, was now cuddled up against her chest. (Name)'s eyebrows furrowed at the sight, placing the doll on the bedside table. Leela pounced on the bed, sniffing her owner. (Name) affectionately stroked Leela, who softly barked, looking over at the door.

(Name) gingerly placed Leela's small body onto the mahogany-coloured floor, and wrapped the blue blanket around her shoulders. The two exited the bedroom and headed downstairs. She noticed the cheese pieces had vanished from their spots by the door, making her smirk.

Racing down the stairs, (Name) quickly darted into the living room. The little door was closed. Just the way it'd been when she'd first gone to check if the pocket universe behind the door was real two nights before. (Name)'s fingers attempted to open the door, only for it to remain shut. It was locked. She frowned. "What the f-".

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"...AND THERE WERE GARDEN SQUASH LIKE BALLOON ANIMALS AND SNAP DRAGONS!" (Name) exclaimed excitedly, hours later, describing the second "dream" she'd had the previous night. Eric was too caught up in his own world of gathering off a manilla wallet of the printed-out pages for his sci-fi novel.

He resorted to his usual rationed response, with a clipped tone of voice. An "mhm" escaped Eric's lips. (Name) sighed. "Oh, and upstairs," (Name) continued, "I saw a circus. Not pretend like Mr B's one upstairs. It was magical, Ricky,".

Eric let out a sharp sigh, going over his papers one final time. It was 9:18 am. On the dot. His hand briefly brushed against her own. Eric sighed bitterly. "I want to talk," Eric spoke. His voice was neutral. Void of any tone. (Name) visibly stiffened in her seat, "I found the divorce papers,".

(Name) closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look," (Name) spoke. There was a sudden anger in her tone as she opened her eyes, glaring at Eric. "I can't do this anymore. We're not good together anymore, Eric. You know that as well as I do. Our marriage is fucked. There's no point in carrying on anymore! I've been so fucking stupid by staying with you because I convinced myself that a tiny part of you still loved me. But no! I've had enough! What you do to me is beyond wrong. You fucking betrayed me by willingly having an affair with my best friend behind my back after our son died!".

Eric sat in the driver's seat, not making eye contact with her. "Do you possibly have any idea how that fucked me up?!" (Name) snapped, eyes brimming with tears, "Do you know how much pain I was in finding out that the life growing inside of you died and having to carry that in your stomach? Do you know how much pain I was in knowing that I had to give birth to our son? DEAD?! You couldn't even begin to imagine how much you and fucking bitch screwed me over, you pathetic cunt. You can't even say his name! Say it, Eric. Say. His. Fucking. Name".

A muttered "I can't..." escaped Eric's lips. (Name) scoffed at the cheater before her. "Henry," (Name) snapped, "Henry John Melrose. That was his name. That's what the name of my child was going to be. You maybe have helped in his creation but you are not his father. I'm filing for divorce. You can move in with your mistress and fuck to your heart's content. As long as I never see you ever again,".

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(NAME) WAS REVELLING IN HER UPBEAT MOOD. She had finally plucked up the courage to tell Eric her feelings and say that she wanted to divorce him. He'd been naturally upset, of course. She didn't care too much. She could restart her life in America. She had the money from her job to afford a decent lawyer. Eric was going to start packing after he finished his meeting.

(Name) wandered around, looking at the dresses and outfits available. She'd picked out a pair of black velvet, two-inch, thick heels. Now to find a dress or an outfit that matched. She smiled when she saw it. A lovely thigh-length, halter-neck black dress. It was in the sale. All the clothes were. It was a President's Day Blow Out sale.

She pushed the shopping trolley, which was filled with the myriad of groceries they needed to last her for about three weeks until her next food shop. She brushed some hair out of her face. The supermarket had a clothing sector upstairs, which could be accessed by an electric ramp, which acted like the electric stairs in shopping malls.

(Name) wandered around, looking at the dresses and outfits available, searching for an outfit for their meeting tomorrow with a lawyer. She'd picked out a pair of black velvet, thick two-inch heels. Now to find a dress or an outfit that matched. She smiled when she saw it. A lovely thigh-length, halter-neck black dress. It was in the sale. All the clothes were. It was a President's Day Blow Out sale.

"MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!" some teenage boy bellowed, quoting Richard III by William Shakespeare, standing atop a wheely chair, wearing a fake golden crown atop his head and brandishing a wooden sword. (Name) couldn't help but snicker.

She found a dress in her size and placed it in the cart. She had a nice black velvet blazer with a paisley lining at home that would match, along with a cotton black fedora. And some nice rings. She smiled at her outfit idea. Fate seemed to be in her favour today. That was...until...

"(Name)?" a voice that she never wanted to hear again in her life called.

(Name)'s head turned over her shoulder to see the person she hated most in the world. Charlotte Lovat. She felt the tears prickling in her eyes and her breathing becoming erratic. Her knuckles blossomed a gaunt colour as Charlotte, Eric's former publisher, her former best friend and Eric's old mistress, approached her.

Quickly, (Name) pushed the cart towards the electric ramp that led downstairs. Charlotte pursued her former friend, wishing to be heard out. (Name) got off the ramp, hurriedly racing for the till. Charlotte continued to follow her, calling her name in an attempt to talk. (Name) managed to lose Charlotte, paying for everything at the till and heading towards the taxi.

She put the two bags in the trunk of the car. She returned the shopping cart and bumped into the figure of Charlotte Lovat. Tears fell down (Name)'s burning cheeks. Charlotte looked remorseful. "(Name). Just please talk to me!" Charlotte pleaded, as (Name) stormily walked back to the taxi, Charlotte following behind.

"No," (Name) firmly spoke, her teeth gritted and nails digging into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped indents on the skin of her palms.

"Listen to me!" Charlotte snapped, making (Name) stop by her car and glare daggers at the older woman. Charlotte had curlier hair now and her chocolate brown eyes were still filled with the same determination to succeed, "I just want to apologise,".

(Name) scoffed. "Apologise?" she spat, "You finally want to apologise for ruining my marriage?! You fucked my husband in my bed after you knew I lost my baby, Charlotte, and that was inexcusable! Do you know what it feels like to have the life growing inside of you die?! And have to carry that around in your belly? Do you know what it feels like to deliver your first child dead?! Only to be betrayed by the man you loved and your best friend in all the world?!".

"No..." Charlotte said, tears burning and brimming in her eyes, "I cannot begin to imagine what it must've felt like to lose your son. Your first child. And what I did to so you were so fucked up. You've got every right to hate me to the ends of the Earth, (Name), but I just want to apologise to you. I am so, so sorry for what I did to you. I regret it more than anything. And I just wanted you to know how much I regret what I did to you,".

(Name) sniffled, wiping her tears. "No," she snapped, glaring a hole into Charlotte's soul, "I'll acknowledge your apology. But know this. I will never forgive you or Eric for what you guys did to me. What you took from me...it's unforgivable. And right after I lost my son. My first child. He would've been one year old today, you know. It would've been his first birthday. I should be home in England. With Eric, helping our son blow out the candles on his cake and unwrapping presents. But I'm not. I'm here. Here's some advice, leave me alone,".

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(NAME) CARRIED HER SHOPPING BAGS AND CLOTHES INTO THE KITCHEN FROM THE TAXI. She put the food away in the fridge and cupboards and Leela trotted into the kitchen, stuffing her face into her pink dog bowl filled with dog biscuits. She cooked herself some pesto spaghetti and ate it at the kitchen table, scrolling through her Facebook feed.

Eric still wasn't home. Odd. It was bordering on two o'clock in the afternoon now. His meeting finished almost two hours ago. And he was due to leave. She didn't know. To satisfy her boredom, (Name) began to hunt for the key. Eric had mentioned that he'd locked the little door, as he'd found "rat crap" around the apartment.

She foraged through the key draw, rummaging through the gold and silver-coloured keys with myriad labels on them. No little black key with a button on it. Her eyes wandered to the ceiling, catching the sight of the small, onyx-coloured key with the button, attached to a hook on the wall. Fucking Eric.

She stood on a chair, standing on her tip-toes before managing to snag the key. (Name) smirked victoriously, climbing down from the chair. She walked to the living room, crouching by the little door. She prayed mentally that it wasn't a dream. She hoped it wasn't a dream.

She inserted the key into the keyhole, twisting. She squeezed her eyes shut, opening the door. (Name) opened one eye, before opening the second. She was welcomed by the familiar, vibrant sight of the violet and indigo-coloured, winding portal that led to the parallel, pocket universe where Eros hailed from.

"I knew it was real!" (Name) triumphantly exclaimed. She listened out for the sound of a car, or a taxi. Nothing. She eagerly began to crawl through the portal, departing her world and entering the better one. The cat with his matted black fur sat on the windowsill, watching (Name) crawl through the portal. He let out a disappointed purr and had a look of concern.

His cerulean eyes wandered to Leela, who stood on all fours, watching her owner disappear through the mysterious portal with a disappointed look on her face. She gave a look to the cat, summoning him to the back door. They had to save her. They had to save (Name) Melrose from the monster who lived behind the little door. From The Incubus.