Work in Progress

Lisette reached across the table and grabbed Claire's hand. "Please don't make me go to this party tonight," she said. "You know how much I hate these gatherings. My soul aches just thinking about it."

Claire laughed as she brushed off the dramatic intonations of her best friend's voice. "You promised to come with me. I really need to show interest in these people. Besides, you know they'll have good wine and you'll look fabulous in your new dress."

Lisette smiled. She was waiting for an occasion to wear her new red dress. "Ok. But if it gets unbearable, I'm leaving with a bottle of wine tucked in my bag." She winked at her friend across the table, knowing that she would do anything to make her happy.

Lisette's smile quickly melted as she watched her friend walk away from her. She could feel the anxiety spread through her body like an insatiable disease, clouding her mind and tightening her heart. The nightmares returned a few nights before and her past was chasing her through the fields of her present. She was overwhelmed and scared that her secrets would soon be revealed.

Lisette could feel his eyes following her from across the room. Every movement noted. Each breath inhaled with an urgency to ingest her spirit. Her heart beat faster, filling her body with an aching desire to escape. Beads of sweat erupted around her hairline and her cheeks reddened with the rising sense of panic emanating from her belly. She scanned the room with trepidation, searching for the eyes that waited patiently to devour her.