Breathless Read Online Free PDF Page B

presence, which came later when your face was melted into my brain and my nerve endings counted down the minutes until they felt your gaze.
    But that day the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, my eyes quickly searched for the source of this new sensation and they found you. You had been standing by the brightly colored summer shirts that I’d just finished setting up. It took me hours to perfectly fold each and every one of them. I watched as your hand moved over them, your fingertips softly caressing the cotton my hands had just finished touching.
    Looking back, I can now see where that should have been a sign – a red flag – but at that time it wasn’t. It meant nothing to me. Your gaze was no longer on me but off in the distance, behind me as your eyes narrowed and deep creases appeared on your forehead. I felt a touch land on my shoulder.
    “It’s time for your lunch break,” a male voice said to me.
    It was my supervisor; he had been trying to flirt with me since the day I started working there. He was cute but too old and lame for me, a college student that spent his spare time scamming on the high school girls. He had on a pair of plaid shorts with a matching shirt and sweater draped over his shoulders – he looked like a total loser. A small chuckle escaped my lips, but I cut it off before it got too carried away.
    “Sure thing, see ya later,” I told him, and turned to head to the food court.
    As I walked away, something made me turn back and I saw you approaching him. You grabbed his arm and pulled him close to you. I couldn’t see your face, but the look of terror on his told me you were angry. His eyes quickly flashed to me and then back to you while he nodded his head. You released him and turned back toward me; I jumped behind a group of little kid mannequins, ducking so you couldn’t see me. You passed right by me as your feet fell swiftly, like you were in pursuit of someone. My supervisor barely talked to me again after that day, I never knew what you said, but now I can guess.
    My consciousness was pulled quickly from my hazy memories. The sound of crying lingered and I slowly became aware of sweaty skin stuck to mine.
    “No, Momma, no,” screeched through the air, so frantic, so broken was the voice that my eyes flew open and I felt my heart rattle against the inside of its confines.
    Left and right, my eyes searched trying to figure out where I was. I was back in the white room, the room that I thought would never let me go. A heavy weight pushed on my body, cementing me in my place.
    “I’m a good boy, Momma!” You screamed in my ear with the tone of a scared child.
    My head twisted as far to the right as I could and saw your face pressed against my shoulder, your hands secured around my neck. I didn’t remember how I’d gotten back to this room or why your body was so close to mine. Your whole body shook and the entire bed trembled with you. I tried to move but realized your legs were twisted and locked with mine.
    “Cage?” I asked cautiously yet forcefully, as my anxiety mounted.
    A high-pitched whine resonated from your chest, growing and growing until it finally escaped through your gritted teeth. I’d never been claustrophobic until that very moment but my world seemed to be shrinking and squeezing every ounce of me dry. Your hands clenched and unclenched around my neck, but each time they grew tighter and more forceful. Tighten, loosen, tighten, loosen, one, two, three, tighten, loosen – my mind counted out the sequence until I found the pattern commingled with the strength of your scream in my ear. When I finally sensed my chance, I pushed away from you as swiftly as I could. My entire body rolled from your grasp and landed with a smack on the dirt floor.
    My eyes immediately moved to the edge of the bed where I’d expected to see your face … but I never did. All I saw was the stark white of all that surrounded me and heard your labored breath. I didn’t dare move a