Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32116 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32116 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
I gave a mental cry of, “Stop it!”, and the sound ceased. I took a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves.
“You hear me,” a deep voice sounded within my mind.
“Yes, I fucking hear you! You nearly deafened me. What the hell is happening?”
“You must help me.”
“Who are you?” Even though the voice was within my own head, I knew it didn’t belong to me; I had no control over what it was saying.
“My name is Viggo. You must hurry!”
“I’m not doing shit until you tell me what’s going on.” The ear-splitting shriek returned and I couldn’t take it anymore. “Fine! I’ll help you, but only if you stop that. It hurts.”
“Forgive me; my emotions got away from me. I never wish to hurt you. My only desire is to get out of this prison; especially now that I know my beloved awaits me on the other side.”
A parade of red flags marched through my mind. “You’re in prison?” I had no clue what was happening, but there was one thing I was sure of; there was no way in hell I was helping anyone escape jail, screams or not.
“In a sense. I am trapped in a box, buried beneath the earth.”
“Holy shit! I’ll call the cops to help and-”
“No!” Viggo yelled, making me jump. “No police. Please, it must only be you.”
Something about the desperation in his voice drew me to my feet. Though I didn’t understand it, urgency ballooned in my chest - I had to help him. “Where are you?”
“It has been so long. I do not know the exact location. Follow your heart; it will guide you to me.”
Follow my heart? What kind of Disney fairytale bullshit is - before I could even finish my thought, warmth bloomed in my chest. My heart beat faster as clarity settled over me. Whether it was instinct or intuition, I knew exactly which way to go. “I’m coming.”
I climbed into my car and my hands shook as I started the engine. I threw the stick in gear and peeled out onto the road, speeding into the night. When I came upon an intersection, I knew I had to take a right turn. I quickly looked around for traffic before rolling through the red light.
“I must know your name,” Viggo requested.
“Skyler.”
“Skyler,” he repeated, causing a shiver down my spine at the sound. “I’m sure you are more beautiful than every sky I’ve looked upon combined.”
I’d heard countless pickup lines by guys trying to get in my pants (and fallen for most of them), but Viggo’s words felt different. They were honest, real, and spoke to my soul. He’d never seen me, but I believed that he believed what he was saying.
But the fact remained that he hadn’t seen me; he didn’t know me, or even my name. So how was this possible? “How are you speaking to me?”
“Through our bond, we can communicate telepathically. I've been trying to reach you for so long.”
“Bond? What are you talking about? If you've been reaching out, why didn't I hear you before now? And why were you screaming at me?”
“I apologize for yelling; I didn't mean to frighten you. This box is maddening. I cannot move. I don’t know if it is day or night. I don't know how long I have been here. My mind and heart were crying out for help until you finally heard me. I don't know why I was able to reach you now, but I am so grateful for this special day.”
Special day. Curious if it had anything to do with whatever bond he spoke of, I told Viggo, “Today is my birthday. I turned twenty-one.”
“You came of age; that is why you heard my cries on this day. Our bond would not connect our minds until then.”
He said the words like they should make sense. “I still don't understand what you mean by our bond.”
“Forgive me; my mind is racing. I've been waiting for this moment for so long. I’m speaking of our soulmate bond.”
I slammed on my brake and my car tires squealed as they came to a stop. I was so shocked by Viggo’s statement that I nearly ran a red light. I took a deep breath to settle my racing pulse. “Our what now?”
“Our soulmate bond,” he repeated as calmly as the first time. “I can speak to your mind because we are soulmates.”
The traffic light turned green, but I stayed still. I couldn’t get my brain to communicate with my foot. It was too busy spinning with Viggo’s statement. It had to be some colossal joke. Or maybe I was just so lonely and upset that my mind was playing tricks on me; creating a voice of the partner I longed for.
For the first time during our short conversation, doubt crept into my thoughts. “So you’re telling me we are long lost lovers, so I can just magically hear your voice all of the sudden?” Maybe all of the sugar in those desserts I ate was messing with me. Maybe I needed a good night’s rest. Or maybe I had a mental illness that didn’t show itself until I ‘came of age’.