Nathan gave her a curious look. “You want me to tell you a story?”“Well, yes.” Crystal smiled nervously. “We can move to the bedroom, and when you’re done, we should be able to fall asleep.”Nathan smiled, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and said, “If it is a story that you want, then a story it shall be.”The couple moved to the bedroom, and once they were comfortable, Nathan began his story: “When I was sixteen, I had a cat that I liked very much. One winter day, the cat fell into the water. We thought that the cat was dead, but then a little girl jumped in to save it. Unfortunately, the cat still died. It froze to death.”“That’s a sad story.” There were tears in Crystal’s ey

Crystal peeked into Nathan’s room. She was hunkered down so that he could not see her. The room looked like a tornado had passed through it. The dresser had been pushed to the ground. The vases were smashed, and there was glass everywhere. The pictures had been taken down and destroyed, and there was clothing everywhere.Again, Crystal thought of her conversation with Eric.Not knowing what else to do, she picked up the tray with the two bowls of soup, stood up, and went into the room.Nathan was sitting on the bed. He was naked, but there was a blanket covering his private parts. His hands rested on his knees, and they were covered with blood.“No!” Crystal put down the tray and rushed to his side. “What happened to you?” She suddenly reali

There was a knock at the door. They both turned, and Crystal smiled when she saw that the servant had finally returned with the First Aid Kit.Crystal nodded and said, “I was just about to leave. Please take proper care of his injuries. I do not want them to get infected.”Nathan frowned, and he stopped Crystal with a word. He said, “Wait,” and she turned back to face him. He was confused. He wondered why she cared if he received proper treatment or not. He said, “Didn’t you say that you would be staying here for three days? There are still one, and a half-days left. Why are you leaving early?”“Why?” Crystal was confused, “You just told me to leave! What is wrong with you? Now that everything’s out in the open, what would be the point of my staying?&

Nathan held Crystal in his arms, and he wept for what he had done and for what he had lost. He had crossed a line with Crystal, and he knew that there was no going back.Gently, he picked her up, carried her into the next room, and placed her on the bed. He tucked her hair behind her ears and forced himself to look at the brand. Never in his life had he felt such great regret. He did not know what had come over him. It was almost as if a psychopath had possessed him. He stayed with her for as long as he could, but eventually, his grief consumed him, and he fled. ****Crystal did not regain consciousness until later that evening. She sat up and looked around. She was surprised to find that she had been moved, but she was grateful for the privacy.Next to the

Crystal had passed out in the hallway, and by the time she was awake, it was late in the evening. She was surprised to see that someone had put a blanket over her, and there was a bottle of water within reach of her arm. She smiled when she realized that someone had taken the time to care for her. It was not until she saw the bottle that she realized how thirsty she was. She was hungry too, but she knew that her stomach would have to wait until after she had checked on Nathan.The water was divine, and she drank it much faster than she meant to, and when she tried to stand, she realized that she would be sick if she moved too soon. While she waited, she did a quick body scan. Everything hurts. Her back had been ravaged, and she thought that she would need surgery, but nothing was broken, and she thanked God for minor miracles.Finally, she got on her hands and