To my patient audience, thank you for hanging in there. So sorry about the long wait. Would you believe the reason this is soo late getting submitted is editing. It is really hard to find a good editor. But thanks to a really well informed editor on this website, I can finally submit chapter 2 of Obsessed with Ember. Thanks to Mr. MSayer. I hope I can work with you in the future.
Like most writers here, I ask that you please leave comments.
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That night at the riverbank...
"Who are you? Why are you doing this? Please just let me go, I..." 'I know that voice...'
What the fuck was he going to do now? Vincent could kick his own ass for jumping the gun with Ember. Fuck! He quickly placed his large hand in the middle of her back and pushing and holding her down to the ground, while shoving his other hand through his hair trying to rectify his blunder. Digging his free hand into his sweats pants pocket, he pulled out his sweat stained bandana to tie her wrists behind her back.
For a moment when he realized, he hadn't disguised his voice as he spoke her name, his mind went blank. Now it seemed like his mind had raced to catch up with the current event. His mind kicked into gear that he had planned for this, instead of tying her wrists with his bandana, he reached over to the small duffle bag he had laid to the side when he had arrived to watch her bathe. Inside he found his savior... a small bottle of ether.
Still holding her down with one hand, he shook the dirty bandana loose, dropping it onto to the ground. He then he pulled out the small bottle of ether. Using his free hand, with some difficulty he opened the ether bottle and doused the bandana with it. After tossing the bottle to the ground, he kept pressure on Ember's middle back, after and picked up the bandana and held it over Ember's nose and mouth. Once he felt her body stop struggling against his. He removed the rag and checked the pulse in her neck.
Once he was satisfied her breathing was normal, he relaxed his hold on her. He rose from the ground and pulled his pants. He stooped to lean down to turn her over onto her back. Vincent stood up tall to his 6'2" height. He looked around, fearful of having an audience. He stooped down once again to pick her up. He held her in his carried her to his truck. He wrapped her in a dark blanket and laid her in his back seat. Everything had gone as planned, except for him getting carried away by saying her name in his regular voice!
Vincent had to put her under; he'd been prepared and had brought the little bottle along; knowing that when he was done... he couldn't just leave her by the bank unconscious or alone, especially not when he had barely heard her gasp.
Vincent went back to collect his duffle bag and the remainder of her things he had left for her to find. Starting up his truck, he noted the time and knew her roommate should be home, hopefully in bed. When he arrived there, before removing Ember's slumbering form, he would check on her roommate.
Once Vincent had parked his SUV around the corner from her bungalow, he then snuck around to the side of the bungalow. He saw that a TV was playing, but after looking inside of the room, it was obvious the roommate had fallen asleep waiting for Ember to show up. Luck was truly with Vincent, for Jenna was already asleep.
He quickly exited his vehicle, carrying her over his right shoulder and quickly moved up to her front porch. He used the house key that he had fished out of her pocket of her shorts by the river; he quietly entered her bungalow and made his way to her sofa.
Not wanting to risk her waking up completely or waking her roommate, he gently placed her on the sofa, and backed out the way he entered. Once outside, he closed and locked the door behind himself, and eased down her porch steps. She began to stir from the effects of the ether.
Getting her home without anyone noticing him hadn't been really difficult. Visibility was poor and none of the locals were aware of his history with Ember. He didn't need to worry about the permanent restraining order her parents had taken out against him. He was still somewhat nervous, but this was a risk he felt he could take. Damn her parents anyway for making life so difficult!
Vincent couldn't shake the feeling that he'd somehow blown it. His suspicion was proven the moment she paused in her struggles after she heard his voice. It was like on some weird level of awareness she knew that voice. All he could do was to hope that she may not recognize THAT voice, and could not connect it to him. But just to be sure he did not want to jar her memory anymore; he would be stay away for a few days.
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The morning following the riverbank...
Ember's first thoughts upon waking up were that last night had to be a dream, but waking up on her sofa, in a blanket not hers, and bottomless...? Like a lightning bolt, it struck her that last night was indeed real. Due to Vincent, on occasion she would a nightmare reminisce of their fateful last date.
Those dreams, those memories like so many other dreams that people have, seemed so real, so real that she would always wake-up with a gasp. Even now she could still hear that voice..."Shut up Ember." She knew that voice, but it couldn't be him. Her parents, friends, the military, and Judge Hagen's restraining order made sure it wasn't him.
Memory lane for Ember...