He Will Protect Her, She Will Save Him

Keira's POV
My hair swirled around my face in the sudden wind coming through the open window. I felt something brush down my cheek, brushing my hair out of my face. I felt cold lips press against mine. I felt something sharp prick against my lip.
I sat upright, my eyes wide open. I touched my lips. That dream felt so real. I looked around my room which was pitch dark and I could barely see anything. I reached over to turn my bed side light on. I was blinded by the sudden intense light but the light bulb popped and went off. My heart raced in my chest. I reached over again to turn it back on. I flipped the switch. Nothing. The bulb had gone. An uneasy feeling that I was being watched settled in my stomach. "Hello?" I whispered to the dark room. My voice sounded vulnerable. There was no reply and I felt beyond foolish.

I lay back down but couldn’t close my eyes or calm my heart beat. I sighed in frustration and sat up. I looked at my mobile for the time. Four am. I moaned but climbed out of bed, knowing I wouldn’t get back to sleep. I felt something in the room change-the air became tenser. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I looked around behind me at the dark corner. The corner that was emanating the tension. I was dressed in only a pair of panties and a thin vest due to the stuffy night. I pulled on a pair of shorts, not taking my eyes off the corner. I felt some of the tension in the air disappear.

I went over and turned the main lights on, my eyes still on the dark corner. The lights were on for a millisecond before the bulb popped similarly to the bed side table lamp and darkness settled around me again. Not around me, around us. The lights had been on long enough for me to see the dark figure in the corner. My heart turned cold in fear and I backed away from the far corner. I couldn’t find my door handle. In an instant I felt a hand close around my neck and press me against the wall. I realised I was looking into a pair of glowing red eyes. I felt fear claw at my heart. The hand tightened around my neck and I whimpered. The grip loosened but the figure moved closer to me. "I was never here," he snarled and vanished, the curtains billowing in a sudden draft.

I slid down the wall and leant against it shaking. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself down but I couldn’t. I felt tears run down my face and I closed my eyes. What the hell was that?

Jareth's POV
I knew I should leave. I knew I shouldn’t care. I knew this wasn’t right. I knew I shouldn’t have shown myself to her. I knew I had ruined this mission. I crouched on the roof opposite her flat. I watched her slide down the wall in fear. I could smell the fear in her. I saw the tears running down her face. I saw the confusion in her eyes. I looked away. Why wasn’t I leaving? I was at risk sitting here. I stood up, my eyes gliding back to the girl. She wasn’t very old, only about 21, but she had beauty more than I had ever seen. Her black hair fell in waves over her shoulders and half way down her back. Her bright blue eyes are intuitive and expressive. Her mouth is small and pouty and incredibly kissable. Her...wait, kissable? I looked away from her angry with myself and jumped down from the roof and started walking away.

I had to be alert. I was on my own. No room for mistakes. I soon found myself back in the abandoned warehouse I had been staying in for the last couple of weeks and no doubt in a couple of weeks I'd be somewhere new. I went to the far corner where it was darkest and sat down. I closed my eyes. Dawn was nearly here. Her face flashed into my head. I could still smell her on me. Being in her flat, in her room hadn’t made the scent any less appealing. I swallowed through the dry feeling in my throat. I was aware of the sun rising and I moved further into the dark.