Inspired by again watching The Heart of Darkness. Beware, the first scene may be a little graphic.

Could be either romance or best friends, up to your interpretation.

Enjoy.

"I'm the angel! I'm the angel of death!" Katie screamed as she lunged at Cassandra.

The redhead swatted the knife from the other woman's hand with the crate hammer. "You're not the angel of death. I know what death looks like and she doesn't look like you." Cassandra sucked in a breath, fighting off the sobs as she spoke.

"She looks like me!" Cassandra screamed, her voice breaking as she slashed the ghostly murderer across the middle.

Just as Cassandra pulled the weapon back, the ash-like wound vanished, leaving no trace Katie was ever hurt.

"See? Told you. I always get my wish." Katie smiled as she advanced on the redhead.

Preparing to swing the crate hammer again, Cassandra realized to her horror that the weapon had disappeared from her hand. At the same moment the other knife had reappeared in Katie's.

Cassandra slowly backed up, mind frantically trying to think of some way to stop Katie. She was cornered and unarmed, the killer encroaching on her like a predator would a wounded animal.

It was when her back hit the wall that Cassandra's mind completely submitted to the panic. She had no way out, she was alone, she was going to die here in this empty house with no one beside her at the end other than her murderer.

Knowing you were going to die did not mean you were at all ready for it when the time came.

Katie charged her again but when Cassandra tried to dodge the attack like before, the thrust cut deep into her side.

Cassandra cried out in pain as she brought her hand to the wound, already feeling the sticky and warm blood pouring past her fingers.

She managed to get past Katie, whom just smiled and allowed her to do so. The knife in her hand dripping with fresh blood.

The redhead only managed to make it a few steps before her vision swam and she tripped. When she looked down her eyes opened wide in terror. The entire side of her white shirt was stained crimson in her own blood. The red fluid pouring far too quickly than it should from the wound.

She shouldn't be bleeding this much, even with her heart racing as fast as it was. Everything was turning blurry as she blinked past tears of pain.

It hurt so much, not even her headaches were this bad. Her mind had shut down, unable to process anything else save the pure agony that radiated from her body.

The world spun as Cassandra weakly tried to crawl away with her blood stained hand. Her other trying and failing to staunch the rapid flow.

The terror made a comeback when the giggle reached the redhead's ears.

"No... no no no..." Cassandra whimpered when hit with a fresh wave of pain.

"Aww poor math girl, does it hurt?" Katie giggled as she kicked Cassandra's wounded side. The scream of pain could not be contained.

Next thing Cassandra knew, the murderess was on one knee beside her and gripped her hair pulling her head back. "This house is mine, and always will be. Your friends are next once I'm done with you."

Cassandra screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt the knife being driven into her lower back. Tears welled up in her eyes as the blade tore through her flesh. A second scream tore from her lips when Katie literally twisted the knife before ripping it free.

The entire time, Katie held her hair in a death grip with a manic grin on her face.

"This is my favorite part." Katie giggled as she looked the redhead in the eyes. Cassandra saw nothing in the other woman's gaze. No pity, no remorse, just an empty black pit devoid of mercy.

"Seeing the light leave a person's eyes..." Katie spoke, giddy with excitement as she slowly drew the blade across Cassandra's throat...

Shooting up in bed, Cassandra let out a scream.

Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she backed up against the headboard in utter panic. Her entire body covered in a cold sweat.

The redhead's eyes frantically flew all over the dark room searching for Katie. She was here somewhere, she had to be.

After several long moments of silence, Cassandra's mind began to catch up to reality. She was in her own bedroom at her apartment. Katie was long gone, Cassandra and the others made it home safe and sound.

No more people would be lost to the murderess.

Before she even realized it, Cassandra's hands were wandering her own body. Starting at her side, the wound she expected was not there. Just normal unblemished skin, the same could be said of her back. Hesitant fingers reached up and ran along her throat. There was nothing there either, no wound, not even a scar.

The cell phone was in her hand before the redhead even thought about it. Her mind still reeling so much in the terror of the nightmare that she was pretty much on autopilot.

"Hello?" It wasn't until she heard the groggy voice of Jacob Stone on the other end of the line that she realized she'd even called him.

A lump formed in the redhead's throat preventing her from speaking. She needed say something...

"Cassie?" Jake's tone instantly changed from sleepy to worried.

"Jake..." Cassandra managed to croak out. It was all she could say no matter how hard she tried to form the words. They simply wouldn't come.

"Be there in ten minutes." The moment Jake said the words the line went dead.

It felt like the longest wait in Cassandra's life. She sat there in bed with her legs pulled to herself with her arms wrapped tightly around them, face buried between her knees. Her body shook with suppressed sobs.

It actually took Jake only eight minutes to make it to her apartment. The man instantly coming into her room to find her still in bed.

Had the redhead's mind been functional, she would have been grateful Jake had a spare key to her apartment. Since it was not, she was barely able to even register his presence.

Feeling the bed dip slightly beside her, Cassandra found herself trembling worse.

"Cassie? What's wrong sweetheart?" Jake's rough voice was like music to her ears. He was here, he was safe, he wasn't hurt or... or...

When the cowboy put a hand on her shoulder, it was like a switch had been flipped in the redhead. In the blink of an eye, she launched herself at Jake, throwing her arms around him. Nearly squeezing the life from the man in the process.

Jake said nothing however, just simply wrapped his own arms around her smaller frame.

The feel of being wrapped in his strong arms demolished whatever defenses she had left. The tears began to fall fast and uncontrollable now. Her body wracked with free sobs.

She wanted them to all think she was strong, she wasn't a liability. Cassandra never let on just how badly the encounter with the House of Refuge scarred her.

Every time she closed her eyes to sleep, Katie would be there waiting for her. Like the boogeyman in the night she haunted the redhead. There was no escape when the sun went down.

She couldn't take it anymore...

It was why her subconscious called out to Jake. The moment he knew something was wrong the man came running to her. She needed someone badly and he was that someone.

Cassandra cried and cried, pouring out everything within her. By the time she was finished, Jake's shirt was sopping wet with freshly shed tears and her body was exhausted.

The whole while, Jake was silent. Instead of trying to speak empty words or offer hollow comforts, he just held her and occasionally rubbed soothing circles into her back.

It may not have seemed like much, but to Cassandra the fact that he was even here meant the world.

"You're safe. She's gone." Jake whispered softly in her ear. It was the first words he had spoken since they embraced.

Cassandra found herself nodding before she even realized it. Just as she expected him to, the man saw right through her. He knew what had her so frightened.

It could have easily been hours they sat there, the silence only broken occasionally by Cassandra's heavy breaths..

Now that her mind had calmed down, she felt just how tired she really was. Her body was practically limp in Jake's arms. He must have noticed this too because he was soon pulling her to lay back down.

She let out a soft whimper when Jake pulled away. She didn't want him to go, the nightmares would be back for her the moment he left.

"Don't go, please." Cassandra begged as she grasped Jake's wrist in a weak grip.

The cowboy just smiled and leaned down to kiss the crown of her head. "Wouldn't dream of it darlin'."

A moment later he was settling in beside her. Since he wasn't close enough for her tastes, she scooted closer so that she could rest her head on his chest.

The soft thump thump thump of his heartbeat against her cheek was the best lullaby she could have asked for.

With Jake's arm wrapped around her body, the redhead's heavy eyelids finally surrendered to fatigue and closed.

This time when she slept there were no nightmares of killers and haunted houses, just quiet and peaceful slumber.

This sounded a lot better in my mind before I wrote it. Regardless, let me know what you think.