Aaron:
I opened my eyes slowly as I let them adjust to the light. I yawned and stretched out on the bed. It had been ages since I’ve slept this good “Some night last night huh?” I laughed and turned my head to see Fawn’s reaction but she wasn’t there…instead laid a note in her place…maybe she just went out for a little bit? God I hope so…I reached over and unfolded the note and started to read it until there was a knock at the door. I got out of bed quickly and pulled on a pair of pants before I slowly went to the door and opened the door…of course though I didn’t see anyone until I looked over to my left and a bunch of kids ran away. Obviously I had been part of the game ding don ditch. Really? I thought but shook my head and closed the door.
I sat there as a light burning started to appear from behind my eyes making them water. I sat up slowly, robotically, and grabbed my shirt off the floor and pulled it back on. I walked into the bathroom and washed my face and looked into the mirror.
If it weren’t for me a lot of things wouldn’t have happened! Her voice yelled in my head
You sound like you were worried.
I don’t want your sympathy! I don’t want anything! Especially from you!
“You selfish bitch.” I muttered and felt a single tear fall “I cared about you…” I whispered and as my anger got the best of me I slammed my fist into the mirror “I cared about you!” I yelled as more tears fell. I took a few deep breaths as my head bent and my body shook. I ignored the pain in my hand because right now I’d rather feel physical pain then this…
I backed away from the sink then and walked out of the bathroom. I looked around the room and saw the note still lying on the floor. I picked it up as I put on my jacket and left the room and went back into the cold morning air. The day seemed to try and mock me by its beauty; white snow sparkling everywhere where the sun’s rays hit it, only a few clouds in sight, and a light breeze making the leaves rustle on the trees as they broke off and flew across the parking lot. I flipped the collar of my jacket up and shoved my hands in my pockets as I left the hotel.
I guess there’s no point in sticking around anymore then I thought to myself as I walked down the sidewalk I mean everyone hates me anyways back there…I guess that’s another thing Fawn and I had in common; Being hated by everyone…then again Spark doesn’t hate her, he’s just mad. No, he loves her too much to hate her that I can tell.
Thinking about that made me start to feel guilty about what Fawn and I did…maybe I should have just backed off and left well enough alone with her and Spark. Then again…I shook my head She’s gone so why does it even matter? Neither one of us has her now.
I rubbed my hand at its soreness as I continued to walk to the hotel. I really shouldn’t have punched that mirror.Ë
Anna:
I sat on one of the beds fingering the wooden heart necklace that I had had since day one with these guys. After Aaron had left last night Spark had left soon after. Spark had come back two hours later but we haven’t seen Aaron or Fawn since then. Aaron’s dog Sia sat on the other bed whining, I felt bad for her because I knew she had to be worried about her master.
I looked up when I heard Casper coming over and he gave me a small smile as he sat down (Sia now sitting between us). A few small cuts on his arms and face were surprisingly all he had got compared to the rest of the group who had suffered a lot worse. Everyone else was patching each other up in the kitchen as Casper took my hand in his and started dapping at a cut that I had on my arm with a hot rag “I’m sorry.” He said
“For what?” I asked
“For letting you get hurt…I should have gotten you out of there sooner.”
“You got me and everyone else out just in time.”
He sighed and nodded but I could tell that something else was on his mind…”What’s wrong?”
“Hmm?” He looked up “Nothing’s wrong…”
“Casper come on what’s wrong?” I asked. I’ve been around people enough lately to tell that something was on his mind
He shook his head “It’s nothing…just thinking about some old memories.”
“Memories about what?” I prompted. I knew I might sound a little annoying but I was curious about what the quiet boy had to say. He looked up at me meeting me with his blue eyes but then looked away. I sighed “It’s ok you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“Thanks.” He replied
“But I have to warn you,” I smiled “It’s not healthy to keep things locked up inside.”
He smirked and looked up at me “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The next moment we heard the door unlock and everyone looked over as Aaron walked into the room. No one bothered asking where he had been as he walked past everyone and sat on the other bed. Sia looked over at him but when I expected her to go over to him her ears laid back and she growled at him. He looked up and glared at her and she quieted down into a whine. I don’t know if it was just me but Aaron seemed…different.
“You ok man?” Sonic asked from the kitchen
He ignored Sonic’s question and laid back on the bed and sighed “So when are we leaving this hell hole?”
“Did you find Fawn?” Spark asked
“Yah.” Aaron answered
“and?”
“Doesn’t really matter does it? Come on the girl wanted to leave since day one.”
“You let her leave?!” Spark said raising his voice “with all these Retter around you just let her go off by herself?!”
“Yep.”
“Are you insane?!”
Aaron let out a laugh “You have no idea.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Spark snapped and Aaron sat up and glared at him and suddenly the room felt cold
“That means…to back off before you do yet another thing you’ll regret.”
“Is that a threat?” Spark asked coming towards him but Sonic stopped him
“To you it is.” Aaron replied
“ You son of a-”
Aaron just started laughing again though “Now now John there’s no need to curse.”
Spark stopped “…How did you know that? You were passed out when-”
“Jessica called you that?” Aaron finished as a question “You could say that it was a lucky guess.” Aaron smirked
“Better then a guess.” I heard Chem mutter
“Besides don’t get mad at us, we weren’t the ones yelling at her earlier.” Aaron said looking over at Spark
“I didn’t see you standing up for her either.” Spark retorted
“True.” Aaron agreed
We all went silent then as the room still kept dropping in temperature. Aaron and Spark glared at each other but Aaron still had a smirk on his face. I still had the feeling that something about Aaron was different and I still couldn’t decide what it was….he didn’t seem drunk.
“We all have a question though…” Aaron finally said “If you really care about Fawn then why didn’t you go after her?” Spark was silent in reply and Aaron sat up with a bigger grin “What’s the matter Spark? Cat got your tongue? We can tell you that one got ours.”
Why was Aaron talking like that? I thought
“You son of a bitch!” Spark yelled and the next moment there was a flash and one of the wall lamps shattered next to Aaron but this seemed to amuse him even more.
“Close,” Aaron laughed “but you missed by just a tad.”
“That was just a warning to shut your damn mouth.” Spark growled
“Oooo we’re so scared.” Aaron smirked
“Aaron I’m warning you…” Spark snapped
“And we’ve considered your warning…but the truth is, is that we don’t give a shit about it.”
“That’s too bad…because you should.”
“What are you going to do? Fry our insides like you do the Retter?”
“It’s an idea.”
“A bad one in our opinion…” He replied but then he went silent for a few moments and looked over at Tavin “What did we tell you about reading our mind boy? You’re not going to like what you find.”
Tavin just stayed silent and his eyes still focused on Aaron as he stood up. The others started to stop him but something slammed them back and a dark wall went around them. We all ran over to the wall that Aaron had created and tried to break past it but no matter what we did couldn’t faze the wall even a little bit. We all yelled for Tavin, Spark cursed, and Sia barked in frustration as we all tried to get to them. I prayed that Aaron wouldn’t hurt Tavin…
Minuets of banging and trying to destroy the wall of shadows passed by when all of a sudden they started to fade. When the wall had fallen down Aaron was on the floor and Tavin looked up at us “…He’s fine…” he said hesitantly and walked over to the group
“Seriously what the hell?” Sonic questioned
“What did you do to him?” Chem asked looking over at Tavin
“….I calmed him down…” He replied
“Calmed him down?” Chem asked skeptically
“Yah.”
We all looked over when we heard Aaron groan and a few of us took a few steps back “Ouch…what happened?”
Now we were all confused. When none of us replied Aaron stood up and looked over at us “Did I miss something?”
“You mean to tell us…that you don’t remember what just happened?” Spark asked and I could still hear the anger in his voice but it was mixed with a sense of confusion like the rest of us
He shook his head “Why was it something important?”
“You went all psycho.” Twilight answered
Now Aaron was confused and he hesitated for a while before he asked “What did I do?”
“Well…you seemed normal at first…” Chem said “You and Spark were arguing for a little bit but you started talking abnormally and it just went on from there…you then went after Tavin when he tried to read your mind.”
“Yah that does kind of sound like me…except what do you mean that I was talking abnormally?”
“Well for one you were using a plural tense. Instead of saying ‘I’ and ‘mine’ you were using ‘we’ and ‘ours’…”
“I was? Well I don’t know why.”
“You sure about that?” Spark asked
Aaron sighed “Yes I am positive, I don’t know why the hell I was talking like that, because I can’t even remember it right now.”
“What do you remember?” Tavin asked
“Uhm….” Aaron hesitated but I noticed that there was a sudden sadness in his eyes but he shook his head and it disappeared “To make things short I remember everything from yesterday and today except for what just happened. The last thing I remember is that I was coming here to get Sia before I left.”
“Could be worse.” Chem said
Aaron muttered something that I couldn’t hear but replied “Fawn’s gone.” He said and I could hear the coldness come back into his voice as he said it
“We know.” Spark replied
“You guys want to go after her?” Bryn asked
“She said not to bother…” Aaron said quietly “I say just let her go. If she wants to leave that’s her choice.”
“I’m going to try and call her.” Spark said as he walked out of the room
“It’s not going to make a difference Spark. She’s not coming back this time.”
“Yah and how would you know that?”
“Just like you do.”
Spark and Aaron looked at each other for a moment but Spark just sighed and walked out of the room. We were all silent for a few more moment before Sonic said “Come on guys let’s get patched up before we do anything else.”
We all nodded in agreement and did as he said. I looked over at Tavin and thought You alright?
Yah His voice replied in my head you?
I will be…what happened with Aaron?
I have no idea
Well at least everyone’s alright
Yah I guess so
I smiled and looked back when I felt Casper’s hand on my shoulder “Everything alright?” He asked.
I nodded “I think so.” I replied as I looked back over at Tavin who was now talking to Amber.
“Good.” He replied and I took the rag from his hands and went into the kitchen and ran hot water and soaked it before going back over to him and applying it lightly to his cheek where one of the only deep cuts he suffered was.
“Casper?”
“Yah?”
“Do you ever miss your family?” I don’t know why but I had just been thinking about it lately
He hesitated and for a while I didn’t think he was going to reply until he said “All the time…”
“What were they like?” I asked
He looked away and went silent “I’m sorry but I can’t talk about them.”
“Why not?” I asked
“I just can’t.” He replied and pulled away before brushing past me
“Casper wait!” I said as I followed him out of the room but when we got out to the hallway he was gone “Casper…”
“Don’t worry he knows not to leave,” I heard someone say and turned around to see Chem “He’s always been kind of touchy when it came to his family.”
“Do you know what happened?” I asked him
He shook his head “No one does, we’ve tried to get him to talk about it but it’s just one of those things that you can’t force someone to talk about. I’d just leave him alone for a little while though, he’ll come back in a few, but come on let’s take care of that cut before it gets infected.” He said as he gestured to my arm and I nodded following him back into the room with one last glance down the hall.Ñ
“There we go.” Chem smiled as we finished patching up my arm
“Thanks.” I smiled
“No problem.” He replied
I looked over towards the door opening that I would see Casper walk through it but he didn’t. Why wouldn’t he talk about his family? I know he must have his reasons but I can’t help but want to be able to help him like he has been doing for me…
“I think I’m going to go look for Casper.” I said and Chem laughed
“Good luck with that.”
I shook my head and walked out of the room. I looked up and down the hall but didn’t see any sign of him coming back. I turned left and walked down the hall passing a couple people along the way. I walked to the elevator and pressed the down button and waited…It dings a couple seconds later and the doors opened. I walked in and pressed another button and the doors slowly shut. I sighed and pressed floor one and the elevator started to go down. Classical music played while I waited and when the doors opened I walked into the lobby. I looked for Casper in the small crowd of people but of course I couldn’t see him even if he was in here. Chem was right this is going to be impossible! I shook my head and walked back to the elevator and searched almost everywhere in the hotel I could think of but Casper was still nowhere to be found.
I ended up going back to the lobby and fell back in a soft chair. Maybe if I just wait here he’ll come to me? I doubt it but I don’t feel like getting up at the moment. A few minutes of sitting in alone in silence I thought I heard footsteps coming over towards me. I turned my head and Casper stood there looking down at the floor.
“There you are!” I said standing up “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“I know…” he replied
“What?” I asked confused
“…I’ve been following you to make sure you don’t into any trouble…”
“and you couldn’t just show yourself any of those times?!” I said getting a little irritated that I did all that looking for nothing when it turns out he has been right behind me all along.
“Sorry.”
I sighed “No…it’s ok, I shouldn’t have tried to pry.”
“It’s ok…” he replied “I’ve been thinking…you’re right.”
“About what?”
“About it not being healthy to hold things in…”
I looked into his blue eyes and I could see the sadness in them “Ok…so do you want to talk about it then?” I asked him
“Not really,” he replied “…but if I’m going to tell anyone it might as well be you, but not here though…”
I nodded and I took his hand as he led me away from the lobby and the moment we were out of sight I felt the feeling of lightness return as we vanished.Ñ
We ended up going down to the basement of the hotel where only the staff came in there from time to time. Casper explained that if they somehow caught us off guard and heard talking though they’d probably just think it was ghosts, so to not worry too much about it but still keep paying attention to what’s around.
“Ok…” he said as we sat down in one of the many corners and I smiled
“Ok…” I replied
“So what do you want to know?” He asked me
“Well…let’s start with what your family did for a living.”
He nodded and took a deep breath before answering “My family was in the magic business. My dad was a magician and my mom was hired as his assistant back then and had been ever since. I kind of just ended up joining the crew after a while with my twin brother Fred…”
“You had a twin?”
“Yes…I did…” He said and looked away
“What was he like?”
He looked up at me “He and I were almost complete opposites…he was always the more talkative one. He was my best friend…” He said and I saw the sadness in his eyes deepen…I knew this had to be hard for him. I squeezed his hand in reassurance that I was here for him.
“Was your brother like you?”
“Sometimes I asked that myself,” he let out a laugh “not that my parents or I knew of anyway.”
“Did your parents have powers too?”
“No…” He smiled “Not like me at least…” and his smile then faded “but they grew up knowing about the Retter though…they were kind of like Rick in a way.”
“What happened to them?” I asked then
He was quiet for a long time and just then we heard talking and we both looked up to see two of the cleaning people come down as they opened a door and grabbed some supplies for the hotel. I knew they couldn’t see us but I couldn’t help but be nervous. We watched as they walked off though and I let out a sigh when we heard the elevator go up. I looked back at Casper who leaned back against the wall and I moved over so I could sit next to him.
“It was May 31, 2000,” He finally spoke up after awhile “It was one of the last shows until July. My brother was up backstage somewhere while I sat in the audience. We were going to be part of the last act…I remember being so nervous while I watched my father was on stage because I knew my brother and I would be coming up soon…we had done the act a dozen times before though but I still couldn’t get over the feeling of the audience watching…it was during the act right before ours…the dove act my father called it when they came…” He said and paused
“The Retter…” I said slowly
He nodded “My father was shot from the back of the room while he was on stage…we all knew they’d find out about me sooner or later even though we had been trying to keep my powers seem fake and tried to make it obvious to the audience that it had to be an illusion…I remember my father yelling out to the audience for me to run and I did, but I couldn't just leave my mom and brother either. I found my way backstage after trying to push my way through the crowd as gun shots went off…there was so much blood and screaming…” he said quietly but then continued “I just made it back there in time to see one of them kill my mom…” he said and a tear fell down his face.
“Casper…I’m so sorry.” I said and wrapped my arms around him
“I tried to find my brother after that but he was nowhere in sight…I yelled out for him but he never answered…it was as though he had vanished too. I haven’t seen him since that night.”
“Do you think he made it out alive?”
“It’s possible…” he replied “but don’t you see Anna? It’s my fault all those people and my parents were killed that night…all because of what I am…”
“Casper that’s not true.” I told him in a firm voice
“It is though…if it wasn’t for me they all would be alive…my parents would still be alive…I don’t even know if my own brother is alive…It’s all my fault Anna…” he said and more tears fell from his eyes and I hugged him tighter. I understood why Casper never told the others…I was surprised he even told me because it would seem like he would have told Tiny first…
“We should get back.” He said wiping his eyes and I nodded in agreement as we stood up with our hands still interlocked “Anna?” He asked
“Yah?”
“Thanks for listening…”
“No problem,” I replied “we’re friends after all right?”
He smiled and squeezed my hand “Right.”Ñ
Aaron:
I walked out of the hotel with Sia while everyone tried to figure what their next move was. I knew I should leave and yet I found that I couldn’t…I didn’t know why because no one was trying to keep me here anyways…and yet…
She’s gone I told myself but what if I was wrong and she came back? No, the letter made it clear she wasn’t…I should have stopped her…I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.
Figures that the one time I get a good night’s sleep is the time where I shouldn’t have fallen asleep at all. I felt the bottle of anti-anxiety medication in my pocket. At least I remembered to take that last night before falling asleep... Just then a vibrating went off in my other pocket and I took out my phone not to recognize the number “Hello?”
A panicked voice answered and they were talking so fast that I could hardly understand what they were saying. I then started to recognize the voice as they rambled on though. I sighed what does she want now? “Fawn calm down I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
“Aaron they took him!” She answered in a stressed voice
“Fawn what are you talking about? Who took who?” I asked trying to stay calm as I walked over to Sia. Why was I even talking to her? But what she said next stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Your nephew…the Retter have your nephew…”
It took everything out of me to not crush my phone into a million pieces at that moment “You’re lying.” I said hoping that she was.
“Aaron I’m not joking around here!” She said getting mad “they have me too and if you don’t get here they’re going to kill him.”
“Well how the hell did they find out about him?!” I yelled “and it’s your own damn fault for getting yourself caught now isn’t it?!” My voice started to break on that last sentence
I bet she wishes she didn’t leave now I thought bitterly
“Aaron please…” She pleaded “I’m sorry I-”
“Doesn’t matter…” I said pinching the bridge of my nose “where are you?” I asked heading back to the hotel
“Aaron no!”
“Fawn damn it where are you?”
“Oh we’re still here in the same place you left us.” A lower voice replied with a German accent then
“I swear to god if you hurt them-”
“You’ll what? Kill us?”
“No…” I let out a laugh “but you’re going to wish I did.”
“Come get them then…” And then the line went dead and I tried to hold back my screams with every ounce of my being.
“Come on Sia…” I said trying to hide my worries from her as I headed back to the hotel. I was quiet as I passed people but inside my head I was screaming at the top of my lungs as my heart beat started to pick up again. This had to be the dream right now. There was no way that they could have Brandon, but every passing moment proved to me that this was reality…but this reality was a nightmare coming to life. I never wanted something like this to happen…I should have never came home.
I walked into the room trying to keep my thoughts calm and on the down low but it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. Brandon kept on passing through my thoughts whether it was his smile or his laugh. What would I tell my brother if I was too late? How could I ever face Becky and him? What would I even tell them? The truth…
“Hey Aaron you ok?” I heard one of the others ask “you don’t look so well.”
“Yah,” I replied “…I accidently dropped my medication while I was on my way back here and I need to go find it…”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea with all the Retter around…” Spark said
“I’ll be fine.” I replied
“You want some help looking for it?” Tavin asked and I could tell then he knew something that none of the others did
I faked a smirk though as Sia jumped back up onto one of the beds “Nah I’m good. It shouldn’t take me too long anyways.”
H e gave me a skeptical look but I just shrugged my shoulders and said my quiet goodbyes to Sia because to be honest I wasn’t sure I’d see her again, but I could promise that I would get Brandon and Fawn out of there somehow…even if that meant that I had to pay the price for it.
You be a good girl while I’m gone I thought to her
“You guys mind if I leave Sia with you here?” I asked everyone “I don’t want her to run off while I’m looking.”
“Yah sure.” Amber replied and I nodded in thanks and headed out the door
When the door closed I let out a sigh of relief. Now I didn’t have to worry about the others coming and getting in the way of things. Some things you just have to do alone. This was my problem and my problem alone…at least that is what I kept telling myself as I walked down the empty hallway.
“Aaron..” a raspy voice called out and the back hairs of my neck stood up but I forced myself to keep walking forward. I had more important things to worry about then the voices in my head.Ë
I knew from the moment I heard Fawn’s voice that this could be a trap, but I couldn’t just sit around and wait for the others to come up with a plan while Brandon was with those monsters…I shoved my shaking hands into my jacket pockets as I started to near the building. He’s in there I told myself They’re both in there…even though I was still mad at Fawn I wasn’t going to just leave her to the Retter either. I put my back up against the corner of the building and the memory of me stopping Fawn in this exact spot flashed in my mind but I shook my head Just get in there and get them out I told myself no detours or anything else…just stick to the path.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as the shadows around me came to life and I grabbed one and immediately watched it as it formed into a knife. Hey I might as well have a backup if I couldn’t count on my powers. I slipped the knife into my jacket and muttered “Here goes nothing.” And focused on the shadows of the other building and the next second I was beneath the camera’s view So far so good.
I slipped into the building then and kept an eye out for any Retter coming down the halls. The more turns I took though the more I came to realize how empty it was…I knew they had to know that I was coming but still…I heard crying then and stopped to listen. I heard it again and knew it could only come from a toddler. Brandon…I’ll tear them apart I thought to myself as I started heading that way.
Just when I started to make another turn I heard voices and stopped again as I leaned against the wall.
“You think he’ll come?” a voice asked
“I would bet everything I have that he’s already here.” Another voice answered and it sounded familiar
I watched as they walked past and I scowled. I should have known. I started to reach for my knife but told myself that I would have to wait. No detours…No now was not the time to kill that bastard Noah. Maybe if the group wasn’t so engrossed into thinking that I was their enemy we all would have seen that it was Noah all along. When they had disappeared down the hall I hurried quietly down the opposite way as I could still hear Brandon’s wails.
I backed up against the wall next and peeked into a large room where five Retter stood around and right in the middle I could see Brandon caged like an animal crying for his mom. As Brandon’s cries became louder I saw a Retter kick the cage and told him to shut up and my anger flared like you wouldn’t believe Now they’re dead I thought. A few feet from there was other set of five Retter walking around. I couldn’t see Fawn anywhere in sight though which was going to complicate things even more. Ten Retter though…should be a piece of cake right?
Just as I stepped away from the wall and out into their view two of them charged at me but with a wave of my hand shadows burst from their places and slammed them down onto the ground. I heard laughing then and looked over as another Retter with red hair and a scar coming down the right side of his face stepped out “We were thinking that you wouldn’t show up for a while.”
“Well you know with traffic and all.” I smirked
He laughed and waved his figure at me “I heard you were a cocky one” he said as he walked over to Brandon “Sweet family you have really. It’s too bad they had to get in the middle of all this…”
“Yah…too bad…” I said as I noticed that the other Retter were starting to close in. I knew this wasn’t good. I heard movement behind me then and ducked as I felt a knife cut through the air and grabbed the Retter’s arm and twisted. They cried out and swung their knife at me and I caught their other arm and kicked them in the chest sending them ten feet across the room. I felt a hand on my shoulder then and before I knew it my back slammed onto the hard floor but before they could bring their knife down a shadow slammed them back.
I got to my feet quickly just in time for two more Retter to come at me. I dodged the first but the other’s knife sliced my cheek and the other Retter grabbed me from behind. I broke their grip and ducked just as the other Retter stabbed his partner. One more Retter charged at me but I wrestled him to the ground and brought out my knife and plunged it into his chest and quickly got to my feet just in time to hear the sound of a gun being fired. My head snapped up and the red headed Retter had his gun pointed up at the ceiling but then pointed it Brandon and I stopped cold.
“I would be very careful to chose your next move Chosen.” He said but all I saw was that gun and Brandon’s tear filled eyes focused on me.
I hoped he would forget what he just saw…
“Drop the knife.” He ordered
Time seemed to freeze but I nodded “Ok…just don’t hurt him.” I said and did what he said and placed the knife on the ground and raised up my hand in defense Shit I thought.
I felt two Retter grab a hold of me then and as one held me at gun point, the other picked up my knife but it faded at their touch. They then forced me to my feet and I felt the cold feeling of metal against the skin of my wrists “Handcuffs…how classic.” I said but one of them shoved my head forward and told me to shut up. I then saw someone come up in the corner of my eye but before I could react I felt the pinching feeling of a needle and the cold fluid pass into my bloodstream and my muscles slacked almost immediately.
“Take him away.” I heard the red headed Retter say as my vision flickered. The last thing I saw was Brandon’s face before everything went dark.Ë
I sat up against the wall with my eyes closed. I didn’t want to see what I knew was happening. I must be seeing things because only crazy people see what I’m seeing now and I’m not crazy! Why was this happening to me? This is the third time this has happened! I wrapped my arms around me knees and hoped that they would all just go away. My body twitched and shacked as I felt them brush against me. I opened my eyes and saw one of them floating right in front of me. I slapped it away and ran for the door and turned on the light. I saw all of them disappear like they had never been here to begin with.
I walked back over to my bed and slowly laid down. With the light on it was hard falling back asleep and sometimes it was near impossible but it was worth losing a night of sleep if that meant no shadows looming over me. I heard footsteps walk across the hallway and pass my door before they stopped and came back. The door then opened and my brother (who was sixteen at the time while I was thirteen) looked into my room and squinted his eyes at the sight of the light on “Aaron, turn your light off.”
“I can’t.” I managed to choke out and the lines of his forehead creased
“Why not?” he asked me
“I…I-I can’t let them get me…” I stuttered looking over at the dark spaces in the room
“Who?” He questioned still confused
I went silent. I knew I couldn’t tell him; I’d be sent to the nut house for sure then.
“Hey,” He said calmly as he came and sat on the side of the bed “It’s alright. Mom, Dad, and I are just down the hall if you need us, but you won’t get any sleep with the lights on.”
I won’t get any with them off either I thought but nodded
My brother smiled and ruffled up my hair as he stood up and walked back over to the door. He looked back before reaching for the light and said “Aaron I know you’re afraid of the dark, but there’s nothing to be scared of.”
That’s what you think I thought and he sighed when I didn’t answer. Before I knew it the room was dark and the door was shut tight…soon after the nightmares of the night came back to life.Ë
The next time I woke up and I started to feel the feeling of pins and needles everywhere. When I opened my eyes I was blinded by a bright light and I squinted and looked away from it. I tried to move my hands but something held them behind my back. I tried to snap my hands apart but for some reason I couldn’t…why was this being a lot harder than it should be? Double shit I thought after several attempts to free myself. Maybe I could have used some help after all…
“Oh look who’s finally awake?” I heard a voice say from the shadows
My limbs felt like lead when I tried to move as I tried to look around the room, but the light was too bright for me to see almost anything.
“Where’s Brandon?” I croaked
“Oh he’s fine…for now…” The voice replied and I started to get the feeling that I knew it
“I won’t let you hurt him I swear to god if you do-”
“I wouldn’t worry about him as much as I would yourself.” The voice interrupted
I tried to conjure up a shadow but an intense throbbing in my head forced me to stop.
“Not so tough without your powers now are you?” The voice laughed
“Screw you.” I growled
“Now, now Aaron that is no way to treat an old friend now is it?” The voice asked “I mean how long has it been? Almost eight years…”
Eight years…wait a second…I thought but just as I started to put a face to the voice they stepped out into the light with a grin across their face. Of course she was older now but how could I forget the woman that still haunted my dreams from time to time. The one who kept on trying to kill me over and over. Ever since she found me at fourteen. If it wasn’t for Sia she would have killed me a long time ago…but Sia wasn’t here now.
“Ivy…” I said the name feeling like acid on my tongue
“Hello Aaron,” Ivy smiled “Good to see you again.”
“Yah like a rash.” I muttered and I felt a hard slap across my cheek and it started tingling in result
“To be honest I didn’t actually think I would see you again…” She said as she circled me “It’s amazing how things turn out in the end though…but enough talking…let’s have some fun shall we?” She asked and I cried out as a knife went into my leg “Hold that for me would you?” She asked as she disappeared for a few moments and I gritted my teeth as the pain set in. I tried to take deep breaths and tell myself that it wasn’t so bad because I mean come on I’ve already been shot twice before…but damn it, it still hurts!
“What do you want?” I asked her
“Oh…I don’t want anything…I’m simply just doing this to pass the time by…that and you got my brother killed just a few minutes ago…”
“Aww, you want me to say I’m sorry?” I faked a pout
“No,” she laughed but it was short lived and her expression turned venomous “I want you to bleed out…but sadly I can’t let it get that far…you know orders and all,” She said and then leaned down and whispered in my ear “but that doesn’t mean I can’t make you hurt a little…” And I grunted in pain as She jabbed the knife into my ribs. As though that wasn’t enough though she turned the knife sharply and a yelp escaped my mouth and my head fell back as the muscles in my neck tightened “That’s a little better.” She said and slowly pulled the knife out “Get comfortable though…this is going take a while. You’re lucky we have bigger plans for you.”
“Oh yes lucky me.” I replied and got another slap across the face for itË
Who knows how much time had passed, how much pain I went through when I heard the door open. Ivy and I looked over and my eyes narrowed when I saw Noah…but who I saw next confused me “Fawn?” I croaked almost doubting that I was even seeing her but no it had to be her…but…why…how? God my head hurts! So Fawn was in on this plan all along?
As I watched her line up against the wall with Noah and a couple other Retter though she tried to keep her eyes down and from looking over at me. I also noticed a metal band around her right wrist as she kept scratching at it. I didn’t know whether to feel angry…or disappointed “Fawn…you knew this was going to happen didn’t you?” I asked in a ragged voice her but she wouldn’t answer me…so Noah answered for her
“Of course she did, why would she call you in the first place?”
“Was I talking to you?” I snapped at him and a Retter came over and took a hold of my head and the next thing I felt was white hot metal against my skin and I cried out in pain.
“Come on it wasn’t that bad was it?” I heard Ivy ask as the Retter shoved my head down and walked back over to the door. I looked up and I caught Fawn gaze for another second before she looked away and started walking out of the room.
“Ivy why don’t you take him to one of the cellars?” Noah asked “I think he’s had enough punishment for the day.”
“I suppose I could use a break…” She agreed and he nodded and followed after Fawn and ordered the rest of his buddies to get back to their other responsibilities. A few of them complained but he repeated his order in a louder tone and they did what he said.
I tried to steady my breathing as I looked down at my feet. My body ached and bled and all I thought was how much I had let down Brandon…how long would it be before they started to hurt him too? It’s all my fault I thought as my eyes started to burn. I should have just let Mr. Miller kill me when he had the chance…
Ivy started to un-cuff me then but I was too tired to do anything but try to stay upright. I let her and another Retter drag me out of the room and hit me when I slowed them down. I didn’t see any sign of Fawn as we walked down the halls and then down a flight of stairs; to be honest I was glad. My feelings about her were still in too much of a mess at the moment for me to even know what I would say to her. I guess one question that had been passing through my wind was why?
Once we got down to the end of the stairs Ivy and the other Retter had us walk a little longer down a small hall where I could see hands sticking out of the bars of their cells. Their ages ranged from probably seven to people in their twenties like me. We then stopped and they opened an empty cell and threw me to the ground and locked the door behind me. I laid there for a second but then forced my body onto the side which sent stabbing pains through my body. I heard them walk away and I heard another door close shut.
“Hey…Hey kid,” I heard a hoarse voice speak out I’m not a kid I thought but lifted up my head a little to see an older man probably in his sixties with thin white hair and dark eyes in the cell across from me “You alright?” He asked
“Oh I’m just peachy.” I grumbled.Ë
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