Lost in their Past

The Third Week

"I'm worried about Ash," Serena sat down next to Gary after making sure that Dawn had indefinitely gone to the bathroom.

"You have a broken wrist and you're worried about him?" He drank a glass full of protein shake.

"Well yeah," she sighed, "I think he's seeing something... disturbing in those dreams. He keeps screaming at night, his pupils dilate when he wakes up and..." she looked down.

"Did he sleep-choke you?"

"Not funny," she playfully hit his arm, "and then there is this training with Zaff... I'm afraid Ash is taking on a lot at the same time. I... I don't think he can handle it."

"He's Ash, Serena." Gary said, "if anyone can handle it, it's him."

Serena sighed, Gary was correct. Taking on a hundred things at the same time was Ash's specialty. He was far greater at Multi-tasking than he was at single-tasking. He'd saved the world countless times while participating in numerous conferences.

Suddenly, she felt silly for ever doubting him. If something was going on with him, he would tell.

Wouldn't he?

"Here," the brunet gave his sister a little flask, "this is what got me through that monster's special training."

"What's this?" She unscrewed the lid, "rum?"

Gary shrugged, "Stole it from Charlus."

Serena raised her eyebrow at the thievery skills of her brother, she brought the flask closer to her lips and took a sip. But the rum came out of her mouth as soon as she got it in.

She spewed the nasty drink on Gary's face.

"Jeepers that's yucky!" She wiped her tongue with a napkin.

The brunet sighed as he dabbed his face clean with the tissue, at this point, getting stuff thrown at his face had become a norm. Remembering the time on Chewa Island when Alain's little girl had become Ballistic.

"You two deserve each other," he cursed.

"How long before it can work?" Said a man, all draped in black.

"I don't know," answered the old man, his white hair was unkempt and his white coat covered with dust. Serena's heart caught up in her mouth as she identified Spencer Hale."I can't do it alone... Especially not in these handcuffs with the bozos you've given me to work with."

The man in black grunted  his teeth, "Do it fast, or else..."

"You'll kill me and my daughter I know," Spencer sighed, "look, I don't know anything about them and neither do you, people, you only went after them because we were going, I'm working on it, I promise... now, get me the electrodes."

"You already have them,"

"I dropped them in my juice, I'm an old man."

The man in black grunted his teeth as he disappeared around the corner. Spencer waited for a moment or two to make sure he'd completely disappeared, just then, he turned back into a hurry.

"This is Spencer Hale," he said in a hushed voice, "I don't know who you are but you have to hurry, I don't know where I am but there has been a storm brewing outside for a week or so. And on my way here, we passed into a herd of Butter—"

Spencer's lips kept on muttering something but Serena couldn't understand. For some reason, she'd started feeling a strange pressure on her neck and her vision has started to blur.

It didn't make sense at the time but after she woke up, the situation cleared like a rearview mirror.

She was getting choked to death.

"Ash!" She tried to scream but his grip around her neck was too tight.

Serena tried to get up, she kicked and hit him as hard as he could but Ash didn't bulge. If it even was Ash.

His eyes had never appeared as cold and lifeless as they were at that moment.

When she was about to pass out or die, Serena pulled the last straw. She rolled herself off the bed, talking Ash with her. The impact had loosened his grip around her neck, she crawled away from him as fast as she could.

Serena slithered into the corner of the room, her eyes red with tears and her neck sore with pain. Her body shivered so violently that a part of her thought she was hyperthermic.

By the time Ash woke up, it was a little too late.

A frown appeared on his face as his face after seeing the blonde crammed up in a corner.

"Serena?" He said innocently, "why are... oh no, what did I do?"

Ash hadn't done anything, it was something else inside of him wanting to choke Serena. It was cold and angry. The blonde remembered the last time such an incident had happened, he wasn't able to face her for many days, the guilt had nearly eaten him alive.

She didn't want it to happen to him again.

"Nothing," Serena lied, "I... I think I know where Spencer Hale is."