The Deception

Chapter 8

*Selena's POV*

Ever since I woke up this morning, I felt off. I'm addition to the mental fog, my body was sluggish and heavy. A dull pain in my head grew over the next few hours. Despite this, I continued to force myself through the exams, pushing my tired brain past its limits.

Lunch time was a welcome relief, knowing I didn't have to actively think for a bit. Sitting down with my food, I started to notice my vision blurring and shifting. Blinking hard, I shook my head in an attempt to refocus, but it didn't seem to help. Suddenly, the dull pain became a sharp pain. I winced as I suddenly became overwhelmed by a cacophony of voices... voices I'd never heard before.

Maybe I'm just sleep deprived, I thought.

But the longer I sat there, the louder the voices got. Standing to my feet, I decided to try and make my way to the bathroom. Slowly, as I made myself down the hall, I started seeing shapes and silhouettes of people. One quickly rushed towards me and as he phased through me, I got thrown off balance. Placing my hand on the locker, I attempted to keep my balance. Then, all at once, everything was dark.

***

When my consciousness returned, I found myself in the girls bathroom. I stumbled into a nearby stall, barely managing to keep my self upright.

Pull it together, Selena! I thought.

My head felt like it was pounding and I felt nauseous. It felt like the whole room was spinning. Thousands of voices were constantly filling my mind, though I still couldn't understand what they were saying.

My legs were shaking and I felt myself collapsing. However, just before I hit the ground, I felt hands wrap around me. Looking up, I saw Aaron staring back with panicked eyes.

"Come on," he muttered as his warm hands touched my forehead.

A greenish aura emitted from his hands and suddenly the voices began to fade to the background. Slowly but surely, my strength came back to me.

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why'd you do that?" He said, pressing his hand against the wall behind me.

"Me?" I asked.

"No, no. Not you..." he said, lowering his voice.

Letting his head drop, he continued to steady his breathing.

"I might need to..." he mumbled, trailing off without finishing his thought.

"What's going on, Aaron? What was that?" I questioned.

He looked at me with almost apologetic eyes.

"My past lives..." he said.

Running his hand through his hair, he suddenly stood up straight and walked to the other side of the stall.

"You mean all those voices-"

"Are my inner wolves, yes." He said, finishing my sentence.

I sat there in shock for a moment.

"Do you... hear those voices all the time?"

He sighed and replied, "Unfortunately yes. But over the years, I've learned to tune them out. Mostly."

After a moment, I decided to ask what was on my mind.

"What was that shape that ran into me?" I questioned.

Before he could answer, I heard a sudden knock at the bathroom door.

"Selena, are you alright?" Nicole said.