Running • Iggy

Decline

I remember waking up to Nudge's voice becoming louder in a debate, but I wasn't too aware of much else. It was like my brain had shut down, and I was impossibly warm. Ah shit, am I sick? I thought through the thick swampy waters of my mind. Something within me told me to act like I was alright, so I did. I opened my eyes slowly, biting the inside of my lip to the point where it bled at how overwhelming the ceiling light was.

"Good afternoon." Iggy's voice made me wake up more. I glanced to where he sat on the floor next to the sofa Max and Fang were sitting on. He didn't look sick anymore, which was a plus. "Afternoon already?" I yawned, sitting up. Nudge had moved to the floor in my rest, so I swung my legs over the sofa into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I sort of assumed you didn't sleep last night. We let you sleep there, it's about midnight." He informed me with a yawn. "I'm feeling better, by the way." His words were slow, he had probably just woken up. I nodded ever so slightly, feeling a wave of nausea wash over me. I refuse to be sick. I am in perfect health, go away stomach bug. I at least hoped it was a stomach bug. If it wasn't and left it too long it could turn into a fever, which would be bad for everyone.

"I'm glad, you weren't in good shape last night at all." I rubbed my eyes. "Have you guys started with the rooms yet?" I asked as I tried to sit up straight. I felt weak, which was probably a normal strength for a human being. I could tell I was warm, but I was close to shivering.

"Yeah. Your mom and sister are upstairs sorting out the beds, you'll be sleeping alone tonight." He smiled playfully. "I hope that's okay with you." I felt my own cheeks flush red as I looked away from him. "Why would I be okay with it?"

"I just thought you'd be lonely, is all." He chuckled sheepishly. His blue eyes sparkled brightly, catching my attention and forcing butterflies to flutter through my stomach. I cleared my throat and excused myself to go to the bathroom. There, I tried to hide the fact I was slowly beginning to feel worse and worse.

The whole day was like that. I started feeling terrible, got up to excuse myself, composed myself and then returned. When it was time to sleep, I couldn't. My body trembled to the point where I couldn't physically stop it, and for some reason, my wings decided to release themselves, which didn't help my temperature situation. My claws also kept extending, despite the fact I had pushed them back in by force at least 20 times in a single hour.

I twisted to my clock in the small, cream-walled room that was now 'my room', reading 02:37 written there. I could hear people moving downstairs, I had heard it enough to recognize it as Iggy, Max and Fang having their usual ungodly hour chats. Sometimes I was a part of them. I glanced around the room, to the window placed on the same wall as the long side of my bed was against, but it was placed at the foot of my bed. Directly across from me was the shower and toilet combo that my small room had. There was a desk on the right of the door, where my drawing equipment was. Below my bed held 3 large boxes for my clothes. My bedroom door was directly across from my bed's head. The wall the headrest was against had nothing against it. The floor was the usual wooden boards.

I could hear laughter as I sat up, unable to comprehend a single thought. I knew I had a fever by now, I could feel the burning sensation throughout my body despite the fact I was shivering violently. My chest felt tight as I stumbled to the door, using the door handle to hold myself upright. I pulled my door open clumsily and very quietly made my way down the stairs, trying not to collapse on the way there.

I could see Iggy carrying a glass of Cola to the dining table we usually eat at, and Fang and Max were seated there, probably arguing over something dumb and meaningless. I wasn't able to think, or at least I wasn't able to understand my thoughts. I stumbled over to Iggy, hearing a faint "Citrus?" come from Max.