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print("Sixteen")

Lena

I collapsed onto my bed, my back stinging from the stiffness of the cushion. My head hurt. It pounded and pounded and pounded and pounded.

My heart raced. It pounded and pounded and pounded and pounded.

My pulse thumped. It pounded and pounded and pounded and pounded.

My soul burned.

That goddamn Ari.

She did something, I knew that much. I always knew. Hatred for her actions burned so cold, like blue fire. Hatred for my actions burned colder.

We had hundreds of memories together, all of them rendered useless. You'd think that whatever she did wouldn't be so forgettable, and yet, here I was. The feeling was exactly like when you went into a room to do something, forgot what you were meant to do, and were left fretting about it for the rest of the day. Only, in this case, I did not know I forgot it. And it was not for a day, but for however many years it had been.

I growled, my frustration gripping for a memory, some flashback, just out of my reach - and dissipating.

Did she do anything?

My head spun, and it didn't help when I heard my door creak open, and whipped my head around.

It was John. I stared at him for a moment with big doe eyes, then turned back and sighed.

He approached me. "You good?"

"Hardly."

I heard a hollow pop. "You need a drink?" asked John.

I found myself smiling, and turned to face him. "You have that here?"

He shrugged. "Of course." I took the hip flask from him, and stared into the hole.

"Course, it's not the same. It couldn't be. But it's the closest thing."

I stared at it for a little more, shrugged, and took a swig. The liquor wormed its way down my throat, crisp and burning. I choked and tears came to my eyes, but I blinked them away and, coughing, handed it back to John.

I gave him an enduring grin. "Thanks. It's just what I needed."

He nodded.

Summer burst through the door. We spun to her.

"Arya's gone," she gasped.

end

End