WORLDS

Chapter 8 - Mitch

Mitch struggled to wake up.

"HELP!" she croaked, sitting up clumsily.

She didn't hear the voice anymore and realized she probably wasn't supposed to be alive.

She waited for what seemed like hours, trying to keep awake, but every time she did, she passed out once more. There was a lot of blood on the floor and she felt soaked in her clothes.

She held her head lazily, figuring she probably hit her head hard on the counter as she felt sticky blood on her fingers and felt her head hammering with pain.

"Anyone?" she called out.

The next time she woke, someone's footsteps thundered in her already thundering head.

"MITCH! WHERE ARE YOU?! You aren't signed out!"

"Help!" she said, blood falling from her lips.

Mitch closed her eyes as the door scattered splinters and big chunks of wood.

"The door was bolted shut! What the hell - CHIRON I FOUND HER!!!"

Mitch opened her eyes and Nico loomed over her.

"Get away! Go away!" she croaked.

Nico backed away and she saw his boyfriend Will behind him.

"No... go away please..." she leaned against the cupboard.

"Mitch. Look up." Chiron boomed.

She coughed, trying to hide her pain.

"What did we talk about?!" Chiron said.

"I swear it wasn't attempted." Mitch wheezed.

Mitch curled away from Chiron.

Nico paled.

"Chiron what is this about?"

Mitch grasped the corner of the cabinet and stood shakily on her feet, not looking at Nico.

"Nothing death breath," Mitch said.

Nico sucked in an angry breath and walked away.

Will tried to go help Mitch and Chiron could see her vampire symptoms coming on.

"WILL GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled, putting Will behind him.

"No! She needs -"

"VAMPIRE SYMPTOMS!" Chiron yelled back.

Nico bolted faster as Will came behind him and they were both calling out for Chiron to follow in pursuit. Mitch looked at him as the room became hazy and she collapsed.

"Will! You're safe now!"

"Is she out?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. Gladly."

Will carried Mitch on his shoulder and they raced to the hospital wing.

Nico and Chiron stood together.

"What did you mean earlier?" he asked.

"You remember the day you felt like someone was dying? The day that it was agony for you?" Chiron asked.

"The pain... it just continued."

"That was her. She tried to kill herself after Jason died. What she went through in those two weeks before she attempted suicide, they were not her best. The campers, I'm not naming them, but they blamed her for the attacks and everything. And then they found out she was a vampire -"

Nico bowed his head accusingly.

"She lost her will to live. She scared me so much I kept her in the hospital wing for two months."

"So are you saying you think she's lost it again?" Nico asked.

"SHE'S AWAKE!" Will yelled.

They both ran in and saw Mitch lying in a used-to-be white bed.

"I need to clean -"

"Hell no. I'll clean and I'll be fine." Mitch said.

Mitch snatched the rubbing alcohol and started to wipe the more painful cuts first.

Nico looked at her, noticing that Chiron was right. She didn't have the fun glow in her eyes as she used to. She had nice golden orange eyes, but they looked like a dull peach. She was paler than usual and seemed more like an adult than a teenager. He could see old scars lapping her stomach as she cleaned the big stab mark.

He fiddled with his fingers and Will came over and slung his arm around Nico.

"Were you the one who cleaned her cuts a few months ago?" he asked.

Will looked at him and nodded.

"She wasn't doing well you know. She hadn't even eaten for like, was it five days? It was bad."

Nico saw all of the cuts starting to heal and he gasped.

"You have healing powers?"

Mitch nodded and didn't look at him.

"Did you think I ran away?" she asked.

"No." Chiron said.

"Then why look for me? You don't have to care for me." she said.

"Mitch - stop with this." Chiron said.

Nico looked up. She sounded like a 20-year-old smoker now. Good to know.

"With what?! Telling the truth?! You didn't need me the day -"

"Yes we did," Chiron said.

"You've given up, haven't you?" Nico burst out. "I can tell - you smoke, I smelt it in the cabin, and you look like you haven't grown up with fun. You've given up too easily. So don't say nothing's going on because if one person notices it, then more will be able to see past it."

"Like when you told everyone I was a vampire?! No, no one saw me as half a human, but assumed I was a complete monster." Mitch snapped.

"Why are you giving up!" Nico asked.

"Because I'm a monster, and it's not reversible," she said finally.