Blurred | Lines

Twenty-Six

I wake up to a pesky beeping softly chirping away under my pillow, rubbing my eyes to brush away the sleepy feeling lingering around.

I slide my fingers around the frame of the watch, before mashing the buttons to silence it. I swing my legs out my bed, before I pull on a thin sweater over my t-shirt, then changing my shorts out for a pair of jeans. I slip my feet into my pair of boots, before tucking the laces in, and then standing up.

I quickly and quietly scuffle my way out the accommodation, walking towards the Simulation room, when a hand grabs my wrist.

I jerk slightly, when I see Eric, and he presses his finger to his lips. When I don't protest, he starts to pull me along and I follow him.

When we get there, he pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the door. I watch him before looking over my shoulder, keeping watch.

I hear the door give way with a groan, and I walk inside after him and then the door groans again when he closes it.

I yawn, tapping my fingers in my thighs. I run a hand through my hair, tussling it to life.

Eric walks over to me and doesn't ask or gesture for his watch, but strokes my cheek with his index finger, and then turns to grab the serum and the injection gun.

He twists the serum capsule in, before pressing the needle against the skin of my neck. He pushes it and injects it, and I wince, as he pulls it out and tosses it in the garbage.

He grabs another thing of serum and loads it into the gun, holding it out to me.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Inject me."

"So you can go in my head?" I start to protest, but I can tell from his expression that he's not going to care.

So, I inject him, and we look at each other before our eyelids shut.

I hear the sound of screaming, and when I open my eyes, Eric and I are standing in the Pit, and they shove against us, running in a frenzied panic. I'm pushed against Eric, and I look up at the crowd, seeing a faceless man shooting in one direction, and another behind us, shooting ahead of us.

I watch as people are shot down, blood trickling out their mouth.

I can't move, just feeling people lean toward or on me, shoving me hard. I grit my teeth, and feel tears water in my eyes. I need to know that I couldn't save everyone.

And this is breaking me, knowing that I'm going to watch people die.

I swallow and shut my eyes, waiting for the fear landscape to move on.

I open my eyes, hearing the squawking of birds. I open my eyes, looking at all the crows that surround me.

Suddenly, they all flutter into a black cloud. I scream, and I start to run. But the ground is soft, so my foot sinks into the mud, and I have to yank my foot out.

By then, they're on me now, pecking my skin and pulling at my hair. I cover my face with my hands, holding in screams.

This wasn't real. I slow my throbbing heart, and fall backwards.

I'm in a hole, and then, something shuts like a lid. I smack my hands into the top, watching as the glass lid is covered by dirt.

I begin to frantically look around, but I'm buried in, and my eyes flutter. I tuck my nose under my shirt to savor oxygen.

My breathing stops, and I shut my eyes. I just let it happen. It's really all I can do at this point.

Eventually, my head begins to ache, throbbing. I see spots behind my eyes and I shut them closed.