Thirteen

Thirteen - Chapter Nine

My eyelids fluttered open and I stifled a yawn. The thing I was laid on rose a little but went softly back down, then repeated itself.

    As if it were breathing.

    I turned slowly and rested my chin on the soft surface. But then my eyes snapped open from confusion and pure terror.

    Sebastian, who was sprawled out across the sofa, and me, who was wedged between the small crevice that was Sebastian and the back of the sofa and laid against his warm t-shirted skin, were asleep.

    Together.

    I stayed as still as I could, trying not to wake him.

    "Crap..." I murmured. He inhaled deeply and I quickly shut my eyes. Gently turning my head again, I rested my cheek on his chest and hid my face slightly with the blanket.

    Calm down. He doesn't know you're awake.

    "Dani?" He mumbled sleepily. I breathed slowly as I tried to calm my irregular heartbeat.

    This shouldn't have happened. I remembered watching the movie with Sebastian, him criticizing my favourite parts and me defending them by pushing him, but I didn't remember getting to the end. I didn't remember falling asleep.

    I felt him slide around me and carefully slip his arms underneath me. He made sure I was still wrapped in the blanket as he carried me away. I knew he wasn't wasting any energy picking me up but I still felt guilty. Guilty for pretending to be asleep when I wasn't and guilty for spending time with Sebastian.

    When I built up the courage to peek at where were we I saw that he was carrying me down the hallway and towards my room, mumbling something incoherent along the way. It sounded sort of like 'I can't believe this is happening' but I couldn't be sure.

    As he came to a halt in front of my room he pushed it open with his back easily. Sebastian opened the door and carefully put me down in the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. He placed the key on the bedside table and walked out and shut the door behind him. As soon as I heard the door click I shot out of bed and ran checked the mirror. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

    "I knew my face was red..." I muttered, fixing the bed. Not knowing what else to do, I changed into my jumpsuit and tied the arms around my waist. Throwing my pajamas into the corner, I checked the time.

    Five in the morning. I stared disbelievingly at the clock, willing it to change. I had never been up this early before.

    "Damn Nova, messing up my sleeping patterns" I sighed, standing back up again. Then I remembered why I'd been with Sebastian that night.

    I was dead. They'd said I'd died.

    I couldn't see them; I didn't want to. But what could I do? I didn't want to stay in the room and I didn't want to run into them.

    I decided to walk around Nova and would try and get acquainted with the twists and turns of the place on my own, just to think. I checked the vial, which was still intact, and flicked the lights off, locking the door behind me and then proceeding down the long hallway.

    This place was so huge and creepy and if you listened closely you could hear the ghost of past screams. Or that could've just been my imagination playing tricks on me.

    It'd only been four days and I was already imagining things.

    I stood for a while just to take it all in. It felt like much longer and so much had happened in the small amount of time that it made me feel like I'd been here for months. And, with a sudden sinking feeling, I realized I'd be there for much longer.