URIAH

Planning

Chapter 7

It's been 32 hours since we got the letter that the timer has been set off. Being a Monday, we've all had to get up early, get to school and dread the rest of the day. A usual Monday really. The first semester has been technically over for a while, but since we're getting our report cards back today, I consider us to have now officially gotten to the end.

Nathan and I have discussed with all of our teachers about our leave and what we will miss. We've also gotten back most of our grades and there isn't much to be insanely worried about. Physics and French is all that is a bit unstable for me, but I'll catch up by the time I need to apply for college. I'll miss a lot of my volleyball practices and two tournaments which I'm not happy about at all. But what can I say? This has to be done.

The third semester is the one that counts for the most so even if we miss, most probably, an easy three quarters of the second one, we will be able to boost up our grades.

But, as if our academically and mentally challenging days at school weren't enough to deal with, the timer has been set off and so we have to study abroad while chasing people around for a bad guy.

It doesn't seem real to me. Until something horrible happens that shocks me to a point of no return. I had a nightmare last night. The first one since Violet's been gone.

I was sitting on cold concrete, my hands unable to move because of the rope holding them to a pole. Even the slightest movement of my fingers would cause pain to jolt through my hand. I can still remember the feeling of it hours after having woken up. I decided that the pain was illogical and not even a tight rope could cause such painful jolts. I pulled my hands towards my back with force hoping to have freed them. The rope disappears from my hands, but something else holds them back. I turn around to see Vi holding on to them. She's on her knees with the top of her body curved towards the ground. Her being contorted to look like the one of an animal. She stares at me with her hands still gripping on mine. Eyes filled with fear and insanity.

"Don't try, Sam. It's no use," she starts her voice having a certain hissing sound to it. "Give in to the pain. Just like I did. Listen, Sam."

All I remember next is her eyes roling back and my scream. The scream I replicated as my conscious and awake self. Covered in sweat and slightly breathless, I was waiting for someone to barge in the room. I hate waking them up with my screams. But, thank God, I was home alone.

I blankly stare at my half filled bag thinking about my dream. I realize my immobility and so I get back to work.

"Nathan?"

He raises his head from over his phone and looks up at me. He's sitting in the bean bag chair I have at the far end of my room, on the other side of my bed. I stand between the other side and the closet.

"What's more important to pack?"

"What do you mean?" he says as he walks over to my side.

"Should I pack more shirts or more pants. Should I go casual or are we supposed to have a professional image. I mean, James Bond runs and kills in a tux. Should I pack a lot of undergarments. But, if my clothes are dirty, what difference does a clean bra make?"

"Wow, you really think about everything, don't you? I just threw a pile of clothes I didn't feel like unpacking from the boxes into a bag, and voilà."

I laugh. "But seriously, from experience, which clothing item needs changing the most?"

"Shirts. Bring a lot of shirts. And keep it casual. Rodrigo is the one who needs to make an impression. We want to be the ones that fly through and are forgotten by them as quickly as possible."