The Hollows Of Hiraeth (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book I

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Part One

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T h e   H o l l o w s O f
H    I    R    A    E T H
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T h e E n d:
Denouement
Part Four/Seven

And so fall away from happiness is what I did. But it turned out this bitter way: that was never the reality. This is the reality. This is my God forsaken life. All of this danger, this bloodshed, this pain—this is the reality.

And, in this reality, I can't escape my routes—what people before me have had to deal with. Just because of a stupid tale. These are the times where you realise, there is nothing humane about some of us humans. I resent them for what they've done to me. I resent them for what they've done to my life.

My blood denies me the reality I thought I had. I don't belong where I thought I did. With a reality worse than a nightmare, I wonder when I'll wake up. I can't breathe. All these uncovered lies are suffocating.

But, worst of all, are all the problems built up in my life over the past five months. All the natural teenage drama, all those bumps in the road that made all the drops seem that much scarier. Carter is my best friend. He loves me. And I couldn't return that. I knew I couldn't. And now, I'm just as bad as those other monsters, creating downfalls after hazardous bumps in the road. What have I done?

—Sky Forest, twenty-four hours post reality.

I felt like he couldn't recognise me—hell, I couldn't recognise me.

"What are you doing here?" Was the first thing he said, voice hoarse and emotions outrightly presented.

"I could ask you the same thing." Was my quipped response. And I wished I hadn't witted myself out of that situation. I knew that Jameson was listening in on our conversation, and I knew that Kai and Harry probably were too. When did I start to attract all this attention?

"I'd rather have our conversation in private," Carter spoke, acknowledging our audience behind us. I paid them no attention and instead watched as his eyes flitted back to mine. "But we both know that won't happen any time soon." He told me swiftly after but I didn't respond, looking for privacy in a filled room.

Spotting a small room; connected to ours by a door, I turned to face Jameson, "I–"

"No." His response was so sudden that I didn't even catch onto it's meaning right away.

I frowned, "Jameson, it's fine–"

"No." He repeated, but I just gave him a deadpan stare.

"I just want to talk to Carter," I complained and I saw as his jaw hardened slightly.

"Talk to him here." Jameson's response was no better than his previous 'no'.

I rose an eyebrow, "Where everyone can hear?" I shot back, gesturing to everyone around us. Jameson stared at me for a few moments, and I could see him weighing out the pros and cons of allowing me to do as I wished.

Jameson sighed, "Fine," My eyebrows quilted upwards in surprise, and I wondered how he got to his conclusion when I knew there were more cons than pros.

"Five minutes," He ordered and I nodded my head, a grin on my lips. "You're in and out, and you do not close that door." He continued to instruct but I just smiled at him like an idiot.

Patting his hand, I began to push myself off the floor, "Thank you." I murmured to him, careful to not hammer him with kisses in front of our audience. I got up before gesturing to Carter to follow me, and with a short moment of indecision, he did. But he was stopped.