There's nothing you're forced to trust more than your own mind. You're dependent on it, it stores the memories that make up your world.
But what if it could be stolen from you?
Aspen's world is growing, from the boundaries of her country farm to...
update!! this has been my favourite chapter so far, so i hope you like it! let me know what you think. also, for those asking, awake will be about twenty chapters plus an epilogue. thanks for reading!
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"She's awake."
I heard the words before I even knew it myself. One moment my mind was basking in the serenity of silence, and the next words were filtering through my consciousness.
"No, she's not."
"I swear she just blinked."
"Her eyes are closed, dumbass. You can't blink with your eyes closed."
The voices were distant, but definitely in the same room. I knew I was inside because I wasn't shivering harshly. Instead, my skin felt flushed with warm.
I couldn't open my eyes. My subconscious mind screamed at me that I was vulnerable, and I didn't quite know what I'd be opening my eyes to. Maybe he was going to kill me when I woke. If that was the case then I needed to prolong that.
So, instead, I let my senses wander over my surroundings. It was silent, save for the odd movement in the direction of the voices. They felt somewhat familiar, but my panicked mind couldn't quite put a finger on it. It was too quick, brushing over my senses.
My mouth was muffled. I couldn't breathe through it, and moving my lips revealed that they were stuck, maybe with duct tape. Immediately, my pulse quickened.
"Her breathing has changed."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We should get him. He told us to get her the second she woke up."
"Oh, and you want to risk it? What if it was just a twitch? You don't want him to... you know."
Him. It had to be him.
I focussed on where I was. I was sitting up, my head hanging low, my neck stretched and painful from the load. My body was supported by my hands, which were behind my back. Bound. To a chair. The rope was chafing my wrists.
No no no no—
"You hear that?"
"Yeah. She's definitely awake."
I tried to say something, to tell them to wait, but all that came out was a muffled cry. I opened my eyes, blinded for a moment by the light. But then I saw them.
Evan. And the boy who had broken his arms when he fell from the ladder.
They stared at me, the three of us completely mute as we took in each other's expressions. But then, almost instantly, they closed their gaping mouths and looked away.
"Don't look her in the eye," Evan said. "He told us not to look her in the eye."
My eyes trailed down to his arm which was bandaged with black–gauze which I assumed to have once been white. The other boy's arms were both wrapped in slings tight to his chest.
