UNFAZED - Book Three In The Unknown Identity Series

Chapter 18 - Before

    "It's the only way, if we leave it in then you'll have more of these dreams, they'll get worse, trust me." Keith urges, I let out a sigh of defeat. "I promise I'll be careful."

   "Fine."

   Something about this whole thing makes me laugh inside, I mean, him and I talking about a dream device that has the power to manipulate the host's body and give them painful dreams? It sounds crazy. The part about having 'to cut it out' is also bizarre, how often does this happen...my point proven.

    "Follow me." I nod and follow him suit to the bathroom that was located down the hall, past mine and Will's rooms. He sit me down on the lip of the tub and kneels on one knee on my right side, holding the knife and a pure white towel in hand.

   "This might hurt, but trust me, I wont hurt you intentionally."

   I gulp, a sudden nervousness overcoming me. "Good to k-know."

    He gives me a small but heartwarming smile, "okay, so the way I remember doing this was that the dream device was placed on the right side of the lower neck, right above the collarbone."

   "Alright," I pull the collar of my shirt back, revealing the bare, pale skin. Keith stares at the spot, not lifting his gaze or letting his focus get distracted by my shakiness and unsteady breaths. I'm trying so hard to let my uneasiness break through, but by the way I'm reacting, I'm failing miserably.

Keith raises the knife to my skin, carefully caressing the skin with his thumb before doing anything. He secures a firm hand around the side of my face, holding onto my cheek, his fingers intertwining into the loose strands of my falling hairs. He then carefully points the tip of the blade into my skin, piercing it. I bite back a scream, not wanting to accidentally mess him up by startling him with my obnoxious behavior. But don't get me wrong, it feels as if sharp glass pieces are cutting their way into me, just like the same way they did with the window braking that one fateful day, the day we ran and the adventure begin for us both - him and I.

He stopped moving the knife, setting it down on the counter of the sink, wiping off the blade, it made me gag. I felt something warm come out of the fresh cut, making its way down my shoulder, though it doesn't go past that point when Keith wipes it away gently with the white towel that's now damp, water droplets occasionally free falling out from the corners and resting on the tiled floors of the bathroom.

He continues to wipe at it, but accidentally presses too hard on the wound, making me wince in pain.

"Sorry," he whispers.

"It's alright," i let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, "so...um, how did you find out about this dream device in the first place, a-and how did you know w-where it was l-located?" I gnaw at my lower lip to hold in all the whimpering.

"Because. When I was at, you know, NanoTech, I saw them insert the same small object into a friend of mine who's now dead...when I saw them do it, it freaked me out. they did it with a gun-like syringe, inserting the contents into this spot here," he points to the cut. "So, I immediately cut mine out, without anyone knowing. When ever I would hear my companions talk about there nightmares...like you did...I would make up my own, making it sound equally dreadful as theirs were. I was so afraid of someone knowing what I did, so I hid it and..."

"And you kept it as a secret so that you wouldn't get hurt." I finish off his sentence.

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Did they ever find out?" I probe for more information.

"No, well now they know, but back then they had no clue."

"How old were you when you figured this all out?"

   "I-I was t-twelve." He shakily replied, his tone cracking at the end as if he was holding back something, it seemed strange.

   "When we all turn twelve, NanoTech came out with this small gadget that a-allows the person or persons take control of o-ones mind."

The conversation where he told me...what he did, somehow came back to mind. I thought back to his breaths and jay words as he spilled out all of his secrets, lies, and told me the real truth that still leaves me in pain.

He was twelve when he got the device, then he took it out when he was twelve too...did h-he possibly have it in still w-when he...k-killed my mom? The thought leaves me uncertain.

"Did you cut t-this device out before or after you-you k-killed m-m-my mom?" I draw in air, my chest rising and lowering dramatically as it becomes harder and harder to breathe.

Keith lifts his eyes to meet mine, sorrow and pain embedded within them.

"Before."

That's all what it took to break the barrier and the tears come out as a never ending waterfall. All my emotions leaving as they exit out of my irises. Anger. Hate. Pain. It all leaves me with one single tear.

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