Dusk Till Dawn [ will herondale ]

5 - sparks of fear

[unedited]

"Dreaming led to disappointment, and disappointment to a kind of depressed funk that wasn't easy to shake. Better to stay in the gray than get eaten by the dark."

Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)

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The ancient clock in the hallway chimed loudly as the gears in it rotated smoothly. The chime rung throughout the whole institute, comforting some in their slumber and awakening others. Arabella unfortunately was awakened by the startling sound as it reverberated across the halls and rooms of the Institute.

Her breathing was hard, labored, as it came out of her agape mouth. Arabella's petite fingers were fisted in the sheets as her eyes shot open, frantically looking around the room. The reminiscence of the Dark Sisters laughter played through her head as she blindly reached out to the right of her. Fear seizing in her chest as she realized that she was alone in the room, with only her thoughts. Her hand meeting cold air as she turned to see the wooden chair that James had previously occupied now empty.

"James?" Arabella called out into the room shakily. Silence was her only answer as she struggled to utter any more words from her shaking lips. Darkness enveloped the room, reminding her of the silent nights in her cell. A shiver ran down her spine as she blindly moved back up onto the bed. Her shoulders and back hitting the backboard as she took another struggling breathe. The blankets that had once caused comfort, now made her skin boil. The heat of her body rising before she pushed them off her legs.

Arabella refused to shut her eyes as she slowly slid to the left of the bed. Her long legs smoothly gliding across the fabric as she tried to be as silent as possible. Every nerve in her body was awake, overly stimulated as fear coursed through her. I'm not with the dark sisters, I'm fine.

Another chime from the clock rang through the halls as Arabella jumped slightly. She silent scolded herself for not being braver as all of her movement stilled for a few moments. Fear causing her legs and arms to lock up and remain frozen. It took a solid two minutes for Arabella to reassure herself that she was okay. Her heart thumping against her chest as she slowly started to move again.

Arabella finally slid her legs off the edge of the bed, taking care to lightly touch the tips of her feet against the wooden floors. The cold sensation sent a shock through her as she pulled them up slightly. Taking a frustrated breathe, Arabella finally settled both her feet on the wooden floor. She reminded herself of a small child, seeking out their parents to assure them that the nightmare wasn't real. Their was a slightly problem with that analogy though.

My parent are dead and my nightmares were real.

Arabella had to grab the bedside table to steady herself as she fully tried to stand on her own two feet. When she had imagined being able to stand by herself, she had envisioned her brother by her side. Arabella brushed it off as just another failed reach for something unachievable as she steadied herself. Taking a deep breathe, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Arabella took a few tentative steps forward; resembling a toddler learning how to walk.

As Arabella grew more confident she took purposeful strides forward. A small smile on her lips as a feeling of accomplishment filled her chest. She made her way to the door, squinting as a piece of fabric became clearer in her vision. It hung limply on a hook that had been placed in the wall. Arabella pulled on the fabric and found it to be a white dressing gown. Arabella slipped the silky fabric over her nightgown before pulling the door open tentatively. The door creaked loudly as it glided open. Arabella peaked her head out and looked down the hall to the left and right of her.