Halo: Awake and Alive (Book 2, Arbiter x Female human series.)

Bria's dream

(Authors note: in this chapter, it will be a flashback of Bria's past. If you are not really interested in that, the next chapter will be back to the main story.)

It's been two weeks since Bria went to the hospital. She had to stay in it ever since. Each day she gets weaker and weaker. She even sometimes prays that one day will be her last, she feels so terrible. Being weak has made her sleep a lot more recently and she's been having dreams. No. More like memories...

"You're different." She remembers her best friend Cassie says. "Bria?" She refused to look at her. She felt so ashamed. Even her sister was telling her she was "different".

"Bria, is this because of Beth? Because of Elena?" Cassie asked.

After a moment of pondering, Bria finally responded. "I don't want to talk about it..." she quietly said.

"Bria," Cassie placed a hand on Bria's shoulder. It startled her. "This is hard for everyone. Elena was my friend too."

Bria felt tears build up. If only she knew the truth. Elena was dead because of her. That Bria is actually a monster.

"I can't imagine what you're going through... Bria your sister is getting the treatments she needs. She's going to be okay." She didn't understand. She couldn't. "Bria talk to me, please!"

"What do you want me to say, Cass? That I'm sorry that Elena is dead? That I'm scared to death that my little sister might die any day?" Bria took a breath.

Cassie looked at her, but she had no words. Suddenly her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Cassie had walked away from the table they were sitting at. "Yes, This is Cassie." Bria looked down at her trembling hands as she tried to hear the conversation. But all she thought about was Elena. Her face a second before she died, how terrified she looked. Bria couldn't even look at her pictures at the funeral. She will be haunted forever. Her body shivered with fear.

"W-what?" Cassie sounded surprised. Bria looked over at her. She slowly raised her hand to cover her mouth. "Y-yeah we'll be over there as soon as we can." She quickly hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" What else could be wrong? She thought.

"It's Mariah... S-she's in the hospital because she tried to... no... no, she wouldn't do that...?" Cassie whispered to herself.

"Cass, what happened?" Bria asked.

"Mariah tried to... she tried to take her own life..." Cassie said.

Bria's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. How could this happen? Mariah would never do something like that.

"I-I can't believe she would do something like that..." Cassie said. "We better hurry and get to the hospital."

"I'll meet you there..." Bria said softly.

"Why? We can both drive there in my car." She added.

"I said, I'll meet you there!" Bria snapped back.

Cassie was taken aback. She remained silent. Bria quickly looked down.

"I-I'll meet you there." Bria whispered. She swung her bag over her shoulder and exited the house.

She marched right over to his HQ frantically pressing the button to let her in. She was furious.

"Bria," he sounded a little too enthusiastic. "I wasn't expecting you today, love." He continued.

"Let me in, now!" She shouted. The light shined green and the door slowly opened. She rushed in and threw her bag on the floor.

"You lied to me!!" She yelled. She so wanted to strangle him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The ugly brute continues to type on his computer, scanning each monitor screen.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You promised not to hurt anyone." Her hands clenched into fists.

"I didn't." But she can see the smirk on his face.

"Liar!" Her shout made him turn around to look at her. "I didn't do anything to disobey you. Why'd you hurt her, why did you hurt Mariah?"

"Again, I didn't do anything." He turned back around. "But a simple push can make anyone do anything tragic."

"You manipulated her?!" She yelled. He chuckled. "You son of a..." She lunged at him but barely reached him before she got electricity shot at her. She screamed in pain. The smell of burnt flesh quickly entered her lungs. "We had a deal..." she groaned.

"Indeed we did. A deal That you would do anything to pay for your sisters' treatments. Am I wrong?" He stood up.

"No, but you said you wouldn't hurt the people I loved as long as I obeyed you, I haven't done anything ever since Elena." She said.

"You haven't." He stood right in front of her. Nose to nose. "But you've been slacking." He sat back down and looked at the monitors again. Bria's eye widened when he pulled up a picture of Cassie. "Ah, Cassandra. Such a beautiful, innocent soul."

Her blood started to boil. "I swear if you touch her..."

"You can't do anything to harm me, as long as you want your sister to live." He said.

Bria sighed and looked down at her feet. "Please. Please don't hurt her."

"Then you better get back to work." He replied.

Bria awoke to those words. Why was she having dreams like that? She realized she was sweating and breathing like she ran a race. That couldn't be good for her health. She sat up and placed her hand on her chest.

"What happened?" Thel, who was resting next to her, got up as well.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. Just another one of those dreams."

"Another? What could they mean?" He asked.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I think my friend Cassie is still alive." She looked at him. "All my dreams have been about her. I just have this gut feeling."

"Don't worry yourself. You'll put your life at risk." He said. She frowned. "Plus you need as much rest for the battle tomorrow. Are you sure you want to go?" He asked.

"Yes. I feel pointless having incredible power, only to be locked up in a hospital sleeping all day." She said.

He rested a hand on her cheek. She leaned into his hand. "Are you feeling well enough?"

She smiled and looked into his eyes. "I'm feeling fine."

She lied.

She just wanted to find Kyle and put an end to this.