Prey.

16.

NOT EDITED AND PROBABLY NOT THAT GOOD

"Neela, Neela, calm down," Landon placed both of his hands on Neela's cheeks after he tore Neela's hands off of her face. "No!" Neela screamed and desperately tried to push Landon away. "Someone help me!" Neela's face turned red as she made her breathing labored.

"Stop touching her!" Ryan roared which just made Neela scream louder. Everyone backed away from Neela and held their hands up in surrender. She then began scratching at her arms, legs and neck. "Neela, stop." Sean demanded and pinned her arms down to her sides. "It's all okay." Sean cooed.

"No it's not! He's gonna kill me! He's real!" Neela began to feel dizzy as she tried to arch her back off the bed to try and sit up. "Neela, if you work yourself up, you're gonna pass out and dehydrate yourself!" Caleb tried to yell over the commotion. "Get away from me!" Neela began to kick once she figured out her legs weren't bounded.

"If just one of us are in here, maybe it'll pacify her!" Sean yelled, "all of you, fucking leave!" Landon quickly ushered he and everyone else out of the room. When he did that, Neela broke free and stood on her knees on the bed, she wobbled slightly. "Please, please let me go. He's gonna kill me if I'm near him." She pulled at Sean's shirt trying to keep his attention on to her.

"No, no one's gonna hurt you!" Sean smiled and placed his hands on Neela's shoulders trying to comfort her in any way. "You don't understand, sir, please. H-h-he's given me scars and bruises."

"Where?" Sean grew concerned, "where are the scars and bruises?" Neela quickly pulled away from Sean and lifted her shirt. She expected to see the cuts from when Ryan carved his name into her. But all that was seen was an untouched stomach. "There's nothing on you, Neela. The only scars you have are from the bus crash." Sean cooed and did a swift motion of his hand over Neela's stomach, which made goosebumps rise on her skin.

No cuts or scars or bruises are from him, that meant this wasn't another vivid nightmare. This was a reality. Neela then brought her hands up to cover her face once again, crying in them once again. "What's wrong, Neela, I thought everything was okay?" She vigorously shook her head, still hiding away from the older man. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Why am I here?!" She almost screamed, which made Landon have to hold Ryan back from going into the room. "Neela, it's a very hard thing to explain to you right now, but as time goes on, you'll understand more. I promise." Sean smiled. "Why'd you freak out when you saw Ryan?"

Neela slowly brought her hands, her only protection, away from her face. "I--he's the nightmare man. H-he carved his name into me, tortured me. He's gonna do the same here." Sean shook his head, "no he's not. He's been having dreams of you, too, but those were good dreams." Sean offered a gentle smile. "Let us try to bring everyone back in here, shall we?" Neela gave a little shake at the suggestion, but it went unnoticed by Sean.

He welcomed them back into the room, Ryan's heart swelled once he saw her eyes, despite them being full of fear. She said nothing, she did nothing. Because she couldn't breathe. Sean heard her staggered breaths and finally realized that she was shaking, "she's suffocating." Sean leaped to action and started to touch her back and various parts around her neck, helping her windpipe open so she could finally get breaths in her system. "Keep looking at your left, you don't have to see him." Neela obeyed.

"Neela, please look at me." Ryan begged but Neela ignored him, she kept her eyes fixated on the white wall in front of her. "Ryan, let's talk," Sean gave a closed mouth smile and lead his younger brother out to the corridor.

Sean told Ryan everything; the girl thinking that Ryan had hurt her, the nightmares, he told Ryan everything.

The two comes back in and Ryan stayed silent as he sat in a chair in the far corner of the room. "Neela, do you want to go upstairs and go somewhere more comfortable?" The girl nodded and Sean motioned everyone else out.

The girl limped up the stairs, Sean helped her up as much as she'd let him. Every time he's try to lay a comforting hand on her back, she'd violently flinch and push him away. Every time he grabbed her arm, she'd bring them closer to her chest. They got her to the living room you see as soon as you walk in. "Go ahead and lie on the couch." Sean said gently and motioned her to the rather large couch.

As Neela lied down, she felt many different textures. When her bare legs touched the couch, it was leather. When she laid her head down on the pillow, it felt as if it was knitted together as she could feel the stitches of the various cloths as her small hands grasped the object. "You should just sleep, Neela. Nothing's gonna happen."

She shook her head, her eyes getting sad once again. "I don't wanna sleep," her voice became hoarse from crying so much.