The Shadows

17| Connection

I shuffle back quickly and stare up at him. He stares back at me with angry, watery eyes. His hair was a mess, but his face... his face resembled mine, but much worse. A similar bruise to mine, surrounding his right eye and the exact same slash on his left cheek, a dark bruise forming underneath his left eye and his lip was busted, dry blood on the corner of his mouth.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." He whispers as tears fall from his eyes. I blink nervously. "I have done nothing to you." anger slowly consuming me. He scoffs before shoving through me, leaving the estate forever.

I stand silently, collecting myself. I didn't want to be flustered when I went to see Damien. He would know something was up. I look up, down the hall to see Ria standing at the end, partially in the dark. "Ria?" I call out, but she doesn't move. She's just staring at me. "Ria...? What are you doing?" She doesn't blink. "What is wrong with you, you're such a creep!" I yell at her.

I feel my chest weigh me down, vertigo hits my like walking into a wall. My lungs begin to constrict and vision wavy, I lean onto the wall as I try to keep my balance. The floor looks like it's moving, making me nauseous. My breathing quickens, hyperventilating. I gasp to catch my breath. Tears explode from my eyes as I begin to choke on my own oxygen, desperate for air to enter my lungs. Light headed would be an understatement, until a shooting pain runs through my head. I groan as I grab onto my head with both hands, leaning my whole body against the wall, I slide down until I hit the floor.

"Aryah!?" Damien runs over to me, grabbing onto my shoulders. I can barely see his face but I can see a fuzzy silhouette of Ria, still standing lifelessly down the hall. My head flops around as I'm no longer able to hold it up. I feel Damien sliding his arms underneath me, lifting me up. My body goes limp and darkness follows.

His voice sounds distant and mumbled. "What happened, wake up!" "It's going to be okay, d-don't worry."

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"RUN!"

"RUN! Aryah, they're coming!"

"Who's there???" My voice shaky. "Run from what!?"

I feel as if I had just touched a hot stove, a heat that increases as time goes on. Burning.

Flames ignite in front of my eyes causing me to gasp.

"RUN!"

I look around frantically. "W-where please tell me!" I shut my eyes tight. The heat subsides and I open my eyes. Lightening and the rumble of thunder, causing the ground beneath me to quake.

I shut my eyes again, opening them not even a second later. I am on the dirt road, on all fours. I look up to see Davon, Patrick and Damien staring down at me.

"Damien!?"

"Good job boys." Damien smiles. "I'll take it from here."

"Y-you're with them!?" He reaches down, his hand slowly making it's way closer to me. Then, nothing. Darkness once again.

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A dim light shines down on my seemingly peaceful face. Damien sits in a chair beside the hospital bed, leaning on the side, staring at me intently. Waiting for my eyes to open. He begins whispering to me. "Please wake up..."

"How is she?" Damien turns his head to see Cain standing a few feet away, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looks back at me. "No change..."

The door opens and closes quietly as the doctor enters the room. He walks over to the bed, picking up a chart, loosely hanging from the end of the bed frame. "Good evening, my lords." He bows and reads the chart. "Unfortunately there isn't much we can tell you. It seems she may have had a severe panic attack. It will be a waiting game. She will wake up when she is ready."