***Note*** I know this chapter is short and doesn't have the most exciting content, but the next chapter should hopefully be pushed out sooner than this one was!
Somnolence is a state of a strong desire to sleep, or sleeping for very long periods of time. Sleeping, while good for our health, is definitely something needed in moderation. Sleeping more than nine hours a day could be considered oversleeping. Oversleeping can result in a number of issues. For starters, you can't eat, drink, or go to the restroom.
"We already have one person in a coma," someone said. I wasn't paying attention. "Last time he did this, Peter was out for three days."
"You can say his name. He already knows where we are, so there's no point in avoiding the taboo," another person added. I tried to bring myself back. I couldn't help but stare at the spot Osiris had been, the drops of blood he left behind giving the concrete room a splash of color.
"Osiris," he had said. "...Don't forget it." How could I? It was ringing in my ears like a whistle. The name sounded vile; there was something dark latched onto it. My mind raced as I replayed the events that had just unfolded. My first fight. I thought. That's what happened. Though, technically, I never fought, only hid. The picture of the glass in Osiris' side flashed in my mind, and I wondered how severe his wound was. His blood made me assume the answer couldn't be too good.
Someone shook me out of my trance. "Kylie." I looked at them. It was Sophia.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"Come on, let's get you into some dry clothes." She led me out of the room. Piper followed, leaving Amber and Callie to take care of the unconscious Peter. As we entered my bedroom, I noticed Pepper going through some tools on one of the bedside tables. Avalon and Tyler were sitting on the bed, chatting it up. Their talking ceased when they saw us. Tyler jumped up.
"Kylie!" He exclaimed, sprinting to me. "Oh, thank god you're okay." His arms wrapped around me, and I returned the gesture, breathing a sigh of relief at the comfort of the hug.
"We heard the commotion," Avalon said. "Didn't think it'd be the safest idea to let Tyler go running to you." She shrugged. "We just had to hold onto hope." Tyler smiled up at me, and I did my best to return it. My grin was a bit empty. More than necessary, even. But who did I need to make excuses to? My reasons were completely valid. When Tyler pulled away from our hug, his clothes clung onto mine for a moment. He glanced down at himself, then back up at me.
"Why are you drenched?" He asked. I just looked at Piper and Sophia; they gave each other a shameful glance.
Sophia spoke up. "Listen, Kylie, I know that experience wasn't the most pleasant, but-"
"The most pleasant?" I started angrily. "It wasn't pleasant at all!"
"Okay- yes, well-" Sophia stuttered.
"How else were we supposed to test the theory?" Piper asked in an attempt to defend her friends. One which, though noble, I didn't appreciate at the moment. I glared at the two of them. My anger was rising, my temper getting shorter. Now that everything had settled a bit and I was coming back to my senses, I was ready to tear these so called "super heroes" a new one.
"I don't know, maybe in a way that's not detrimental to my life?"
"Your power won't kick in unless your life is in danger." I looked at Avalon, the one speaking. She seemed nervous, like she didn't want to anger me any further. "Your body will recognize that it's lacking oxygen, or uh... bleeding out, maybe? It'll start working then. But I mean, we can save you from drowning. It's harder to save you from bleeding out. We tried to go with the most humane option."
I stared at the women in front of me, wide eyed. To think that someone could see something as drastic as drowning another person as humane... I shook my head and turned away from them, beginning to pace. Profanities, insults, and accusations were speeding through my mind at a hundred miles per hour. I bit my tongue, trying to refrain from shouting any of them at the people in front of me. A war was raging in my mind. Cannons firing nonstop from each side, fear acting as the ammunition, terror the fuel the soldiers needed to fight. I was scared. Terrified. I wanted out. I wanted to leave. Sure, Tyler and I's life wasn't ideal. It was filled with illness. It was filled with cold nights and no food... But at least we had sanity. A sense of calm. Here, I was only a cow waiting to be slaughtered. Osiris wasn't just going to give up after one fight. Everyone knew that.
A storm of a thousand soldiers trampled my brain, giving me a slight headache. After a few moments of pacing, I felt two small arms wrap around me again. I looked at Tyler, who returned my gaze.
"Don't go off," he said in a quiet voice. I felt my gaze soften and my muscles relax. I didn't say anything in return, but instead hugged him close. "It's okay, you know. I know that must've been scary, but right now you can't let your nerves get the best of you. Just breathe until we get things figured out." Tyler kept his voice low as he talked. It calmed me. It always had. He had a knack for always knowing how to bring me out of my own head and back into reality. He kept my feet planted on the ground. "I know that look in your eyes, Kylie. Yelling at them won't do anyone any good. It'll only raise tensions. Just breathe." So I did. I lowered my head, closed my eyes, and focused on the air entering and leaving my lungs.
I was shaking. Tyler grabbed my hands to steady me and cautiously led me to the bed. I sat down. He went to a dresser and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling out some dry clothes; a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. I whispered a small "thank you" and set them aside for the time being. There were still spectators in the room, after all.
"Guys, come on," Avalon mumbled to the others, ushering them out. They all filed out, but Pepper lagged behind.
"I'm going to need to do a check-up on you once you're ready, Kylie. Is that alright?"
"It's your guys' fault if something's wrong, anyway." I snapped back.
"Kylie," Tyler put his hand on my shoulder. Instant regret washed over me. I looked at Pepper to apologize, but she put her hand up to stop me.
"Just rest for now, okay?" She asked, a sad expression on her features. Nodding in response, I watched as she exited. Tyler closed the door behind her and sat next to me. It was silent for awhile, both of our heads spinning too much to say anything.
He laid his head on my shoulder. We took a deep breath.
"Miss Knight?"
