A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Ugh, move, you're barely touching him."

"Yeah, maybe because I don't wanna kill the guy? Pretty sure I almost have already."

"Shut up, you're exaggerating!"

"Um, no I'm not, did you miss what happened back there?"

Voices continue to argue, and as I slide back into reality, I begin to realise that holy shit, my head hurts. I try to raise my hand to it, but my body is limp. I can't move anything. I take a deep breath, only for it to intensify the pain. My face feels like it's on fire.

"Just move! Let me attempt it."

I open my eyes, but my vision is blurred. Something harshly shakes me, making me feel even more off balance than I already am.

"Bloody hell, calm it!" the other voice snaps. Tom?

"For Pete's sake, move! The both of you!" a girl's voice intervenes, and I can't remember whose it is, but it's nice.

I try to take another deep breath, but it's still painful. Less so than before, but not enough to make me want to try again. I can make out shapes now--figures, but it's dark and it's making me slightly disoriented. I must still be in Ava's car. I feel someone shift their weight on the seat beside me.

"Felix? Felix, can you hear me?" Finally, I recognise the voice as Carmen's.

I try to respond, but my mouth is dry. God, I'm tired. A hand brushes across my cheek, and it's cold. I blink in an attempt to focus on Carmen's face, but it just makes me feel dizzier.

"Hey? Felix? Say something."

I don't know if it's because I'm regaining my strength, or because it's Carmen who asked, but I do as I'm told. What I say is a nonsensical splurge of unidentifiable sounds, but I mean, hey, technically I'm saying something. Carmen responds with a soft laugh, and as my vision straightens out, the first thing I see are her yellow-brown eyes and soft, tanned face.

"You okay? Here," she says as she turns around to grab something from behind her. She brings out a bottle of water, and hands it to me.

I mumble what I hope sounds like a thank you, then grab the bottle from Carmen's hand like my life depends on it. God, I'm thirsty. As I sip from the bottle, I realise I'm slouched over, so shuffle about a bit to sit upright. I'm still sitting in the middle of Ava's car, while Carmen leans in from the door with her knee balanced on the seat next to mine, and just outside it are Jamie and Tom. Then everything hits me like a kick in the groin. The séance, the caves, the possession, The Cavern, the car. Everyone knows.

It takes me about ten minutes to properly regain myself and leave the car. It turns out Tom punched me in the face to knock me out and omit my energy earlier, which wasn't the kindest gesture, but it seemed to work so that's that. There sure aren't any crazed dashes of blackness around anymore, anyway. My eye is bloody killing me though.

Ava drove us to a remote B&B just over an hour out of the city, and she's in the lobby booking us rooms to sleep in for the night. It's almost midnight, though, so we might struggle a bit. She kind of looked like she wanted to rip my head off last time I was conscious, so part of me wants to avoid Ava at all costs. I'm currently outside with everyone else and they're looking at me like I'm a literal alien though, so I decide to go on in and join her before they grow the balls to start asking questions.

The lobby is small and narrow, and as I reach the end of it, I spot Ava speaking to a middle-aged balding guy sat behind a wooden desk. I think the carpet is meant to be red, but it's faded to a dull pink with some questionable stains dotted around it. It smells kind of damp in here too. Carmen, Tom and Jamie have followed me in, and Jamie is whispering something to Tom. Probably something about me. As if on cue, when we stop beside Ava, she spins around.