The Twenty Seven

Chapter 16

I don't know where I am. Nes looks around, trying to take in her surroundings, but finds herself incapable of comprehending them. There are blurs of color that move around her, none of them staying long enough for her to get a clear picture. Her head begins to pound.

As she stands still in the midst of the motion around her, she begins to register a voice on the edge of her mind. She can't quite make out what it's saying, but she feels drawn to it. She takes one step forward, and then another, until she's sprinting.

She stops running after a while, exhausted. She hasn't heard the voice in what feels like a long time; she's not actually sure if she ever heard the voice. Maybe it was just her imagination. Every thud of her heart feels like a hammer's strike to her brain. She can't focus on anything. Just when she's about to give up and let the world around her consume her, she hears another voice.

This one is different, though she can't be sure how. It's closer. She doesn't feel as drawn to it, though she knows it means escape from here -- wherever here is. She begins running once more, only stopping when she reaches a rip in the blurred world. She pries it open, her hands that reach into the tear freezing.

Her training kicks in and, steeling herself, she moves forwards. The air on the other side whips around her, causing her to shiver. She looks around, noticing no one. She's back at the Sugar Hill Asylum. She blinks a few more times, her brow furrowing; I thought we made it out of here.

Things begin to come into focus as she recognizes them -- she can see the wall paper clearly, now -- until she starts to see the people in the room. She's in the corner of the main living area. The same place where she touched Sam. With a start, she realizes that she sees herself, her hair blowing wildly in the unseen wind. She calls out, but no one can hear her.

As soon as Sam speaks, Nes' breath hitches. It's the same voice that she was drawn to. She moves forwards again, but an arm reaches out and stops her.

---

The sun has barely risen when Eira feels a heavy weight on her shoulder. Her eyes flash open as she pulls herself into a sitting position. Her hands reach up to cover her face before she resisters the person in front of her.

"Time to get up," Ty says with a laugh. "Owen tried his hand at breakfast. You're not gonna wanna miss this."

Rubbing the side of her face, Eira sighs. "Can't we sleep in for once? We had a long day yesterday." She furrows her brows. "Is Nes even up yet?"

Ty tries to fight the grin slowly spreading across her face. "No, I'm letting her sleep."

Eira reaches behind her and throws a pillow at Ty. She glares at her for a few moments before getting up and stretching out. "How's she doing? And Sam?"

Ty shrugs as they start down the stairs. "Neither are awake. I haven't been in to see them, but Es says they're still alive."

"That's a start, I guess. Should we go check on them?"

"After breakfast. You still look a little pale, you should eat."

Eira bites her lip before nodding. "Alright. After breakfast. Have we gotten any stronger healing Tochs from Crann yet?"

Ty shakes her head. "They started to send a few, but they're all in that book you have--"

"Senwek," Eira says, a fond smile across her lips.

"Yeah, whatever." There's a pause before Ty watches the girl out of the corner of her eye. "You ever find a dictionary for that one?"

"I did." She laughs, "Though it would be easier if this place had internet. The dictionary is pretty dense."