Masks

Chapter 13

I coughed as I regained consciousness and blinked as I stared up at the ceiling, trying to process where I was. This hadn't been the first time I'd woken up in my room after the incident, though previous times I had quickly fallen unconscious again. Something shifted next to me and a wheeze escaped me moments later as heavy paws stepped on my stomach and walked up my chest. A whiskered face stared down at me and I smiled as Angel's whiskers tickled my face as she sniffed me. I gave her a light scratch behind the ears as I slowly sat up and glanced towards my door upon hearing footsteps coming down the hall.

Tim came into my room, stopping in the doorway when he saw I was awake. "How do you feel? You've been in and out for two days."

I held my cat closer as she began purring, the sound soothing me as I began processing what he said and slowly recalling more and more of the incident that was to blame. "What... what happened? How did I get home?"

"What do you remember?" He stared at me as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, clearly not relaxed about the situation.

"Surely he doesn't know the truth right? About those things? Or... was he one of those people? He... he couldn't be, right? I'd be dead right now." I gave an uncertain look and didn't meet his eyes. "I can't tell him the whole truth... If he really doesn't know then I can't drag him into this... not... not after what happened to the others."

"I was... with my friends. Someone attacked us- a group- while we were separated... I don't remember how I got away. What happened to my friends? Have they messaged me?"

I glanced around before finding my phone lying on the table next to my bed. A list of missed calls and voicemails I hesitantly played them... my blood chilling as I heard nothing but garbled static for each message. I felt sick as I dropped the phone on the bed. "They're gone... It got them. What- what happened to them? Are they- no! They can't be dead... They just... can't be..."

The nausea worsened and I shifted to lean back against the cool wall behind me while feeling a familiar rush of blood to the head that caused the room to tilt and shift. My pulse felt like it was pounding to escape from beneath my skin and the faint feeling washing over me worsened as my thoughts continued to replay those garbled messages, desperately trying to figure out if my friends were alive.

"It's my fault!" I held my cat closer, my hands shaking from the blame repeating in my mind as I tried to focus on slowing down my rapid, shallow breathing.

I flinched slightly as a hand touched my shoulder and shakily looked up at Tim; I hadn't even noticed he'd moved. "Ash, you're okay."

"But are Landon, Dillan, and Mallory!?" I continued shaking, unable to find my voice to physically respond. "Would this have happened if I had just killed him like they want? Joined them?"

"Ashley." His voice was firmer this time and I snapped back out of the thoughts to stare up at him. "I need you to focus on what I'm saying... Breathe... Tell me exactly what you remember happening and I'll help you figure this out. I'm sure your friends are fine. What did the messages say?"

I pushed further against the wall, fighting the urge to press closer to him for comfort, and worked on slowing down my breathing as I began running a hand through Angel's fur. After taking one more deep, shuddering breath I managed to speak. "S-sorry..."

The bed sank as he sat down on the edge of it and gave a sigh, his voice relaxing to something more gentle. "You could've been killed, it's understandable... What did your friends say?"

"I-I don't know... They didn't have good reception, it just sounded like a bunch of noise." I shook my head, still trembling. "They're dead... They're probably dead because of me. Those guys probably killed them... I don't know how I got away-"