After The Trials

Chapter 2

As soon as I open my eyes, I know something's wrong. I look around me, trying to find my mother, but there's no one else on the island. I start panicking and my breath shortens. They couldn't leave, right? And, if they did, why didn't I wake up? I run desperate through the camp and look in every hut, hoping I'm not the only one left behind.

Right when I was about to quit, I see someone's shadow by the kitchen. "Hello?" I ask, but no one answers. My heart pounds faster and faster in my chest as I get closer to the silhouette. A tart smell invades my nostrils. Is it blood? Maybe that person is hurt. I turn around the corner and see Thomas standing with his back to me. "What are you doing here?" I don't wait for a response and grab his arm, pulling him so he faces me.

I take a few steps back when I see his face. He has black eyes and bright red blood drips out of his mouth. My eyes move to the corpse behind him and a loud gasp gets out of my throat when I see my mother with a big hole in her stomach, her intestines being taken out and eaten. Before I could comprehend what happened, Thomas growled and attacked me, jumping over me and immobilizing me to the ground. My hands ran over the grass covered by the morning dew. I find a rock and, holding it tight, I hit Thomas in the head. Good thing he didn't bite me, I don't want to get infected. He falls, holding on the sore part, which gives me the perfect opportunity to run away. The slippery grass makes it harder, so Thomas wraps his arm around my leg before I fully stand up. I try to kick him, but he doesn't feel any pain. I get increasingly panicked when I see his mouth coming closer to my leg. His teeth sink deep into my flesh and I scream my lungs out.

All I can see is black. I realize it was a dream, but I still have to cover my mouth to muffle a scream. I relax a bit when I see that everyone is in their beds. I feel a wet sensation coming from my bottom part and my mind immediately thinks of period. It couldn't come this early, I've had it 2 weeks ago. I throw my blanket aside to look at what caused it. I see a deep bite in my leg and almost feel like throwing up. Weird, I don't feel any pain. I don't mind it though.

Careful not to wake anyone up, I get out of my bed and go to the infirmary. I see Thomas there, putting ice on his head. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to sleep. What happened to you?" I ask him while cleaning my wound.

"I had a nightmare and, when I woke up, I had this."

"What was it this time?"

"I bit you in-"

"In the leg?" I interrupt him. "I think our dreams are connected." I point to his head. "I made that."

"Ok, this is weird in many ways. What happens in our dreams happens in reality? It doesn't make any sense."

"Not everything. Just what affects us." I take a break and focus on wrapping the bandage around my leg. "Do you think it has something to do with my name?"

"Even though I don't see any other explanation, it's hard to believe. How can a name have something to do with telepathy? And it wasn't even her real name, it's just a nickname."

"Maybe that's it. The names are connected and the scientists knew it, that's why they gave it to you. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

"Very funny." he retorted. "Do you think we can talk too? I'd rather that than sharing nightmares."

"Maybe, I don't know. But let's try another time, when we're not full of blood. Now help me clean this, I really don't want to explain to my mother how I got this." right when Thomas leaned to my leg, Brenda entered the hut and saw my wound and his bruise. We looked at each other trying to find the right words. "I swear it's not what it looks like."

"Well, I'd like to hear. But later. Move, Thomas, you'll infect it." she pushed him aside and, with a soaked towel, started cleaning it. "How did you even get it this bad?"