IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

40. One of us

I wouldn't know it yet but things were going to change, drastically. Starting with this...

I sat up abruptly and gasped as my lungs filled with oxygen and I breathed out sharp. The first thing I noticed were the bracelets that burned themselves into my arms. The room I was in was completely white and windowless. It smelled like chemicals and a rancid smell came upon my fine nose. The door wasn't easy to spot and I felt immediately imprisoned. I got on my feet and felt tingly all over my body, immediately grapping the metal I previously laid on. I looked around and infront of me, in the white wall, a door opened. Two people, a woman and a man stepped in and the man closed the door behind them. The woman looked like she was in her mid-50s, but the man seemed younger. Maybe her son. Both had black hair and somewhat grey green eyes. They also wore a lab coat and white masks that covered half their faces. "Amaya... it's okay. You're safe. Let's just stay calm." The man spoke and out of his lab coat pocket, he drew a syringe. His voice was deep and soothing but my natural panic instincts kicked in. With a hiss, the door disappeared back into the wall and I stepped back. "What's this? Triad? HYDRA?" I said half jokingly and the people closed in on me. The man stepped closer and shared a look with the woman. Now, I bared my teeth at the two and stepped back. "Come on, now! Do it! They need her back." The woman, whose voice was stern and loud and honeyed, said and I focused on her behavior. She was in the back, doing nothing except bark orders. She was in charge. Her face showed no emotion and the way she rested her eyes on me seemed like she's done it a thousand times. On the other hand, the man was quick in his steps, shaking and being overall very cautious. The hand that held the syringe was shaking more than the other. Suddenly, a drilling alarm blared throughout the empty room which brought me to my knees. The two lab coat people didn't seem to mind and the man stepped closer and the last thing I saw was the syringe full of black liquid being injected into my neck.

"What's your name?" The woman asked as soon as the syringe was pulled out of me and the blaring noises stopped. "Amaya Hale." I answered monotone and got on my feet. "Do you know what you are? What happened last?" She continues to question and I answered truthfully, "I'm a revilas. What happened last is that I dreamed of the merge of the Saltzman twins before it happened. I told Hope and Josie that I'd go to Meridial and they believed me. That I dreamed of my ill mother and that Bellicante needed me, when in truth it was completely fine, it all being a ruse. What happened next was a simple simulation." I answered and the woman nodded. "Exactly. Prep her for send off. She's ready to go back to Mystic Falls. Just before you reach Mystic Falls, take the bracelets off and pull back the clone." The woman said to the man and he nodded.

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I sat with Hope and held her hand. I looked down on her and shook my head. „Something weird is going on," I whispered and felt my magic recoil inside of me. „And I can't tell anyone because I don't know what it is. All I know that it's affecting my mind and my magic." I shook my head again and let go of Hope's hand, placing it next to her sleeping body. "I have this tingling sensation all over my body. My mind is racing with questions as to why and I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen." I explained and felt stupid, not knowing if she was able to even hear what I was saying. „I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I had been here, I could've done something," I rambled on. I noticed the light flickering every now and then, and cursed myself. „But I wasn't. Where the hell was I!?" I suddenly shouted. "And Josie... God! I wasn't even there for her when she needed me. I know she has Lizzie, but with everything that's probably happened, I'm sure she would've wanted that I be there for her. Ugh! How did this even happen?" I brushed my fingers through my hair and looked up to the ceiling. „I was always so careful, only making a mess when I had to. The perfect guard. Sophia would be proud," I chuckled drily and then scoffed. „How? How could this happen?" I didn't even realize I was pacing up and down until there was knock on the door, prompting me to halt. I looked up and opened the door. It was Raf that had knocked and brought me out of my thoughts.