Hated to Loved

Chapter 16 : Blinded

Martha's POV

I gripped at the stone. "Please Help!" I called again. I could faintly hear footsteps and trembled, hoping they could hear me. Maybe I was mute too? Somehow? Maybe I could hear myself but they couldn't hear me...

"Hush, Martha its fine stop yelling. Just...uh...grab my hand I guess."

The voice sounded familiar...Thayne? Maybe? Or someone who sounded like him..."Th-Thayne?"

"yes, now do you want help or not?" he snapped. "Y-Yes, please."

I felt around to find his hand, quickly locating it and gripping onto him tightly. I heard him grunt and felt myself be pulled up and out. I was dropped on the ground stirring up some dust and coughed before standing up.

"You okay? What happened?" Thayne asked.

"I-I wandered away and got captured by ghosts...w-why are you back in the cave? I-Is Ember here..?"

"Uh...yea? We never Left, its only been a couple hours remember..?"

"what? No...its been a f-few years.." | "You must be pranking me...well its not gonna work. Come on, let's go back to camp and get some rest." | "Oh-okay.." I agreed. What had happened? I know people say that a few hours can feel like years, but I know that's not what happened. I followed the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls and heard Ember and Chase arguing.

Their voices sounded the same, but Ember's sounded exhausted. Of course it would be since she was dealing with Chase.

"What happened?" Thayne asked, and the fighting stopped. Ember spoke softly saying, "nothing, just trying to Chase back to sle- er...convince Chase to go back to sleep." she corrected herself. "Is Martha alright?"

"she's trying to convince me that she was captured by ghosts for years."

"I was! I swear I was, I'm not crazy I'm not.." I blurt out, feeling like I had to defend myself so they didn't think I was mental. I mean I probably was, but I know what happened. I wasn't lying!

"okay...I mean that is hard to believe, but you do look like you've aged a few years.." Ember replied slowly, clearly trying not to hurt my feelings, but honestly the fact they didn't trust me hurt a lot and i felt tears well up in my unseeing eyes.

I heard Chase huff. "Honestly, I can't believe I'm standing up for her sanity right now, but its not that hard to believe that she's telling the truth. There might be like...a glitch in time and that caused it to go by as a few years for her and only a few hours for us. Bleeeeeeghhhhhhhhh, I never want to stand up for her again."

I felt so grateful towards Chase in that moment, I wanted to rush forward and hug him but didn't. Clearly he still hated me. I seriously wished I could see Ember and Thayne though...

"a glitch in time? That's a thing?"

"Yup. They are annoying, but also cool if you know how to use em.."

"...that's kinda scary...are you alright Martha?" Ember asked, worry in her voice. The worry and Exhaustion made her voice sound strained, which made her sound a little more mature.

"yeah, I mean I can't see anything because they blinded me but other then that I think I'm fine?" I answered. I heard someone mutter something I couldn't quite hear and shuffling towards me, and let out a small yelp as I felt hands touch me, one touched my arm and another brushed my cheek but at my outcry they left. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Ember apologized. Great now I made her feel bad...

"n-no just startled is all.."

Dangit. Now Chase definitely saw me as weak, Ember was concerned about me and...Thayne was...I dunno. Probably irritated. Why me I cried internally.

"Hey, Ember maybe try to sleep. You look exhausted, don't worry I'll make sure Martha and Chase are fine." Thayne said, and I heard Ember start to argue but Thayne shot her down.

"No, you need sleep. Don't worry it'll be okay.." He reassured her. She gave in and I heard her walk away to where they'd probably set up camp.

Thayne sat me down and I heard someone scoot away so I'm guessing he put me by Chase. He handed me some trail mix that I munched on while he asked questions about what had happened and Chase interrupted with a sarcastic comment on occasion.

I felt myself growing tired and start to drift off. When Thayne picked me up I didn't have the energy to be startled or do anything but cuddle up closer to his chest and drift off before he laid me on the stone floor by both Ember and a fire.

Chase's POV

The brat was blind, and Ember and Thayne were...well not beating me up. I'm not gonna say nicer, but...I was sure it wouldn't last long anyway.

As Thayne and Martha were talking she started to move closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder. I wanted to push her away, it hurt to have that pressure on it. I didn't know what injury was there, but there definitely was a injury. Plus I didn't want her anywhere near me.

Thayne noticed and stood up slowly, and proceeded to pick her up and carry her to the fire and laid her down by Ember.

So...now I was awake and the only other person awake was Thayne...I didn't know how to feel about this.

Thayne visibly sighed and came back over to where I was sitting. I tensed and stood, ignoring the pain but wary of him. I doubted I'd ever trust him...same with Martha and Ember. Okay...maybe I trusted Ember a little bit more then the others. A little.

Thayne was holding a small bag which he tossed to me. When had he picked up a bag? I didn't remember seeing him do that. Oh well.

Looking inside I saw some Trail mix and the dull knife. I looked up and furrowed my brows, why had he given me this? After what had happened with the very same knife earlier...well this time it was duller. Practically useless.

"look, I know I ruined everything. If you want, I'll leave as long as you promise, like really promise, not to harm Ember or Martha. Or if you would rather be the one to leave, then you can leave."

I tried to understand what he was saying. He'd leave if I wanted him too...or he'd let me leave? Was this real, or a trick to abuse me again? Well I'd not trust him...if I did leave he'd tell the others that I escaped and they'd beat me. Yeah not happening.

"So...one of us have to leave?"

"Well, don't have too, but I thought it might be a good idea.." When I didn't answer he sighed and continued, "I just wanna make her happy...and if we are both here, you not trusting me, and with good reason, and me getting angry easily...I don't see how she can be happy."

It didn't take a genius to know he meant Ember. But I still couldn't trust him, that he'd actually let me leave.

"its not my fault she's not happy." I huffed so as not to show weakness, and though It was something I'd say all the time and no meaner then usual, for some reason it felt so mean to say that now. And I knew it wasn't exactly true either, if I hadn't come back in time, hadn't stolen the dollar and hadn't been so difficult and rude, she probably would be happy. Instead I had to do all of that, and now everyone was miserable.

I was starting to see why everyone on earth hated me...

"I don't blame you for her not being happy.." I perked up when he said that. Why wouldn't he blame me, I was completely to blame. Before i could say anything he continued, "I blame myself more then anything...I should have controlled myself. But I didn't and everything is ruined."

I was surprised by what he was saying, to say the least. But refusing to show it again I forced myself to sound like I didn't care at all. "Okay. I mean it is all your fault...so.."

"I know. Anyway, if you don't want either of us to leave then lay back down and try to sleep."

"yup. Take the bag though. I don't want it." I said, holding it out to him. He took it and went over by the fire, on the opposite side of the girls, and laid down. I laid back down, leaning against the wall and tried to find the least painful position that would put no weight on my wrist. Finally finding one, I closed my eyes but it took forever til I was finally able to sleep.