This Is Home [Danny/Dash]

Chapter Nine: Tension

Waking up with a start, I jerked my body up into an upright position. Only a moment ago I was lying in the park and now I was...

The sudden movement caught up to my head and I found myself falling back flat where I was before. My eyes closed as I winced from the pain.

Where was I?

Opening my eyes, I could see that the walls were decorated with posters of Dumpty Humpty, popular sports stars, and pictures of Caspar Highs football team. A smell of fresh linen filled the room and the sheets beneath me felt soft. Apparently, I was in someone's bed. Wherever I was it was nowhere familiar, so I could assume that it wasn't Tucker or Sam who took me here. But if not either of them, then who would have taken me?

Making sure that I was alone, I sat up slowly and began to scan the area for some kind of information on where I was. Still feeling groggy, I shifted my legs off of the bed and touched my feet to the floor. I wasn't wearing shoes, but my red crew cut socks helped keep my feet warm from the cold hardwood beneath them. Come to think of it, I must have transformed back into my human form when I passed out.

Putting my hands to either side of me I began to push myself up when my left arm collapsed underneath the weight. Swallowing hard to stop myself from crying out, I remembered the events of last night. My left arm was probably sprained at best, and if I wanted to keep it that way I really shouldn't use it.

Reaching from my arm so that I could soothe the spot, I noticed a thin white bandage wrapped around it. I felt vulnerable at that moment, realizing that whoever had taken me to this room had also likely invaded my personal space while I was unconscious. Nervously, I raised up my shirt to check the extent that they patched me up. After seeing untreated scratches, I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I wanted was to be paranoid about what happened to me while I was out. The hard punch to the back I had taken probably wouldn't need to be treated anyway, so there was no real need to do anything anyways.

Back to the task at hand, I propped myself up using only my right hand and wobbled as I got my footing. At this point, I was less concerned with figuring out where I was than I was with leaving wherever I was.

Looking around the room I was finally able to spot my shoes. They were placed on a chair that was also neatly hanging my jacket, my phone sticking out of the pocket where it had been pre-transformation last night. The shoes were scuffed up, which wasn't at all new other than the fact that they seemed much dirtier than I had remembered.

Bending my back down to grab them made me realize how sore I was and I made an effort to take it slow. Besides, it was probably best to be quiet while I was in someone else's room.

Lacing up my converse and throwing on the jacket made me feel ready to attempt my escape. Walking as quietly as I could, I walked softly over to the door and grabbed the handle. Turning it quietly, I found that I couldn't get it open. By jiggling it more aggressively I was finally able to get it open.

The squeaking of the door hinges made me anxious, but when I was met with an empty hallway I was able to let myself breathe once again. Tiptoeing out into the dimly lit hallway, I noticed that it was bright even without the overhead lights being turned on. My eyes were drawn to a window that was responsible for the light. What time was it anyway? How long was I out for?

Reaching for my phone, screen illuminating my face, I saw that the light must have been from the sunrise that was happening at an early six in the morning. I groaned, knowing that if my parents didn't see me come down the stairs into the kitchen within the next hour they would be coming to my room to check on me. A room that would be empty. A room that still had my backpack in it, preventing me from just saying that I went to school early.