A World in the Shadows

Chapter 16, Ethan

Chapter 16

Ethan

Staring at me from over the desk, nothing had been said between us since we'd gotten home. I'm surprised Ammon had even called me to his office, I'd have expected going to the ball end in a savage sword sparing. Sitting opposite him at a desk, wasn't what I had in mind. I understood his anger at the moment though. First Lyra basically making out with some guy in the middle of the ballroom. Two because the guy at the front desk wouldn't give me my car's keys back and three Ammon trying to drive me over which forced me to run. Even when sprinting all the way home, he kept at my tail no matter where I ran; up a tree, onto some pavements and almost in a store. The guy is flipping nuts! Thank god Jenna was wrestling with him in the car which helped me not get run over. Though at this time, sitting opposite to a silent ticking bomb, it really makes you scared as to when it'll go off.

Reaching over the desk he grabbed my arm and stabbed it with a needle, injecting some sort of black liquid. With the black liquid came panic. "The Deadly Nightshade," Boom goes the bomb and my life, "it won't kick in for a couple of hours so listen carefully, brat. Do you know how much damage you could have done last night?" Does he know how deadly Nightshade is? That's why it's called the Deadly Nightshade, because it's deadly! "You could have unveiled everything I've worked years to protect and build on, just by one word!" standing, he threw me off my chair, still gripping my wrist. Thank god it wasn't hard because of the desk limiting his movements. By the rage in his eyes said he'd have like to throw me out a window. All I wanted to do was suck that poison out of me but instead he continued. "Guests of mine are staying here for a while. This little dose of Nightshade should keep you in your room and away from damaging plans. You dare go against my wishes again and next time you will get a lethal dose." With those last words, my fear for not dying settled just a bit but not enough to keep me from yanking at my wrist. "In the time of you being bed ridden, no one is allowed into your room, not even your little maid." Just before he threw my hand back at me, he studied my eyes with a really creepy look, as if he was waiting for something. Which by the looks of things, he got. How long did he say it'd take the poison to take its toll? Because my vision already has started to blur. It almost feels like that stuff he used to drug me to sleep all over again. Though this time, it felt really different. Dragging myself off the floor I leave the study as fast as I can without falling over. Leaning against the door I straight away start sucking at the spot the needle made. Nothing. Not a single taste of tainted blood, great, no going back. Trying to make it to my room, I keep knocking into people around me as I get well past the dizziness you get when drunk. I really hope he hadn't given me a lethal dose, otherwise I was screwed as there isn't any known cure. Shit, the garden doors, I thought I was heading towards my room not the gardens. That means I've well over walked the distance I needed to, though the carpet all looks the same color. Green. All different shades of green too. By the shade of the green area I'm in, I'd guess the real color is either blue or gold. Either way, my room is a fair way away and being as exhausted as I am, Ammon shouldn't mind if I just lie down in the garden for a minute. Opening the door and heading outside, it's even harder to walk, as all the rocks and twigs keep tripping me. Having the view of someone drunk doesn't help either. Stumbling once more, this time though, I can't catch myself again and start to tumble through bushes, leading to the under bush of what would be a forest. Because it's downhill, that's what I'm guessing propelled me to roll, though I didn't have any energy to stop myself mind you. Rolling kinda made the world feel normal again, guessing vision is back to front from when rolling. Great, mind mushing poison working. Everything's hot like I'm in an oven, though I feel like I'm in a pool. Except my mouth feeling like it's a desert. I really shouldn't sleep here, I need to get back inside, though I can barely struggle keeping my eyes focused. Looking around to see where I'd rolled to, one of the trees on my right decides to start moving straight towards me, picking up its roots as if it was walking. That poison must be stronger than I think. Watching it carefully, it starts to turn into what I think is a person, though I can't see it very well because of the dizziness. Having leaves for hair and moss for clothes it looks like one of those forest spirits you'd see in movies, plain yet pretty. Sitting at my head the tree-girl pulls my head onto her lap singing a lullaby as she strokes my hair. God I must really be hallucinating badly because I can feel her soft fingers through my hair as if they were really there. A voice in my head says softly "Our dear Ethan, rest and submit to the poison's effects. We shall care and protect you through the time." I swear I've heard it before, but hallucinating will make me think that. Vines cover me like a blanket as a feverish sleep starts to claim me. If I just sleep here with green girl for a bit, everything should be ok.