Darkest Desires → Caliban [CAOS]

xvi. silence

SILENCE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A loud ringing echoed throughout Dahlia's head like a heart monitor machine was placed directly by her ears. Along with it was a heavy pounding in her head that made it hard for Dahlia to focus on anything else. All the voices around her were muffled, their words incoherent and barely reaching her ears that felt plugged with cotton. Her eyelids were heavy and she struggled to peel them open to discern what was going on. The only thing clear to her was the familiar stinging in her scar that felt like the sigil and curse were being given to her all over again. The feeling was all too familiar, but stronger than she had ever experienced. Her heartbeat increased as she struggled to make sense of what was happening, but when her eyes finally opened, she was welcomed with a blur.

"I... I can't hear anything," she whimpered, blinking endlessly to try to wash away the blurriness in her vision. She squeezed her eyes to make out the face that hung over her head. "Caliban?"

An unexpected pain struck her scar, strong enough to make her wince and scream in agony as her back arched. Against her rigid movement, Dahlia felt a pair of arms underneath her back, and she realized Caliban was carrying her. She let out a choked sob as the pain struck her again and lingered permanently this time, bringing a rise of bile to Dahlia's throat as she tried to contain her cries. Tears pricked her eyes and slowly slid down the sides of her face, softening the blur that blocked her vision.

"I've got you," Caliban's words were more lucid now, reaching Dahlia's ears more clearly. "You're going to be fine."

"Ambrose!" Sabrina's voice sounded nearby. "She fainted at the carnival! Her scar– it's a Pagan curse, we need something to soothe it and I can't find aunt Hilda anywhere-"

"Relax, Cousin. Get her to the bath quickly. I have just the thing."

Between the thumping in her head and the burning in her shoulder, Dahlia could barely process the words that were coming from around her. She felt their shadows hovering over her in Caliban's arms, but her tired, droopy eyes made it hard for her to see anyone. All she could think about or feel was the immense burning in her shoulder– her brain failed to process anything else.

"Dahlia, you're gonna be okay, alright? Just keep your eyes opened."

"Dee, open your eyes."

Through her blurred vision, Dahlia could see the outline of Sabrina's face and her platinum blonde hair. She hovered over the half-conscious and pulled aside a lock of her brown hair from her sweat-clad face. "We're going to fix you right up, okay?" The ceiling moving above her was the only indication to Dahlia that she was being carried across The Academy.

"Sit her down here," Dahlia heard Ambrose say right before she felt herself being lowered onto a chair. She tried her best to hold back a choked sob when her shirt was lifted and Ambrose's warm finger pressed on the wound. Despite the touch being cautious and gentle, it sent thousands of pained shivers down her spine and brought more tears to her tired eyes.