Shadow Killer

Chapter 8 = On The Run

I woke up in a white room with a doctor on my right holding a clipboard who I recognized as Dr. Steve. At first, I thought that I had just survived the fire and everything I had seen was a dream because the room and the doctor looked exactly the same but then I saw that instead of my mom on my left, were my friends, Miranda, Hanna and Claire.

I moved my body and then they seemed to notice that I was awake. Before they could say anything the doctor said, "She's going to be alright. I'll leave now."

"What happened?" I asked once the doctor had left. They were still in their sweaty clothes from the run.

"You fainted. You've been wearing full to cover up your burns and it's so hot outside that your body couldn't take it anymore and you fainted," Hanna paused for a moment, "You cannot wear pants and shirts."

"B-but I have to!"

"No, you don't have to."

"You don't understand! Nobody can know about my burns! Victoria won't tell anyone anything for now but if anyone gets to know about it then imagine what Victoria would do!" I was screaming now. So loud, I bet the receptionist could hear my scream and she was at the other end of the hospital.

"She wouldn't be able to do anything," Claire said, "I have the pictures."

There was dead silence for a few moments. I was sure that someone, maybe a nurse, would be coming right now. I thought that soon I would be hearing footsteps but there was nothing.

"Fine, I'll wear skirts or shorts since I don't have burns on my legs but no, no half-sleeves. The burns are so ugly I don't want anyone to see them." I said in a quiet voice.

"Your health is more important then what people think." Hanna said.

"Not to me it isn't." I hugged myself.

"No pain, no gain, Alex."

"You can't stop me." I muttered.

"Want to bet? I'll throw away all your clothes and get you some new ones that are suitable for the weather. Then you're going to have to wear that."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, yes I would."

"Or what we could do," Claire said, "This is extreme but we could just show the school the pictures of the burns ourselves."

"No!"

"Then decide, sweetie. Either A) show the burns yourself or B) let us show the burns for you."

I groaned. They were never going to give up. If, by some miracle, Victoria didn't make fun of me, that didn't mean that the rest of the school wouldn't. I could already imagine me going to school in half-sleeves and skirts or shorts. People would see my burns from the fire on my arms and call me ugly and make fun of me.

"Well, it looks like she's okay," said Dr. Steve once he returned, "It was just a black out. It would be better if you could wear half-sleeve or sleeveless. You can go now." He stood there staring at his clipboard and holding the pen in his hand. A clear sign to get out of the room.

As I got up and went, I couldn't help but think that it looked like he was frozen in time. I looked at my friends again. I wasn't going to let them make me do something I didn't want to.