All Hail Masterminds

11: My moral code had nothing against an assasin

Ellis

Song: House of Memories by Panic! At The Disco

The permanent insomnia that's been capturing me since I was young rarely let me sleep, but when it did, something even worse occurred, something that made me wish I never closed my eyes in the first place - my sleep demons woke up.

I was barely asleep for an hour when fast flashes appeared in front of my closed eyes. I started hearing banging on my doors and serious, almost too familiar, male voices. I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by kids in cages and rotting smell of dead bodies that were nowhere to be found. They were silently crying and begging me for help as men behind doors got louder. I tried to get up and help them escape, but my body was paralyzed.

That was when I caught sight of a girl and a boy. They were both young, my heart shattered for them, but it seemed like they knew me from somewhere. They were spreading their little arms towards me, trying to pull me in for a hug. I looked the boy in eyes, those blue eyes that I saw every day. That boy - I knew him. He was me. And the girl next to him was Ellie.

I tried to scream and set them free, but men from behind doors were faster. They smiled at me and pointed guns at children's heads. I tried to close my eyes, unfortunately unsuccessfully. Each of their heads blew open, splattering me with blood.

Only when they got massacred was I able to scream and break free. My bed was soaked in sweat and the scene evaporated in air as fast as it appeared.

Knives. Blood. Dead bodies. Brains. Guns.

I looked around the room, trying to find an escape. Everything was vague. I grabbed my phone and dialed E's number, but endless ringing indicated that she wasn't available. I picked up my clothes and barefooted wandered through school yard.

Flashes. Taser. Screams.

Heidi. I was going to see Heidi. I was running through the night, either away from something or towards something. One person was on my mind, who was it?

Drugs. Helpless children. Guts. Chainsaw.

I screamed.

It's okay. You're with me now. Breathe.

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't get that picture out of my head.

We were all going to die.

You are safe here with me, I promise.

They were going to kill me and Ellie.

I opened my eyes, not aware I even closed them in the first place, noticing I was in a different surrounding. I tried to speak, but my voice refused to cooperate and I only let out a whimper.

My head was pressed against someone's chest as they stroked my drenched hair in comforting motion. What if they attack me? What if I ran right into their trap? I was too scared to move, knowing it will hurt more if I didn't cooperate.

"Ellis, can you hear me? It's Heidi, you're safe. I'm not going to hurt you."

I finally relaxed my body and looked up at her, feeling the hard wood beneath myself. Her eyes were glistening with sadness and worry, but she still managed to gift me with a smile. I noticed a half empty glass of water I assume was intended for me. When did I drink it?

"Where is Ellie?" the thought popped to my mind as the nightmare I lived through kept replaying in my head.

"She's with Chris. He called her right before you came here," she chose her words carefully and eyed me up and down. "Where are your clothes?"