Forbidden ~ after unlocked

Chapter 43 - Sophie

Sophie remembered almost nothing.

It was all a blurry mess running through her mind.

A few scenes sharpened, not enough to make sense of what happened.

Two figures coming into her cell, both wearing Neverseen cloaks. Panicking until she saw who it was. But... no. That wasn't possible.

Everything black once again.

Stumbling through stone corridors, sounds of crashing and shaking echoing in her ears. She was being dragged along, she couldn't walk herself. Then she saw him again, being thrown to the floor and hitting his head.

No.

The drug was making her hallucinate.

Everything fading away.

Light coming closer and closer to her. Lying on the grass, she was outside now. Except now the darkness was stronger. Slowly slipping away, without any strength to pull herself to safety. Something bringing her back again, warm and soothing. Someone that she trusted, that she knew would always be there for her.

Darkness. But now it was a comfortable darkness. One to rest in. Not something to be scared of.

✿✿✿

Sophie was awake as soon as she felt her mind connect back with her body. It wasn't a graceful awakening either.

The moment she knew she had regained consciousness, her eyes flew open, and suddenly she was breathing hard as the blurry memories came back all at once.

She discovered she was lying on the ground and sat up within a split second. Her chest was rising and falling frantically. So many questions were piling up in her brain before she could sort them out or figure out where she was and what was happening.

A forest, she realized, as her eyes darted around in a panic. She was in a forest, surrounded by trees towering up all around her. It wasn't nighttime yet, but it was nearly dark. How did I get here?

The ground was dirt and sticks and leaves, and Sophie looked down to realize she was still in her green dress, although it was completely ruined now.

Behind her, she heard a sharp intake of breath.

Sophie whirled around instantly, ready to face whoever was there. She was expecting a Neverseen member or someone who was after her. Who she saw was almost worse.

No.

It was impossible to breathe.

He was sitting on a log, tending a small fire with a stick. He straightened instantly, but it was hard to make out his expression. "Sophie."

Now she was gasping for breaths because this wasn't possible. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, at an unnatural pace. The roaring in her ears didn't help either.

She knew that face, that sharp jaw.

Those eyes.

She saw him move his lips to speak, but she couldn't make out a single word he was saying. Because if this was real and he was really there...

Sophie shook her head over and over.

No.

She started scooting away, scrambling with her hands and kicking her feet. Space. She desperately needed space. Whatever they had drugged her with clearly was strong. Sophie wasn't going to fall for their little mind tricks.

He stood, calling out her name, but didn't move to try and stop her. Pure agony seemed to be written across every inch of his face.

Sophie found a tree, staggering to pull herself up. She had to lean against the trunk, feeling weak. "Hey!" She called out, head tilted up towards the sky. She wasn't going to look at him, because he wasn't really there. "I know this isn't real!"