The Fate Of The Marked

Chapter Nine

It was only for a little while that I rested peacefully. My dreams were full of dead voices, whispering to me that it was over, that they had found me. I heard the woman screaming over and over again, telling me to run. Then, to help her. I was paralyzed in blackness. I could do nothing but listen. My head pounded in time to my heart. Something cold and wet touched me. I couldn't pull away, too far into my personal hell to pay attention. Voices, different, soft, were so close but so far away.

It was comforting.

At some point, the screaming became so loud, I couldn't stand it. I wrenched myself away from the sound, and kept moving. I felt my heart skip a beat, and then I was falling. My eyes snapped open, looking into complete darkness. I reached for my neck. The crystal was still moving, shifting ever so slightly. It burned my chest where it rested.

I jerked it off, feeling the not in the chord snap. I tossed it as far away as possible. It clanked against something solid. When it hit the ground, it kept moving, vibrating against the floor. The noise sounded like a softer version of nails on a chalkboard to me. I covered my ears with my hands, curling up.

"Stop it." I whispered horsley. "Please, stop."

The silence was instant.

I didn't move.

Slowly, my head stopped pounding, and I could breath evenly again. I had no idea where I was. Faintly, I remembered the plane, the taxi, but nothing else. I was on my back. It was completely black, except for a small slivers of light, outlining a door. My back was only pulsing ever so slightly. I was so tired, but scared to close my eyes, to go back to sleep and dream.

I hope they were just dreams.

I stared at the light until my vision blurred and it burned. I touched my chest where the stone had burned me, afraid of healing it. As fast as I could, I pushed myself up and reached into the darkness. Seconds later, my hand brushed against something hard, but cloth.

A lamp.

I blinked at the sudden brightness, but it didn't take me long to adjust. I stood and looked around. The room I was in was massive. Two of the walls were bookshelves that took up most of the space, one had a large window, and on the other one, there were three doors. Hesitantly, I went forward. Silence. I touched the handle of the door on the far right side, and pushed it open.

It was a bathroom. The one next to it, adjacent to the left side of the bed, led to a short hallway, that opened up to a larger room, if that was possible. The ceiling was higher and domed in the middle. The walls were blank, completely white. There was old furniture covered in white sheets piled against the walls. The floor was white tile, with flecks of black in it. There was one massive window on the far right side.

I stepped up to it, staring blankly out at the land before me. Far away, buildings loomed, large and small, all light up. There were not any woods or forests, only concrete past the green lawns. My mind went blank besides the images flashing before me: The necklace, the woman telling me to run, Derek and Jane.

I made my way back down the hall, and went for the last door, noticing for the first time my bag sitting in the corner. The door opened to a hallway that was faintly lit. I closed it quickly and went in search for the necklace. I didn't want to put it back on, but didn't feel safe without it. I went to the bathroom, glancing at the small clock. It was nearly midnight. There was a small red burn, right over my heart. I showered and dressed slowly, before laying back down, crystal in my pocket.

I repeated to myself, over and over again, that I was safe, but I wasn't convinced. The woman must have thought I was still at the farm. I wondered if Mick and Jordan were gone yet, or Max. Soon, I closed my eyes, but couldn't doze off. The door that led to the hall opened and someone came in. I held still, but I knew that they knew I was awake. They didn't speak, so I didn't either. A hand pressed against my cheek, and I heard bracelets clink together. It was just Jane. My heart slowed a little.

I knew I should open my eyes, tell her I was okay, so she wouldn't call a doctor or worry too much, but I couldn't make myself just yet.

Deep inside, I knew it was pointless to try to convince her that I would be fine. I couldn't be sure of my own fate and that upset me almost more than anything. I didn't want to answer any questions, or be spoken too. I just wanted to be left alone. Alone in the dark to think for a little while longer, and I would be all right, so long as there was light on the other side.