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Fourteen

I bury my nose into my pillow, with a heavy heart. It's hard for me to breath, with a feeling similar to drowning.

But I stop, hearing the sound of casual humming. I glance over and see Mason smiling, lacing his boots.

I sit up, scratching my hair. I raise a brow as he notices me, grinning.

"Hey." He smiles.

"Mm hm," I nod, yawning. I swing my legs out of the bed and I grab a nearby pair of jeans, putting them on.

As he parts his lips to speak, Zella runs inside, eyes glistening with tears.

"Greyson's dead... And they found Michael's body in the Chasm."

My jaw physically drops, eyes wide. "No, no, no way."

She nods as Mason pulls her into his arms, rubbing her back as she begins to cry. "Greyson died from a blunt force to the head."

I sit down, running my hands through my hair. How was that possible? It wasn't fair.

I fidget, before Zella looks at me, worried. "Something's wrong with you, Li. Spill."

As I start, Nikki, Dia, and Shane enter the room, and Shane begins to question me.

"Lian, what were you doing at Eric's place last night?" Shane demands.

"What?" Nikki asks, clearly in disbelief.

"I saw her on the camera when I was working, after I got back. I didn't see what happened afterwards because of the rotation, but I know I saw her." Shane explains.

I sigh, and run my fingers through my hair. And that's when I begin to spill everything, from Eric threatening me, to him making me dust my apartment, to him taking me to get a tattoo (in which I showed the the tattoo), to him appearing in my landscape, to what happened last night.

Dia frowns, along with Nikki. "You need to stop. Whatever is going on, you need to cut him off." She tells me.

"He's a bad guy. He's dangerous and cruel," Shane tells me. "He drove Emery to death."

At that, something snaps in me. "Look here, you little weasel!" I scream. "He didn't kill her! She jumped after her dad died!"

Shane just laughs bitterly. "He's got you brainwashed and trained. Wonderful."

"He doesn't have me brainwashed, but clearly you are! Maybe you feel guilty because she chose him over her!" I scream.

"Did he tell you to say that? What did he promise you, a role in leadership or that he would have sex with you?"

"Shan-" Nikki starts, but I interrupt her.

"Look, you little fucker, I don't care what you think, but he has been through some tough shit! The last thing he needs is to hear you all accusing him of murder!"

"He's going to kill you, Lillian!" Shane yells, his face going crimson.

"Oh, fuck yo-" I start to reply when Four whistles sharply, interrupted.

"That's enough," Four tells us, seeing my posture change as I was ready to fight.

I didn't know when I had become so defensive of Eric, or why, but normally, I would have agreed. But now... I would have killed Shane if I had gotten the chance.

I felt fire running through my veins, my fingers curling into fists. My knuckles turned white, and I was ready to punch him in his nose. I knew if I did, I'd break it.

I pull on a sweater and smooth out my hair with my hands, slipping my feet into my boots. I storm past Shane, shoving him out the way and with Mason and Zella behind me, I jog up the stairs to go to the Fear Landscape room.