Violet

13| Injury

I stand in the centre of the ruins and stare up at the sign above my head. The Village of Sunmaw.

Why am I back here?

All the half-crumbled buildings and stone pillars tower before me. But I do not want to go in, so I turn around and rush back into the forest, leaving the city behind.

The sky above me is red. Like thick, bright red blood.

Twigs and leaves snap under the pace of my running feet. More and more forest keeps on coming, no clearing, just more forest. I panic now, how am I supposed to get back to Laurie's?!

But then, Laurie emerges from one of the bushes on the side and comes up to me. In relief, I look at him as he joins me to run.

"Did you make it?" He asks me.

"Yes," I answer. Then he takes out one long bandage from his pocket, runs in front of me and turns to face opposite me, with the bandage stretched out in both hands.

Powerless against the speed of my running, I bump into him and my neck falls into the bandage.

"I need to do this; I am so sorry." His strong hands tighten the grip of the white cloth strip, and with great force, wraps it around my throat. Hard. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. Gagging and choking for breath, I look around for Laurie with the bandage still tied around my neck, but he is nowhere to be seen.

I awake in a jolt.

Another nightmare.

I feel the back of my top stick to my back with sweat. Kicking the sheet off of me, I then sit upright raise a shaking hand to my bare throat and bandage free. But my hands are not. Hovering my hands over my face to look at them, I decide to unwrap both bandages.

The skin has well and truly healed over, but I touch them, and they feel incredibly dry and flaked. I better cover them up anyway. I have no idea why I had them on while I was sleeping. Must have forgotten.

Before anything else, I lie back still in my bed, waiting for my heart to regain a regular speed again.

Then I bring myself back down by remembering the facts.

It was just a dream.

I am still in Idania.

I am laying in my bed.

I just had a nightmare, but I am awake and okay now.

Laurie did not attempt to kill me.

I was at the lake with Emmett last night.

Once the memories come flooding back in from the night before, I smile, without meaning to. I truly did have a great time, undoubtedly the best thing I have experienced this whole journey.

I wonder what we will be doing today. Hopefully, we get closer to the truth through something productive.

Next, I get up. Or try to.

Arghhh.

Searing pain shoots across and up my left side. It darts around manically, right where the corset I wore last night dug into me. It must be broken.

No! It cannot be broken!

I raise my shirt from my chest, look down to where the pain comes from and my jaw drops.

Sure enough, the discolouration of a black and purple bruise splotch over a wide extent of my left ribcage. I prod it with my finger and a while after I lift it off, the sharp ache returns. I wince. Of course, it has to be from last night. Have I broken it? How many times am I gotten hurt this past couple of weeks!? This could ruin everything.