Lights shone in his face and he squinted at the glaring brightness. How did he become strapped to this table? He turned and looked at the bed next to him where Nicholas was in a similar position.
"It wasn't supposed to go this way..."
"I know."
These were familiar words... This was a familiar conversation. But... Was this real? He couldn't tell. He heard a voice in his ear and his body went stiff and cold at the two words.
"Got you..."
"No!"
Snow gasped and jerked, opening his eyes. He needed to get out of this house... He needed to get out of his mind. He stood and pulled on some shoes, then headed out into the night.
He was sitting by the pond when he noticed a ghost settling beside him. He looked over at Roderick.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Snow watched as a flower bloomed next to the albino and the grass seemed to grow longer.
"Can't sleep?"
Snow shook his head in response.
"What's bothering you?"
Snow looked down at the pond and let out a sigh.
"It's not him. That's not Narcolepse. And I keep getting these nightmares... Dreams that I'm back in one of those labs and I get the feeling I'm never getting out again. It's so real when I'm dreaming it, too... What if one day, I can't wake up?"
Snow brought his knee to his chest and gulped. Roderick was watching him with raised brows.
"Back up a few steps. Narcolepse isn't himself?"
"No. It's not him. I can feel it. He's not right. It's not him."
Snow's brows drew together and he looked close to the brink of tears.
"But I want so badly for it to be him..."
Roderick pulled Snow into his arms and hugged him close, glaring at the house.
"What a nasty trick..."
Snow clung to Roderick tightly.
"We'll take care of this."
The next morning, Roderick woke Snow early and put a finger to his lips, shushing him. They quietly went outside and started walking away from the house.
"What are we doing? Where are we going?"
"Somewhere he can't find you. Just until he's gone."
Snow stopped in his tracks.
"Where's Freak? He should be with us. It isn't safe."
"He's fine."
"No. No, he's not fine."
Snow jerked out of Roderick's grip and started running back to the house. Roderick tackled him and held a hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming.
"Stop struggling... Or I'm gonna have to hurt you."
That voice...
Got you.
Snow formed an ice shard in his hand and slashed it against his arm.
"AH! You bitch!"
Snow got up and started running, but his hair was caught in a fist and he was slammed back down to the earth.
"Now you've made me angry!"
A knee went into his chest, applying so much pressure he thought he would break. The air left his lungs and he gasped, trying to fill them again.
"You just couldn't play along, could you? If you had, things would've been so much easier for both of us!"
Snow started forming another weapon, but his wrists were grabbed and squeezed until they went numb. He winced and gasped for breath again, but it wasn't working. He choked and struggled, vision starting to fade. He sent up a silent prayer, asking the Mutant world to forgive him but most of all... He prayed that Narcolepse would be saved. He stared up at the sky, eyes too wide and tears pricking at the edges. Then it all faded to black.
Got you. Got you. Got you... Got you. Got you. Got you. Got you. Got you.
