Revived

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Love

The scream erupted and ripped out of my throat. The leathery vines pulled my body taut against the glass pricked wall, allowing the raw glass to puncture my back.

Skandar struggled against the clunky chains that bound him to the beast. Bloody and battered, he screamed for me as the swipe of the paw silenced him. I stared at his limp body lying on the cold floor. Piercing green eyes flashed at me as the beast sauntered closer, dragging Skandar's body towards my struggling body. The hot breath of the beast clouded my face, and in Alice's voice, it whispered, "Die."

The blackness gave way to the ceiling of my room. The sweat trickled down my skin, irritating the folds. Just a dream. I breathed. Not real.

Alice flashed back into my mind. She needed Skandar. More than I did. I needed to be selfless for once. The world didn't revolve around me. But I just couldn't let go of him. It hurt, like tearing away a part of your heart for someone you barely knew. I couldn't trust him, but I still loved him. Slowly, I sank back into sleep, all thoughts erased from my mind.

When morning came, evidence of my heartache remained on my face. Streaks of dried tears stuck to the skin, leaving sticky residue. I had crawled up in a ball again, clutching myself for safety. It felt so different. A different kind of vulnerability. I couldn't escape it. Bundling myself back into a ball, I fell asleep again.

The next time I stirred, Anna was galloping up the stairs, yelling for me.

"Wake up sleepyhead." she squealed, shaking the bed as she jumped onto it.

"Why." I groaned, smacking her hands as they neared me.

"I've got news." she squealed. Anna never squealed.

"What time is it?" I moaned.

"3 in the afternoon." she chirped.

"What's the news?" I muttered, curling into a ball.

"Ok so. Tyler took me on a date to the zoo yesterday. We were looking at all the cute and ferocious animals yeah?" I grunted in response. "So he led me to the rest area and told me to wait, yeah?"

"Mhm." I answered.

"And there was this sign that said 'I love animals' in capitals yeah?"

"Uh huh." What on earth was she trying to say?

"So he told me to close my eyes and sit right in front of the sign. I heard scuffling and stuff. Are you following on?"

"Yes."

"I opened my eyes and omg, he had put a mirror by the side of the sign and you know what it said?"

"What?"

"I love Anna." she screeched and started shaking me.