Unblinking

Back Again

                             14

"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you spike it?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"What?"
He smirks.
I frown.
What is obvious? That he wants me to get my memories back or–
"Yes baby" Is he reading my mind?
"Yeah" I can't take my eyes off his skinny face and his bulging eyes. How is he doing this?
"Don't miss the opportunity you'll be receiving tonight"
"What?"
"The stars decide" The stars decide. What does he mean by that? Who is he?
"Are you a–" A person with extraordinary powers?
"I can't be any person who you think I will be"
                              •••
After 4 hours of staring at the ceiling, I've gotten a clue of something.
Ashley's pendant is something that I want and Lauren and the Him is planning against it.
Lauren has the pendant with her or she's also searching for it to keep it hidden from me. Me and someone. I know that somehow I wasn't doing this all alone. I have someone by my side.
It is neither Fred nor Dennis. I have a feeling that the person isn't a guy.
Peter is terrifyingly brilliant. Amazing. Like a person with brimming intelligence.
Peter expects me to get my memory back. I don't know if it is for his advantage or he is really helping me to do something. But whatever it is, I know I will get benefitted too.
This is what I have to do. This is exactly what I have to do. I have to play cool. Play cool and find out where's Ashley. She's run away or has been hidden or whatever because she saw me. She's protecting herself from me.
I will have to find Ashley's hiding place in the first place and then everything will happen on it's own.
If Ashley has really escaped, then something is pulling everything apart. The games are very important and very secured, I understand that. So there's no way for her to have escaped. She must have hidden away. But there is no way... Well I know nothing about the games but still I'm pretty sure of few things like this one.
Ashley's pendant.
"It is not with her" I hear my inner voice speak to me. I know that. I know. The pendant is snatched by Him or Lauren.
I have to get to Ashley and find what's actually happened.
                               •••
It is 11:59. The clock is slowly ticking away. Very slowly. Very gradually. I don't know if he meant 12:00 midnight as tonight or any time tonight. But tonight gets over by 12:00. I have 20 seconds left.
19...
18...
17...
The door creaks slightly. And 14...
A knock. I manage not to crash onto the door as I turn the doorknob open.
"Brock?" He nods impatiently, handing me an envelope.
"Why are you here?" He nods. Just nods and waves.
"What are you–" Why is he running away?
Is it too suspicious or is he forbidden to talk to me like the others said they are forbidden to do something?
I slam the door shut and sit on the bed, cross-legged, staring at the envelope.
It is wax sealed with a square. Just a square. I tear it open. I can't wait. I just can't wait.

Dear Sara Abbott,
Considering your injuries which seemed pretty fatal, you were sent to the rehabilitation centre precisely at 4:31 on 7th October.
It seems obvious that you have regained your power and strength to get back into the games from 14th of October after a week of break, with your current partner Barney Richardson.
Best of luck on the following levels.

                                 Chief Inspector,
                         Brian William Jones.

                               •••
"I'm scared"
"Don't be"
I

ts easy for you to say Den" I started calling him Den for no particular reason.
"Baby I have too been to the games" He laughs.
"Who is this Barney Richardson?"
He sighs. He knows and I know that he knows but he just won't say it to me.
He stuffs a bunch of nails into the suitcase. Nails. Check.
He rummages through his own set of things he brought for games and pulls out a neatly folded napkin. I wonder why he has these things. He hands it over, for me to place it inside.
"Ariel's brother" I know this is all some sort of a pre-planned one, the moment I saw Barney's name on it.
"Where is Mrs Richardson?"
"Baby stay calm, alright?"
"How?" I can't breathe.
"I will be in the games sooner"
Why are you even here right now? I wanna ask it loud but I know he won't just say it.
"Pleasure" I say through my gritted teeth.
I do the zippers and lay the suitcase down on the bed, waiting for Barney.
"Its actually 3 in the morning, Dennis" I look through the slightly ajar door again. "I don't think Barney will be coming here"
Dennis opens the door wider, letting cold air brush against my face, nudging my ribs.
I stretch my arms over my head trying to relax myself on the bed.
"He is here" I can see Dennis staring straight at someone.
I put my legs on the warm rug, rubbing my palms together.
I push myself beside Dennis.
There he is. Short and small. Blonde and waving. Smiling curtly at both of us. His smile is kinda stretched fakely. His steps are short and clumsy, dragging his suitcase behind.
How can I survive with him?
This is when I realize that I have never actually played the game, not even once and have never experienced the play.
"Hey" He says. He just stands. He doesn't try to shake hands with me nor does he pull Dennis or me for a hug or anything. He just stands and smiles.
"Hello" Dennis reciprocates. I smile. Not warmly. Just a smile.
"Ready Sara?"
Dennis sharply looks at me, motioning me to take my suitcase. I roll my suitcase over and pull it outta the bed.
"You doing good?"
Dennis nods. I realize he is gritting his teeth. In agony. Frustration. Anger.
"Ariel told lot 'bout you both na"
Dennis nods.
"Ashley hidden in here?"
I jerk my head at Dennis. I widen my eyes at him. "None" Dennis' lips barely move "Of your business"
"Just kidding" He laughs, his cheeks bright pink. He continues to chuckle silently when neither of us seems to take it as a joke.
"Ashley try to hide in games Arena 5 times without me na"
Ashley. Tried to hide. Does make sense.
I don't breathe.
Dennis doesn't make a sound.
"Ashley, good good girl. Never talks. Only listen. Good fight. Now lost"
He was the partner of Ashley. He is the best person I should be with to find out where Ashley is.
I'm ready. To fight. To find where she is.

                             To be continued...