ELECTRIC LOVE; Sam Guthrie

<7>

Sam couldn't sleep. He banged his feet against the washing machine moving to the beat of the music. Roberto sorted through the washing beside him, his tired eyes barely staying open.

"Dish Duty is really making a dent in my wardrobe." Roberto sighed carelessly, tossing a dirty shirt to the side. Roberto had grown up rich, he didn't care for things as common as reusing shirts.

"When a shirt gets dirty, do you just throw it out?" Sam knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. Roberto scoffed throwing the dirty shirt at Sam, the boy smiling gratefully.

"Was it creepy working in the mines?" Roberto questioned hesitantly leaning against the sink.

"Yeah.. Yeah sure." Sam mumbled shuffled further back into the wall. Suddenly Sam flinched back the lights of the laundry flickering , a sign Athena wasn't happy.

Thankfully Roberto was quick to react switching the lights back on. "Athena doesn't sound too pleased." Berto chuckled, Sam's face etched with worry. "Sorry." Roberto quickly regretted his words leaning beside Sam.

"Those." Roberto paused breathing in, "Those bruises, do you think she did them to herself?" Roberto laid his elbows on the bench behind him, Sam tensing up.

"I wanna believe her Berto I do, but she's been through a lot with her parents and everything I- I wouldn't blame her for acting the way she did." Sam let out a shaky breath, hoping he hadn't worded it wrong.

"You love her." Roberto smiled to himself, Sam looking to him immediately.

"I- Of course I do, doesn't mean we should get together or anythin." Sam defended, Berto scoffing quietly changing the subject.

"Anyway.. the mine, you couldn't pay me a million dollars to go in one of those things." Roberto brushed over the redness on Sam's face, folding the rest of his washing.

"Hell, I couldn't pay you a million dollars anyway." Sam laughed loudly fiddling with his cast.

"When we get out of here, I'll spot ya." Roberto returned the smile grabbing his basket of washing. "My folks are good for it, Night Kentucky." Berto tapped Sam on the leg playfully leaving the southern boy alone.

Sam shuddered awake when he heard a scream calming back down when he assumed it was one of the girl's nightmares. He hoped it wasn't Athena knowing he couldn't comfort her.

However Sam became distracted in his own thoughts, a banging noise coming from the washing machine beginning to increase. Normally he would assume the machine was malfunctioning, but this seemed more aggressive.

An eerie silence spread across the room, Sam approaching the broken washer hesitantly. Sam tried to move away but his feet moved involuntarily, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The black of the glass swirled when suddenly a hand appeared, Sam jolting back.

.....

"Attie."

"Attie."

"Attie! Help!" Athena jolted up unable to move due to the restraints. She shuddered uncomfortably, sweat dripping down her face. Her nightmares were never about him, always about the things she had to do. Never about Anthony.

The lights above her were flickering, her breathing short and sharp. She needed help, something wasn't right like before. "Reyes... Reyes Please! Anyone!" She yelled a cold air filling the room.

"No.. No.. No. Please no. Reyes please." Athena whimpered voices floating through her mind forcefully. She squeezed her eyes painfully shut blocking out the noise. A noise across the room caused her eyes to snap open, a distorted figure flickering in her vision.

"Anthony." Her lips trembled, the figure moving towards her, "Reyes! Reyes!" She screamed desperately pulling at the bands. The figure grew so close Athena was certain she were to die. Instead the flickering invisible figure pressed a finger to her forehead electricity coursing through her skin.

Athena's screams echoed through the compound, the lights flaring on and off, the door to the infirmary sliding open. She could feel hands at her face but her eyes were blinding, blue sparks overtaking her pupils.

Her eyes went blank as she felt the restraints loosened, a calm voice instructing her quietly.