The World I Knew Isn't The Same Anymore

Chapter 2 Nothing Gold Stays

Bree wants to scream, with absolutely everything inside her. But she can't scream, she's too in shock and out of breath to even muster anything, in a state of catatonic paralysis. Her mind is running a million thoughts per hour. Maybe this is what those medications were protecting her from. Maybe this is why she was recruited to Hope for the Youth in the first place.

This man is staring at her almost mockingly. "You're not imagining this, this is very real," his voice comes out cold and almost life less. The energy coming off of him makes her shiver. "I've been trying to reach you since the day you were born."

Bree continues to just stare at this man clutching on the sides of the sink to the point where her knuckles have turned white. She can see the other ladies in here just staring at her like she's crazy, obviously they don't see what's happening. Her mouth is parted open and she can feel saliva trickling down her chin. The oxygen in her lungs are no where to be found and you can see the outline of her rib cage right above the neckline of her dress.

"You're not crazy, I assure you," the man's voice continues to speak, almost soothing now.

She's not breathing, nor is she feeling anything except a burning heat all throughout her body. She can't speak.

"I want you to find me," the boys skinny and pale arms look like they're reaching up. He encircles his fingers before they literally come out of the mirror.

At this point she feels as though she's reached a breaking point. But when his cold fingers reach her chin and force her head to look back up at him, she begins to question her whole mind. She feels his icy touch, but all it does is make her body warmer.

"Find me," he whispers once again. And his breath is like a blast of oxygen, as her lungs begin to inflate once more.

"Who are you?" She finally finds her words to speak, and they come out through shaky breaths.

"Find out who you are first," the man tightens his grip on her chin then presses hard underneath her jawline, hard enough to cause slight bruising. He chuckles, "you're in Paris surrounded by god slaying warriors, let them feel your rage."

Bree just stares at this man letting more heat consume her whole body. Then all of a sudden the door to the bathroom swings open and in comes the girl from the bar. Her oceanic blue eyes widen and she takes a knife - blade - out from her heeled boot and points it towards the man in the mirror. The man drops his grip from Bree and pulls his hand back into the mirror, he studies the black headed girl before laughing to himself.

At this point all the oxygen has returned into Bree, and she exclaims "you can see him?!"

The girl doesn't loose her gaze from the man. But the man seems amused and he says "Izabel Lightwood, ancient descendent of the God Apollo himself. Your power is ethereal."

"Who are you?" Izabel's voice is stern and coated with confidence. She inches closer to the man in the mirror. Lucky for her this bathroom has become vacant, or else she'd be getting lots of weird stares too.

The man refuses to reply and just continues to chuckle. With a snap of his fingers he disappears, and staring back from the reflection is now just a confused Bree and pissed off Izabel. She puts the blade back into her boot as if it never came out in the first place.

"Who are you?" Bree almost hisses at the other girl and takes a step back in fear.

Izabel just stares at Bree and it seems like she's finding the words to say something. "I can be your new friend."

Bree's mouth opens in shock. Not only does she still feel like she's on fire, the alcohol is making her head spin. "I can't do this," and with that she nearly shoulder checks Izabel and rushes out of the bathroom. Once again she's greeted by sweaty bodies, loud music and lights flashing everywhere.