Prisoners of Prophecy

Chapter 5

Melany - July 10th, 2019; 3:33pm
  
     The number on the plastic plate attached to my keychain was 13, and I chuckled dryly to myself as I found the room and unlocked it. That would be my luck, wouldn't it? I wondered. I dropped my gym bag on the chair in front of me, next to the suitcase that my grandpa had packed for me, then shut the door and locked it with shaking hands. I took off my shoes and stripped the stranger's soaked jacket off of me, hanging it on the coat rack beside the door.
     To my right was a small living room. There was a chair and a love seat of the same fake black leather surrounding a small coffee table that was covered in scratches and cup rings. Hanging on the wall was a small and outdated television. To my left was the kitchen. There was a bar with three stools lined up underneath it that separated it from the living room. Against the far wall was a counter and sink with cabinets above it. There was a microwave on the counter, and an old refrigerator beside that. On it was  sign that read, "Groceries will be delivered to your door every Monday at 6:00pm." The walls were a dingy gray color, the carpet a few shades darker. The tiles in the kitchen that used to be white were stained yellow.
I grabbed what little things I had and dragged it down the hallway, my wet socks squelching with each step that I took. To my right was a dim bathroom that had only the necessities - a toilet, shower, mirror, and sink. The bedroom was on my left, furnished with nothing but a bed, dresser, and bedside table with an ancient lamp and an alarm clock on it.
I unpacked my things. My grandparents had packed me five of the same outfit, black T-shirts and black sweatpants. Stephanie had also given me some black tees and khakis, as well as a pair of slip on sneakers and a bundle of socks.
I took off my clothes, which were heavy with rain and freezing against my skin, dropping them in the hallway. I grabbed a clean outfit and went into the bathroom, where I turned on the shower and waited for the water to get warm.
I did this all without much thought. My mind was both numb and chaotic with everything that had happened today. I felt dizzy reflecting on the few hours that I had been at ShadowWood. I have been labeled as a part of a group of killers. How fast would the news spread? I wondered. What would the other students think of me? I could picture them wincing as I walked by, backing away from me as if my very presence would infect them with whatever madness they thought I possessed. Grief pierced my heart, grief for the life I had had a couple years ago. It would never be the same. There was a possibility that I would never be free again. I choked back a sob, knowing that tears could not rewind time. I glared at the bracelet with a hate that boiled my blood, and its green light seemed to wink at me.
The hot water ran down my body, soothing my cold and aching muscles. But no matter how relaxed I was physically, my cognizance was fogged by my fears of the days to come. I hated all of the unknown things around me. I knew nothing about this school or the people in it. I just wanted to go back home. Will those murderers try to speak to me? Will they attempt to drag me back into that forsaken basement again?
Are the shadows back for good this time? Is that voice?
The thought of that shot a pain through my limbs which sucked away all of my strength until I could no longer hold my own weight. I collapsed, falling to the floor. The scalding water ran down my face and into my eyes, but I did not dare close them, afraid that the darkness that was now pooling into my vision would consume me entirely.
     For the first time in years, I longed for the stupefying effects of drugs and alcohol, the distracting bustle of parties. Surely it would chase away the chilling gloom that had fallen over me like it used to. I could not bear the fear that it brought, and part of me was sure that one day it would send me into a permanent state of panic that would later drive me over the brink of sanity I felt I was always hanging precariously over during these moments.
     I got up unsteadily, turned off the water, and got out of the shower. The air was thick and humid, making it harder to breathe. I slipped into my clothes slowly, my legs shaking with the effort of holding myself up. The moment that I did, there was a knock on the door.
     I meandered my way down the hall hesitantly. I pondered on who it could possibly be, even debating on not answering at all. But, it could be anyone. And I had no desire to do anything that might lengthen my time here. So I opened the door.
     The moment that I did, I wanted to slam it shut again. My heart raced with both fear and annoyance.
     Kai stepped into the doorway just enough so that I couldn't close the door on him. He looked me up and down. My skin burned wherever his emerald eyes landed. The corners of his lips twitched as if he were trying to hold back a smile.
     "What are you doing here?" I asked, the sudden anger I felt piercing my intonation, as sharp as knives.
     He shrugged and continued to look at me, like I was some sort of science experiment. Or fresh meat. That look only made me angrier.
     "What do you want?" I snapped.
     "I wanted to apologize." There was no sincerity in his words; there was hardly any emotion in them at all. "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought, maybe, since you are one of us, that you would be able to handle it."
     "I wasn't scared," I sneered, and my rage made the lie believable. "I was angry. Because, like you still seem to think, I am not one of you just because of some stupid bracelet."
     He glowered at me, searching for something in my expression. "There's more to your story, and we will figure it out."
     I was aware of the shadows all around me, pulling themselves out of their corners and crevices and slink across the floor to gather at my feet. The impossibility of sentient darkness made me feel dizzy, and pieces of my past tried to creep into the forefront of my mind. My shadows, an almost conceited thought that didn't feel like mine at all, echoed in my head. Isn't that true, though? I wondered. What I did allow myself to remember was that I kept myself so intoxicated just to forget how the dark seemed to follow me. God, what things am I remembering? What more will I remember? The insanity in that thought only inflamed me more, and my cadence was thick with irritation.
     "We? Neither you or the rest of them will get anything else out of me. I'd be sick to associate myself with the likes of you."
     He only snickered, but there was a spark of annoyance in his stare. "You can't avoid us forever."
     "Get. Out," I demanded through clenched teeth, my voice low and rough.
     He opened his mouth to speak, a sly smile on his face that made my whole body tremble with rage. But, that smile faded instantly, and his features tightened with terror. He stumbled backwards, into the hallway. It was almost like he had been shoved. I took the chance and slammed the door in his stunned face.
     The moment that it was closed, the weakness that had fallen over me in the shower came back. It was like the gloom enveloping me was devouring my energy. My legs threatened to give out underneath me once again. When did this start and how did I get rid of it? Why did it come back? I asked myself, my own voice sounding crazed, delusional. Will this get to the point that it kills me? A part of me thought that would be a blessing.
That horrible, demanding voice spoke, and it sent a chill down my spine. No, Melany. The force of the vehemence in its tone was almost unbearable to hear bouncing off of the walls of my own skull. How could so much malevolence come out so sweetly? I am not your end, it cooed. Not at all. No, I'm your beginning.
"Who are you?" I asked my empty room, massaging the sides of my temples until my head throbbed, like it would chase off that voice. I looked around myself frantically, as if I could find whatever was putting those terrible words in my head. "Why are you torturing me?" I wailed helplessly, sure I had to be mad to be begging myself for mercy.
That voice cackled, and that evil sound drilled into my brain painfully. You don't know torture. If you're the chosen one, you must remember what true hurt is.
The agony hit me in a wave, and I was pulled under. For the second time, I fell to the floor. I felt like I was drowning, choking on each ragged breath. Every inhale was more like swallowing a handful of gravel. I writhed on the floor, clutching at my throat and at my head, hugging myself like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. As if the pain wasn't enough, parts of my childhood were forcing their way into my mind, and that was even worse. Regardless of the torment that it caused, I shoved my past away with what little strength I had left. Screams of anguish built up in the pit of my stomach but came out in pitiful, breathless whimpers. Time became indiscernible.
     I don't know how many minutes passed until the excruciating suffering began to subside, but the ache lingering in my muscles made it feel like I had been laying on the floor helplessly for hours.
     When I was able to pull myself into a sitting position, my back against the wall and my door slightly parted from the force in which I shut it in Kai's scared face, it opened further. I closed my eyes against the image of Kai standing over me. I could hear him already; "See? You need our help. You can't make it here without us."
      But it wasn't him who spoke. It was one of them, though. I was not surprised. "Are you alright?" I opened my eyes to see the only one of the group that I had not gotten a name from yet. Her voice was full of concern.
     I couldn't speak, could only gawk at her. The throbbing in my skull had grown into a migraine. I wanted to tell her to go away, tell everyone to. It seemed as if this day had lasted much too long. I could sense that draining darkness right outside of my peripheral. It was almost as if I could feel it brushing across my legs, cold and as smooth as silk.
     I felt the fear coming off of her now, could see it on her face. "Melany?"
     My mouth opened and closed as I tried to say something, anything to show her that I was alright, so maybe she would leave me be. Nothing came out but a low groan.
     "Do I need to call someone for help?"
     I shook my head. I was sure that if I had to interact with anyone else, I would explode.
     She sat down beside me, eyeing me meticulously, as if my demeanor would tell her exactly what I had been through. Her one blue eye seemed much darker than I remembered. The stark difference between the two different colors of her irises was strangely alluring, but the intensity in which she studied me was unsettling.
     "Are you sure?"
     I nodded.
     "How long have you been here?" she asked.
     Shrugging, I managed to croak, "I'm not sure. Kai was here not too long ago."
      "Kai?" Anger crossed her soft expression momentarily, but it was quickly replaced with worry. "At nine?"
     Shock rendered me speechless for a moment. She watched me curiously, her head slightly tilted, until I finally spoke. "That's not right. He came after my shower." I paused, struggling to calculate how long I had been in there. "That couldn't have been later than four-thirty."
     She narrowed her eyebrows. "You're missing a few hours. Are you sure everything is okay?"
    The idea that I had been in such a state for so long was preposterous.
     But the hurt that seemed would never completely vanish, and the almost unbearable pressure in my head was enough proof that the damage done to me would trouble me for a lifetime.
     "What happened? Did Kai hurt you?"
     I shook my head. "He may have pissed me off, but he didn't hurt me."
     "I have so many questions," she sighed.
"I bet you all do."
Her unique eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"All of you seem way too curious about me just because of who you think I am. Hell, I don't even know your name and you came into my room without knocking or anything. I haven't even been here a day! How did you even know something was wrong?"
She hung her head as if she were trying to hide the many emotions swimming in her gaze. "My name's Xantara," she mumbled. "I'm sorry for just barging in."
"Why did Kai come in here saying I couldn't avoid you guys forever?" I asked her, noticing that she had avoided my first question, but my mind was still too foggy to care. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not sure what he's on about. Maybe he just wants to know you more." Her answer was guarded, which only made me want to learn more, despite my uncertainty and even fear of the situation I had found myself in.
"I don't think that's it. There's more to you guys. You have an order. Meet in that old house. Calypso even seems to have more authority over you than anyone who actually works here."
"Don't read too deeply into that. It's not that big of a deal. This is your first day, as you said." She spoke with an air of carelessness, but when she looked up at me, the worried creases in her forehead expressed her unease.
"How'd you get here? If you're not a killer?"
"I'd rather not talk about that."
"How do you expect me to trust you?"
A deep sadness filled her eyes that was strong enough to make my own heart ache.
Again, I was struck with that same sense of familiarity I had felt upon seeing her the first time. The feeling reminded me of the memories that I cringed from every time they tried to rear their ugly head. The reason for that familiar feeling danced on the edge of my mind. But, I was afraid that if I let that in, I would let everything in, and that would surely drive me mad.
"Why won't you tell me how we know each other?" I asked her suddenly, not even aware that I would until the words were out of my mouth.
She gasped, the sound so soft that I hardly heard it. "We... We don't, Melany."
There was something in her voice that made the answer hard to believe. But was anything about today easy to believe? I wondered. "There's something you aren't telling me."
Xantara exhaled raggedly. For the first time, I noticed that her skin looked sickly and pale in the dim yellow overhead light. She was focusing on my face intensely, emotions in her stare that I couldn't decipher.
"Are you okay?" I questioned. "You're white as a ghost. And your eyes have gotten real dark all of a sudden. Are you sick or something?"
Her mouth dropped open. She put her hands to her face like she was trying to hide her appearance. "N-No, I'm fine. I feel okay." She got to her feet quickly. "I have to go. It's getting late."
The idea of being alone seemed right now seemed more terrible than being in the same room with someone who had secrets I couldn't even begin to guess. Would that pain come back as well as that horrible voice that was nothing like my own inner monologue? Would it be worse? Would I come out of it the next time?
She must have seen the fear on my face, because she offered me a small smile. "It's okay," she soothed. "If you need anything, I'm next door. We're all next door. Just bang on the wall. I'll hear you."
She started to reach towards the doorknob, then halted, turning around to face me again. "Do I scare you?"
I chuckled at the question, but once I considered the weight of it, I fell silent for a moment. "I'm not sure yet," I muttered.
She dipped her head in dismissal and left.
When she was gone, a tiredness fell over my body like a heavy blanket. I stood up on stiff, aching legs and meandered my way down the hall. I was afraid that all that had happened today would haunt me, keep me awake. But, the moment that my head hit the pillow, I was asleep.

I was in complete darkness, hiding beneath something that pressed against my head if I propped it up on my cupped hands, which I now did without thought. I looked to my left, into two glowing red orbs that I knew were eyes, but I was unsure where that knowledge came from. I was deeply afraid. Of what, I couldn't remember.
The voice that came from the direction as that eerie pair of eyes was young and sweet, almost musical. It wasn't what I expected to hear at all, but at the same time, it was as if I had already heard it many times before. "It's okay, Melany. Nothing will get us here."
My racing heart slowed at hearing her comforting tone. I hadn't noticed the muffled screams and crashes until after she spoke. They sounded a long way away, but the noise sent a spark of pain into my chest. "What is that?", I wanted to ask, but couldn't.
When I could speak, it was not my voice but the voice of a child. "Will it be over soon?"
"I think so. Just stay here with me. I'll keep us safe."