Fear

40 • Heightened security

I woke up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding. Fragments of a disturbing nightmare clung to my mind like dark fog.

In the dream, I ran through endless corridors. Shadows stretched ominously along the walls, and a sense of impending doom weighed heavily on me.

A man's face loomed in the shadows, his features sharp and menacing, though I couldn't place him. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that made my blood run cold.
Just as his hand reached out to grab me, I jolted awake, gasping for breath.

Tyler was already up, dressing hurriedly. His concerned expression softened slightly as he saw me, wide-eyed and breathless, still sweating from the dream.

"Are you okay?" He sat down on the bed, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. His touch was warm, grounding me.

"I had a nightmare." I managed to say, my voice shaky.

He nodded sympathetically, but as soon as he saw I was okay, he resumed his hurried movements, quick and tense. His eyes seemed to dart around the room as if he was running out of time.

"Ty, what's going on?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. He'd been acting like this for almost two weeks now, and it was getting on my nerves. He still hadn't told me a thing, keeping me in the dark.

He glanced at me, his eyes guarded. "Nothing you need to worry about," he said, his tone dismissive again as he tied his shoelaces.

Frustration bubbled up inside me. "No, Ty. This isn't fair. You've been acting shady for two weeks now. I think I deserve to know what's happening."

He paused, his jaw tightening. "Emily, I'll tell you when it's necessary. Right now, you don't need to know."

"That's not good enough," I snapped, feeling more hurt than angry. "I can't keep living in the dark."

Tyler's expression softened for a moment, then hardened again. "I'm doing it to protect you. Trust me."

With that, he grabbed his jacket and left the room, leaving me feeling angry, confused, and more alone than ever.

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As the day went on, the atmosphere in the institution felt different. New guards were stationed at various points, their watchful eyes tracking my every move. Restrictions on movement had tightened; I wasn't allowed to walk around unattended anymore.

Lee unexpectedly called me and Raven into a room together. His expression was serious as he addressed us.
"The Boss has requested that Raven be assigned to attend you around the institution, Emily."

Raven and I exchanged looks.
"What? Why?" Raven protested, crossing her arms, a look of disgust and disbelief on her face.

Lee sighed. "He's making some changes to improve patient and staff safety. Tighter security measures are being implemented. Just follow the new rules, and everything will be fine."

I didn't like it, but there was little I could do. The rest of the day felt surreal, with Raven begrudgingly shadowing my every move. The constant presence of guards and the restriction of freedom weighed heavily on both of us.

After the meeting with Lee, Raven and I walked in silence. The tension between us was becoming unbearable. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Raven, can we talk?" I asked suddenly, stopping in a quiet hallway.

She turned to face me with a scowl, her expression guarded. "About what?"

"I know you don't like me, okay? You make it clear," I began, the frustration evident in my voice. "But if we're going to be stuck together for the next few weeks or even months, we need to clear the air."

Raven folded her arms, leaning against the wall, her eyes narrowing. "We don't need to clear anything. I'm under no obligation to like you. You piss me off."

"But why?" I challenged, throwing my arms up. "There's no reason why you have to be like this. It's just pathetic. Why do you hate me so much?"

She sighed and looked away, her eyes flickering with mixed emotions. "I don't... I don't hate you," she begrudgingly admitted. "You just get on my nerves. Everyone else has it rough in here. You get special treatment, and why? Why you?"

"Why not me?" I retorted, standing my ground.

She huffed, her frustration clear. "I don't get it."

I exhaled through my nose, trying to stay calm. "Raven... I don't know any more than you do. I don't know why he likes me, but he does, and that's not going to change. So this conversation is going nowhere. How about we just drop it?"

She nodded slightly, her expression softening. "It's not just about you. This whole situation... it's hard for everyone. I have my own issues to deal with."

"I get that," I said sincerely. "But taking it out on each other isn't helping."

Raven sighed, uncrossing her arms. "You're right. I guess I've been too focused on my own frustrations to see that... I'm sorry."

"Me too," I replied, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "We don't have to be best friends, but we can at least work together without all this hostility. Truce?"

"Truce," she agreed, a small glimmer of respect in her eyes.

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful, but the tighter restrictions and new security measures were unnerving - to say the least.

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In the evening, Tyler returned to our room looking serious and exhausted. He barely acknowledged me as he stripped off his jacket and shoes.

"Ty, we need to-" I started, but he immediately cut me off.

"Not now, Emily. Go to sleep," he said quietly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"But-"

"No buts. I said not now," he snapped, his voice a little louder as he turned to me with a glare.

I huffed and pulled the duvet over my shoulders, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. "This fucking sucks."

"Emily." It was a final warning, telling me not to say another word.

He climbed into bed, his back to me, and said nothing else. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling baffled and isolated.

The scattered fragments of my nightmare came back to me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was looming on the horizon. Something dangerous.

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