The Nook

Chapter 23

"You're weak!"

WEAK!

WEAK!

WEAK!

A crippling pain envelops me. Each word cut through my mind like shards of glass, tightening around my heart. It constricts me, like a snake coiling its prey in a merciless grip. A vice around my chest... my lungs.

I can't breathe!

The voices are relentless, attacking like hammer strikes, each blow striking deeper than the last. The weight of despair forces me to my knees.

I clutch my head, knowing plugging my ears will do nothing. It's all in my mind.

WEAK!

WEAK!

WEAK!

Tears spill down my cheeks, scalding like lava. My body screams in agony, ripping and tearing me apart from the inside.

"Stop!" I yell back, but my voice is constricted, escaping only as a whisper against the cacophony in my head.

In his head.

WEAK!

"You're not weak!" I challenge, forcing myself to be louder despite the tremor in my voice. "You're not weak!" I scream, and in an explosive burst, silence crashes down around me.

I stay curled up for a moment, gasping for air as the storm inside me begins to subside. Slowly, I lower my hands from my head, pushing myself up. The darkness looms around me, eerie and thick. As my eyes adjust, shapes begin to emerge.

I stand in a dimly lit hallway, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet. The shadows whisper secrets, and the unsettling echoes amplify my unease.

With each careful step, the sound of raised voices becomes more distinct, gradually increasing in volume until a door materializes beside me. Two figures shout at each other, their words sharp and accusatory.

"Why can't you just leave well enough alone?"

"Because you might be able to let this slide, but I can't. I won't!" Nolan's voice resonates, filling the air with an urgency that twists in my gut. I shouldn't be witnessing this. I turn away, but a heavy thud captures my attention. I look just in time to see a younger version of Nolan bursting out of the room and dashing down the staircase.

I hurry after him, but as I reach the bottom, the house begins to dissolve, giving way to the blinding outdoors. My eyes sting from the sudden brightness, and I struggle to keep pace until shouts pierce the air to my right, halting me in my tracks.

Despite the guilt that tightens in my chest, my curiosity pulls me forward, only to see Nolan's figure vanish into thin air. My heart drops as I spot a group of people gathered in the clearing.

There are four of them, surrounding someone curled up on the ground, his hands shielding his head from... oh god. As I draw closer, my stomach twists in horror.

The group kicks and stomps the boy, and I feel sick—sick to my core. It's not just any boy; it's Nolan.

Every fibre of my being screams to intervene, to stop them from hurting him, but I can't. This has already happened. I can't change a memory... a nightmare. Suddenly, one of the boys calls off the others, brushing a hand through his dark red hair.

That son of a bitch!

Landon brandishes a baseball bat, and the three boys laugh as he swings it down, hitting Nolan in the head, ribs, and legs.

I suppress a scream, covering my mouth with my hand as tears stream down my face like a dam bursting open. The group saunters away, Landon leading like he hasn't just obliterated someone's life. Everything fades to black, and I spin around.