The Wrong Side

Chapter 21

Kadiya, Luna, Matthew and I are crouched behind a wall. How we got here and where we are, I have no idea. I know we're in the hallway of a house. To my right there is a door and across the hall is an open room. Behind us there is a kitchen and to our left there is a living room. I don't know why we're crouching until I hear a door handle jiggle.

Luna gasps a little and she grabs at my shirt sleeve. Matthew is on her other side and he takes her hand, pulling her away from me while giving me a murderous glare. Kadiya is closest to the entrance of the kitchen. She turns to us and presses a finger to her lips. The doorknob stops rattling. Luna sighs and I think the tension in all of our chests loosens a little bit. That's when I hear the door break down and Luna actually screams. I think I do too but it's chaos now and within a few seconds, there are guns pointed in our faces.

The people on the other side of the guns are wearing armor and masks. They grab Luna and her siblings jump up to fight but the others bring the barrel of the guns against their heads. Matthew and Kadiya exchange looks. They're outnumbered by a lot. They raise their hands in surrender and the people with the guns respond immediately by cuffing them. They go off and leave me behind.

Luna catches my eye before they disappear and she yells, "How could you? I thought we were like family!"

I just sit there, paralyzed. There are two people left who are standing over me. What just happened?

Damon...

Damon. Who is that? Why is that name imprinted in my mind?

Don't tell anyone...

------

"Caden! Caden, wake up!"

My eyes open and I'm back in the room I share with Matthew. I look over and he's propped up on one elbow on his bed. He's staring at me intently with his eyebrows furrowed and I sit up. I realize then that I'm sweating.

"You okay?" he asks. "You were thrashing a little bit and you knocked over the side table. What happened?"

Don't tell anyone...

"Bad dream," I say and I wipe some of the cold sweat off my forehead. It's not the first one either; I've been having nightmares for a long time now.

"What about?"

"I-I can't really remember," I lie.

The soft pattering of rain on the window has a strangely calming effect. I look over and see the droplets clinging to the glass against the black sky. It's nearing the end of October now and the days are getting shorter.

"Okay," Matthew says and he collapses back on his bed, turning off the light as he does so.

I stay awake for a little bit. And then a bit longer until I realize I can't sleep again. I get out of bed, slip on a pair of shoes and leave the room in my pajamas.

The hallways are empty but that's hardy surprising since it's probably around two in the morning. I pace the hall a few times until I go down the stairs. I climb back up and go down a few times until my legs start complaining. I stop at the bottom floor which is underground somewhere. I've never been down here before. It's dark but I eventually find a light panel and the hallway illuminates.

I walk down it and back until...

Oh shit.

Ember Irving appears at the end of the hallway but she doesn't notice me since her head is down, buried in a tablet. Not knowing what to do, I grab a doorknob behind me and turn it as gently as I can. It doesn't make a sound and I sneak back into the room behind me without her looking up. I softly shut the door and stare out the window of the door and wait for her to pass by me.