Warped, My Vision

Chapter One

A/N: THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO CARDINAL, LIKE BLOOD. HAVEN'T READ IT? GO DO THAT IF YOU WISH.  THIS ONE WON'T MAKE MUCH SENSE WITHOUT THAT ONE. 

now that I have that out of the way, ALL of the apologies to my few, few readers.  My depression has gotten WAY worse recently and doing anything has been much more of struggle than it was before.  I'll be fine; I'm going to be on antidepressants eventually, and I'm going to therapy.  Now, because of this depression, this chapter won't be as good as my standards normally dictate it to be.  I barely did any revisions.  I don't have the kind of motivation right now to do much of anything.  Sorry.

Also sorry for the long AN. But it's important.  Please read it <3

I open my eyes. My mind is blissfully blank for a moment, then reality hits me. Hard.

Why are my eyes open again? Why am I breathing right now? I'm still lying on the floor, but there's no blood. The room is spotless. I pull myself up to my knees. I'm alone. How long was I asleep? Where is Carrie? Where is Aaron? What happened to Ambre Light?

I stand up. My legs are shaking pretty badly, but I slowly walk into the kitchen. Carrie's sitting at one of the island tables, staring at a clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick by. She doesn't look up at me, and doesn't react when I say something even I don't entirely understand. I'm in a haze right now. I feel like my mind is somewhere in the sky above me.

"Zach." Carrie tears her gaze away from the clock and looks at me, dumbfounded. I stare back, equally incredulous.

"We're alive. I think." My words are slow.

"We need to find Miss Light."

"Yeah. and Aaron." I nod numbly. His name feels weird in my mouth. Where is he? What happened to him? Is he back to normal? Can he even go back to normal after something like that? Why are we alive? Carrie nods.

"Your parents...when were they supposed to get home again?"

"About an hour from now. My dad has his car today, but Aaron's house is within walking distance."

"Do you know how to get to it?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go." Carrie stood up, her eyes hardening in determination. I don't understand this. I understand nothing. All I can do is keeping walking blindly until I run into something or find my way out of this darkness.

xXx

We're walking down the street. I feel so awkward and out of place. The sun is bright, and somewhere a little ways a way children are screaming and laughing as they play together. I can't seem to find a place for my mind and my experiences in this happy reality.

A familiar house comes into view and I stop. Carrie stops with me and looks up. My feet don't want to carry me up the driveway and to the front door. I'm stuck between the need to run and the need to know what's going on.

Carrie begins walking towards the door, and I force my legs to follow her. She stops in front of the front door and hesitates before reaching towards the doorbell. She pushes the button inwards and I hear a faint bell tone from inside the house.

Then nothing happens. It's silent. Carrie stares in hope at the door, and I close my eyes, trying to imagine the ways that this situation could resolve happily.

Footsteps, drawing closer to the door, slowly, hesitantly. The door opens, and Miss Light is standing on the other side. She blinks and looks at us with guilt in her eyes for a few seconds before opening the door wider and ushering us inside her dark home.