Oracle

Chapter 3

Ira

The knives cut into my skin in slow even strokes. Strapped to the bed the only thing that covers me is my own blood. I can smell it and want to throw up. My captor grins when it wells and spills down my stomach. He pours salt over me, and I scream in pain. Delighted, he cuts along my thighs... my arms... then between my legs to castrate me, pouring salt into each wound as he inflicted it and making me scream louder. I know he likes it when I do but it hurts so much not to. I beg him to let me die. He smiles and turns the mirror so I can see what he has done.

Staring down at my notebook I try to make sense of the letters and numbers staring back at me. It's Monday morning and I have no idea how I'm supposed to solve the problem. The answer hovers in front of my brain, within reach but unexplained. Unfortunately, Our Math teacher believes in showing your work and I can't figure out how I know the answer. It doesn't help that I'm distracted by memories belonging to someone else.

There are very few rules to the insanity of my dreams. The first is that I never dream the same thing twice, Mom's death being the one exception. Second: rarely, if ever, am I just one person in them. It is both a blessing and a curse. I was the grass as much as the person having their bones broken. But if I was the grass, I was also the sick pleasure of breaking those bones as much as I was the pain of having them broken. Being everything at once made it easier to distance myself from everything that happened.

It makes it too surreal to be true.

Last night that was not the case.

It took a long time for my heart to stop racing after jerking awake in a panic and franticly running my hands over my arms and legs searching for blood. Even after the numbness seeped in and I started to calm, my skin still itched with phantom pain. I've already spent most of the day trying not to think about the nightmare. It doesn't work of course, but I try anyway.

When the bell rings, I'm hesitant to leave. Emma will be waiting for me, but I really don't feel like going to history today. Not when the hour spent in Mrs. Henson's classroom is when the Knowing is always the worst, and my head already isn't on straight. With a resigned sigh, I gather my things and head out. As predicted Emma is waiting by the door. With her are JD and another girl from their advanced math class. They stand and talk amongst themselves, and I half hope I can sneak past unnoticed, but Emma sees me just as I'm about to walk past. Walking over, she loops one arm through mine.

"Ready for another hour of torture?"

"No, I think my brain might liquefy if have to do this for another week. "

She laughs and it is almost funny because she doesn't realize I'm serious.

On the way to class, we run into the twins and manage to make it through the door before the bell. Finding Wes, we sit in our usual spots. Autumn and JD whisper about something while River and Wes start talking about the new football coach. After pulling out her books, Emma leans over to give something to Wes. He reads it and smiles at her. I give her a questioning look but at that moment Mrs. Henson walks in.

"Ok class, who's read chapter 10?" When nobody raises their hand, she sighs in disappointment. "Can anyone at least tell me what chapter 10's topic is?"

Again, No one responds.

"The Great Awakening! Come on people, Talk to me! What do we know about it?"

"It ended World War II." Someone in the back says.

"Ok, Good. What else?"

"It killed a lot of people?"

"Not necessarily, but we'll go over that later. Does anyone else have anything to add?... What came before the Awakening?"