Silly Little Games

Chapter Twelve

I sobbed into my pillow, and lost track of time completely. I couldn’t care about how long I had spent crying, because I knew I could just go home and pretend none of this happened. I’d stop slaying, and just have a normal life. I could settle down and be happy, and not have to worry about anything that lurked in the dark. Not worried about things that could kill me in an instant. At least they had the decency to send me home, so at least I could cry in the comfort of my own bedroom.

“Leila, come on, you have to eat something” Donnie sighed, sitting on the bed next to me. I sniffed and shook my head, then buried my face into the feathers once more. All of my friends had left and abandoned me, nobody knows what happened to Trent, and everybody here just pitied me and they didn’t care about what happened. Donnie didn’t either, but at least he showed some sadness for me.

“I don’t have to, I don’t care anymore” I said, my words muffled by the pillow that my face was covered in. I clutched it tight as my stomach rumbled, but I thought this was all my fault, so I deserved to be hungry. I always felt like that, like I was a big burden on everyone, and that the fact I was alone reflected that I caused this. I wish I never went to Victus, or even didn’t go looking for Elliot. It would only end badly like this time.

“Leila please, we’re all concerned about you, you never acted like this before you visited that place. Did something happen there?” he asked, which I replied to with another shrug. Yes, I found out that he was engaged. Maybe that might play a part in why I am acting like this? I screamed into the pillow which was followed by more sobs.

“I’ll sort her out, she needs another girl to talk to” a voice said from behind me, and Donnie walked out. I heard the door lock. I looked up from the pillow that was now soaking from tears and sniffed, pushing on my arms to sit myself up. I looked up at the unusual female voice, only to be faced with Clara, the person who had never spoken to me before and the slayer who hated me. “Oh look who has stopped crying”

“Why are you even here?” I asked, avoiding all eye contact with her. I kept my gaze on my hands that were resting gently against the duvet. She shrugged and sat against the door so nobody could get in (or I assumed that’s why). She messed with some ribbon and then tied it around her stake, and I watched intently as she made three tiny knots along the pink ribbon. She tightened them so that they didn’t undo easily and when she whispered, they glowed bright. Each knot glowed a different colour. One bright blue, another a deep purple, and the third a golden yellow.

“I don’t know, maybe because Donnie told me if I practise my powers again he will kick me out, so I have to practise in secret” she smiled, then burst out laughing. I didn’t understand the joke, maybe it was one you had to be her to understand. I looked up at her to show her my obvious enthusiasm that she shared, but she laughed straight in my face.

“Way to make me feel better” I muttered, looking down at my hands again. She stopped laughing this time and her eyes looked sad, and she pushed the stake back into her pocket. She sat on the bed by me and held her arms open, and I hugged her. The waterworks started again and I was in floods of tears. Clara was married, and I knew that I would never be lucky enough to find someone to put up with me; let alone get married.

“Look, Leila. We all know what happened in Victus, with Demie and Elliot. Let’s just say, you talk a lot in your sleep” she sighed, pulling me away from her. She dabbed at the tears that ran down my cheeks. She never cared before, so I assumed this was all a lie to get me to like her or something, or to let her become a better slayer than me. If she did have ‘powers’, she would eventually use them against me.

“Nothing happened in Victus ok!” I yelled, throwing my arms up. “Nothing happened whatsoever, and I’m not letting YOU of all people blackmail me because I went there!” I shouted, watching her face twist as she smirked, stepping off the bed. I whimpered slightly and looked at her as everything slowly turned grey, and everything I saw was in black and white.