This Life

Chapter Sixteen

(Hey My Little Tributes! The schedule is so much easier to handle, so I'm not stressing as much as I was☺ Here's a cookie for all my readers! 🍪🍪🍪🍪

(I didn't put chocolate in them... Sorry..

Anyways... Enjoy the update!

Chapter Sixteen

Nightmare

"Ari..." A voice beckoned, the figure in the distance waving a finger at me, monitoring for me to come to it. Hesitantly, I stumbled through the darkness to the figure, towering over me with every step I took.

"Father?" A wave of happiness flooded into me, as I tried to hug him. My arms went right through him, like smoke.

"Follow..."

Father walked into the darkness, turning towards me before grabbing my hand with a cold grip and dragging me with him.

"Follow... Follow..." He repeated over and over again. Suddenly, I'm in a glass box. Pounding my fists against the glass, it was unbreakable. A light flickered on infront of the tank I was trapped in, and revealed my little sister tied against a chair.

"Clem! CLEM!" I shouted, but no words came out of my mouth.

"Ari help!" She screeched, fighting the grip of the ropes securing her in the hard chair. Another shadowy figure walked towards her, a large log in hand.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face as I forced the glass tank open, trying to break it. It remained intact. The figure lifted the log, and sent a wack across Clems head, sending blood trickling down her temple

"No! Please! Stop!!" I pleaded, sinking to the ground. The figure, once finished with my sister, turned towards me, looking me straight in the eyes. He dropped the log, thick red with Clem's blood, and pointed a slender, menacing finger at me.

Before I realise what's going on, the tank starts to fill with water. Cold water. I stood up in a flash, looking down as the water swirls round my

ankles.

"Stop! Make the water stop! Please!" I scream, pounding the glass even harder, my fists turning redder and redder with each blow. The glass doesn't budge. The murky sea green cold water is now just halfway up my thighs. It's no use. I'm stuck here. I'm going to drown.

"Please..." I mumble through the thick waves of tears crashing down from my eyes, adding to the waist-high water. Tsunamis of fear wash over me. I'm going to die.

In those last few moments, my life flashes through my eyes. None of the memories are heart-warming.

Clem being battered with the log by Elster.

Father dying.

Getting slapped countless times.

Clem being taken.

Starving.

Homeless.

Cold.

I have to raise my head up so I can breath. Before the water completely engulfs me, I close my eyes, welcoming death. Who knows, maybe death will be nicer and more satisfying than life itself.

I jolt awake, screaming my head off into the darkness, words of comfort being murmured into my ear. Turning my head, I was sure that it would be Josh, as it usually is. Instead, I'm greeted with a flash of purple sitting comfortably on a slender head.

"Clem?" I whisper hoarsely into the darkness, feeling for her. My hand touches an arm. "Why are you awake?"

"I heard you screaming, and it seems nobody else did, so I came through." She replied, stroking my arm gently, sending shivers through my body.

"Thank you" I muttered in reply.

The room was lit with a eery glow, light from the moon pouring in through the window curtains. If you squinted your eyes really hard, you could just make out the outlines of figures lying on blowup beds in the room. Why do they need to stay in this room with me? I mean, yes I was in hospital, yes Clem was taken from me, and yes I went mental over that. But anyways, she's back, I'm not crazy and I'm well enough to look after myself.

I could see the light reflecting off light hair, which I'm presuming must be Catherine, Liam or Sam's hair, since Katie and Josh have brown hair. I could see the twinkle of a bracelet, belonging to Katie lying a few centimetres from Sam, who was on a chair. Ugh, they really make me sick sometimes, not in a bad way, but in the 'please-stop-all-this-lovey-dovey-nonsense' type of way. At least I think it's not bad?

One by one, I figured out who each of the outlined figures on the ground were, apart from a few that were slumpt on chairs, in what seemed like REALLY uncomfortable positions. Take for example, Josh.

He's lying on the chair, his head on the seat with his legs over the back, his arms crossed. He's literally keeping himself up only using his head. Show off. Josh could break his neck, but I highly doubt his sleeping brain would let him.

Sam on the other hand, is literally hanging OFF the chair. His whole top body is off the chair, while his butt and legs are draped over the top of the chair, which isn't surprising since he's really tall, taller than all of us, apart from Liam who's the same height practically. Me and Katie are the smallest, if you don't count Clem, then it's Catherine, then Josh, then the two slumbering giants.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes"

"Ok"

I could feel her gripping the bedcovers, and pulling herself in. She was freezing, as cold as ice, a delicately carved sculpture. She fumbled around, tossing and turning over to get into a comfortable position. Clem usually does this. Ever since I can remember, she's never been able to go to sleep unless she's in a pacific place. Straight away, I pulled her closer. Clem held onto me, radiating some warmth.

"Are you sure your ok?" She asked, concern laced into her voice. Weakly, I nodded my head.

"Good."

As sleep pulled me in, I realised one emotion that I had grown so familiar too was weighing me down again.

Fear. Maybe I wasn't as free as I thought.

_____________

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