Sleep

Part 34

I woke up to arguing, and the uncomfortable sting of the sun against my skin.

Groaning, I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, gasping as pain shot up my legs.

"What is it kills her?! You don't know what's gonna happen!"

"She's willing to try despite the risks!"

"She's a human, Evan! This isn't just a game!"

The ferocity in Delirious' voice shocked me, but Vanoss bit back just as aggressively, the blue hooded seeker and owl masked hider on the lawn across the yard from me. Clearly they hadn't noticed my arrival.

I'd have thought it was just the two of them left, if it weren't for the barrel moving around beside the shed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another seeker with a pig mask moving toward me as I leant against the building wall, and I smiled lightly. Do my facial expressions show?

"Can you walk? You can use my shoulder if you need."

Wildcats words intercepted the argument and completely silenced it, and I muttered a quiet "thanks man." As I placed my hand on his shoulder. Despite the joint aches only being mild, they were making it uncomfortable to stand and the assistance to walk wouldn't hurt.

A huffed laugh came through as we started walking toward the two idiots who were still in silence, and the barrel that was now moving around them instead.

"I'll never get used to that feeling dude, it feels like a ghost." Wildcat snorted, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for the light topic. Without his humour I'd probably have an anxiety attack at the moment.

"If I were a ghost, you'd know. I'd haunt and terrorise your ass." I laughed, glancing across to the seeker, and wishing it was actually the man. It sucks not being able to see faces or anything.

"You'd haunt my ass alright, you pervert."

Blowing out a raspberry in indignation, I hit his upper arm.

"You wish, if that's what I was after I'd go for someone with a better ass." I laughed, sticking my nose in the air.

"Like Delirious?"

Snorting in shock, I started coughing from my own spit, hitting him again twice. Marcel, and even Evan, laughed at my expense, softly in comparison to Tyler's loud wheezing.

We were stopped in front of them now but I knew my face was bright red, and I couldn't help but wish I was far away instead. Hiding my face in my hands, I flinched slightly at the touch, but was more focussed on trying to calm my spluttering.

"We all know you'd like to see my ass." Delirious didn't sound as happy as normal, the joke a little forced, but it still caused Wildcat to laugh harder and my blush to deepen. Too bad my skin wasn't red to match the burn feeling, at least the damn blush would be hidden.

Trying to sound confident despite my raspy voice, I immediately quipped back with my own sassy comment.

"I was more thinking Vanoss, have you seen that fine man? Damn." I joked, winking across to the aforementioned man.

I expected Delirious to joke back about how he agreed, or something similar, but instead he shocked me by moving to stand on my other side.

"Like hell, he can't have you!" He cried out, swinging his crowbar toward him once in warning.

Wildcats character slid away from my side, and I frowned toward him.

"Don't want to make him jealous." He answered my look, which immediately changed to a scowl.

Poking Delirious' side, I grumbled slightly, not actually minding the banter at all.

At the poke, he turned to me and sighed.

"You're sure you wanna try this?"

I ran my teeth over my lip as the mood immediately dropped, and sighed.

"Might as well try everything, I can't just keep dying and ruining recordings."

We lapsed into silence for some time, and when Delirious spoke again I knew the time was ticking low now.

"Hug?"

Ignoring the eyes of the others, I wrapped my arms tightly around his characters waist, leaning into his warmth and closing my eyes.

"We're at 20." Was muttered quietly from someone and I held tighter.

"10."

"9."

"8."

The timer ticked down, my watch beeping out as it reached 0.

Inhaling deeply, I caught my breath and held it. When nothing happened, I lifted my head to look around. Unwrapping myself from Delirious, I grabbed his hand instead, tingles shooting up my arm.

"Was that the last round, or?"

"Uh, Luna?"

Ignoring Delirious, I looked down to my tingling arm. My hand had stopped tingling, but now I couldn't even feel Delirious' hand against mine. It wasn't hard to see why.

My hand was gone, and my arm was disappearing, following the tingles like they were fire, leaving nothing in their wake.

Tingles started in my other arm and a leg, and I dropped to my knees in panic.

"Luna!"

Another voice called, but I didn't know who it was.

Tears had started lining my eyes, my sight blurry and my breathing rapid.

When the bottom of both legs were gone, I fell to my butt. Collapsing backwards, I stared at the blue sky. The burning feeling would be a welcome feeling instead of the tingles.

They didn't hurt, but knowing that they were possibly my end made them far worse.

Reaching my stump of an arm out to the masked man standing beside me, I wished I could grab for him.

I could hardly breath, sobs racked my body as I tried to call for help.

I couldn't tell if I made a noise, but I kept trying. It just tangled with the muffled sound coming from those standing over me.

I could no longer reach out, arms gone. I felt so helpless.

As the tingles reached my torso, they turned fierce, no longer a painless tickle. My throat felt raw from the noises that ripped from me, and within seconds I succumbed to the darkness.

(1005 words)

Epilogue next, then an a/n! But! Cos I'm a bitch, it'll be up tomorrow ;) Just to leave this cliffie.
Hope you guys have enjoyed this ending though! I hope it didn't seem rushed or anything! It was planned to be like this.