Hollows In Time (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book Ⅱ

Chapter Thirty-One

"I found the key to my happiness, but I can't remember which door I locked it behind."
—#me (doesn't this sound like an Alice in Wonderland thing I'm so cool)
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H o l l o w s   I n
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When I had finished recalling the day I had been taken, right up until I had been knocked out, I was shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my face. There were voices around me, but I don't know what they were saying.

Suddenly, someone reached out and touched me. I jumped up, out of my chair, and screamed.

"Don't touch me!" I screeched. Out of nowhere, I was grabbed. I screamed again. They didn't stop. Shouts echoed out around me and I fell backwards.

But I didn't hit the floor.

"Sky!" Someone was yelling. I crouched down, trying to protect myself from getting hurt.

"Sky!" They repeated.

Make it stop. Please make it stop.

"Please don't hurt me." I begged, sobs shaking my body.

It was all happening again.

Knives were being scraped against my skin. Punches were being thrown to my head.
I felt all of it.
All. Over. Again.

"Sky," I was being shaken, "It's okay, you're okay." I squeezed my eyes shut and tears fell. "No one's trying to hurt you." The voice said next.

I opened my eyes.

Light hit me first and I whimpered. Jameson was crouched over me, one palm on my left shoulder and another cupping my cheek. He was gazing into my eyes, and the concern I saw in his was drowning. I was still shaking, and hiccups thrashed my body around, but I had calmed down.

There were a lot of people surrounding me. Kate's face was next to Jameson's, her mothers a few inches behind her. Guardians were stood around the scene, as if I was a threat. Suddenly, it felt like everyone was getting closer. My breathing sped up, and I started to struggle for air.

Jameson noticed this. "Back up!" He called out, getting onto his knees, shifting so that he was on my side. And he started to run his fingers through my hair. If I ignored the fact that the action was being done by Jameson, it felt relaxing. Everyone backed up and I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths.

Soon, everything calmed, and I opened my eyes to see Kate holding a glass of water out in front of me. I took it and drank careful sips. Jameson hadn't stopped smoothing out my hair, his fingers getting lost in a jungle of blond. I couldn't gauge whether the action was more beneficial for Jameson, or for me. But, nonetheless, it had calmed me down.

Jameson's hand stopped, and he moved to face me. He stared at me for a few moments. "Are you okay?" He asked cautiously. I looked into his eyes. There was something about their determination and their softness that had me faltering. But I carried on through.

I nodded. Jameson reached up. I flinched. He froze. Then his hand moved again. This time, I braved it out, and realised he was only reaching up to wipe away my tears. His fingers grazed my cheekbone, and lingered a second longer on my temple than they needed to.