Just a Cold

Chapter 2- Nightmares

A/N: This ^^^ 😂😂😂

(Jesse's POV)

"Hello? Lukas? Petra? Anyone?!" I called, my voice bouncing through the shadowy groves.
I was in a dense thicket of dark oak trees. Eerie rays of moonlight casted a menacing glow on the thick branches. The only sound to be heard was that of my own heartbeat, equally matching the speed of a black panther hunting down its meek prey.
It felt as though there was a stone lodged in my esophagus. I swallowed to make it go away, but to no avail. Sweat crept its way down the side of my forehead, and I wiped it off with the back off my hand.
A crack in the woods made me look over my shoulder. Heart thumping, I slowly turned, and panicked when I saw the shadows move. I took a deep shuddering breath.
It was probably just the wind. I thought. But that didn't make me feel any better at all.
There was no wind.
A hand grabbed onto my shoulder and shoved me forward to the ground. I yelped, swallowing a mouthful of dirt. Splattering it out I tried to get up, but felt a boot plant me to the ground.
"Hello, Jesse." My blood ran cold. I knew this voice all too well.
"Petra?!" I squirmed, but she pushed harder, and I felt my ribs creaking from the pressure. I stopped immediately. "Petra, what are you doing?! You're my friend remember? My super-close friend!"
Petra laughed humourlessly, and my heart ached. She thrust me onto my back, and after the stars cleared from my eyes, I could see her clearly. Fear flushed all the warmth from my body.
Petra's eyes were glowing a bright red.
"P-PAMA?!" I stuttered, trying to get Petra's weight off my body. I was pinned.
"That's right, Jesse," The voice hadn't come from Petra. This time, Lukas emerged from the shadows, arms folded with an iron sword strapped to his waist. "Not surrendering now would be... useless."
       I cried out in alarm, finally managing to get out of Petra's grasp. I crab walked backwards, as Petra and Lukas approached, their arms outward like a zombie.
"Try to be rational Jesse." Petra said. PAMA's voice scratched in and out, like it was shorting out.
"You're already a failure." Lukas taunted. I shook my head, trying to wake myself up from this nightmare. Two more figures came towards me, and I gasped when I saw it was Axel and Olivia.
"You're no hero. You're just a coward." Axel said.
Tears formed in my eyes.
"Aw... is wittle Jesse going to cry?" Olivia said, drawing her sword.
"No..." I murmured. I crab walked one more step backwards, and I yelped when instead of ground my hand touched air. I fell... spiralling several feet down into a deep chasm.
I stood shakily to my feet, and panted. That computer freak was gone.
I heard footsteps getting louder and louder, and I spun around. I came face to face with the tip of a diamond sword.
And the one wielding it...
It was Aiden.
      "Aiden?!" I squeaked. I backed away from the tip and bumped into the rock wall. Seriously? How many dead ends were in this place?!
       "Hello, Jesse," Aiden hissed. His golden eyes were hidden by the shadows of the chasm. I swallowed hard, and tried to stop my heartbeat from thumping so hard.
"Y-you better stay back, Aiden!" I reached for a weapon that wasn't there.
"Not even going to defend yourself? Pff, what a loser. You're nothing now that you don't have your friends. Nothing."
Aiden raised his sword high in the air, and sent it spiralling downwards. Pain surged through me as I felt the tip of the sword sink right through my chest. I screamed as he yanked the sword out. Then, he did it again, only this time he aimed for the stomach. I collapsed to the ground, with a pool of blood around me. Tears fell from my eyes, and Aiden planted his foot on my exit wound in my chest.
"Some hero you are," He spat. "You're a failure."
"You're a failure."

Those last words he said repeated itself over and over again until my eyes snapped open and I thrust myself upwards. Panting, I clutched my chest. I felt for the wounds that Aiden inflicted on me, but they weren't there. I was fine. I was alive.
I took a shuddery breath and glanced at my surroundings. I was lying in my own bed, in my bedroom. I coughed hard. Right. I was sick.
Defeated, I fell back in my pillow, and groaned. The pain in my head was still there- it was a dull throb. I looked to my left to find a glass of water sitting on the bedside table. I reached over and grabbed it, gulping it down greedily.
      The door creaked open, and there was Lukas standing in the doorway. He grinned. "You're awake!" He exclaimed, rushing next to my bed. "How're you feeling?"
      "Like I was hit by a minecart," I said.
      Lukas chuckled. "I brought you some melons in case you were hungry."
       "I'll save them for later," I said. "Thanks, Lukas."
       Lukas pulled out a notebook and began to jot down some notes. I smiled. "Whatcha writing?"
       "Well, I thought since the first one was so popular, I thought I'd write another one," Lukas said with a shrug. "The only problem is, I'm running out of adventures to write about."
       "Well, we'll have to go on more adventures," I remarked. "But I guess there's the matter of me getting better first."
"You'll get better," Lukas promised. "You're Jesse! If you can take down a wither-storm, save a city, catch a murderer, destroy an evil computer, and beat all odds in some twisted games-"
"Okay, I get it."
"-then you can beat a cold." Lukas finished.
       My face grew hot- I don't know if it was from the fever or not- as I smiled. "Thanks Lukas."
      We sat there in silence for a few awkward moments. I rubbed my arms and stared at my bed covers.
       "You know, you can sleep," Lukas suggested, throwing me off guard. He must've sensed my discomfort. "Don't worry. I won't try anything."
       I chuckled softly. "No, it's not that..." I murmured, thinking of my nightmare.
       He frowned, and got off his chair to sit by my side on the bed. "Then what's wrong?"
       I exhaled sharply. "Do you know what it's like to have the weight of the entire world on your shoulders?"
"Can't say I have." Lukas admitted.
I sighed. "Then you're lucky. Whenever there's a disaster everyone looks to me to lead, but... it's like I'm being pulled in all directions. It's like whoever decides fate handed me the world and said 'Here. See what you can do with that.' I can't be everywhere at one time. It's not like I don't feel like I should be doing my job- I should be doing it! But it's too much to handle all at one time. And because of it, I've been having nightmares about... everything. PAMA... Aiden... the Wither-Storm... Reuben..."
Lukas seemed to sense my sadness and placed a hand on my back as I hugged my knees. I finally said what needed to be said.
"I'm only human, Lukas. And I can only take so much."
"That's why you're not alone." Lukas pointed out, causing me to look up from my knees. I nodded, wiping a small tear from my cheek. He hugged me for a few seconds, and his warmth made me forget my sickness.
Shouting could be heard from the other room and Lukas and I broke apart in surprise. "Uhh... what was that?" I said with a blink of my eyes.
"AXEL, YOU MORON!"
Lukas groaned and face palmed. "I'll be back... gotta handle the crazies."
I chuckled. "See you Lukas."
Lukas opened the door, and the sound of the shouting got imminently louder, but it was soon drowned out again as the door softly closed.

(Petra's POV)

"I said I was sorry!"
"Sorry doesn't cut it! If you weren't so clumsy with your big feet, then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"Hey, who are you calling big feet?!"
I was furious. Axel had just dropped an entire dozen eggs on my head... and a bag of flour. Now I looked like a mother hen who had tried to cook her own babies on her head.
"Guys, calm down, you're gonna wake Jesse!" Olivia said, trying to stay out of their way in case a physical fight broke out.
"I don't know how Jesse put up with you for so long, Axel!" I snapped.
"ENOUGH!"
Suddenly, I felt the whiz of an arrow fly between Axel and I, and it impaled the wall behind us. Axel and I shut up, but from shock. Lukas was standing at the hallway entrance with a bow in hand.
"Would you people try to be civilized for once?!" Lukas exclaimed. He stomped towards us and made movements with his arms while he talked.
"You're all better than this. This is not the same team I believed in when we fought against the wither-storm. This is not the same team that stood by Jesse's side. This is definitely not the same team that stuck together no matter what!"
I was stunned speechless. Axel looked almost terrified. Lukas took a deep breath.
"I need that team now. Jesse needs that team now. I know it's rough without her being able to lead, but we're just going to have to handle things on our own. We're not doing any good to her health if we're dumping all our problems on her."
I felt like I was just slapped in the face. It all made sense. The reason Jesse got sick... it was because of stress. Jesse was so good at masking her emotions that we never saw what was behind that mask. I felt my anger melt away.
"He's right." Axel and I said at the same time.
"Oh, uh... sorry." Axel said.
"You go first."
Axel nodded. "Jesse's my friend. In fact, she's one of the first friends I ever had. I'm willing to do anything to make her happy."
"Me too," I said. "I don't want to fight anymore."
"Whoa did Petra say that?" Olivia marvelled, eyeing Lukas with mock surprise.
"It sounded like she said that." Lukas sniggered.
"What do you say guys?" I said, putting my hand out. Axel placed his on top of mine, and then Olivia, and finally, Lukas.
"Three, two, one..."
"TEAM!"