Stitched Up Hearts (HIATUS/POSSIBLY DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 8-Beginning of it All

Female screaming pierced through my skull as my eyes flew open. I sat up quickly, whipping my head around hoping to see what was happening.

"OOF-" I yelled as a fist went into my diaphragm. I wheezed and quickly caught the wrist, looking down at Jen as she thrashed around. Her skin was slicked with sweat as she breathed fast.

"Jen! Jen, I'm here, hey hey shhhh..." I started speaking, holding her hand in mine. Minutes passed as I attempted soothing her, gently rubbing her arm and entwining our fingers.

Ding! Went my phone, the screen lighting up bright with a text.

I ignored it, concentrating instead on Jen.

"Babe..."

Slowly she calmed down, relaxing against me as I held her. Soon her eyes opened, looking up at me. I smiled, "Good morning."

She groaned, "Hi."

I kissed her head gently, reaching for my phone, "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," she replied, nearly cutting me off as she sat up quickly. I scooted back a bit to give her room.

"Is there coffee," she asked as soon as her feet hit the floor. My thumbs paused mid-text as I glanced back up at her.

"Yeah, downstairs. Baby are you sure you're okay?"

She looked over at me, her blue eyes seeming duller than normal. Her lips parted then closed in a firm line. Worriedly, I dropped my phone onto the comforter and started to take her hand, "You had another nightmare didn't you?"

She stepped back quickly, leaving me hanging as I watched her walk to the bathroom.

I sighed and stood up, the worry sticking to me like glue as I dressed.

So ingrained was I in my own thoughts that I jumped when Ashley's voice came through the door.

"Hey Andy! You gotta try these bagels man these are awesome!"

"AH! Oh hi, thank you Ashley," I called back, walking over to the door and opening it.

"Oh hey. So are you guys about ready," he asked, leaning in the doorway with a half-eaten bagel in hand. In spite of it being early he had a grin on, probably from food.

"We just woke up man, why?"

"Oh just wondering. We still have a few hours."

Suddenly, there was a fuzzy sound of static before all the lights cut out, bathing the hallway in darkness. The only light came from the sun outside our rooms window, filtering through the doorway and catching the look of surprise on Ashley's face.

"Well I didn't see this one coming."

I frowned and nodded, pulling my phone out of my pocket, "Neither did I. Didn't the whole city lose power yesterday morning?"

I tried in vain to turn my phone on, make it boot up, anything-but no avail. It was completely devoid of life.

"Yeah, thats strange," Ashley commented through his bagel, "Maybe it wasn't plugged in last night?"

"Oh it was. It was on full battery when I disconnected it."

"Guyyyyyssssss my laptop is dead, even when it's plugged in," cried an anxious CC from down the hall.

"Okay, lets all meet up in the lobby as soon as possible. I don't have a good feeling about this," I told Ashley, who nodded and promptly walked off to tell the others.