Lily

The Master

     "Calia? Calia, sweetie, are you okay?" the fuzzy image of two people finally came into focus as my mom and Gale leaning over me. My mom had her hands on my shoulders, and she was lightly but firmly shaking me. I pushed myself up into sitting position.

     "What happened?" I ask, clutching my forehead. As I woke up more, the searing pain in my head grew stronger, and I moaned. My mom rushed over and crouched right beside me, laying her hands gently on my arms.

     "Are you alright?" she asked, obviously worried.

     "Yeah, I think I am," I nodded, vaguely wincing.

     "I don't know, you just passed out, and then you just kind of went into this weird state where you weren't awake but your eyes were open, and you just started vomiting blood mixed with this black stuff all over the place," she said, making gestures while she was talking and making this disgusted face on top of that. "I'm starting to think it's the tarts. Maybe they're doing something weird to your system."

     "What are you implying?" Gale said, agitated. 

     "Er... nothing. You're tarts are just fine, sweetie," she stammered. I start to get up, putting both of my feet on the ground. I looked around. I was in a room full of books, so it must be the library. I had never been in here; it was always just labeled as a room that simply just... well, existed. This was my first time, and I was pretty sure it was everyone else's first time, too. I wonder how my mom decided to put me in here as opposed to the living area on Gale's favorite couch. Well, come to think of it, he probably wouldn't agree to that. But still.

     "What room am I in?" I asked, rubbing my temple.

     "This is the drawing room," my mom said, flashing a glitteringly sassy smile. Then she rolled her shoulders all sassy-like and said, "It's where all the ladies went."

     "O-okay, I'm outta here," Tommy said, pushing himself off his seat and running out of the room. He looked like he was going to vomit. I giggled quietly. Gale went and sat on this red velvet chair, grinning even happier than before.

     "What's up, Gale? Happy to be here?" I teased sarcastically. He stared off at one of the large windows at the far wall. "Perverted much?" Then he blushed.

     "Er, uh, well, uh, no, I, uh, I just, uh, um," he stammered. I laughed. "I, uh, I just, um, I really like this chair."

     "Love at first sight with the chair, huh?" I said sarcastically. He blushed again.

     "Well, uh, yeah, uh, um, I guess you could say that," he replied, sliding down farther into his seat. 

     "Gale, sweetie, um, do you think you could go check on Tommy for me, please?" my mom said, meekly pointing towards the large doorless entrance.

     "Yeah," he said, pushing himself up off his chair. He walked out of the room. Suddenly I got this weird watery feeling in my stomach, coming up towards my throat. I clutched.

     "Ugh, it's gonna come up again..." I mumbled, my nausea drowning me.

     "What?" my mom said, leaning in to hear me better. At that moment, it came up another inch in my stomach. I could feel it gurgling in my esophagus.

     "It's gonna come up again!" I almost yelled. My mom looked suddenly alarmed. She jumped up from her crouching position beside the brown velvet loveseat I was sitting on. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me up from my seat.

     "Why didn't you say so! Run, run!" she pushed me out of the room, and I ran the seven feet down to the large-ish bathroom, closed the door behind me, ran over to the toilet, opened my mouth, and out spilled more of the black sticky substance that my mom threw up the day we first came here. Suddenly I heard the sound of a lock clicking to the right of me. I whipped my heads toward the door, and just as I thought, the lock on the door had mysteriously turned, making the door locked. I immediately panicked, running for the door and trying to turn the lock. But it wouldn't budge.