Breathless

Chapter 14: Don't

Elise and I didn't speak at all the next week. We had both finished up our sophomore years of high school and finally let out summers begin without each other. The same happened between me and Emily. She didn't seem to want anything to do with me anymore. The only people willing to talk to me were Carson and my parents. Even Anna didn't dare to make an appearance.

Then, something weird happened. It was right before I went to bed. I had just sent Carson, whom I'd been texting for the entire day, a goodnight text and started to turn out the lights. Someone knocked on my door.

I frowned and looked at the clock. It was almost 1 o'clock in the morning; none of my family should have been awake. Still, I placed my hand on the cool metal of the handle and opened my door.

It was Emily. Our eyes met, and I could see that there was something she needed to say. My sister shifted her weight awkwardly onto her other foot.

"Hi, Terra," she said in a soft voice as she tugged at the hem of her cotton tank top.

"Hi, Emily," I replied. It felt weird to be talking to her after a week of silence.

There was a small silence and her blue eyes glanced down at the floor, the wall, and the space behind me. She looked everywhere but into my eyes. "Are you going to do the cure?" she asked in a soft voice.

It was a simple question with a simple answer. "Of course."

She bit her lip as though my words had broken her heart. "How can you let them take it away from you?"

I didn't understand her question. These scales were like a curse. "They aren't taking anything away, Emily. They're making me be like how I'm supposed to be. You should do it too."

She exhaled shortly as though what I said had physically pained her. It looked like she was about to say something, but then she furrowed her thick brows and turned around. She told me goodnight like it was an afterthought of some sort. Then, Emily walked away.

I went to bed with the hurt look on her face imprinted in my mind. Maybe that's why my dream was as weird as it was.

At first, everything was dark. I waited a minute for my eyes to adjust so I might be able to see something, but they never did. That was when panic started to settle in. I called out to anyone, but my voice refused to make a sound.

My heart was pumping an extreme amount of adrenaline through my veins, and this lasted for what felt like a lifetime. Then, there was a harsh light above my head. I tried to look up to see what it was, but it was too bright and I had to look back down at the ground.

The light didn't help me see anything. It was a spotlight, only illuminating myself and the dirty ground below. Everything else was dark. I tried to move forward, but my body wouldn't let me. I looked down. My body was tied up to a chair that I was sure hadn't been there before. I called out again, but my voice still wouldn't work.

That was when a small hand with nails painted a deep purple reached into the spotlight. I couldn't see the body that it belonged to since it stood in the darkness. It reached for my forearm and turned it over so that the underside was facing up. I tried to pull away, but it was too strong.

There was a small voice speaking in some other language that I was sure belonged to the child standing in the darkness. I couldn't make out any of the words, but the voice grew louder the longer it spoke. Then, it stopped.

Everything was quiet and still. I felt an intense burning on my forearm, but it wasn't because of the small fingers that were still wrapped around it. Letters written in deep purple ink started to appear on my skin and scales, leaving a burning sensation. I tried to scream.

Then, I woke up. I hadn't been asleep very long. It was only four in the morning. I reached for the lamp next to my bed.

That was when I saw it. Painted on my forearm in deep purple ink, was a message. My heart shuddered.

THIS IS WHO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.     

Things that were in my dream had come true. Only one little girl could have been responsible. Then, I looked up at my wall. One word was painted there in a deep purple color that had started to drip down.

- - - - - - -

 "My parents can't see it," I mumbled to Carson as I turned my forearm over in my hands. He and I were sitting next to each other on the plush couch in his living room later that morning. Carson was the only one I wanted to tell about the writing in my room and on me.

He took my arm and squinted in search for ink. I almost pulled back, remembering the scales and not wanting him to see, but he didn't seem to mind them. I already knew that he wouldn't be able to see the message. Finally, after about a minute, he sighed and gave my my arm back.

"And Emily?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I haven't really talked to her since the doctor's office. She doesn't want me to do the cure when it's ready."

He frowned. "When'll it be ready?"

"Just a month."

That was when Carson got very quiet. Quieter that usual, that is. Had I said something wrong? He ran a hand through his black curls.

"Try showing her," he finally said. I groaned. Emily had been ignoring me up until the previous night. I didn't want to show her something this important just yet.

"Why?" I said as I groaned.

"She's closer to Anna. Right?"

I had forgotten how much I had told Carson. It was strange how fast we had become so close. He was a good listener, and I appreciated that.

I nodded. Emily had known Anna for a long time, but the little girl ended up haunting me more than she did my sister. Without thinking about it, I scooted closer to Carson so that our legs were nearly touching. He didn't flinch.

"Then she might help," he said with a shy smile.

As much as I hated to admit it, Carson was right. He was always right. That is, when he wasn't letting his anger do all the thinking for him.

I sighed and leaned my head up against his shoulder. He adjusted accordingly after a moment of hesitation, and wrapped his arm around me.

Everything was so complicated. But this, with Carson, was easy. It was right.

The front door opened and then slammed shut, causing both of us to flinch and for Carson to take his arm off of me. It felt cold without him there.

Elise was standing at the front door with bright yellow sundress on. The room filled with silence as we all stared at one another with blank expressions.

Finally, Elise pulled her lipgloss-coated lips into a smirk. "Good to see you two getting cozy," she said. I knew she didn't mean that as a good thing. Before Carson and I could even think about saying anything back to her, she rushed up the stairs.

Carson sighed and watched his twin leave. She was hurting, I knew it.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked without turning back to look at me. It wasn't a question. I nodded. I'd go anywhere with Carson.

A/N: Sorry for the short one... again. Trust me, the next one will be long! Probably.. Anyways, be sure to vote/ comment if you enjoyed so I can get some sort of a feedback :)

Thanks for reading!

-thediz-