Laconic » a.i

1.8

//cooper//

Ella insisted that she couldn't get back to sleep, so I stayed and talked to her for a while. But after two hours, I figured she needed to sleep and I needed to get back to my little group of runaways. Luke had tried texting me about seven times until he gave up after fifteen minutes. Calum and Jeremy were calling my phone so much that I had to put it on silent because I was terrified of waking up Ella's family. I wasn't so much scared they'd find me -- I 'd gotten better at vanishing and transporting thanks to Michael, Jeremy, and Calum -- but that they'd come in and start giving her grief for the noise, calling her crazy.

"But you promise I'll see you again?" she questioned. "You're the nicest one of my characters that I've seen."

"Tomorrow night," I promised with a nod before I exited her room. I made sure no one was in the hall before stepping out. Then I tried to transport back to the motel -- key word being tried. I realized I didn't actually remember where it was or what it looked like so I couldn't get back. "Fuck." I grumbled to myself, transporting to the one place I knew no one would be.

-

//luke//

I sat in the room I was sharing with Emily, letting Calum and Jeremy try to contact Cooper. If she wasn't going to answer anyone, what was the point in trying? She was being way too stubborn lately and she was going to get herself stuck somewhere and then those freaky-ass hunters would find her and kill her.

Shut up, you're being heartless.

Fuck off, I'm being realistic.

I groaned, throwing my fists to the side of my head. Why did I always have to fucking talk to myself like some kind of freak? It happened a lot but it still annoyed the shit out of me. For once in my life I didn't want to hear voices inside my head, including my own that always fought with itself.

If you don't want this then why are you running from those hunters? They could definitely find a way to permanently help with these voices.

Shut the hell up.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked softly from where she sat on the same bed as mine. There were two but there wasn't much need for two. Besides, neither of us were sleeping anyway. We couldn't.

"No," I all but growled, "they won't shut up; they're a pain in my ass."

"The voices?" she guessed but it sounded more like she was stating it. "You said they got worse after Ashton left-"

"But not this much worse," I huffed. "They're worse now and I don't know why."

"Did you notice them getting worse?"

"Not really. It was a gradual thing, I guess."

She shrugged, "I'm sorry but I really don't know what to do to help you. Haven't you talked to Calum? He's a warlock or whatever, right?"

"If he can't fix Ashton then he can't fix me," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest as if that made it final. I wasn't actually sure if Calum could fix me or not because I never actually asked if he could. I just mentioned that I heard voices after I died but I told him it wasn't that bad. I didn't hear them frequently, and when I did, they were quiet. But now they were all the time and louder like it was some person talking right next to me. "I don't know what to do, though. It's getting louder and harsher."

"Maybe it's guilt or something." she suggested, rubbing my arm.

Guilt. Yeah right.

It was like a memory was thrown into my brain. The thought of the first night in the tree house ran through my head.