Lying Bloodlines

Chapter Seven

Hours go by and Mandy won’t talk to me, she won’t even let me comfort her, so she’s in the balled up in the corner sleeping. I sit a few feet away from her, right in front of the door. I tap my watch, it’s been frozen for a while, I check Mandy’s wrist, she must’ve left her watch at home this morning. I close my eyes, resting my head on the wall, a hissing noise and cool air startles me.

“What’s going on?” Gas is coming from the roof, Mandy wakes up coughing. I take off my jacket and shove in her face.

“Shallow breaths, Mandy.” I cough, “Don’t know what this gas will do.” I start to feel dizzy, the room is spinning. I giggle, at Mandy, she tries to move the jacket to talk. “No, no, no. Don’t talk Mandy, it’s dangerous.” I laugh louder.

Soon I can’t see anything there’s too much gas, I hold Mandy to me as my stomach starts to ache. I can’t stop laughing, is this laughing gas? My eyelids grow heavy and I kiss the top of Mandy’s head.

“It’s okay Mandy, it’ll all be over soon.” Everything goes dark.

I wake with a start, sitting up and looking around me. My hands and feet are tied to the bed and I’m in a different room. I pull at the ropes.

“Mandy? Mandy.” A woman walks in with gloves and clipboard. “Where’s Mandy? Where’s my sister?” She smiles at me.

“Hello, my name is Doctor Sasha, I’ll be working with you.” She looks at her board and marks something down, “So how are you feeling, Annalynn?” I frown at tug at the ropes again.

“Where am I? And where’s my sister?” Her lips twitch slightly and she clears her throat.

“Well, I’ll say it seems you are recovering quite well. Does anything hurt?” She stares at me unblinking. I frown at her and open my mouth to ask again when she cuts in with a nod. “Yes, I’d say it wouldn’t be surprising if your throat was giving you trouble, here let me take a look.” She touches under my chin and behind my ears.

I sit still as she checks me over for anything. She reaches back and feels the back of my neck.

“You’re in the medical unit, Mandy’s in the other room.” She clears her throat and sits back with a smile. “I think you’re fit and healthy. You hit your head a little, but you should be fine.”  I stare at her.

She continues talking about my health, but she keeps glancing at something on the wall behind me. I turn to look but she stops me.

“Your head is hurt, I recommend being gently and not swiveling your head a lot.” She smiles again, “Now, I’m going to untie your hands.” I rub my red wrists, “There, now just lay back and relax alright?”

She pushes me down and fixes my pillow and sheet. As she fixes the sheet she stuffs a piece of paper in my hand. She fluffs the pillow again whispering in my ear.

“Read it on you right side.” She steps back, “I’ll return to check up on you later.” I stare at the door several minutes after it shuts close.

I crinkle the paper slightly as I switch hands and open it. I look at it under the sheet.

‘They’re watching. Watch what you say.’ I freeze up thinking back to how she was staring at the wall behind me, camera. I frown, I didn’t say anything except for asking about Mandy. Mandy. I hope she’s alright, it’s all my fault that’s she’s in this mess anyway. I trusted Aster, that snake.

I crinkle the paper turning onto my left side and slowing angling myself to glance at the camera a little. It’s in the corner. I close my eyes, there’s no way I can untie my feet without getting caught on camera. I curl up and pause, yes there is.

An hour later the door opens again, Aster walks in. I frown at him sitting up, keeping my hands and feet under the sheet.  He smiles at me sadly, pulling up a chair.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” I hiss at him, making him flinch.

“Just fine, just got kidnapped by a guy that pretended like he was helping me. Oh and who separated me from my sister, but other than that just peachy.” He sighs looking down at his hands, his shoulders hunched.

“Look, I’m sorry. But honestly the people that took your Nonna and the others, are the bad people. They just would’ve put you in more danger, here you’re safe from it all. I did you a favor.” I scoff looking away. He hums, brushing my hair out of my face with the back of his hand, I curl away.

“Don’t touch me.” He moves away before grabbing my chin and turning me to him.

“Look, I never meant to hurt you or Mandy, Aj. We just need your help. We need to find your sister and her friends before they hurt anyone else.” He pulls some pictures out of his pocket holding them to me. I snatch them, flipping through.

They’re all pictures of destroyed homes and buildings, fires, and-

“Shai.” I whisper, Aster leans over quickly.

“Yes, she did all that. Someone made her angry and she destroyed everything in a three hundred feet radius.” I look up at him, “They’re dangerous, Aj. This is why we need you and Mandy’s help to catch them.”

I look back at the pictures noticing something in one of them, a symbol from the book at the library. The symbol next to the information on hunters. I freeze up before remembering what the doctor said.

“I don’t know where they are, I don’t know anything.” Aster sucks his teeth.

“Now that’s where I know you’re lying. You know something, that’s your sister and childhood friend. You have to know something.” I look away at the wall, remaining silent.

He sighs snatching my hair and jerking my head towards him, making me gasp. He smiles at me shaking his head.

“Now, now, Aj. That’s no way to treat someone who saved your life.” He stands up and jerks my head back to look at him. “Now, you’ll tell me everything you know, or I’ll go and see if little Mandy has something interesting to say.” I gasp, gripping his hand that’s holding my hair tighter, trying to get him off.

“Don’t you dare hurt my sister, you bastard.” He chuckles, smacking me.

“Watch your mouth, bitch. I’ll do whatever I want to either of you. Reuben gave me permission to do whatever it takes to get you both to tell those monsters’ secrets.” I clutch my throbbing cheek holding back tears.

“They aren’t monsters, and I wouldn’t tell you anything even if I knew.” He sighs releasing my hair gently brushing it.

“I tried being nice. Guess I’ll pay a visit to Mandy.” He opens the door and two men file in pushing tables with a bunch of tools. “Now, be nice to these men, tell them what we need to know, and everything will go fine.” He walks out.

“No, no. Leave my sister alone, don’t you fucking touch her.” One of the men shut the door before they both turn to me with big smiles. “Leave me alone.” They both laugh.