The Golden Wolf

Hallucinations

And the only way we know how to feel is by building to destroy

Erin Van Vuren

Blaze sits next to me. I'm pretty sure this one is a hallucination, and I continue to rock back and forth, my arms wrapped around my legs, hoping it won't disappear. It keeps trying to talk to me, trying to comfort me. If I talk to it, it will disappear though. Whenever I talk to a hallucination, it disappears now. I don't know why. It just always does. I need to stay quiet or it will leave me, and I'll be alone again. I don't care if he isn't real. I like to hear him talk to me. I'm not alone with him.

The door bangs open against the wall and Abarron rushes in, just like he had so many times before.

"Wow, I don't get two hallucinations at the same time very often." I comment with a small smile.

"Kaliya, time to go."

I give a small laugh and continue rocking myself back and forth.

Blaze jumps up. "Who're you?"

"Calm down, Blaze. He's just another hallucination, like you." I sigh.

"What?" Abarron asks.

"She thinks we're hallucinations. She has them a lot and she can't tell anymore." Blaze explains quickly.

"Stop interacting! You're supposed to be separate! I can't handle you guys interacting now, too." I feel tears leaking from my eyes. Anger courses through me, but I'm too weak to move. Stupid hallucinations. They have to follow the rules. I can't take them changing anymore.

"Kaliya, come on; we have to get out of here!" Abarron says, and I notice the others in the doorway.

"That's what you always say." I mumble, looking at the floor. "But the collar always pulls me back."

"I'll break it!"

"You always say that too." I watch as he rips the chains apart.

He grabs my hand and pulls me up, but I yank my hand away. "Stop it! You aren't real! You're just a dream! You're always just a dream!"

"What are you talking about, Kaliya? I'm real! I'm right here in front of you!"

"You're not real." I say, and sit back on the ground, in a ball. "You're not real. You're never real. You'll never come for me. You're not real."

"You've got to be kidding me. We're running out of time." He grabs me and cradles me in his arms.

"No! You're going to hurt me! You always hurt me. Every time I try to go with you!" I felt tears swelling in my eyes again and running down my cheeks. "Please! Please don't hurt me. You're not real."

"Oh, Kaliya." I can hear the hurt in his voice.

"Abarron, come on. We gotta go!" Calls one of the twins from the doorway.

I bury my head in Abarron's chest and wait for the pain to come when he would try to take me farther than the chain would allow.

"Abarron? As in the Alpha's son?" Blaze asks

"Yeah. Wanna come with us or are you good here?"

"I'll come with you."

"Okay, let's go."

Suddenly light passes over us, and I open my eye slightly to see us out in the hallway. No pain. No chain yanking me back into the darkness.

"How-how did we make it out?" I ask, my voice shaky.