Puzzles

You think it's cold?

"Go where exactly?" I asked.
"To base. Duh? Were you not listening to everything I just said?" Luke isn't so nice when you sucker-punch him in the nose.
"Not really no."
Luke looks deep into my eyes and everything seems much more blue than before.
"Thalia. I am telling the truth ok? This isn't a joke and I am certainly not high."
Something pushes me, like an instinct to believe him but my head is having none of it.
"Prove it," I finally say.
"you have got come with us." He says, raising his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"If you want to live, you have to come with us."

"You expect me to come with a bunch of strangers who have just walked into my house?"

"Hey you know me!" Janet suddenly stares at me with a horrid coldness I have never seen before.

"I thought I did." I say quietly. She stands up so quickly the chair crashes to the ground.

"I haven't changed! There is nothing different about me so stop saying there is!" She shouts it, like she talking more to herself than me.

Janet is my best friend and always has been. Josh is my brother and Janet doesn't have any parents so she basically lives with us because she hates her foster parents.

"Alright I'm sorry! Jeez, Jan! What's the matter with you?" Her eyes swell up with tears.

"Shut up. Just get her out of here, before she's killed." Luke nods, frowning at her suspiciously. He walks over to me and I step back.

"Alright, I've had enough of this crap. Tell me who you are and what is happening or your nose will get it again." I say. Luke laughs unexpectedly.

"Come on let's just go. Jan, you coming?" She has her back to us.

"Yes, I'll cover." She mumbles. Luke turns and grabs my wrist.

"Get off you weirdo!" I hiss at him and try to wriggle my arm free. He tightens his grip and hauls me to the door.

"You're absolutely mad! Why would you even consider going out there!?" I shout. He smiles.

"Why would you even consider staying here? Apart from the lovely tea."

Outside is freezing! The rain lashes against my skin like it is trying to harm me. I go to step forward, but Luke pulls me back just in time before a white steak of lighting hits the ground exactly where I was about to step. I scream, but it can hardly be heard over the constant thunder and rain.

"Run!" Luke yells. He runs like a cheater but I've always been slow. Some of the girls at school called me 'snail' because I was so slow. Luke is running out of sight, he is becoming a tiny dot in the distance.

"Wait!" I call, but it is more like a whisper. My feet trip and my body hits the ground with a thud. My head throbs and I feel like my ankle is on backwards, there is no way I can get up.

Hating Luke with every bone in my body for making me do this then ditching me, I drag myself by my hands across the wet and muddy ground. I see a figure in the distance and lift my head a tiny bit but it hurts like hell and my shaking arms gives up. I fall on the ground. But just before I pass out, I feel hands lift me up and carry me along with them. Running away from the storm, I know I'm sort of safer than lying in a puddle.

That's when I pass out.