The Starved

Chapter 4: -Music

Conner sat in a room lined with blue walls. The chair he sat in was uncomfortable, and he still had another thirteen minutes to wait for Abby Lunar. She couldn't have been here just slightly early. Conner was not actually upset over him having to wait. He was more blaming his earlier scare of almost setting off the school alarm when he tried to enter the building on Abby's not being early. He shook off his unrighteous frustration but regretted it. An image of the creature manifested into his mind again. He felt his hands begin to shake. He tapped his foot viciously on the carpet floor. His knee bounced up and down. He felt himself sweat slightly, the scene replayed itself through his eyes. He saw it all again. The creature in its dark form crawling with insane speed to him.

Conner launched from where he sat. He speedily maneuvered over to a gallon stand of water. He grabbed a cup and poured himself some water for it to be vigorously drunken. His mind took a sharp turn towards the small object in his pocket. His mouth opened, and he began slightly panting. A pill was in his pocket. He shoved his hand in his pocket and ripped out the pill. He didn't take it. Conner stared at it. His eyes hungry, drinking in the image of the pill. He starved for it. The image of the creature drilled into his mind, deeper. His eyes blurred everything out except the pill. The only important thing was the pill after all. His relief.

Conner's breath swept upwards and downwards, heavy. The galaxy burning eyes tore through the city of his mind like a furious hurricane, dominating every other thought with itself. The pill's presence in his hand became more evident. Conner grunted, trying to shake off his thoughts as he usually did.

"Conner?" it was Abby, from behind him. "I didn't see you as someone who came in early." She chuckled which made Conner's stomach have butterflies. Conner questioned that feeling. "Conner? You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Conner spun around, shoving the pill back into his pocket. He smiled, "I didn't expect you for a few minutes."

"Well, I wanted to be early." Abby shifted in her spot. "But, apparently I wasn't early enough to beat you."

"Guess not." Conner chuckled, ripping his thoughts away from the desire for the pill. Abby laughed slightly along with him. "So, when is Lewis going to show up? Who's bringing him?"

"Well, I contacted his parents to see if they would pick him up from that new holding center for children today last night. So, hopefully they do." Abby stated, composing herself quickly.

"Really?" Conner questioned, taken aback. "You trust his parents? You sure that's a good idea. I mean you read the file."

"I know," Abby's face twitched slightly in guilt. "I don't really trust the police either though. They just want to lock him up. I heard some talk about how they should just give Lewis a death sentence to get over with it yesterday while they were here."

"But they wouldn't do that!" Conner blurted, suddenly filled with rage. "He didn't do anything! I know he didn't!"

"I agree with you, I do... But they don't." Abby sighed, her chest heaved. She placed her hand on her face. "I don't know. It's just ridiculous." She mumbled behind her hand. Conner suddenly felt a shock go through him. For some reason, he had thought that this woman was a robot programmed to just help people and not experience anything like emotions, to just be a counselor. As if she was just calm, cool, and collected all the time. He was wrong.

"A death sentence?" Conner's heart lodged in his throat. A throbbing pain in his heart divulged from guilt. He had gone back to his pills. The ones he promised he wouldn't take. The promise he had made to Her. Lewis could die, and I'm worried about stupid hallucinations? Shit... I should have never gone back. His heart twisted into a new shape. An anger infused with him. Then a calm came over him in a euphoric wave. A question developed in his mind. "Why are we so attached to this? Why do we feel so much about this entire thing?"