The Daughter of Apollo.

Chapter 7 - A Life-Altering, Body-Stopping, Terrifying Experience (Trapped Pt2).

The first thing I saw was Ryland. I have no idea how he caught my attention first, he was standing stock still while Yasmine was running around frantically with an umbrella in her hand. Wait... an umbrella? In summer? I paused, that's not an umbrella... it's a sword!

And if the situation couldn't get any more confusing, what with Ryland seemingly frozen and Yasmine wielding some king of bronze sword, it did when I realised what Yasmine was fighting... nothing. She was frantically lunging and swiping at the air with her sword, while Ryland just stood there.

Before I could do anything about the, uh... unique, situation, Bradley leapt into action. Before I could even register how he got over there so quickly, he was by Ryland's side. I saw him shaking the boy's shoulder out of the corner of my eye as I raced towards Yasmine.

"What's going on?" I asked frantically as a breathless Yasmine backed her way to me.

"There's a monster, Soph!" She shouted at me, she looked like she was half a second away from pulling her own hair out. "Can't you see it?! Look! It's coming right for us!"

With that, Yasmine quickly dashed to the side, leaving me stranded with a confused look on my face. Just a second after Yasmine had moved away, I felt an invisible force smash into my chest, taking my breath away. I propped myself up on my elbows and tried to see what had hit me. Obviously, there was some type of monster, like Yasmine had said. But why can't I see it?

I heard Yasmine yell out my name and a swish of air in front of me. On instinct, I went to roll sideways... but I couldn't. I couldn't move at all! Whatever thing that was attacking Yasmine had restricted my ability to move! That's why Ryland wasn't doing anything before, I realised. Thinking that had reminded me that it was not just Yasmine and I in this now horror-filled gym.

The sensation of being trapped in my own skin was very familiar to me. I experienced it at the start of my nightmares every night. But, no matter how many times I had had that dream, it did not prepare me for this terrifying feeling.

I tried to call out to my friend, but my mouth wouldn't move – it didn't even twitch. I started to panic. This was worse than the classroom – much, much worse. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I wanted so badly to call out for help, but I couldn't. The only movements I was able to handle were small, sharp breaths through my nose and the slow, drawn-out blinking of my eyes.

I watched, helpless, as Yasmine continued to struggle with the unknown, invisible force. I heard her grunting and calling out for someone, anyone, to help her, but no one was coming. Bradley, who I had last saw trying to move Ryland, hadn't come yet, so I assumed he had been frozen as well. No one can help her, I felt a cold tear trickle down my cheek, we're all doomed.

Yasmine dashed and dogged, side-stepping and slashing with her umbrella. Something must've come at her from her left, because she lunged to the right. Suddenly, mid-lunge, Yasmine was flung to the side. Time slowed down as I watched, horrified, her body fly straight past me. Her back hit one of the walls with a sickening crack, her body slumping, limp, to the floor.

YASMINE! I tried to scream, Oh, no! Yasmine, no! Please, please, please don't be dead! The one tear had turned to many. My grey eyes overflowed with silent tears that I couldn't wipe away or try to hide.

I was crying when I started to black out. I was crying because of how trapped I felt. I was crying because my best friend was dead and couldn't do anything to stop it. I was crying because my life would never be the same again... And it wasn't.

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When I woke, I heard many people talking around me. I felt the body heat of the people on either side of me, I was resting my head on the shoulder of one of these people. I heard the rush of wind against the plane I was sitting in.

Wait... PLANE?! I barely stopped myself from shooting up, but that wouldn't've been smart. I didn't know where I was going, or who I was with. The last thing I remembered was... the monster attack! Yasmine!

Oh goodness, am I dead?! Is this some sort of afterlife? Does that mean Yasmine would be here too? That wasn't true, and I knew that. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself against it, I was alive. But how? How am I here?

It didn't matter that I was alive, as I was pretty certain it was not for a good reason. I needed to get out of there, and fast. But I was on a plane, in a seat between two other people. I really hated being confined. How was I going to get out?

A solid plan started to formulate in my mind. It was a crazy plan, but solid none the less. The only way I was going to get away from whoever these people were, was to be quick. If I made a big enough scene about it, surely, I could convince some of the other passengers to help me. In hindsight, what I did was quite silly, but I had just been through that situation in the gym. For all I knew, my best friend was dead, and most likely her brother and Ryland as well.

I shifted my head slightly on this stranger's should, my fist clenching. One swift movement was all it would take. In an instant, I twisted, lifting my head and burying my fist forcefully into the person's stomach. My eyes shot open as I heard a familiar voice yell out in pain.

"OI! Ow! What the heck was that for, Soph?!"