Nimrah

Choice

A/N: sorry, sorry, sorry... I'm bad at updating I know!!! Enjoy :D

--------------------------------------Chapter 23----------------------------------------

I woke to the sound of footsteps in my room and frowned. I rolled over and flopped my arm out, feeling the empty sheets beside me. Sarah must’ve needed to go to the bathroom. I rolled back into my former foetal position and pulled my sheet up over my shoulder. Squeezing my eyes shut I tried to force myself back to sleep, but something was niggling at me. Sarah was the sort of person who would rock in bed for near on an hour before giving in and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It was, as she said, against her beliefs to have to leave the warmth of your bed for anything short of school or the apocalypse. The number of times she’d woken me up with her incessant rocking from across the room… And yet either I became a very heavy sleeper suddenly, or she for some reason chose to, for the first time ever, not rock about and just go.

Or… my mind threatened. I groaned and pulled my covers up tighter. For cripes sake! Shut up! I thought to myself. But I knew I wasn’t going to be getting back to sleep. I rolled over again and looked at the luminous red digits on my clock. 2:07 blinked back at me. I gave up.

I moaned and threw the duvet and sheets back, instantly regretting it as the icy fingers of the air tenderly stroked my bare arms and legs. I looked down at my short sleeved tank top and cotton shorts. I need to get new pyjamas…

Cold wrapped me in a hug, hauling my quickly from the bed and across the room to my wardrobe where my hoodie rested in a pile on the floor. I scooped it up and slid my arms into the sleeves, almost instantly feeling warmed. Pushing my feet into black slip-ons I made my way to the door. I swung the door open and came face to an immaculate as usual Miriam looking ready to knock on my face. She jumped back appearing shocked.

“Sorry my dear,” she said. I frowned. My dear? “It’s good that you’re up,” she continued, “This is urgent!” she spun on her heels and briskly began walking down the hall. I remained in my doorway, urgent?

“Well, hurry up,” Miriam snapped when she didn’t hear my footfalls behind her, “Your friend Sarah… she might be in danger.”

At Sarah’s name I began walking. Danger? What could she have gotten herself into?

All other thoughts and suspicions fled my mind. I had to find Sarah.

None of the lights were on in the corridor but even in the dark Miriam’s red hair was like a beacon. I picked up my pace until I was just about stepping on Miriam’s heels. We hurried down the hall, apprehension tight in my chest. I bit my lip viciously. Especially when we stopped before one room in particular that I hated… The simulation room.

“She got herself locked in… We managed to override the system and unlock the doors for her but she’s freaking out and we need you to calm her down,” Miriam explained. Of course, that explained the ‘my dear.’ She needs something from me. I almost snorted, but whether it was for Miriam’s personal gain or not, I had to go help Sarah. God I hated this room after that night of getting trapped. I steeled my nerves and started towards the door. Miriam stepped forward and held it open for me, “Just be warned… she was panicking a lot and speaking of monsters. I don’t know what she saw, the override caused the simulator to have to reset thereby erasing its data… so we don’t know what was projected to Sarah. Be gentle and calm,” Miriam advised resting her hand delicately on my shoulder. I bit the interior of my lip, so as to not be obvious to Miriam and replied, “I know how to deal with my best friend.”

I rolled my shoulder, feeling Miriam’s hand slip off and then stepped into the dark interior of the room. All the lights were off and I couldn’t see a single thing. I thought about what Lon had said after I’d gotten stuck in here. He’d told me the following morning how to use it… “It responds to mental voice, not physical…” Here goes.