The Island

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

~Tillie~

It was 10 p.m by the time I changed into the pyjamas, grey but still soft. My room reminded me of a prison cell. Grey wall, the grey bed, grey dresser, and a table. The only colour was the blanket on the bed, and even that was a grayish-green. And despite being totally exhausted I couldn't sleep. My cut has scabbed up, and the bandage was off. I kept thinking about Zoie, and that dumb promise, one I was worried I'd have to break, curling up on my side I held my pillow close. Before I could stop them, tears streamed down my face. I prayed when I woke up, she would be at the gate, perfectly fine. I fell asleep, still holding the pillow

The sun was bright, I recognized this place, and while it looked happy, I knew what came next. I turned, embracing the image I've been dreaming of since the Demented where revealed. There, lined up beside each other, were three faceless white figures. The first, no longer faceless, instead of revealing Zain's face, walked up until our breath mixed, our lips met, it was cold, calm. His hands were cold as they gripped my face, freezing the tears streaming down my face. When he drew away, I got a glimpse of countless bodies frozen in pillars of ice, some of them had ice spearing their chest. I blinked and he was gone.

The second one, however, was faceless, small flames appearing where their eyes would be, their kiss was fiery and passionate as if they couldn't resist claiming me, bending me into submission, I felt the need to bend into their warmth, even if they could burn me. My tears this time, evaporated in a heartbeat. I didn't need to blink for this one to leave. When they did, ashes littered the ground.

The third, their eyes were pure black, shadows dancing around them. Their kiss was calm yet claiming at the same time as if they were savouring every moment, they had me leaning into them, begging for more. They left me breathing heavy every time. When they left, husks of corpses, more than the others had left, laid on the ground, some of them already fading, all of them, however, had faces trapped in a scream, I walked towards the closest one, but I was launched into the sky, unable to come down. Gasping for air as I went higher.

I woke up with a start, staring at the ceiling. Why couldn't I have normal dreams, like nightmares about a monster coming out of my closet instead of everyone I care about being tortured in hell. I wasn't even sure if good dreams existed anymore, I couldn't remember the last time I had one. I sat up and got out of bed to a package sitting on my dresser.

We all got one of these assigned to us a week ago.

I saved yours.

                                 -K

"K" could only mean Kirklyn, I figured that much, why he would save mine I had no idea, whatever this was. When I opened the package, an armour suit was sitting, folded neatly underneath two twin daggers. A smaller box was behind it, containing a hairbrush, gray elastics, socks, and undergarments. Slipping the suit on I found it fit perfectly. Clinging to my figure, It was tough where it needed to be, and yet I found I could move freely while in it. I slid the two dagger into the sheaths one at my waist, one on my leg, and braided my hair behind my head and over my shoulder. When I finished someone had started knocking at my door. "Come in!" I shouted, dumping my pyjamas in the hamper. When I turned around Kirklyn was standing in the doorway, his jaw practically on the floor. He shook his head and gestured towards the door "There's a meeting downstairs. You need to attend" I shrugged and walked by him, well aware of how he was feeling. Between wrestling and whatever was in the serum, I always had a good figure.

When we got into the meeting room, Tina, Hannah, Zain, and John were already arguing. Shocker. After Zain pulled the shit he did last year, his sisters and John never really forgave him. Neither had I.

"We need to take care of him," John said calmly as if he'd already repeated himself a few times.

"And let her do it? Are you mad! She'll kill him, what if we don't have all the info" Zain retorted, ice coating his chair, the table, and his fingers.

"She could've killed you last year," Hanna said, almost too quietly for anyone here, except for me and Kirklyn.

"We've gotten all possible information out of him. When she learns who he is, she'll make him suffer" Tina said, crossing her arms "Trust me" They were definitely talking about me. Kirklyn cleared his throat and sat down, gesturing for me to sit down with him. When I did, John's voice lowered, but Zain's face was still red, the table in front of him coated in frost.

"Tillie, we currently have someone downstairs who attempted to kill a section of the city."

"Who?"

"I was just getting there," He said, his hands folded in front of him, "His name is Parker, and he was sent by someone you know."

"Dear God, John." Said Hannah, rolling her eyes at John, "Tillie, Mark sent him, we believe he was after you."

Mark. His name rang in my ears. Thinking about what he had done, and had continued to do, made me clam up. I felt like I was suffocating, unable to breathe. I had nearly forgotten about him, and once again he finds a way to weasel into my life. I made it so he had to go to a new school, and now he's here on the Island. A steady hand laid on my arm, right over the crescent-shaped scars from my terrors, terrors he started. I squared my shoulders inhaling. No one in this room beside the twins and John knew what happened. They wouldn't understand.

"You got all the useful information out of him?" I asked Kirklyn, looking behind me, at that hand still on my arm.

"Yes"

"Good, because when I'm done with him, I'd be surprised if he still possesses the ability to talk" Actually, I'd be shocked if he would still be alive.

John and Zain exchanged looks, then John stood up and lead me out of the room, down a stairwell, and walk down a hallway until we were outside a solid metal door with iron bars.

"I was gonna give you a tour of the city, but this guy showed up and Hannah told me to give you the honours," he said, smirking, and he opened the door. It was lit dimly by an uncovered light bulb. There was a chair, no windows, and a cart with multiple sharp-looking objects. The boy sitting in the chair had a bloody sack over his head, his arms and legs both tied to the chair. John shut the door behind him and walk toward Parker. When he tore off the sack, Parker's head fell forward, grabbing a pitcher of water, John doused him. Parker jerked back in his seat, saw me in the doorway, looked back at John, and started shaking. He was as horrible as I remembered him.

Something terrible and feral took over, forcing my face into a horrible grin.

"Parker, meet Tillie, of course you know who she is, you were sent here and were expected to bring back her head on a spike," John said, leaning toward Parker. "But now, well, I'd be surprised if there's going to be enough of you to send back." John stood up, turned and walked out the door "Play nice."

I turned back to Parker, who had started shaking harder, making my wicked smile grow.

"Now, now. You're a hired assassin. I didn't think being scared was open to you" I said, shocked as I said it, "Here's the deal, I can either make this easy for you while you tell me everything, because I have a feeling my colleagues aren't planning too" My dagger was now against his throat, I pressed a little, piercing his skin, "Or you scream until your voice is raw" Parker whimpered "Now, John said play," I said walking behind him, over to the table.

"Lets play"