The Caverly Effect

Twenty-Five. Aero

At this point it has been thirteen days since I last spoke to Fawn, Robyn, or Sage. Twenty days since I last spoke to any of my family. Twenty-two since I went to school with my other friends. There are countless other things I could have possibly done for the last time yet not know about it.

Thirteen days since I talked to Fawn. Rang through my head over and over. Thirteen days since you knew she was okay. If I had been a little more careful about exploring the house, had I been less stupid I could've been with her right now. Rather I was that stupid, and I wasn't careful and now I have no idea where she is, or if she is okay. God I hope she is okay, and if she isn't it's all my fault.

I know I need to find her and find her fast, but Kae is so beaten up from taking my injuries, she can't do anything right now. I understand that it is selfish of me to want her to just help me right now, and if she would just give me all the injuries back she could. I understand how selfish that sounds and I feel like a horrible person for even thinking about it but I can't help myself. The guilt I carry from putting Fawn in danger and not doing anything about it feels worse than all the other physical stuff. I wish she would just give all the injuries back! I never asked for her to heal me, and besides I put myself in that position. I deserve them-

"You're doing it again," Sam interrupted my thoughts of self-pity. I looked away from my hands that were now white from clenching them so hard, and up at Sam who had just sat on a kitchen stool across the small room. "Doing what?" He made his way over to the make-shift bed I was sitting on.

"Probably blaming yourself for something dumb," he grabbed my hands and made me release my fists and walked back to his chair, "you don't have to, you know."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, and decided to try and make small talk to get the attention off myself. "How is Kae holding up?"

"Well she..." he sighed. "Isn't great obviously. But she's also been trying to get into contact with Fawn still, I just don't think that she's quite well enough for all that," There was an awkward pause.

"Not- not that I'm trying to make you feel bad or anything, sorry," I shook my head. "No I get it, I'm going to go talk to her. Is she in the living room?" He nodded and didn't follow me out there.

Kae was sprawled on the couch with one leg hanging over the edge and her blanket half falling off. Niyah was there with a wet hand rag holding it against her forehead. She softly called for John who happened to be in the same room just on the other side of the small coffee table and motioned at me. John nodded at her and waved for me to follow him out of the room. "How is she doing?"

"Not much better from what I can tell, what about you?" I was baffled by his question. "What do you mean? Of course I'm fine, she took all my injuries. Which is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,"

He sighed. I had not quite understood John much yet, he was harder to read than others and I could never tell how he was going to respond, not that I had known him long enough to be good at predicting him. Or really any of them. I had been alone in this room of people I've known for less than 2 weeks and somehow they have already managed to care more about me than most of the people I knew back home. Then again the people at home didn't have to see me like these people have.

"Look dude, I'm not sure that's something you should talk to me about. You wanna go for a run or something that's something I'm good for but I've always just gone by being upfront about everything," As I listened to what John was saying my gaze drifted over to Niyah and Kae. Niyah wasn't holding the rag up to her head anymore and seemed to be listening in on John and me. She looked up at us, and then back down to the coffee table seemingly absentmindedly.