Accessory Wars

Chapter 52-Felisa

            I don't know what possessed me to go to the hospital but somehow I ended up standing outside clutching the handlebars of my bike as I looked up at the upper floors. Two weeks passed since Trebbin and I was already working with Kami on our May tournament in Whales. Working might be the wrong word, though. We were given strict instructions by the hospital not to overwork ourselves. They did admit us for a couple days upon return to Serenhe to make sure the emergency surgeries healed correctly. They did, although it gave us a lot of diarrhea. We lost six inches of our small intestines from the fight. Luckily, the doctors told us we wouldn't suffer any long term effects.

With two weeks out for healing, we were running short on time to practice. Although, it gave us plenty of time to talk about the tournament after Whales: Liliael. Kami and I debated if we wanted to do singles or doubles for the event. I liked getting farther with doubles but Seline and Garreld didn't heal like they used to. Both were absent from the gym for the two weeks Kami and I planned and they returned to only light training after that. They said they would go to Liliael if we asked but seeing them in pain made me question if we should.

The extra down time allowed Kami and I to work on increasing our synergy as well. We hoped to unlock more abilities or, at the very least, some statistical upgrades. More attack power, defense, speed or agility would be greatly welcomed. However, our attempts to bond proved more difficult than we initially thought. We kept checking progress after hours of sharing memories with little difference. With all our effort, we managed to progress a measly five percent.

I did learn a lot about Kami, though. She liked cooking, but not by herself, and once applied for fashion school. Her favorite color was white, she crafted handmade dolls to keep on hand or to give to her friends. I'd seen her collection at her apartment in person and the number of dolls and the details were amazing. The one she made of Ken had several large sewing pins sticking into his head and she had it in a bowl to burn at some point. She was allergic to cats, even though she preferred them over dogs, and once owned a pet snake until her mother flushed it in a fit of rage when Kami received a B on a history paper.

I shared memories of a dog we used to own named Pollo. It belonged to my sister before my dad shot it. We owned chickens we butchered on holidays. I showed her my brother's collection of matchbox sized cars, one of which I managed to bring with me to Askara after keeping it hidden from my father. It sat on my bedside table. I showed her my admiration for formal wear, especially on other people. I loved strawberries and eating too many raspberries made me break out in hives. During days when I folded laundry alone, and no one else was home, I'd put on my mother or sister's clothes to feel a sense of relief. My father caught me a couple times and beat me for it. One time he locked me in the closet for a two days with my only food being crackers my brother slipped under the door frame in the middle of the night.

After getting to known Kami so well, I wanted to get to know my other friends more. Having people open up their lives to me made me feel honored and opening up mine to others helped me find people who truly cared about me. I found myself texting with my friends in Bailey more because of this. I suspect that attitude was what brought me to the hospital. I stood staring at the building for a good twenty minutes before I parked my bike and went inside.

I ventured to the psych ward and handed over all my possessions at the station prior to entering. They asked who I was visiting and cleared me to sign in at the main nursing station. The nurses there told me Benjamin was in his room. I wandered back to the short hallways of doors. Inside each was a plastic bed frame and chair. Open rooms lacked sheets and every room contained a pair of cameras.

I found Benjamin sitting cross legged on his bed. He sat muttering to himself, eyes closed, in a language I didn't understand. He ran his fingers over a beaded necklace. I didn't want to disturb him so I waited until he finished. He let out a sigh and set the necklace aside. Then his eyes shifted over to me. I found my throat going dry at the sight of gold staring back at me.