Glinting Silver

Chapter 10

I was writhing in literal agony. My hands were scrabbling at the cotton sleeping bag and I was screaming. The pain I was in when I touched Domino's fur? I mere tickle.When Bliss was panicking at me? Papercut. This- this was pain.

"Aaaaah! AHHH! AH! AAAAAH!" I screeched. My hand slammed into the fire but I barely noticed it. The pain in my head was incredible, topping the pain of my hand bursting into flames.

"It's Domino! Domino is in pain!" I heard Kim yell. Bliss and Belle were holding down my arms and legs, trying to keep me still. I was still screaming though, and clutched my arm. It felt like it was on fire.

"It's Domino's pain! Juniper it's in your head, shut it out! It isn't yours!" Alistair screamed at me. His words barely penetrated my scrambled thoughts. Kim was pouring strange liquids down my throat, but my screaming wouldn't stop.

Then Bliss slapped me. I had a quick déjà vu for some reason but my screaming stopped for a second. The pain didnt go away, though it burned through my skin and into my blood. My mouth opened to scream some more, but Kim put her hand over my face.

"Not your pain. Its in your imagination. Think about it." she whispered. So I did. I told myself it wasn't mine and just like that, the fire died. Except in my hand. Alistair and Kim were plastering some herb paste on the burns.

"Bliss, Belle, get off her now." Alistair told them. The twins slid off me and watched as I sat up, still breathing heavily. It had been what, seven days? My poor Domino. I started rocking back and forth, head in my hands. Belle gently poked my shoulder.

"Try and see." she said. I looked at her, confused. "Try and make the link between you and Domino wider without letting the pain in."

I kind of understood what she was saying and focused, calling for Domino in my mind. Nothing was getting through. I widened my horizons.

The next moment I remembered, I was being slapped repeatedly as Bliss tried to calm my screams. I think she was doing it for her own amusement by then. I shut off my mind and went still. After a while, I tried again, letting Domino leak into my mind.

The paint returned, but it was a dull ache instead. I started hyperventilating, ready to shut out the world again, but Kim told me to go on, that I was close. I took a deep breath and opened up a bit more.
Everything was a blur, a quiet murmur instead of speech. I looked around and saw three wolves walking along the road. Two seemed to be holding up the third, who was screaming.

I was yanked out of Domino's world by Bliss slapping me again.

"Would you quit that?" I snarled. She stopped and scuttled away meekly. I sighed and lay back, my eyes closed. I felt myself spread and shrink, my nose and mouth stretch. I stayed where I was, my eyes closed. I tried to get myself into Domino's world.

Domino. I told myself.
Domino.
Domino.
"Domino."
"Domino."

My eyes flew open. Iw as human again, making mouth sounds. I held my hand in front of my face. It was almost transparent. I looked around, feeling like a ghost from the past. I was inside a straw hut with holes in the walls.

On a table on the other side of the room, was a young man. He was in denim jeans but his feet and vest were bare. He was coughing and twitching, his skin pale. But just above his elbow was oozing blood, a burning scarlet red. Two other people stood beside him, yelling, screaming, throwing water on him.

"Domino." I said. My mouth sounds were quiet and warped. I started walking forward and pressed a hand against his burning face. "Domino."

His eyes opened a slit and locked onto mine. His mouth opened slightly, and I smiled. Then the house filled with wind, but the boys didn't seem to notice. I was sucked up in a vortex of swirling air. Domino lay still as if he hadn't seen me at all.