ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ: ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ

𝟎𝟔

𝐈 𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐃 and sputtered as I felt ice-cold water run down the sides of my face onto my shirt. I opened my eyes to see James and Lia with concerned expressions and Nolan with a bucket which he quickly handed over to Dianne as I glared at him.

"What happened?" James asked, his voice tinged with urgency as he knelt beside me. I took several deep breaths, struggling to rein in the storm of emotions brewing inside me. My head pounded with a throbbing headache, and my irritation simmered just beneath the surface.

Dianne handed me a towel, which I grabbed gratefully. I began dabbing at my drenched face, the cool fabric offering some respite from the icy shock. "I had one of those visions you had," I said, my voice strained as I rubbed my temples in a futile attempt to ease the pain.

The moment the words left my lips, the group erupted into a cacophony of questions, their voices overlapping and rising in pitch. The sudden barrage only made my headache worse, and I groaned, clutching my head as if I could physically push the pain away.

"I need food," I mumbled, barely able to concentrate on anything other than the relentless pounding in my skull. Nolan, ever the practical one, quickly responded by handing me a slice of pizza from the open box on the floor. I took it gratefully, tearing into it with a ravenous hunger. The greasy, savory taste was a stark contrast to the icy shock and turmoil I'd just experienced.

As I slowly swallowed the bite, I could feel the warmth of the food helping to ground me. It was a small comfort amidst the chaos. I took another bite before finally gathering my thoughts and beginning to recount the vision.

"It was—" I hesitated, trying to find the right words as I chewed and swallowed. "It was intense. There was smoke everywhere, and the city was burning. People were screaming—no, they were wailing in agony. It felt like radiation sickness or something because they looked so...charred. I saw us running, but it was chaotic. There was so much destruction. I saw a woman holding a baby, screaming about another child she couldn't find. She gave me the baby, and then I saw you guys—" I glanced around at the group, noting their anxious faces. "—and I was trying to keep the baby calm while we ran."

James looked at me with wide eyes, clearly disturbed by the details. Lia's face was a mix of worry and disbelief, and Nolan's expression was inscrutable as he watched me carefully.

Dianne, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "What does it mean? Why are we seeing these things?"

I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of their stares. "I don't know. But if it's anything like the visions you've had, then we need to figure out what's causing them and how we can stop it."

"𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐌," I said walking into the kitchen after dropping my bag at the entryway. I pressed a kiss to my brother's forehead as he babbled away in his high chair. He looked so happy with mashed bananas all over his face and clothes, happiness I could only envy. What will I give to be a kid again?

"Where were you this morning? Augustus came looking for you. He seemed worried, a little too worried, are you sure the two of you aren't dating?" She greeted me with a raised eyebrow.

I sighed, "I went to the library to study and clear my mind. And no, Aug is like a brother to me." She frowned pulling me in for a hug. She always speculated that Aug and I were in denial and were actually in love.

"Next time leave a note or something okay?" I nodded in an attempt to pacify and curb her worries.

"What are you cooking?" I asked taking a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island.