Originally: 'All In My Head?'
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WARNING: POINTS OF THIS BOOK WILL DISCUSS ISSUES OF EATING DISORDERS, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS/ATTEMPTS, DEPRESSION, AND DEATH. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THESE ISSUES THEN PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU ARE TO CONTINUE READIN...
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I stared at my hand with a look of wonder, the shifting of the limb allowing the silver S surrounded by a stone of lapiz lazuli to glimmer in the fading sunlight. My focus altered between the two on the Boarding House's front lawn, the sun continuously sinking reminding me I had a time limit to save Pearl and Harper if I actually did manage to convince my friends to refuse to look for an escape and stay here. Only when that thought circled my mind did an unfamiliar car hesitantly make its way up the driveway. My own approach was equally cautious, my body freezing in sync with the vehicle parking.
Only when the figures emerged did I allow myself to feel relief, the physical proof my friends had managed to join me in this insane reality propelling me forward with a smile--"Lee!"
Bailey met me mid-way, arms winding around my waist as my own encircled her neck. Our breaths steady as we clung to the other for dear life, "Thank god you're okay."
"Says you..." I created a slither of space between us so I could pull back and see her face, my hands pushing hair behind her ears and delicately holding her cheeks for fear she would smash during my assessment. We were offered our moment before James hovered into view, my right and Bailey's left arms opening up space for him to enter a three-way hug. "I was terrified when you lot started dropping like flies," I breathed my worries against James' forehead as my right hand stroked through the small stabbings of hair at the back of his head.
"How do you think we felt when we wake up and you're missing..." Another voice sounded, our huddle dispersing to push a tired-looking Vanessa into my view. Her arms were held out weakly, my entrance of her hug providing me with a motherly comfort..."I don't know what to do..." she whispered her admittance against my hair, the closeness of our bodies revealing she was shaking and desperate not to show her siblings how clueless she truly felt...
"You said you guys had memories..." I remembered, pulling back to look at her face.
"What?"
"On the phone, you said you had the same headache as me--that they were images of memories you've never experienced."
"Yeah, they were weird..." Bailey scratched at her neck.
"Weird how?" She gave me a pointed look, "I mean how could it get any weirder?"
"...We're not human, Scarlet..." I frowned at James' answer, encouraging him to explain further. "It seemed to mirror our life back home, perfect life till the twins hit 12 and then mom and dad die--everything matches up perfectly except our lineage." I raised a brow in intrigue, "Apparently the name Lynch here represents a special family where siblings are often born in three's, all the males become witches--or warlocks, whatever. While all the women are werewolves..."
