The Vanishing

chapter 18

"Sounded like a spell, witch." He said venomously.

He got into my face and I stumbled backwards into the wall.

He chuckled. "Just like old times, right Ace?"

My stomach twisted at his pet name for me. It almost made me reminisce simpler times, to an art class where a boy made goofy artwork to attract the attention of his favorite artist in the class... one look at his fiery gaze snapped me out of my musings.

"Careful now, remember what happened last time? Wouldn't want you to get burned." I said, my voice dripping with disdain. I met his eyes with a withering gaze and his confidence broke just a little. I took that win and latched on.

"This isn't like old times, Damien. I'm so different now that I don't even recognize myself. But I do recognize my worth and you-" I shoved his chest so I could get out of his confining stance- "are not worth my time or energy, so stop wasting it. Get in my way again and I will incinerate you where you stand."

His skin paled at that, and his eyes went wide. "You can't say that!! I'll have you expelled from this school for threatening me!" He shouted like a small child who wasn't getting their way.

"Go ahead and try to prove I said that to you. I'd love to see it. Meanwhile-" I pointed at the camera just a few feet away facing us on the ceiling, "I have evidence of you physically threatening me. Stay away from me, and I won't use it against you. Simple as that." I shrugged and briskly walked away, feeling triumphant that I had the advantage and power now. My newfound confidence cracked slightly as I remembered his words, sounded like a spell, witch.

I quickly walked into my room and exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath.

"What's with you?" Nina asked.

"Nothing, I'm good." I said, trying to ignore his words bouncing around inside my mind like basketballs.

"Oh, that's good." She nodded.

"Feeling any better?" I asked.

"A little." She said slowly. "I have to tell you something. A memory came back to me." She said, tucking a dark hair behind her ear.

As she launched into her story, I listened intently. I tried to imagine it as if I were there with her.

Nina opened her eyes groggily, feeling tired and empty. She blinked a few times at the blinding fluorescent lighting that made everything a stark and clinical white. Padded white walls, white tables with white chairs, and a white bed with white sheets. The door clicked open and a woman with brilliant silver hair and a kind face walked in, and Nina felt a slight sense of ease.

"How are you feeling, dear?" The woman asked.

Nina thought about that for a moment, not sure exactly what she was feeling.

"Confused. Where am I? Is this a hospital?" Nina asked.

The woman stroked Nina's hand and the feeling of ease spread throughout her body, making her feel warm and safe-even though she wasn't.

"Yes, but you're okay now." She said slowly, looking at the round thing mounted to the ceiling that looked like a camera. Her calm demeanor cracked slightly, but she mustered a smile at Nina.

"You should try and get some rest, I'll check on you in a little bit." She said, patting Nina's hand. She pressed a slip of paper into Nina's hand.

Nina went under the covers of the bed and the woman left the room.

Nina pulled the covers up again and got out the slip of paper and read it. "8 pm, be ready to run."

Nina's eyes widened at the writing, and shoved the note into her pants pocket. Something about that felt wrong. She was wearing her t-shirt and denim shorts as normal, but she felt like she was missing something. She looked at her shoes sitting on the floor by the door and shook her head, telling herself she was imagining things. She found a clock sitting on the table. 7pm. She pretended to sleep while she waited for the woman to come back.

When the woman came back into the room, she asked, "How does a walk sound?"

"Sounds great." Nina replied, tugging on her sneakers.

They left the room and walked through the halls of what looked like a mental hospital. They walked briskly past a few orderlies and a sign that said Artemis Incorporated. When the orderlies rounded the corner behind them, they picked up the pace until they were running. One of the orderlies grabbed the woman and took her away yelling, "Again?! Will you ever learn?!"

They shoved Nina into a dark room and she started calling out to me using her siren powers.

"Aaaarden..."

Nina's eerie voice was unsettling as she called out to me exactly like she had before we found her in the stables.

"So now we know more about what happened while you were there..." my voice trailed off as my mind tried to piece together what she was telling me.

"What if part of me is still there?" She whispered.

My eyes widened. "We should talk to Morghan."

I texted Morghan to meet us and she walked in a few minutes later, shutting the door behind her.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" She asked, looking at the fear in our faces.

Nina summarized her memory for Morghan, who then looked at me and back to Nina, horrified.

She plopped down on Nina's bed next to her and poked Nina in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Nina exclaimed.

"Let me get this straight, you think your body is somewhere at Artemis?" She looked at Nina like she was crazy and then poked her again. "Then what's this?" She asked.

"I don't know! I know they're doing experiments and taking powers. Think about it, when you pulled me out at the stables, how did you do that?" Nina asked.

"You were in limbo, close to death." Morghan said darkly.

"Except I wasn't." Nina said.

Morghan gave me a look that told me that was not possible.

"You want to go back?" I asked.

"Yes!" She cried.

"No. Owen is human now, and who knows what they did to you! No, we're not going back." Morghan said.

"What if she's right?" I asked.

"What if she's not?" Morghan pleaded.

"Two against one." Nina said triumphantly.

At this point, I'm willing to believe anything until it's proven not to be true. I'm starting to learn more about the supernatural, but I'm starting to think the rules about this world aren't particularly rigid.
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A short one for you!
Sounds like they're going back to Artemis soon 😱
Remember to COMMENT and VOTE if you liked it!
Jess
Xx