Caged

10

I felt something similar to a warm liquid seep out to pool around the back of my head. There was a faint ringing present in my ears, and I tried to blink away the black spots surrounding my vision, but they refused to disappear. My pulse was pounding inside my throat, and there was a slight, throbbing ache beginning to travel throughout the back of my head and jaw.

Someone was shaking me gently. I blinked, and recognized Kaiden leaning over me, but he appeared blurry.

"Izzy, I need you to talk to me, can you hear me?" He was speaking fast, but it seemed mumbled and I could only make out some of what he was saying. My brain wouldn't process his words.

I realized I was still laying on the concrete, and when I tried lifting my head, it wouldn't move. A groan of pain slipped from my lips as I shifted, every part of me felt weighted down, as if there was some type of pressure preventing me from getting up. My body felt like liquid.

"Easy," Kaiden murmured, helping me switch into a sitting position against the car.

There were no other people around, and it was silent in the parking lot. The only audible sound was the distant noise of cars driving on the roads nearby.

"W-what happened?" I whispered, my voice feeling broken and hoarse. I squinted at Kaiden, who was watching me with concern and a little bit of stress. His eyes scanned my face.

"Don't worry about that right now, can you walk?" He asked gently, and I shook my head immediately, the movement sending sparks of pain through my head. I winced, pinching my eyes shut and I swore I felt something dripping down the back of my neck.

"That's fine, you just stay awake, alright? I'm gonna carry you and we'll be home before you know it."

I felt like I needed a doctor and a hospital, but I couldn't bring myself to speak.

My eyes began slipping closed but they flew open when I felt the ground moving, and suddenly I was being carried bridal style towards the car. He slid me into the passenger seat, and buckled my seatbelt. As soon as the door shut, I closed my eyes and blocked out everything happening around me.

Somehow, I found myself back at home. I was trembling from head to toe, watching everyone move about the room.

There was a blanket wrapped around me, and Caleb sat next to me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder tightly like he was afraid of letting me go. His head rested on top of mine, and his cheek was pressed against my hair. His presence so close to me felt safe; something solid to lean against. It was comforting.

Even blinking felt like it hurt now and sent short, intense bursts of pain through my head and body. I felt dizzy and disorientated. If it weren't for Caleb, I think I would have collapsed. My legs felt numb and my teeth were chattering.

I watched Kaiden talk on the phone, but his back was to me so I couldn't hear what he was saying. Ethan was standing a few feet away from him, listening to him speak intently, his gaze flickering to where I sat occasionally. The house was silent, except for their hushed voices. The ticking of the clock audible every second.

The sound of tires screeching to a halt on our driveway, and car doors slamming shut made me jump. My eyes flew open and I inched closer to Caleb if that was even possible. I heard the front door fly open and I barely registered Elijah barreling towards me, before he was grabbing me and pulling me into his chest.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, pinching my eyes shut against the fabric of his black dress shirt and coat. He squeezed me into him, his lips pressed against the side of my head. "Fuck," he murmured, dropping down to his knees so we were on the same level. I kept my head resting on his shoulder, reveling in the familiar yet occasional comfort. "I was so worried. Are you alright? Does anything hurt?" He asked gently, grabbing my arms and pulling back a little, checking for injuries.