Closing Time

61.

I was sucked into a pool of darkness within minutes. There were vague sounds and lights. Nothing I could grasp on to.

Apart from this one moment where I remembered warm hands touching my face. My eyelid was yanked open and a bright light was shone in. I vaguely identified it as a flashlight. But as my eyes fell shut again, any coherent thoughts I had managed to form vanished with it.

But this time, it wasn't just dark.

Memories started moving in an unknown order. Words and faces. Words and... familiar faces.

"Gerheart didn't shoot you." Sylvia hissed.

"The five bullets I caught are a good reason for me to deny your denial." I snapped at her, walking past the seething teen.

"Hey, Ryleigh." Sara smiled at me. I returned her smile with a stiff one. Nice kid, but I don't want to see her either after the next few hours.

I hadn't seen them after that. I hadn't even thought of then after that. Why? What happened?

"I never finished talking about our twins."

"Please don't."

"They can manipulate memories. Insert ideas and images in your mind. Th-"

"Can they erase this entire conversation too because I'm still not interested." I growled through gritted teeth. I want to leave. This is getting to me more than I thought.

Manipulate... memories? They-they were the ones who'd put Will's memories in my head. Had they also taken away their own?

"Where's Gerheart, you sick bitch?"

My eyes went to one of the teenagers. She was shaking. I could see it had taken effort to not spit it out in anger. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

She pressed her lips together, eyes turning to the other teen standing her. "Well?"

Silence. The other girl was shorter, covered in pimples, chapped lips. She was staring at me, around me. Up and down, left to right. I did that too. She was looking for an aura.

"Sara!" The first one snapped. "Is she lying?"

Sara...

Sara shook her head. "We're just here to monitor the place. We'll leave as soon as the bar is at full capacity."

Sara... was Maya. That's Maya.

"I'm not a kid!" Sylvia snapped up at me. "I'm sixteen."

Sylvia... Sienna... They're both seventeen now. Kids.

"Where's Gerheart, you sick bitch?"

My eyes went to one of the teenagers. She was shaking. I could see it had taken effort to not spit it out in anger. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

She pressed her lips together, eyes turning to the other teen standing her. "Well?"

Silence. The other girl was shorter, covered in pimples, chapped lips. She was staring at me, around me. Up and down, left to right. I did that too. She was looking for an aura.

"Sara!" The first one snapped. "Is she lying?"

My memories were repeating but...

Kids... They were the kids who worked with me.

"We're not kids." Sylvia sneered as usual.

Right. They're not kids. They're Hunters.

"A bribe?" Sylvia sneered up at me.