Depthless: Under The Library

Chapter Twenty-Five// Stella

Stella's POV

"What do you mean?" I say, bewildered. "This opposes all laws of gravity!"

Holly opens up her mouth to speak, but a noise at the doorway stops her.

"Well, then, what if there are no laws of gravity down there?" A chilling voice drawls.

Holly jumps up from the bed, a snarl on her face. "Oh, it's you." She said with as much disdain as she could muster up.

Caleb smirks at her, then he shifts his gaze to meet mine. "Morning, Stella! Just checking to see how my beautiful girl is getting along!" He chats amiably, striding into the room as if he owned the place.

Feeling slightly nauseated, I shrink back under the covers. "Fine, thank you." I say hotly, eyeing him warily as he sits himself down next to me. His golden blonde hair practically shines in the dim light, and he flashes me a dazzling grin that no other girl could've resisted.

I gulp. "What do you want?" Holly demands in a tight voice. "Why are you allowed to visit?" She says suspiciously. Theo gave her a sideways glance.

Caleb laughs, leaning back in the chair, folding his well muscled arms across his buff chest. "Which miserable human wouldn't grant me access to see such a lovely sight?" He drawls, winking at me. I resist the urge to throw up. Does he think he is some kind of god?

"You'd better get lost before David returns, Caleb." Holly crosses her arms. "He wouldn't be too pleased to see that you had barged in here."

Caleb throws back his head and guffaws. "What? Him?" He says incredulously. "Your pathetic little group is hopelessly lagging behind right now. Two members temporarily warded, one gone missing? I hate to tell it to you, but the little team you have right now is utterly---"

"Utterly what, exactly, Caleb?" A cold voice says from the door.

Caleb's eyes flit towards the figure blocking the doorway, and an eerie grin flickers across his face. "Why, David! Just the person to intrude." He says, unruffled, as David strides briskly into the room and places a tray of lunch food onto a low table.

"I'm sorry? I had assumed you were the unwanted intruder." He says in a icy voice.

Caleb laughs dryly. "Oh, has the days you spent lazing around down here taken a toll on you, you poor boy? Why do you take to hover in the hospital ward on your duty days? Or... has a particular attractive beauty pulled you into believing she is your full time duty?"

"Enough!" David snaps, making me look up in shock. I'd never heard him use such a commanding tone, filled to the brim with despite. "Go, before I make you." He points a composed hand toward the door.

Theo whimpers and makes for the door, but Holly pulls him back, deep anger etched on her face. "We'll fight him together, won't we?" She says heatedly.

Wait, what?

Theo appears to be the most shaken of the group. "Um, Holly?" He says uncertainly.

"Anyone who dares insult Group Nine and our leader would have to get. It." She says through gritted teeth. Oh... kay...

"You should go, Caleb." I say. "I mean, before you get, uh, pulverized."

Caleb's eyebrows lift. "Really? To whom do I owe such a pleasure?" He says mockingly. "Are you going to be the one doing my face in? Cuz I'd love such a charming young girl to---"

It all happened so fast, I missed it in one blink. The next thing I knew, David had Caleb pinned to a wall. I gasp, and fling off my covers. Theo lets out a mangled squeak, and drags Holly away.

"Don't. Talk. To. Her. Like. That." David sputters, his grip around Caleb's white collared shirt growing tighter with every syllable. His arm muscle strains with the effort, his veins are on the verge of bursting. David's face beads with sweat, and he is flushed red. There is something in his eyes that sent waves of terror down my spine, and I have to bite my lip to keep my insides intact.

Spluttering, Caleb chokes, "Let me go."

"What had I ever done to you, Caleb... what?" David practically yells. Caleb struggles under his grip, his face swelling deep magenta. "Why do you always have to turn my life into a living hell!?"

"You..." Caleb gasps for breath.

"My whole existence has been haunted, and do I need to give myself another reason to hate myself, huh, do I?" David's eyes tear up, and he looks as if someone had plunged a knife deep into his brain, and twisted the handle.

Caleb chokes like a half dead fish.

"One time too many, Caleb. You had to do this... just out of spite to me!" David growls bitterly.

With one last ounce of strength, David pushes Caleb against the wall, and releases his grip on him. Caleb slinks to the ground, pawing at his throat.

"David, please." I whisper, squirming in my bed. "Stop."

David whips around, and for a moment, all I could register is the venomous look in his eyes, a growing maniacal terror consuming him, grief, anguish... it hurt to look at him.

Those few minutes were frightful. I had witnessed a side to David I know only something terrible could gorge out from him. Something vile, something unspeakable had once terrorized him, and now it's unleashing absolute fear throughout him, changing him from the amiable boy I had once known.

"David." I choke on a sob. This was too much, too horrible to take in. Whatever had broke David in the past, I fear would his mental and emotional wounds would never heal.

David glances at me, his breathing comes out as laboured.

I wanted to crawl out of the bed, to just calm him down, take a moment to feel his pain, his affliction. The truth was, I was getting a little shaken by him.

From the ground, Caleb lets out a shattered moan, reminding us of his existence.

"We'll remove him." Holly volunteers, and together, she and Theo dragged him out of the room, practically slamming the door in their haste to get away as soon as possible from this horrendous scene.

Left alone with a fuming David, I begin to feel an unanimous calm settling over me.

David had lived a shattered past. He had been broken, one time too many, for him to had have healed again. The frustration he had exerted just before had proved to me that so much horror, endless sorrow, had haunted his life.

It's time to fix that. It's time to change.

Flinging off the bed covers completely, I gently lower myself onto the floor, taking care not to move my injured head to much.

Once I'm on my feet, I stand, shaky, staring uncertainly at David, who's face in now devoid of emotion.

One minute's silence passes between us, and soon he breaks it by saying, "I'm sorry, Stella. I--- you must think I'm a horrible person now." His voice catches at the end of the sentence, and I talk a step closer, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Shh... David, I understand. You were provoked to the extent of releasing all your pent up resentment." I say coaxingly.

I take slow steps towards him, watching the uncertainty wash over his face. At last I reach him.

"You aren't afraid of... of me?" David whispers, his eyes two pools of deep grievance, gazing soulfully down at me.

I smile, all terror dismissed at once. Then I did something so instinctive , it surprised even myself. (okay, fine, I am naturally impulsive.)

I reach out, and engulf him in a hug.

I feel him tense up for a second, then smile as I feel his tension vanish, as he relaxes into the hug.

"I would never be afraid of you, Dee Dee. You are too intimidatingly stunning."

A/N: Squeee, finally ;)