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12 - Hanging Hand

"Anonymous!!"

What's that awful noise?

"Is she dying???"

Wait, am I dying?

"Her heart stopped!!! Wake her up!!"

What if it's that pill he mentioned?

I felt my ankle grow excruciatingly hot, but I couldn't move to take it off of me. The pain grew and I felt myself choking. No air was passing into my lungs and I gripped the bed under me.

A loud beep was going off somewhere next to me and loud shuffling noises filled the room. I felt my fingers and toes grow ice cold that was uncomfortable to the heat I felt on my ankle.

"Get out of the way!" I heard a rough voice call.

Somebody's hands gripped my shoulders and shook me as if I was a broken glow stick. Their hands burned like hot metal and I willed myself to wake up.

Open your eyes damn it.

Something cold splashed onto my face and my eyes shot open. Gasping in a large gulp of cold air, I felt the blood return to my face. The heat from my ankle died down and I looked around the room as I gasped to catch my breath.

Winter, Cassie, Kiara, and Spartacus had their eyes bulging out of their heads, but they weren't looking at me. Cassie's eyes were wet around the corners and I felt my hand close around somebody else's. Looking for what they were gawking at, a grey eye and a brown eye met mine.

"Hey..." I breathed.

His face looked exhausted and his hair was disheveled as if he hadn't been sleeping for weeks. He half leaned onto my bed and his head hung low in between his shoulders.

"I thought," he gasped, "I thought you were done."

"Done?" My breathing was normal and the room had settled down from the ruckus.

"I thought that was," he swallowed, "your last dream."

"My last dream?" I frowned.

Before anybody could question his words, he reached his hand into his pocket, licked whatever he took out of it, and threw it behind him. There was a loud hissing sound and my friends began to protest in confusion. One by one, they fell down onto the floor.

He reached around me and put his arms to pull me into his chest. His heart was beating at the speed of light and his whole body was tense. The smoke reached my nose and mouth and it began to choke me. Again.

"Don't do that again."

I felt my body relax and I fell deeper into his arms.

Something poked my arm. "You awake now?"

I peeled open my eyes and saw Winter's face.

"Y-Yeah," I nodded. "Why is everybody on the ground?"

He hesitated. "I'm not sure."

"How was your first practice?" Patrick asked.

"It was scary, honestly speaking." I remembered the humanoid star dude and... Night. "There was a lot of things I couldn't understand."

"That's alright," Patrick smiled.

"Did you try controlling yourself in your dream?" Cassie was next to ask.

"Somewhat, yeah."

"Good!" Spartacus announced. "You're getting the hang of it! ON YOUR FIRST TRY! I'm totally jelly of you."

We all softly laughed but I could see in their eyes that they were puzzled by what had just happened.

Was that one long dream or was I awake? He used that white smoke stuff again but this time I was in the middle of it. My friends had fallen asleep because of it, but what about me?

My mind fogged up and refused to let me remember what had happened that afternoon. Walking back to my room, I opened the door and closed it shut. Brushing my teeth I contemplated on whether to take the pill or not.

I have loads of questions so I might as well just be a rebel.

I threw back the covers and saw a small square made of a smooth material. It felt good in my hand and it crinkled whenever I would crumple it up.

Light off. Look out window.

Weird...

I tapped the light switch and fluffed up my pillows to make it seem like somebody was in the bed. Throwing on a small sweater, I walked towards the window. All I could see what a high concrete wall.

It's horrible to be locked up in this academy.

I fogged up the window and began drawing small stars on it. Dotting them here and there, I decided to make a big one. As soon as I wiped it all clean, a hand appeared from above.

"Ah!" I yelped and jumped back.

Slapping my hands on my mouth to stay quiet, I scrutinized the waving hand. It seemed like somebody was on the roof and all I had to do was open the window and reach out.

Unlocking the latch, I pushed open the window. Below me was nothing but fifty meters of air and the horrible ending of concrete floor. I slowly reached out for the hand and grabbed on. Before I could jump, I was hoisted up onto the roof in one swift motion.