Life Lines

26: Stubborn As Stone

Chapter Twenty-Six

When I opened my eyes again, the cupcake was gone. Well, it probably wasn't but there was a face filling my scope of vision. The high pitched buzzing was gone thank god but instead there was soft arguing maybe just a few feet away.

I blinked a couple of times, the burning still there but it was less since he was there holding my hand. Cecil continued to stare at me even though I quickly shut my eyes. His double image was giving me a headache even though my eyes were only open for a second. He looked infinitely happy and I didn't know what about this situation would make anyone happy. I was completely miserable.

"Tally..."

"I'm fine," I whispered.

"Don't lie to me, Tally. Tell me the truth."

I opened my eyes briefly. "It burns."

I knew I probably sounded close to Golum from the Lord of the Rings but it was true. It was worse then having a really bad sunburn over a newly done tattoo. Not that I have a tattoo because I don't. But I heard one of the ladies at the country club talking about it once. I was pretty sure you weren't supposed to tan after having a tattoo but some of those ladies had and...

"It's supposed to. Luckily that means it's almost over."

Yeah what the hell was that supposed to mean? This whole process of turning Elite has felt like it's been happening forever. I was in the process of thinking about that when something or someone shifted behind me, making the comforter I was laying under rub against my skin.

Normally it would feel like the best thing ever since I've worn the fabric down to soft comfyness. I love that thing so much but at the moment, it felt like someone had sewn needles into it and they were digging into my skin. Naturally I tried to move away from the feeling but that only made it worse. Before I knew it I was screaming and trying to get away from just about everything.

Since Cecil already had a hold of my right hand, he held on tight to it while someone else was trying to grab my left. My eyes flew open and I looked around. I was starting to feel like that horse from The Horse Whisperer, like I was going crazy without knowing why. All I really knew was I was hurting and these people were just making it worse. The light in the room was too bright, the blanket I was still under had become too binding. Everything about my room, my house, my skin felt foreign and all together too small.

Not to mention my screams were taken over by the barking cough.

I had no idea why I was freaking out but I couldn't stop. It was like all the years I'd spent trying to remain calm and cool in front of everyone in stressful situations had come crashing down in the form of this. Or maybe it was the memory the last time someone had forcibly held me down.

Then again it could be the very large needle I suddenly caught sight of coming in my direction. The person trying to catch my left hand turned out to be my father and while I was momentarily distracted by tracking the needle through the room, he managed to catch my arm.

But as the needle grew closer, I thrashed around and in the process managed to hurl my father away. My arm was instantly free and I was left deciding what to do next. The needle continued to grow closer and the only thing that was preventing me from running was...

Before I could even think it, Cecil had me pinned to the bed. His grip on my right was infinitely tighter than on my left but I still wasn't going anywhere. He was stronger than he appeared. I paused for a moment to take in everything, trying to reassess the situation.

"Hurry up! She's stronger then she looks!"

I started to struggle more, harder, my thrashing renewed. The coughing calmed down a little so it wasn't as intense. But this whole situation had grown overwhelming.