Back from the Dead

Chapter 11- Open Book, Closed Mind

Chapter 11

Fire.

Fire consumed my entire body. I felt my heart stutter and my muscles spasm. I tried to move only to find myself stuck. Buckled to something that resembled an operating table. The room was pitch black. My eyes desperately sought for a figure or thread of light but was met with blindness. I felt a scream build up in my throat but I pushed it down.

'Don't show weakness. Don't show weakness.' I chanted to myself over and over again in my head.

A deep chuckle chuckle filled the dark, musty room and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as a shiver ran down my back.

'Please no. Please.' I had never been one to beg but I couldn't help the silent pleas chasing their way around my mind. I frantically looked around trying to locate the source of the laugh but it was still too dark to see anything.

I felt a punch in my arm before everything went still.

Then it began.

It was like someone had injected acid into my veins. A whole new level of pain swept over my body almost causing me to black out.

I never did though. I wished for the darkness to consume me. For the pain to end but no such relief welcomed me.

Just as I thought I was going to die from the pain, it numbed into a painful tingle. I let out a sigh of relief before almost biting my tongue off in shock as a face appeared barely inches before mine.

"See? There was no reason to fight."

I sat up straight with a quiet gasp. I rubbed my eyes violently as if it would release my mind of the horrible images.

'It was just a dream.' I assured myself. 'Just a dream.'

But it wasn't.

~~~

The train rocked back and forth in a steady motion. It was 11:00 and I was getting bored. Everyone else was still asleep. Nightmares made me afraid to close my eyes again. They have been becoming continuously worse but they were nothing I couldn't handle. I guess keeping your emotions bottled up had some negative effects. The fight last night helped a lot though. It made me feel strong again. Like I wasn't vulnerable to threats like I was before.

To take my mind off the dreams, I thought back to waking Carina up this morning. That was a sight. She screamed at me for 10 minutes straight before she realized I was waking her up for a purpose. I sighed realizing that it hadn't made me feel any better.

"Are you okay?" I heard a sleepy voice come from my right.

I looked over and saw Blake looking at me with concern.

"No." I answered bluntly.

Blake looked at me surprised. "I thought you were going to do the traditional 'I'm fine' that girls do."

The corners of my lips twitched upwards. "I don't like tradition."

"I see that." Blake responded as he scrutinized me.

I covered my bruised knuckles with my sleeves. Out of everyone, I felt as if Blake could see the real me the most. Like he was reading me like an open book. It wasn't a feeling I was particularly fond of.