MIRR/OR/ED

|Chapter 14|

Chapter 14. Suffocation

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Sleep is weighted on my eyes as I sense the morning approach, there is a small sliver of sun peeking its way through the window above me lighting the room like fire. It takes a moment for me to gather the stamina to lift the pressure from my eyes, since the oppressing sunlight burns itself into my retinas.

Blinking away the weight, I stare off at the gray metal wall beside me thinking back to the past night's events. My lips curl up into a small smile in reaction to the picture left in my mind's eye.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Lilly's voice whispers through the quiet room.

"Morning," I grumble. My back stiffens as I turn over to my other side.

Lilly sits alone on her cot with her book pressed to her knees and her back sat up against the wall. "Where is everybody?" I ask.

"Tom came up and got them for breakfast duty, I was on pantry count this morning so I didn't have to do it." The flip of a page follows her statement as she continues her reading.

Grunting as a response, I sit up and pull my long locks into a ponytail left around my wrist. .

"Sooo, how was your night?" She asks moving herself around to face me, a beam of sunlight shines on the brown leather cover of the book she sets down next to her. Her eyes hold the intention I've been avoiding, and I feel guilt bubble up to the surface. Past days events flash into my memory, leaving a sinking hole in my heart.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I respond. "It was a night, I guess."

A slow mhmm reverberates from her throat. "Uh-huh. I believe that after seeing Devin and you sneaking back in after lights out. Good thing I covered for you."

I don't try to meet her eye, instead, I look down at the folded blanket between my knees. Tension rises in my chest and I know her tone is veering towards an accusation.

"Seriously," She whispers, gesturing to me. "What's with you and Devin?.."

There it goes.

The long pause between us is just enough time for her to point her eye at me. A faint tingle comes from the reading of my emotions.

"I could see you were uncomfortable with him when we first got here, but since the art store, I've sensed a change.. What was the whole conversation with Tom even about? I know it wasn't just about your fall." She leans forward on the edge of her cot with her feet placed firmly on the ground.

A sharp inhale consumes my lungs as I straighten on the bed, trying to gather the right words to spill. "Yesterday was very... odd, to say the least." Finding the courage to meet her eyes I recognize the concern laced in them, it's much like the look she gives when I'm reluctant to tell her we're moving once more.

"I... I don't know how to explain this." I brush away the extra strands of hair from my forehead.

"Just spill, you never keep things from me..." Lilly's soft voice is written in unease. Heat radiates through my blanket as the morning sun illuminates the concrete room.

"Yesterday, when we were at the art store I had a vision." Letting the words fall from my lips I keep myself from thinking of the repercussions to them. Reassuring myself that any reaction she gives is not something that I can fault myself for.

"Oh,.." Lilly rocks to the side. "Well, why was that so hard?"

There's still so much more I need to tell you, so much more I wish I could show you...