Somewhere in the Trees

six

All I feel is an ache in my throat.

I reach up and touch the bruised skin of my neck, exhaling the second my fingertip presses against it. It's sensitive, so I start rubbing gently over my throat.

My eyes flutter open carefully. My palms touch the cold, hard floor beneath me as I sit upwards to look at my surroundings, which I can't recognize no matter how hard I try.

I'm in a small, dark room, void of any furniture, illuminated only by a single lightbulb that flickers and buzzes at the center of the ceiling.

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning slicing through my mind, I remember being strangled to the point of unconsciousness. I can see his face so perfectly, staring down at me, his fingers locked around my throat, tightening with every struggling squeak I let out. His eyes were so blue and so small, and his pupils were the size of a ballpoint.

Now, I'm panicking.

Despite how groggy I feel, I scramble right up to my feet. I stare at the only two people in the room with me: two of my classmates, Declan and Alice, who are both sitting on the floor with their backs against each wall.

Alice slowly stands up to her feet, holding onto the wall for support. She then takes a careful step towards me, and I slam my back into the wall to get away from her.

"Louie," Alice says quietly.

I take a good look at her, my lips parted as I gasp for air. My throat is still killing me.

I look over at Declan. His hair is disheveled and his clothes are dirty.

"What is this?" I finally ask. My throat burns with each word I say and my eyes are filled with tears.

This feels like a horrible dream, one that you're aware of while it's happening, that makes you toss and turn as you struggle to wake yourself up from it.

Where is everybody else? Where's Professor Kitt? Where's Kiran, Joe, Rachel, Nate, and...

"Where's Zoe?" I ask desperately, tears flying down my cheeks.

I look at both Alice and Declan, waiting for a response that they don't provide. I almost feel angry at them for being so quiet.

I push past Alice to slam both of my hands against the wooden door.

"Zoe?" I scream out, my voice loud and echoing off the tight walls. "Help!" I cry out, my voice a heavy gasp as I continue to push both of my hands out against the door, hoping that by some miracle, the door will pop open. No surprise, it doesn't. I start pounding my fist against it.

"Louie, we already tried that," Alice says, her voice shaking, and when I look over my shoulder at her, her eyes are pooled with tears, sparkling in the dull yellow light. "Please just try to be calm."

"Be calm?" I laugh. "Let me the fuck out!" I scream so loud, my temples pound. "Let me the fuck out! Now! Help!"

I kick the door hard, over and over, until my toes ache beneath my stupid hiking boots. I feel like I can't breathe, like the walls are closing in, like I'm gonna...

I whip my head towards the corner of the room and start retching. Liquid spews from my mouth. I can still taste the bitterness of the tea stinging my throat and lingering on my tongue.

I vomit until there's nothing left. Then, I slowly stand upright, my stomach still sour, as I walk back over to the door.

The last time I vomited that hard, I was nervous because of a neuroscience exam a few weeks ago. I was so terrified of failing despite spending the previous two weeks studying day and night. I wish that was my problem right now.