Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

15 - Sane, Saner, Sanest (1 of 2)

NP: Say When by The Fray

Come close and then even closer
We bring it in but we go no further
We're seperate.
Two ghosts in one mirror, no nearer  

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Yet again, Alex sneaked me under Vincent's radar to do some research about my condition. I didn't think I was much help. Me and books really don't get along. Most of them were written in Sumerian, Latin or Enochian in which cases I was only good for making coffees. The guy had enough coffee to make an elephant shiver.

All I did was stare at some random page for the last few minutes. Or hours. I couldn't tell anymore. Every time Alex would check up on me, I kept nodding. I couldn't understand what he was saying most of the time. The symbols on the book kept moving, like Nysmic lulling me into a waking dream.

It started with the smells. Anything within a hundred yards made me queasy. That was before I went completely numb. I couldn't move and the room was whirring around me.

I was thirsty. So thirsty. For the first time since I got out of Hector's lab, I longed for the half-filled glasses of water with drops of pink swirly liquid Millie slid into the chute whenever Hector was out. I wanted it so bad it hurt. My throat burned. Something seemed to twist inside my chest.

As I fell to the floor, a spasm raced down my body in waves. Last thing I saw was Alexis' panicked face. And then it was dark.

I was supposed to be unconscious. But in this darkness, I could feel everything. I could hear everything. From the hissing, the rustle of cloth, the low growls to the warm, humid breaths on my nape. . The smell of blood, of something that died weeks ago lingered in the air. Those cold gnarly hands made my skin prickle. Everything felt so real, I wasn't sure if this was a nightmare anymore. One thing I was sure of was that the creatures in this world of darkness weren't human.

It was an endless poking and pulling. Claws raked into my skin, not too deep that I would bleed to death, but just deep enough to make me scream until I couldn't scream anymore.

I crawled away from the creatures, onto what felt like a pile of flesh only to be hindered by glass walls. Then I curled, hugging my legs and hiding my face onto my knees. Cried like I never cried before. Shouted for help. Called for Vincent. Still, no one came to pick me up from the dark pit of squirming creatures.

The tears eventually ran out.

I kept telling myself this wasn't real. But before long, I started to doubt that. And the pain—a blend of all things vile and agonizing—was easy to get used to. It had become my reality. Until that tiny drop of sweet, sweet hope touched my lips; that bitter, intoxicating taste masking everything else.

"She's still weak, but I think it's working what we're doing." It was Alexis. I would know that smell of espresso and old books anywhere. "It's not an exact science but, she's responding well to titrated amounts of SirenSoul. If we give her just enough to curb the withdrawal symptoms and slowly wean her off, we should be expecting better results. Just give me a few more days."

"I don't have a few more days, Alex!" Vincent's gravelly voice reverberated on the walls. "I can't just rely on the fact that she's stopped thrashing and screaming her head off. I need to know for sure."

I heard a long sigh. "We can't."

"Well, do something!"

"Vincent, I'm trying."

"You should've told me, Alexis!" he roared. "You sonova— You should've told me the second you knew."

"She knew you would panic," Alex answered, his tone quiet, even. "Like the way you're acting now."