The Sacrifice of Ava Black

Chapter 2

How?

Don't give in to the shadows. Don't find comfort in the darkness. Open your eyes.

They are open! I can't see anything!

No, Ava, open your eyes. Wake up!

What?

Wake up!

Suddenly, a scream reverberated off of the cavernous walls. The blood in my veins seemed to freeze in place. Every hair on my body stood on end. Then, I heard pounding, like thunder that never ended. That was when I realized that something was running at me.

Wake up, Ava! Open your eyes!

My eyes jerked open and I was instantly blinded by a brilliant light. There were muffled voices and I think I heard someone say my name, but I wasn't sure. Slowly, faces began to take shape above me. There was a mess of black hair, the smell of leather, and a black tattoo.

"She's coming to," I heard someone say.

"Step aside, young man," another person said.

When I could finally see, I focused on a pair of intense grey eyes.

"Gabriel?" I questioned. "Why are you in the girl's locker room?"

Really, Ava? That's what you're going to ask?

He looked back at me, an odd expression on his face, one that I couldn't really read. It was probably because I was still a bit loopy, but I was almost certain he looked angry. I began noticing more faces around me; Kira and Coach Nelson were there. To my horror so was Frankie.

She had the most intense sneer on her face. I wasn't a mind reader, but I was almost certain what was going through her mind, "There goes Ava again, acting like she's dying. She's such a Drama Queen."

Why did this have to happen here? Why did it have to happen in front of her? This was just ammunition and I handed it right over to her on a silver platter.

The paramedic was securing a brace around my neck.

"I don't need that," I told him.

"It's procedure, honey," he responded.

I figured it was better not to argue or resist. The last thing I wanted to do was give Frankie and her goons anymore juicy gossip to carry back to the rest of the school. So, I remained silent when they put me on a stretcher, strapped me down, and lifted me onto the gurney.

There was only one way out of the locker room and that was through the gym. The paramedics rolled me out to a group of whispering onlookers. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at them. It was that mantra that you told yourself when you were little and afraid of the dark, "If I can't see them, they can't see me."

The truth was, I didn't want them to see me. I wanted them to see me for who I was, what I was going through. If I could force them to sit down and listen to what I had to say, I would. Maybe then they would be kinder. Maybe then I wouldn't have to feel like a freak. I wanted them to understand, but Life is a jerk and it doesn't care what you want.

I took a glace as they lifted me up into the ambulance and saw Gabriel towering over the other students, that same intense glare on his face. It was like he was angry at me for passing out, as if I had any control over it. The thought really upset me, but more than anything, it freaked me out.

I was at the hospital for the entire night. I was hoping that it would just be a few hours, but my family doctor, Dr. Hester, wasn't hearing of it.