Within These Walls

Chapter 27

"I guess so."

I watch her as she lathers her hands with soap, not sure what to make of the bleakness on her face. So much for Willow being the strong pillar that Carson needs. She looks like she could use a shoulder to lean on, and mine is too brittle to support anyone.

I have to try. "We'll get through this. Like we've been saying all along, the Takers didn't bring us here to kill us off one by one. Maybe the Blank was a test to see what we'd do." Or an ordeal to weed out the weaker players, which would prove Marcus's survival-of-the-fittest theory. "I think it's safe to say we passed since things have quieted down."

Willow laughs bitterly. "That's assuming they planned this. It could be a mutation, you know. Some unwanted side effect of whatever's been happening to us."

I think of Carson and say nothing. She's got a point. A really good one.

Janie walks into the shower room and comes to a stop at the sight of us. She gives me a look of undeniable detestation and says, "I need to talk to you."

"You do?" I ask, caught off guard.

"Not you." She points at Willow. "I need to talk to you."

I don't move, afraid that Janie will take advantage of her vulnerable state and do more damage. She might've backed off since I confronted her, but I still don't trust her one bit.

"It's okay," Willow says with a sigh. "I'll fill you in later."

"Okay." I don't want to leave them, but I have bigger things to worry about. Like Carson.

Looks like it's up to me to be gentle.

I take Carson upstairs, worried he'll break down when he finds out he might be blanking. But all he does is fidget with his hands and stay silent while I finish telling him.

"Any idea when it'll happen?" he asks.

"No. The symptoms aren't consistent. The boy's ears were bleeding after he blanked. But it happened to you days ago." I refrain from adding he might not even blank, since bleeding ears could mean anything. He'd think I was patronizing him.

"You notice the countdown clock?" Carson asks out of nowhere. "It stopped running. I wonder if the Blank has something to do with it."

I think back to what Willow said. "It's possible the Takers have stopped the noise treatments because they're worried more people will blank."

"Makes sense. So what happens now?" he asks.

I give him a tight smile. "We survive."

I lie in bed that night and stare up at the beam of hallway light shining across my ceiling. It's too quiet in here. Camille wasn't a snorer, but I'd always hear her soft breathing or her bed squeak when she'd turn over. Something about that was soothing. I've spent my whole life sleeping alone, but it's never felt as lonely as it does now.

Even with Baxter gone, Carson's room isn't an option. What if he blanks in the middle of the night? Not that I'm protected in here. His room is just a short trip down the hallway.

Carson's bed thumps against the wall between our rooms. I hold my breath, expecting the quiet to be broken by sudden noise, but nothing happens. A minute later, there's another thump and squeaking. Then another.

I turn over on my side and try to ignore the sounds. Ordinary sounds. I hear them every night and the only reason they stand out to me now is because of what happened today.

I'm overreacting.

He's okay. Everything is okay. We're all going to be okay.

His loud groans about five minutes later make me feel less assured. I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and sit up. The groaning dies off as the bed creaks again. It sounds like he turned over in bed. Or got out of it.