Powerful Secrets

Chapter 17

Emma's POV
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My eyes open. I try to move, but instead I feel cold chains brush against my wrists and ankles. I shiver, and lift my head. I'm chained to some bed, it's not even mine, but it's neatly made.

Where the hell am I? Where is everyone?

I wonder this as I continue to struggle in the chains.

My ears catch a loud thump, and my heart starts to race. Who's there? Do they want to hurt me?

The door to the dark room opens, and I hear the faint crawling of something. Tons of huge spiders stalk onto the bed, staring at me with their many eyes. I scream out.

"NO!!!"

But no one hears. No one comes. The spiders seem angry by my outburst, for they crawl to me and settle all over me. They're in my mouth, my ears, my hair...

I can't even scream. All I can do is lay there, frozen in fear. I try to ignore them on me, but to no avail.

I lay there, thinking. Am I going to die? I can't feel my arms and legs, they keep biting me...sharp pains that now grow numb. I close my eyes.

I vaguely remember a set of twins that used to be friends with me. They must be about my age, or were they older than me? I don't recall. We met at the agency, I was maybe six. They were agenteers like me, waiting for the time to train to become agents. They must've been around my age or a little older...

The twins were two of different genders, with different personalities. From what I can remember, the girl was hyper, temperamental, and persistent. The boy was kind, shy, and extremely sensitive. They became my best friends before I met Ten and Kieran, and besides my sister. Shadow was the boy twin's friend as well, I wonder if he remembers him. I do also ponder what happened to the twins. They had mysteriously disappeared a week before the rest of the agency was abducted. I really hope they're alright.

They both had the same sort of face, round. A dash of freckles was sprinkled on their cheeks like pepper. They were both a little pale, with big gorgeous blue eyes. Their hair was maybe an amber color. They had good looks, but I can't seem to remember their powers.

You know, this actually isn't that bad. I don't actually think I'm going to die. The spiders don't feel all that bad, since I've been laying here thinking of those twins. Yeah. It isn't that bad, it isn't that bad...

"Emma!"

I jerk awake. Aubrey is shaking my shoulders, trying to wake me. She stops as she sees my eyes open.

"Are you okay, sissy?" She hugs me tight.

A light pink dusts my cheeks, and I hug her back, smiling. "I'm fine. Spiders aren't all that bad, actually..."

"That's odd that you overcame your fear. But we have no time. We have to find the others," Kieran puts his hands on his hips.

I nod. It's weird that our enemies came up with that liquid in the syringe. It makes you hallucinate your greatest fear? Horrifying and awesome at the same time.

Aubrey helps me to my feet, and we move on to the next room.

Joy's POV
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I'm standing at the top of a building, the wind flowing through my locks. It's the end of the day, and the beautiful sunset is painted before me. I gulp and look down. It's a tall building, maybe about 30 stories? My vision loses focus, and I quickly glance up. I can't move anything besides my head. Footsteps appear behind me.

"Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here," a sinister voice hissed in my ear.

I shivered. Suddenly, the person of that voice pushes me forward. I gasp, and scream. I can move now, but it's too late. There's nothing to grab onto either, to save me. I'm doomed. A dark figure stares down at me from the top of the building. I can't make out who it is. They walk away.

I'm falling in slow motion. Watching the top of the structure get farther and farther away. I hear people scream as they notice me falling. There's nothing they can do anyway. I'm gonna fall and hit the pavement anyway. Better yet, get hit by a car. The bluish windows of the building are reflecting the sunset, and I watch the colors as I fall. So beautiful.

Am I even beautiful? I don't think I really am. I think people just say that because, well, think of it as this.

You see a beautiful forest, or a flower. Now, what would happen if you take away all the trees of said forest or the petals of the flower? Would you still say it's beautiful?

Most people would say "yes" because they don't want to say "it looks like shit." Why? Why can't people just be brutally honest?

Some people are like that. Brutally honest. Like Ten. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so we lie. I know I'm not beautiful. I'm ugly. Unintelligent. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid...

The ground is so close. I close my eyes and let my tears escape. I've accepted my fate.

Suddenly, I feel arms catch me. Warm arms snake around my waist, holding me.

I gasp. "Who-"

"Are you alright, Joy?"

"L-Licorice?"

I open my eyes. Sure enough, there's Licorice, holding me in his arms.

"I'm fine. How did you know I was-"

"Not important. But I need you to do something for me."

I raise an eyebrow, curious. "What?"

"Wake up."

My eyes snap open. Licorice has me laying in his lap.

"Are you alright?" He brushes the hair from my eyes.

I look around. Aubrey, Emma, Ten, Kieran, and Candy stand there, worried. I sigh, remembering the encounter with our enemies.

"Yeah...I think so. Hey, Licorice?"

"What?" His head tilts.

"Am I even that pretty, or are people just saying that so they don't hurt my feelings?" My voice had wavered.

I start to cry. Licorice's eyes widen, and he tried to wipe away my tears.

"Don't cry. You're very pretty. And I'm not just saying that."

I sob, and bury my face in his chest. I listen to his heartbeat, trying to calm. Licorice lets out a big sigh, and he hoists me into his arms. He stands. I start to settle, and I climb down from his arms. I sniff and wipe away my tears.

"W-Where's the others?" I notice that there's a few missing from our group.

"Still in their hallucinations. C'mon. We must save them," Aubrey replies.

I nod. We scatter out of the room. I go to a random white door in the hallway and peek in. I see a dark haired boy, with amber irises, crying his eyes out. He sits in a chair, tied to it. My eyes widen.

Shadow.