90 DEADLY DAYS (WEEKLY UPDATES RETURNING THIS DECEMBER)

Chapter 45

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Chapter 45

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I am at home. My fingertips trail over the cushions of my favorite red chair as the aged radio in the corner squeaks out tunes. Swaddled in the warmth of a familiar, safe place, I sigh, praying I never leave this heaven.

Nebula beckons me from the kitchen. Adonis clings to her skirts, face smeared with chocolate frosting. Tempted by the aroma of chocolate cake, I rise from the couch.

The floor disintegrates when I stand. Shrill wind tears in from an open window, flinging the sofa and chairs, knocking pictures off the wall. I lunge for the one of Adonis and I. Ice cream drips from our cones onto the sidewalk. A red carousel spins in the background. I was thirteen. That picture marks the last day I could think of myself as child. The day before my innocence disintegrated. The glass shatters. I can't help but scream.

I plunge into a hole with no sun. Birds chirp nearby, but I cannot find them. My nails scratch a brick wall. A river rushes and children laugh. I crawl across the floor, straining to find even the dullest light. Noises come from all directions, sounding so full of life, taunting me. Reminding me that I am alone.

I hit another wall. I drag my hands across it, scraping my palms. A stinging pain erupts, one that intensifies my desperation. Light flashes further down the line. Golden and buttery, it tingles my tongue. Like a frantic child reaching for their Protectorate, I chase it.

It filters in from a small crack. I shove my hand through, reaching out into the world.

"Help me! I'm trapped!"

Are the children there? Will they come for me?

They giggle obviously, counting down from ten and continuing their game of hide and seek. One day, they will realize that game is all too real. In real life, everyone hides but few are found.

I burst into tears, screaming for them to find me. The youngsters run off and birds fly away as I holler. Sunlight dims and blackness reaches for me.

Just when I think darkness will win, a strong hand cradles mine. I grip it in return. Never let me go, I whisper. Blue light snakes in through more cracks and darkness recedes as I clasp this unknown savior. The world glows with light.

The tears stop and I catch my breath.

"Hello? Who are you?"

The wall between us vanishes.

Dark eyelashes, golden skin, and a smirking mouth. I cry out, wrenching free. The picture rips in half and the frame burns. The shadows return as I snatch back my hand, advancing from all corners. I shake, muttering no, no, no.

Not him.

Not Atol.

I wake up in tears.

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For three whole days, Jewel begs to go on a 'real walk' instead of just sitting outside the cave. In her opinion, she's a sitting duck. The one who does nothing but wait until she's better.

"I want to explore, not just sit. Do you know how boring that is? And I know how much it taxes you two..."

Though the argument is slightly valid, it's a terrible idea. She can barely keep her balance even when she's standing. And being bored isn't so bad in the 90 days. You could be dead. You could freeze to death under forsaken stars. But she insists and Atol reluctantly admits we could try. Again, that strange agreeableness I have never seen in him before. I want strangle him for it. Not only do I look like the bad guy for disagreeing, but going out into the shadowlands with a wounded Graduate is like asking to be shot in the face. I'm not willing to risk Jewel's life again.