The dark waters| ✓

7.THE SIGHT

Rise and shine Leah.

I can hear him say through the fog of my dreams.

Do you think she is alive?

I hear a girl's voice say from behind.

Of course she is.

How do you know? She might have-

No, she hasn't. I know that. She can't. I didn't hit her that hard.

What happened after school that day feels like a faded memory from long back. I want to get up. But it's like my eyelids are sewed and my body is paralysed.

You weren't the one who hit her. It was from Josh. And you know what a big crackhead Josh is. You mustn't have mentioned to him that we need her alive.

I realise who is talking. Nerida. That makes the guy who woke me up, Dylan. Instinct tells me to get up and run as far away from him as possible but I can't.

I swear I'll kill Josh. We need her. I told him so.

Looks like he didn't listen. Anyways, You should probably go out for a walk. You haven't left this room for two days. 

No, I'm good.

Okay, then I'll go check up on Liam.

I hear Nerida's footsteps leaving the room. I feel the sheets near my feet go down. Dylan.

Wake up, Leah.

He says sighing. He then gets up and I hear his footsteps fading in the distance. I try to open my eyes once again and they open a little. They feel heavy, and opening them is painful, but the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that Lee is out there somewhere and he needs my help.

Little by little, I try to open my eyes. Everything seems hazy at first, but it clears out after some time. I look around to see a room having wooden walls and a wooden floor. I look up to see a small glass chandelier. There is a door to my left which opens up to a long hallway and I can see stairs at the end of it. I look straight ahead to see a window with the curtains drawn and a huge bookshelf beside it.

There is a chair in front of it and Dylan is sitting on it. He is too engrossed in reading something to notice me. I realise with a jolt that he is wearing the same black hoodie he was wearing the first time I met him in the Cascadia.

I try to get up slowly supported by my elbow. I look at the hallway and see that it's completely deserted. Swinging my legs to one side I try to get up quietly and run. As soon as I put my legs down, a sharp pain shoots through my legs and I groan, stumbling down.

In a flash, Dylan's arms come around me and he slowly puts me down on the bed. There are bags under his sea-green eyes and he looks exhausted. I try to shrug off his grip, but he is too strong.

"Don't. You are too weak to fight me. Try to rest, you'll feel better." Dylan says calmly.

" Says the guy who knocked me out in the first place," I shout.

I feel like slapping him or kicking him or doing anything but I can't. All the frustration inside me reaches a tipping point and I  feel it spread through my body like lava.

Suddenly, Dylan flies back and he hits the opposite wall. Without losing any time, I try to run towards the door. Each step I take shoots piercing pain through my body but I keep going.

I reach an open door near the stairs and I barge in. The room is similar to the one I woke up in but looks smaller. In a swift glance, I look around and I spot Lee sleeping on the bed. I quickly run towards him and shake his shoulders.

"Lee wake up! We need to leave. Get up, fast!" I say.

"Leah?" He says opening his eyes. His eyes widen at the sight of me. "what the hell are you doing here!?" He says surprised.

"Long story. Now get up idiot. Move your butt before Dylan comes." I say desperately.

"Too late" I hear someone say from behind me and I freeze.

Lee gives me the told you kind of look and I roll my eyes. I look behind to see Nerida smiling.

"Too bad Leah. Your impulsive actions are really starting to piss me off. Where is Dylan? He had one freaking job. Dylan!" She says shouting.

"Wait right here. If you try to move I won't hesitate to snap your neck." She says.

"You will. You need me"I say trying to sound confident.

"Try me," She says and walks out.

"Get up Lee!"I say frantically.

"She'll kill us, Leah. Listen to her. I can't go back to my normal life. I have discovered something Leah. My parents didn't die in a car accident. They were murdered." He says.

" Who would've killed your parents?" I say incredulously.

"I know who, but I can't tell you. I am serious Leah. I can't come back and live with you....humans" he says the last word so bitterly that I feel something break in my chest.

"What do you mean humans? What the hell is going on Lee? You are freaking me out."I say rather too loudly.

"Don't Leah. I can't tell you." He says whispering.Before I can say anything,
Nerida comes in, practically hauls me up and drags me to the other room.

"What have you done to him?" she says quietly but there is a dangerous edge to her voice that makes me shiver from the inside. Her eyes are wide and I can't really make out the expression she has on her face.

" I don't know Nerida. I don't freaking know" I say shouting.

I go towards Dylan and bend down. I would've guessed he had fallen asleep on the floor if I hadn't known better. His face is relaxed and he looks peaceful. Something seems to glow near his jaw and I go ahead and touch it.

It is feels cool under my touch. As I lean in closer to look at it, I see a glimpse of another glowing patch on his neck. I slowly lift his head up and I gasp.
Three thin  translucent lines appear at the side of his neck, that bounce back the light coming from the window. They are an odd mixture of blue which slowly merges with the skin and seems natural. I know what they were, but I still don't believe what my eyes show me.

"Gills....."