HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

You know, I have a very bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth.

When things get bad, I always wind up thinking to myself that the situation can't get any worse, and yet somehow, without fail, it always does. Literally always. I'm not really sure why or when, and I have zero recollection of doing so, but the thing is... I blacked out at some point.

Yep. You read that correctly. I dead ass fainted in the middle of a hurricane.

Whether it was from the pain in my back, the shock of experiencing a house flipping over with me still stuck inside it, or the sheer fact that I was trapped in a pit with a couple of terrified four-year-olds, an injured human girl, and her ten year old little brother on the night of the full moon, during one of the biggest hurricanes to ever hit the East Coast... I couldn't really say. 

Probably all of that and then some, to be honest--the whole situation was a smorgasbord of fuckery that had 'NOPE!' written all over it, and yet there I was, smack dab in the middle.

Honestly, the only reason I knew I blacked out was because of the screaming. The first three gut-wrenching screeches didn't really rouse me, and for the brief moment I came to, sort of, I initially thought it was just the howling of the wind. When I finally began to come around, however, I realized it wasn't just the wind playing tricks on me. I swam to the surface of the spots behind my pulsing eyes past the blood rushing in my eardrums, groaning in pain.

I ached.

Oh, fuck, I complained, focusing on my breathing. Ow... ow...

I was vaguely aware of the heat against my side, but it was overwhelmed by the omnipresent pulses of pain smacking into my head, back, and shoulders over and over again. I let out a whine of complaint when a shrill, deafening screech filled my ears and another burst of pain smacked into my arm, followed by several more.

I let out a shuddering breath and tried to move my body, but a sixth scream shattered my ear drums and I flinched, immediately rising a little, lifting my head as thoughts of Kat possibly being in pain sparked my brain back to life.

I groggily opened my eyes--just in time to see a fist flying at me. I yelped as a starburst lit up my vision, red and yellow and purple. I clutched my nose and rolled on my side, away from the source of heat keeping my body warm.

"By dose! Fuck!" I wailed, writhing as trickles of heat slid through my fingers. I coughed and spat, checking to make sure it wasn't broken as I rapidly blinked myself back to a state of consciousness. I looked up at the dark sky, flinching when water speckled my cheeks, but the wind, from the sound and look of things, had died down immensely.

I spit out a glob of blood and tentatively prodded my aching nose, then pinched it to staunch the flow and carefully sat up. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed me, sending spots spiraling into my brain. I swayed as my vision, even behind closed eyes, began to blot itself out all over again. I moaned, drawing my legs up as I leaned forward and cradled my face in both hands. Only once I was sure I wasn't gonna faint did I try to take note of my surroundings.

Adam and Kim were curled up in the corner together, squished between the wall and Kat's unconscious little brother, hands over their ears. I peered at the two of them through blurry eyes. Faint glints of electric green peered back at me.

They were awake and conscious.

That was something, at least.

Just as I was about to turn my attention on Kat, movement caught my peripherals and I jerked my head back on reflex--just in time to avoid the heel of a rather ratty-looking tennis shoe.