The Whispering

Chapter Five

~Chapter 5~

Soul link.

The concept of something so life-altering has my mind splintering in a million different places. My many hopes and misgivings about what could happen, begin to create this chaotic mess inside my head.

Just increasing the migraine acquired from the hijacking earlier.

I block out the collective hum of the boys trying to work through how to explain North's predicament to me and close my eyes in a feeble attempt to minimize the pressure building behind my eyes.

A simple hijacking I can handle.

The headaches after might suck big time, but I've been dealing with pushy spirits taking over my body long enough now to know how to inimize the damage.

This link though... It's pushed me past the threshold of what I've been able to handle so far.

Sharp pain surges between my temples as the pressure escalates to the point that it feels like barbed-wire coiling inside my skull. I'm able to hold back a whimper, but I still must have given some kind of outward expression of my pain when a hand drapes over my tightly closed ones in my lap.

I immediately recognize the touch belonging to the good doctor when a comforting warmth begins to slowly climb up my arms again.

My anxiety spikes the more the warmth travels up, waiting for something else to happen, but thankfully it stops at the juncture of my elbows.

"Miss Sang?" Dr. Sean whispers, causing the other boys to become quiet again. "Pookie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm.." My automatic response begins to come out but the word okay gets lodged in my throat.

I can't exactly require them to divulge all their secrets if I can't do the same. But all the years of abuse at the hands of my parents keep the words trapped inside.

Conditioned to anticipate punishment in response to speaking about the supernatural.

They're not your parents, my subconscious pipes in as my thoughts begin to spiral towards dangerous territory. They've been forthcoming about themselves even when it could be interpreted as something bad. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and put yourself at risk.

And sometimes I worry I have multiple voices in my head, I mentally fire back. Then I have to immediately remind myself that madness begins when you start arguing with the voices inside your own thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, I force my eyes open. The simple living room lighting has become amplified thanks to my building migraine but I push through the pain to keep my eyes open. I find a spot on Sean's cheek to focus on, still slightly fearful something will happen, and decide to take that plunge. "Between what happened at the church and that connection with us my energy is gone."

"Which means your body is feeling the effects," Sean fills in, creating another crack in my armor at not only being believed but actually understood. "Well, I wouldn't be much of a doctor if I left you to suffer."

"It won't cause that connection thingy to happen again will it?" I nervously question as I try sliding my hands out from under his. Try being the keyword since Sean just tightens his fingers to keep my hands trapped within his calming warmth.

"No Pookie," he reassures me with that contagious smile from earlier making another appearance. "I promise nothing will happen except you feeling better so we can hopefully talk ourselves out of this hole we put ourselves in."

Fighting against the deeply rooted fear of placing trust in others, I compel my gaze to follow the barely-there dusting of freckles on Sean's cheek up until I'm once again locked within his brilliant green eyes.