Showtime!

Chapter twenty-two: worth the trouble

When I woke up, I wasn't with the kids in that big room, but I was in Xander's room.
My bag lay beside me on the floor and I sat up, looking around. It seemed pretty empty. I fell off the bed when I tried standing up, I felt a soaring pain go right up and down my ankle. I touched it without thinking and recoiled in pain. I gritted my teeth and dragged myself back on the bed, taking a deep breath I looked at the dresser mirror that was across the bed. There was a gash on my forehead, it was ugly but it wasn't bleeding, there was already blood that had dried in a single spot. I carefully wiped it with my sleeve and the dried blood crumbled off easily.
The wound looked slightly healed which begs me to wonder how long I've been unconscious for. The door to the dressing room opened and I knew I wouldn't have to wait long for an answer.
Xander opened it and closed it behind him. I didn't make a move until I angrily threw myself off the bed in an attempt to push him down. I remembered my ankle and suddenly fell on the floor. I looked up to see Xander staring at me in some sort of curious amusement.
"You were always a strange, dearest. Almost makes you worth the trouble." he commented and scooped me up into his arms and placed me back once again on the bed. He grabbed the chair by his mirror dresser and dragged over so it sat across from me. Xander finally sat himself down and looked at me.
I shied away and looked at my lap. Finally, Xander cleared his throat to break the silence.
"Quite a show out there, I haven't had that much fun for over twenty-three years." he said and I finally looked up at him. Xander was smiling delicately.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked and he cocked his head to the side a little bit. "Why am I doing this? Well, I'll tell you, I enjoy an audience who I can easily make suffer, it feels good to see them let out their screams of fear." Xander chuckled. I felt the anger brewing back inside of me.
"What do you even want from me?" I asked and Xander picked up my bag, he dug through it and paused briefly, then pulled out the framed drawing. "You clearly had something that belonged to me. So I simply returned the favor and took your kitty cat. So now we're even." he said and smiled. He placed the picture on the dresser and sat back down.
"Obviously your curiosity got the best of you didn't it." he continued and scooted his chair over. I backed away as far as the bed would go, Xander stood up and kicked his chair aside. He stood closer to me and grabbed my shoulders. "I can help with those injuries of yours." he said quietly and his thumb brushed over my forehead wound lightly. I pushed him off of me.
"No way, man!" I protested and Xander smiled as he whipped out his wand.
"Let me help." he insisted and gripped my head tightly. I fidgeted while he pressed the tip on the wound, pain seared through but then faded. I looked at the mirror from across the room and saw the gash had completely vanished.
"I told you I could help, how about that ankle? Hmm?" he asked and bent down, gripping my ankle. I winced in pain and took a deep breath. The pain immediately went away and Xander stood up straight.
"Better? Try standing up." he said and I did so, I didn't fall and I was well capable of standing on my own two feet.
Xander nodded in satisfaction. "Anyways I have more important things to do other than being your doctor. Sleep tight, love." he said and walked over to pick up the chair and placing it back by the dresser before walking out, shutting the door behind him.
I stood up from the bed and grabbed my backpack. I wasn't about to wait around while more people get hurt.
I walked over to the dresser and looked at myself, the wounds have cleared but I was still a mess.
I glanced at the door and knew I had to get out this place.