The Mutatio Disease

Sector Ten

So I woke up on Saturday with my back and neck messed up and can't focus. (Basically can't move it at all without hurting.) I've already delayed posting once and I don't want to do it again, so here you go. This is entirely unedited, so some parts probably won't line up how the rest of the story is going. I just can't work on it rn. Sorry. I'll edit it at some point.

- - - - Sector Ten - - - -

- - - - Part One - - - -
I Beg to Differ

    My heart pumped furiously. I writhed against the hands pressing my shoulders down. Someone shouted as I lashed out, a muffled shriek tearing my throat up. "It won't be me! It won't!" I cried, trying to kick myself free. There was a grunt and the pressure on my shoulders tightened.

    "Damn! Logan, go get some water. Quickly, please!"

    "On it!"

     The whispers were still there. Pressing. Urging. I pushed them back, desperately. It wasn't going to be me. I wasn't going to do it. "No!"

    "Got it! Now what?" Came another voice.

   "Just – I'm just going to--"

     Water splashed over my form and with a shuddering gasp, my eyes flew open. The two heads bent over me slowly came into focus and Felix set down the bucket, exhaling. His hair was a mess, and Logan was a bit pale.

    "What--?" I sat up with a groan, rubbing my forehead. My hands were shaking, my blood rate racing. "What happened? Wasn't there just..." My voice trailed off.

     Felix grimaced. "Whispers, right?"

    Swallowing, I nodded. The lingering terror was slowly draining as I realized that it had all been a nightmare, but I was still shaky.

    "It's all in your head, Fletch," Felix said quietly as he sat down. Logan looked at him curiously, then followed suit. I was propped up on my elbows and shoved to sit, exhaling shakily. I felt like I'd run a marathon without any water or breaks.

    "I take it you know what just happened?" I swallowed. "Why I felt . . ."

     Felix ran a hand through his hair. The fire pit nearby was only embers by now, and the stars twinkled from above. The night was chilly and fire was still warm enough to keep us fine. Though I didn't remember falling asleep.

     "That's a dream haze," Felix started. "We're not supposed to be rational, remember. The disease apparently has back-up plans to force us to haze over if we remain rational for too long."

     "A dream haze?" Logan repeated, puzzled. I was equally confused. Felix nodded. "It happens now and then. If you don't have anyone to wake you up from the nightmare, you'll haze over. I don't know when or why they happen, but I'm glad I realized that you were dreaming. Otherwise we'd be chasing your hazed self through the forest."

    My mouth went dry as I realized something. "Wait, doesn't that mean we could haze over any time we fall asleep?" My eyes widened.

     "Pretty much." Felix rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping it wouldn't happen while we were in a group, but the good news is that we could both tell that you were about to haze over. It usually happens directly after you get rational again. For me, it happened every other night for about a week, then once a week until they finally stopped. I think as long as we don't haze over again, we won't get the dream haze."

    Logan shuddered. "That was creepy as hell. Your eyes went white, Fletcher. And you started having a seizure."

    Chewing on this information, I exhaled. "Why didn't it happen to Logan? Or Madison?"