I felt someone violently shaking me. Yelling, screaming. The voices weren't my own. For reasons unknown, I couldn't open my eyes.
But then I heard something new. Hoarse screaming. Screams of terror, absolute fear. It took a few seconds to pinpoint who this new scream came from. And it came from me.
Soon sights came into view, sights I had seen before. The whip came down. One, two, three, four. I can't feel anything. The screams lessen. Five, six, seven. Still nothing. The screams are almost silent now.
Eight. The pain is so intense. The skin ripping apart. My stomach, my arms, legs, everything. I feel the pain everywhere. So intense, it's paralyzing.
The screams come back, louder than ever. I can feel the screams tearing through my throat. It echoed throughout the halls of the cave, I heard that much.
Then nothing, again. The screams continued, but the pain was gone. The sights were gone. The whip was gone.
"Has this happened before?" I heard a female voice in the distance.
"Kind of. She's been having nightmares for a while now, but never this bad. Never have I heard her scream this much." A male voice, just as distant.
I feel arms wrap around me, holding my hands across my stomach.
I slowly become more and more aware of whatever's going on around me.
"She stopped screaming, and pretty much going insane. Does that mean it's over?" That was Rayna, I know it was her voice.
"We can only hope." Luke, from right above me. "She's shaking uncontrollably. That was worse than she's seen before."
"Oh," Phoenix started. "I forgot you could read each other's thoughts. What was she seeing?"
Luke sighed loudly. "Some guy." Luke seemed to not be able to continued. "Wh-whipping her." He shuddered, I don't think it went unnoticed. "Lately she's been blocking me from seeing her dreams, but she didn't this time. I don't know why."
I heard movement to my right, then nothing. I still couldn't open my eyes. I still couldn't move.
"Maybe she's going to wake up soon. I mean, she's been screaming for the passed hour. How long is one dream?" Phoenix, that had to have been Phoenix. She sounded bored, as if this wasn't anything bad.
I wanted so bad to open my eyes, tell her how bad it was. Tell all of them how painful it is to be whipped. But I didn't have to.
"The same thing keeps repeating. She can somehow feel the pain, as if she's actually getting whipped." His grip tightened. "And there's nothing I can do."
"Just give her different thoughts. You can do that, can't you?" Rayna said.
"It doesn't work that way. She has to accept them, have a clear mind. Clearly her mind isn't clear."
More words were said, but everything just dulled. The words became sounds, the sounds became silence. I couldn't hear anything anymore.
Light soon invaded my sight, and I thought I was waking up. Oh how wrong I was.
Yet again, I was in that theater. Luke was hanging up high, eyes wide open. I took a good look at him for the first time, noticing his mouth was gagged. He couldn't make a sound. Blood drips down from his forehead, just above his right eyebrow. A bruise darkened around his right eye.
I tore my gaze away from him, looking at the man in front of me. The man with the mask, whip and my broken locket. He stepped forward, then another step, and another. He stood right in front of me, the whip curling around his hand. As I looked to the rough ropes that kept me bound to some tree, I readied myself for the eighth blow.
One. I felt it this time. My screams echoed across the room, bouncing off the walls. Two. I looked down as I screamed, my skin was torn in two thick lines. Three. My eyes closed with pain.
I thrashed and twisted, going nowhere. Until whip eight, I was in complete pain. I felt like I would pass out. I'm sure I would if this wasn't a dream. I felt this over and over before, and now I felt it with each whip that came.
I screamed, shrieked even. I twisted and turned and thrashed, just trying to get away from the man and the tree. But no matter what I did, I couldn't get away.
I heard voices again. At first they were just mumbles, but soon they became words again.
"Why is it so loud?" I couldn't tell who the voice belonged to. I was screaming too loud.
"She felt the pain with the first whip this time. And the rest of them." That had to have been Luke. And he must've told them I didn't feel pain until the last whip the other times.
They didn't say any more. I felt hands tighten their grip on my own, my arms tugging across my stomach. I tried to free them.
Key word: tried.
Their grip on my hands was just too tight.
Shaking, I felt shaking. Shaking my shoulders, but also shaking of my entire body. Shaking like shivers, chills, but I'm not cold. Maybe shaking with fear, with pain. It could be anything.
"Lilith, stop. Everything is okay. It's only a dream. It's not real." Luke yelled in my ear.
I wanted to wake up, I really did. I was half awake already, just waiting for my eyes to open.
More screaming followed, but it wasn't my own. Definitely female. The grip on my hands loosened, I could pull my hands away if I wanted to. The screams continued, and then abruptly stopped.
Now would be a good time to wake up! I have to help with whatever is going on.
I felt Luke shift from behind me. I just realized he had been holding me tight against him, but now he moved away. I was laid back onto the couch. I heard commotion, people moving around. A loud thump came after another yell. My screams had stopped, all I saw was black.
Silence once again. Then I felt arms wrap around me, lifting me up off the couch. Another thump sent me flying to the ground. This is when my eyes decided they wanted to open. I slowly sat up, holding my stomach as if I really was whipped. My stomach actually felt like the skin was torn open, even though I know it wasn't. I still felt the pain.
I looked around the room, which was now a complete mess. On the ground in a crumpled heap was Phoenix. Behind her was Rayna, shaking but unharmed. Luke was getting up from behind the couch, a new bruise forming on his left eye. A man lay at my feet.
I tried to scoot away from him, but my back hit the wall behind me almost instantly. The man was unconscious, a mask covering his face. I lifted his face with telekinesis, taking the mask off at the same time. When I saw the face beneath the mask, I dropped his head. Again I tried my best to get away. Familiar blonde hair flopped to the ground. One eye was slightly open, its green-yellow color sticking out against the white. It was creepy, to say the least.
This was the same man that attacked me. That attacked Luke. I still had the bruises to show for it. He was still bruised, too. I mentally slapped myself for being so afraid of him. He was unconscious, he couldn't do anything. I thought back to his words before he ran off the last time. "I'll be back. Trust me, this isn't the last you're going to see of me."
I looked at Luke, who had a worried expression written across his face. He slowly walked over to me.
He took my hands, helping me to my feet. I wrapped one arm around my stomach again, remembering the pain I had felt. Luke hugged me, not seeming to want to let go.
"We have to go." Rayna said, still behind Phoenix. She was trying to pick her up, but failing. Rayna settled on holding Phoenix's hands.
"Agreed, you okay Lilith?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." He let go of me, and I leaned against the wall.
Luke walked over to Rayna, swiftly scooping Phoenix up into his arms. "Grab the bags, Lilith. Rayna, grab anything you two may need."
Rayna ran out of the room, I grabbed both clothes bags. Luke and I already went through all the food. I'm sure we would find some more along the way.
Cuan and Bleidd circled around Luke, trying to catch one another. Cuan ended up getting Bleidd, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. With both bags slung across my back, I picked up Bleidd. He was so small, I could hold him with one arm. He lay his head on my hand.
Cuan followed Luke out of the room, the two of us waiting for Rayna. She finally came running out of the bedroom tunnel, carrying one duffle bag. I assume it held clothes.
"Will she be okay?" Rayna asked, worried for her sister.
Luke looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms. "Just a bruised head, nothing more. The force of the blow probably knocked her out. She should be fine in a little while."
I put my hand on Rayna's shoulder. Surprisingly, she placed hers on top of mine. I smiled slightly, knowing she doesn't like being touched. I'm with her, I'm not a huge fan of being touched either.
I started walking out, Rayna and Luke right behind me. I may not know the woods well, but neither did either of them. I put Bleidd on the ground, knowing he would follow me. Cuan stayed right at Luke's ankles.
As soon as we left the shelter of the cave, we were drenched. Of course, on this one day, rain decided to fall. I quickly made a big shield above us. It blocked the rain, and this shield wasn't so secret. You could see the rain bounce off of some invisible thing, which was the shield. Rayna looked up, surprised the rain stopped falling so suddenly. When she saw that it was only blocked by some force, her jaw dropped a little.
"It's a shield." I tell Rayna.
"I didn't realize it would be invisible. That's so cool." She closed her mouth again, probably realizing how stupid she looked.
The moon was still out, I guess we didn't get much sleep. I made a small fire in my palm, encasing it in a shield. I let it go in front of me, lighting my way.
"How can you do that so easily?" Rayna was excited about seeing me use my powers, I could tell by the lightness of her voice.
"I don't know. Lucas and I have been doing it pretty much our whole lives. It's just become a part of us." I said. I never really thought about it before.
Luke stayed silent, but I didn't question him. He was probably just lost in thought. Rayna now walked by my side, Luke still behind us. Bleidd shivered a little at my feet, so I put a shield around him. The shields can hold in heat, so he should stay warm.
Holding three shields was a hard thing to do. I was already growing tired, my eyes drooping slightly. I force them open, staying alert. At any moment, something could go wrong. I had to be as alert as possible, just in case.
I heard a gasp behind me and I whirled around. Only to find Phoenix looking at Luke with shock written all over her features.
"Put me down!" She yelled, embarrassed? That can't be right.
Luke put her down gently, holding her arms to steady her as she swayed on her feet. "I'm fine, let go."
"You took a blow to the head, sorry for making sure you're okay." Luke huffed, releasing his grasp from her arms.
She stumbled forwards for a second, but caught herself. Luke walked ahead of me, having his own shield above him. I dropped the one above the three of us and the one holding the fire. The fire flew back to my hand, I extinguished it.
"Lucas, wait." I said forcefully.
He stopped, turning angrily. "Why are you so mad?" I asked.
"I'm not." Luke turned back around, storming away.
The rain started picking up, soaking me further. I looked at Phoenix and Rayna apologetically, putting a shield above them. I turned and ran to Luke, grabbing his arm. Luke stopped again, I could sense his anger.
"I'll ask again, why are you so mad?" I looked up at him, confusion written in my eyes.
Luke was about to answer, but was interrupted by a new voice. "What are you two doing with them?"
I turned fast, fire in my palms at my waist. The fire disappeared as I saw Phoenix run over to a teen boy behind her, hugging him as if her life depended on it. Maybe it did.
Rayna looked at him, but walked towards Luke and I. Phoenix let go of the boy, coming over to follow Rayna. The boy came, too.
"They were lost, now were friends." Phoenix put it simply.
"Who are they, though?" He asked.
Luke looked at me, an evil glint in his eyes. Don't do anything bad, I warned him.
What makes you think I would? He smirks, looking right at the boy in front of us.
I turn to look at Luke. You have that glint in your eyes.
Luke gasped, everyone looked at him oddly. I don't have a glint! I don't get glints!
You are so stupid.
Says the one who broke her ribs in a motorcycle accident.
I remember we were asked who we are, and I looked to the three people in front of me. "I'm Lilith, this is my brother Lucas."
"We're twins." Luke said. I assume he hopes the dude in front of us knows that twins have special abilities.
"I'm Kai," he started. "I'm Phoenix and Rayna's older brother."
They have a brother? Why don't any of them look alike?