I took my time walking down the halls of the academy with Zavier on one side and Shayden on my other. I appreciated them standing by me, not judging me as I thought the others were doing. I didn't blame them though. How could I? I didn't believe myself to be sane.
It was that reason, for the first time in my life, I actually hated this place. I wanted away from it. To never walk through its doors again. I had no one to blame for things that had happened to me. I couldn't even blame those that plotted to kill me. They were only doing what they thought was best.
Would I have done the same to them, if the roles were reversed? No, I know I wouldn't. But I am young. I can do other things with my life. Choose if I want to be something else. They weren't. Not that they were that old, but assassin’s especially, were set in their ways.
Did it hurt me that they felt that way toward me? More than anything else I think. If they had listened to me, they would have known the only thing I wanted was for everyone to do their jobs. I only wanted to help. Even if I never stepped foot out of the academy to do the jobs they did, I would have done it another way.
Creating, that was what I loved doing. Creating things that would help others do their jobs better or faster. They never gave me a chance, though. All their judgment was for no reason. It was wrong. I didn't want to take over the F.O.A. I don't know how anyone would want that job. It took someone a lot stronger than me.
I was so lost in thought I didn't stop at the door of our room until Shayden grabbed my arm.
“You alright?”
I could see the worry etched on his face. His eyebrows furrowed, the frown his lips wore, but it was what I could see in his eyes that let me know how much he cared.
“Yeah. Just thinking. That's all.”
I gave him a small smile and walked into the apartment. I walked over to the window and peeked out. It was dark out. I glanced at the clock. It was morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet. It was a time that most still rested, but not us. No, I was the reason for everyone’s restlessness.
I didn't even bother to change or shower before going to the kitchen to make something to eat for everyone. I didn't know how long it had been since they had something to eat.
“What day is it?” I asked when I poked my head into the living room to find them all sitting there deep in discussion.
I could see the anger on Zavier's face. He had been arguing with them. Shayden didn't look that happy either. Dean just sit there.
“Saturday.”
Zavier stood up to come to me. I shook my head and smiled. He sits back down and looked at everyone. I didn't want to see anymore.
I went back to work thinking about how it had been a week since I had had anything to eat. I hadn't been allowed solid food because of the stomach bleed and then had been unconscious for I was guessing three days. Then I spent the last one screaming and being knocked out while they were gone.
I knew they were arguing over my mental health. I hated that it would cause problems between them. Gabe was a no nonsense person. He didn't believe in ghost or anything paranormal. It's not that I did either exactly. I did believe in ghosts. I always had. That was why I would talk to Maria at night when I was alone. It didn't mean I believed in what I was seeing though.
It had to be the head injury. I didn't even tell them how hard I had hit. The pain in my head was more bearable than the pain I had felt in my chest. Maybe in time it would go away and I would be normal again. I turned and looked around the kitchen. If I had my laptop in here I could find out.
I took everyone their breakfast and drinks before grabbing my laptop and sitting it at the kitchen table. I had turned it on and was letting it load as I fixed my plate. When I turned around to go to the table I was shocked to see Shayden, Zavier, Dean, and Sage sitting there. So much for research.
“So you are the ones on my side?”
“We are all on your side. We just have different opinions as to what's going on,” Dean answered. “What's your opinion on it?”
Okay, if I were to believe that I could see the future and predict when something was going to happen, then I would have to believe that Dean could read minds. I took a bite of food and looked at him. I shrugged my shoulders.
I looked back down at my plate and jerked when a pain shot through my jaw.
“Marissa what was that? Even I felt that.” Shayden was starting to look nervous.
“Did you see something?” Sage asked.
“Pain. That's all it was. A sharp pain went through my jaw.” I rubbed my jaw to try to take the memory away.
No one said anything else about it after that. Instead they hovered. Every day. If it wasn't one of them it was the other. If I even sneezed they were nearby to ask if something was wrong. And the more they hovered, the more Gabe and Lorik shot me weird looks.
Dean had informed me that he thought this wasn't over. He wouldn't say why. I agreed but didn't tell anyone else that. It was far from over.
For two weeks after waking with hallucinations, I had nightmares. Not just any nightmare either. It was dreams of people I didn't know, people I had never seen, coming after me. But there was one thing constant in all of them. Dad was in the middle of it.
I tried to convince myself that it was because I hadn't gotten to talk to him about everything. I had only seen him once since I woke up. Dean assured me that he had talked to him and everything was fine. This feeling wouldn't leave though. Something wasn't right.
With every day that passed, my apprehension grew. My nerves felt frayed. I jumped at any little noise. I was terrified to even shower without someone in there with me. Of course, being the only girl, I was alone. Gabe had quit coming in and talking to me.
I woke this morning in a cold sweat. I looked over and apologized to Zavier for getting him wet. He shook his head and kissed me. I reached over and picked my phone up off the table and waited. Seconds later it dinged letting me know of the text message I had just gotten.
I smiled and showed Zavier. He gave me a tight smile. I knew he was feeling the shaking coming off my body. I couldn't contain the tremors anymore.
“I get my stitches out today,” I announced after getting out of the bed.
“Oh really? How did you find that out?” Gabe asked me. His voice let me know he thought I was saying it because I had seen it.
“Kyle texted me.”
I knew I was a little meaner than needed when I said it. I just couldn't stand how he was treating me anymore. I dropped my phone in his lap and walked off to shower.
Before I had even got through the doorway to the kitchen I was on my knees, holding my jaw. Images again swam in my mind. It was more vivid this time. If I could make myself look up I could see his face. But I couldn't. I couldn't look out of fear that it was someone I had loved.
Zavier was at my side in an instant. I felt the warmth from his body as he held me to him but it didn't stop the convulsions raking my body. I looked up to see Gabe just sitting there.
“He's going to kill me.”
“Who is? Gabe?” Zavier was beginning to panic.
“No. I don't know who it is. Gabe help me.”
Gabe looked confused. I had never told them that the visions were clearer. That I had actually started believing in what I was seeing. I had no choice. Everything I was seeing had started coming true.
I grabbed my head and screamed as the pain shot through it again. I wanted to pull my hair out to try to stop it.
“Where's Shayden?”
Without Shayden I was dead. I could feel it. Whoever said you wouldn't feel any pain if you were shot in the head was wrong. I felt it.
I began panting trying to stop the pain but I couldn't stop the screams every time it reverberated through me. Zavier was screaming at Gabe to do something but he just sat there looking frightened. There was no one else there.
“Find Shayden. Please hurry.” But he didn't have to. The door burst open and Shayden was on his knees in fron
t of me. He put his hands on my face and pulled me forward. He laid his head on top of mine. The pain vanished.
I took in as many deep breaths as I could. My brain no longer felt as if were being shredded inside my head. The one thing that I noticed as I started calming, no alarm had gone off. As terrified as I was, I heard no screaming from the alarm of my locator.
“Did me being shot mess with my locator?”
I watched a dark look come over Shayden's face. Slowly he turned and looked at Gabe.
“It was going off every night. You knew that Shayden. We had no choice but to turn it off.”
Shayden stood up and punched the wall in front of him.
“If something happens to my sister because of that, every one of you will answer to me.”
I had never heard him sound so sinister. But it was Zavier that I had to grab onto to stop him from actually doing something.
“How many times do I have to tell you the things she's seeing are happening?” His voice echoed through the room. I'm sure the others had heard him too.
He grabbed me and held me against him tight. “I thought she was your best friend? I thought we both were. But you turned your back on both of us. Instead of trying to help figure out the cause or if something was wrong or even just listening to her, you turned your back on her.”
He stared at Gabe for a few minutes before looking down at me. He took a deep breath and leaned his head down putting his forehead against mine. After a few seconds he pressed his lips to mine and held them there. He kissed me once before pulling away.
“Come on. Let's go. You wanted a shower. I'll talk to you while you’re in there,” he run his fingers through my damp hair. “I won't leave you.”
I didn't know if he meant it as in leaving the bathroom or that he wouldn't turn against me like he thought Gabe did. I really didn't think Gabe had turned against me per say, I just thought he didn't know how to deal with this.