Page 13 of Lust

Eyes closed.

He’s muttering something.

I focus on this scene, hoping that will keep me from going back to the memory.

He’s in a dark room, kneeling on the cement floor in a chalked-out pentagram.

“I’m so sorry, Luke,” Mom says, straining to go on.

“No,” I say, returning to the image of the guy from the bleachers, seeing him muttering to himself, sweat beading down his forehead.

What the fuck are you doing?

In an instant I’m struck by searing pain that cuts through me, straight into my soul. I know this pain so well…the depths of despair. I collapse against the shower wall, steadily sinking to the floor as memories haunt me.

“Daddy’s not gonna be okay, sweetie.”

“Stop it!” I scream, thrashing about.

My words seem to summon the blond guy once again. His eyes pop open and he gasps, and then it’s like I’ve been shot in the chest, my body propelled into the shower wall.

It takes me a moment to realize the hit knocked the wind out of me, and as I struggle to get some air back into my lungs, the shower curtain is drawn open.

Alexei stands outside, a towel around his waist, wide-eyed with worry. “Dude, you okay? What’s wrong?”

I pat at my chest, straining, and he rushes in to help me to my feet. I finally catch my first bit of breath when he has me out of the shower.

A bunch of the guys are standing around us in a semicircle, including Seth and Brad.

Despite the discomfort of having the wind knocked out of me, my mind has quieted from the memories, but I can’t shake the image of their friend. Cody. Somehow I suddenly fucking know it like I know my own name.

But how is that fucking possible?

As my breathing steadies, everyone seems to ease up. Alexei helps me to my locker and into my clothes. “We should get you checked out at the clinic.”

“It’s okay. I’m feeling better.”

“Dude, you were on the fucking floor.”

“Can we not do this here, please?” I glance around the room…make eye contact with Brad, who’s a few lockers over. I give him a pointed glare because I don’t know how, but he had something to do with this.

Once I’m dressed, I talk Alexei out of taking me to the clinic, and we return to our dorm room.

I’m still rattled, but overall, I’m fine. At least those dark memories are at bay again. Now I just need to figure out what the hell all that weird-ass shit was with Brad on top of me and this Cody guy.

I settle into bed and pull out my phone, since I’m gonna have to google some of this crap, when I notice a notification from the St. Lawrence grade portal.

It’s listed as Strauss’s class.

He didn’t tell me the shitty grade he gave me on that homework assignment, so I pull it up just to see. Already been a bad enough day, might as well get it over with.

Second Response: A+

My jaw drops as I reflect on that weird-ass conversation he had with me.

A series of scenes play through my mind:

Cody in that dark room, kneeling in the pentagram.

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