Page 48 of Fragmented Illusions
Death has finally found me. Everyone knows it’s inevitable. It comes for us all, at some point in time, and my time is now.
Would I be a fool to fight it? Or would I be a fool to succumb?
Either way it is destined to happen, I believe.
To fight and die? Or to surrender and die?
My phone screen lights up again, still in my hand while I continue to hold it above my face.
Unknown: decisions, decisions…
I swallow the lump in my throat and toss my phone to the side. I don’t know how they know the things they do, but somehow, they can see everything. I wouldn’t even be surprised at this point if they have cameras in here somewhere.
How they got me into my room in the middle of the day. One; without me waking up, and two; without anyone seeing, I haven’t the faintest clue. Again, adding to my intrigue. These men are mysterious and complex.
It feels as if they were personally tailored for me, to consume me, fuckingwreck meand everything else I’ve tried to build.
My phone pings again and my body coils with anticipation as I press the button to light up the screen, but the text I’m staring at isn’t from whom I was expecting.
Nat: Hey, girly! We missed you at school today. Not sure if you’re just not feeling well, but I wanted to check in on you. We’re all at Ian’s for the party tonight. I wanted to let you know in case you were wondering, and we hope to see you! Love ya!
I sigh and drop my phone at my side again. I forgot there was a party tonight. After what happened today, it slipped my mind—obviously. I don’t particularly want to go, but I know I should. It’sexpectedof me. And besides that, the girls are worried about me. Well, mostly Nat, but still. If I don’t go, she’ll worry more than she already is and with things becoming more intense with the brothers, I need her focus off of me.
So, to appease her, and honestly my own selfish reasons, I’m going to go.
Now to get the hell out of this bed.
“Damn, Fal! Lookin’ hot!” Sarah shouts as I step into the main room of the house. At the sound of her barely audible voice, I move over to them in the center of the room. “Transformation” by Gizmo blares through the house, the bass is pumping hard, rattling my jaw. Everyone is swaying together, grinding on one another to the beat of the music. Their faces glow with sweat as the colored lights flash randomly across the bodies packed into the room.
Nat wraps her arms around my waist, and she smiles as we begin to dance together. I find myself mirroring her grin as the beat of the music moves through our bodies. She rolls her hips against mine, grinding against me. Our fronts are flush, and my arms automatically wrap around her waist.
“Here!” she shouts over the music. A KAMARRA song starts, and his deep, raspy voice instantly makes me think of Silent. His voice sounds very similar and goosebumps crawl across my skin, heat quickly following their path, settling into a steady pulse between my thighs.
Nat pushes a cup to my lips, and I swallow instinctually as liquid hits my tongue. I fight the urge to cough as the liquor burns a path down my throat, the heat of the alcohol mixing with the heat of my unwarranted arousal.
Once the glass is completely empty, Natalie pulls it away and throws it behind her head absentmindedly. I watch as it bounces off the back of someone’s head, but they either don’t care, or they don’t even notice because they don’t stop their dancing.
I sway a bit on my feet as Nat and I continue our dancing. I try to push the brothers from my mind and get lost in the moment with my best friend. I close my eyes and let the music wash over me, now a Ghostemane song, only focusing on the feel of Nat’s small hands gripping my hips as we sway and grind together.
I don’t even know how long Natalie and I dance for, but my legs and feet begin to ache, and I tell Nat as much. She laughs breathlessly in my ear and says, “I’ll go get some more alcohol. That’ll help!” I laugh and nod, watching her get lost in the mass of bodies as she forces her way through.
I close my eyes again and continue to dance. I don’t know what song is playing now, but it’s fast paced and loud. It’s different from anything I would personally listen to, but it’s not bad. I shrug nonchalantly and tilt my head back. I feel my hair brushing my tailbone through my leggings as I rotate my head back and forth to the beat of the music.
I jerk upright at the feel of hot hands sliding underneath my shirt and across the skin of my stomach. I jerk away and spin around, gasping with fear when I see Trenton smirking at me. His eyes are bloodshot and glassy—clearly drunk—and his pupils are blown, almost solid black. I take a step back, fear overtaking my drunken haze as I stare at him.
I haven’t seen, nor spoken to him since Halloween night. I don’t know what to say as I take another step back before spinning around and pushing through the mass of sweaty bodies, leaving Trenton at my back.
My heart jumps into my throat as I make my escape. I can’t be anywhere near him, thoughts of what he almost did too painful.
I nearly laugh out loud at the thought. The brothers literally had me pinned naked underneath of them, and one cut into my skin—all against my will—and I’m more terrified of Trenton than I am of them.
Actually, I don’t think I fear them anymore.
Well, maybe I do. But not like I should. But then again, I don’t feel anything even close to normal when it comes to them.
I finally break through the group of people, making a beeline for the stairs. I need to be away from everyone, but I can’t go outside. The last time I was outside alone, it didn’t end so well for me.
At least up here, I can be alone—because the parties are never allowed up here—I don’t have to worry about schooling my fear for him. I may not have told a single soul what he did to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not utterly terrified of him.
