Page 4 of Forged in Flames (Made of Steel 2)

I watched the snow fall until my bloody handprint was no longer visible. I thought I'd feel cold in the snow. But all I could feel were the flames swallowing me whole before everything turned black.

Chapter 3

18 Years Old

Present Day - Friday

I took a huge gulp of air as I sat up. Blood. I touched my stomach and felt the jagged scar. It was just a dream. I tried to catch my breath as the tears welled in my eyes. It felt like I couldn't breathe. Because it wasn't just a dream. I remembered it happening like it was yesterday.

I felt dizzy, as though I was still losing blood. Everything was blurry. I squeezed my eyes shut. I'm okay. I tried to steady my breathing as relief washed over me. The memory was painful, but it couldn't hurt me now. Not physically, at least. But God it hurt to remember. I put my hand back on my stomach. Just a scar. No blood. I was safe. Just me. Alone. Always alone.

Fire. It still felt like there were flames inside of me. I wanted to scream. I wanted everything back that was taken from me. I tried to tell myself again that I was okay. But the truth was, I wasn't. I wasn't sure I'd ever be again. He stole my life.

I opened my eyes, but everything was still blurry. My head seared with pain. I touched the back of my head where the pain was emanating. There was a huge welt at the base of my skull. My dorm room slowly came into focus.

How did I get here? It felt like I had been sleeping for a long time. All the details seemed to come back in a rush. Don. The twisted game. Joan. I looked down at the inside of my forearm to stare at the bloody message, but it was gone. My arm was wiped clean.

I was disoriented. I put my fingers on my temples. Had I dreamt all of that too? What was happening? I shoved the blankets off of me and climbed out of my bed. I didn't come back here. How the hell did I get back into my room? I spun around.

I couldn't have dreamt all of it. I touched the back of my head again. There was definitely a bruise there from being hit in the back of the head with a gun. It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. But I had also fallen. I had been in the hospital. Could the bump be from that? Had that even happened? I felt like I was hyperventilating.

"Hey, Sadie. Are you feeling better? I brought you some lunch." Kins walked into the room and set down a dining hall takeout bag on my desk.

It was her. She had to be involved in this. She was the only one with a key to our dorm. I backed away from her until my butt hit my mattress.

"Are you okay?" She frowned.

"I have to go."

"But you just got back."

"How?"

"What do you mean how?" She took a step toward me.

"I didn't fall asleep here." I looked around the room. "I don't know how I got here. How did I get here?" My voice seemed to screech.

"Sadie. I know you're hurting. But screw Eli. Everything is going to be okay." She wrapped her arms around me.

I winced at her touch. I wanted to shove her off of me. I wanted to scream. But instead, I let her hug me. What if I had imagined everything? What if I really was losing my mind?

"I'm really glad you decided not to leave," she said as she released me from her hug. "We're going to get through this together, I promise."

Her words meant nothing to me. No one I had ever met was capable of keeping a promise. "I never left?"

Kins frowned again. "No. You came back a few hours after you stormed out of here. Don't you remember?"

I put my hand on my forehead again. I didn't remember anything after talking to Joan. It all seemed foggy. I had this sinking feeling that I had imagined all of it. There was no box with slippers. There was no message on my arm. Nothing pointed to the fact that it had actually happened. I had been kidnapped and there was no evidence. And it didn't even make any sense. Why would Don kidnap me and not kill me?

"Really, you should eat something. You don't look so good."

Of course I don't look good! I'm losing my mind! I had to find someone from the witness protection program to help me. Anyone. "I'll be back later." I pulled the vigilante's hoodie on and put my cell phone in my pocket.

"Where are you going? I skipped my last class because you said you wanted to hang out. I thought we could talk about what happened with Miles a little more."

When did I tell you all of this? Everything in my gut was screaming that she couldn't be trusted. If I came home last night, I would have remembered talking to her, right? She was making this up. She had to be.

"I'm sorry," I said as I laced my Converses. "I forgot that I had plans."

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