I rubbed at my eyes, my freezing hands completely numb. I can't fall asleep. I can't fall asleep.

But despite my thinking that, my eyelids continued to droop, each time moving farther down over my eyes. And it wasn't helping that there was a breeze of cold wind blowing from a vent in the ceiling.

I don't want to die. I'm not ready. I'm only nineteen. Tears pricked at my eyes, burning them. My head continuously rolled to the side, wanting to coax my body to completely relax into an eternal sleep. And the thought scared me. Hot adrenaline raced across my body to try and keep me awake.

I forced my head to raise - my neck stiff in the cold - when the sun began peeking over the horizon. I didn't know how I'd managed to survive all night. People always said throughout my years in high school that I was a fighter - and not just because I got into constant fights with the school bullies. They saw something in me.

But I saw nothing. Nothing but a failure.

I've failed my family. I've failed Zeke. I've failed Disney.

I was supposed to be working at ComplexDisney to earn enough money for Mom to keep custody of Mary-Ann. To pay off the apartment. To make our lives better. I was supposed to be a good worker for Zeke. To cooperate when he gave me an order or job to follow through with. To be a good friend. To support him.

I was supposed to save these Disney characters. To help them. To set them free. To send them home.

I sobbed into my knees, my cheek tingling against the frozen fabric of my pants. I didn't know why I thought I could do it. I'm a stupid, reckless girl who will now die because of her stupid, reckless actions. The hot tears burned trails down my cheeks as I continued sobbing, shaking violently. I hate myself. I hate myself!

And with that thought in mind, I willingly closed my eyes, finally giving them the satisfaction of sealing me in a darkness that would soon be permanent. I hate myself.

I burrowed my face into the crook of my arm, the soaked sweater dampening my face. I hate myself.

At first, the sound of banging fell on deaf ears. It was probably the Founders here to gloat and treat me like an animal at a zoo - knocking on the glass to pester me. I didn't give them the satisfaction of seeing my tear-stained face. But as the sound continued, I finally forced my back to straighten and my head to raise. The freezing air swirled around me in a frenzy. I blinked to try and clear my darkening vision. Then I squinted, trying to see the figure more clearly.

Zeke?

He banged desperately on the glass, saying things that my hazy mind wasn't comprehending. I stared at him, completely shocked. Tears of relief spilled down my cheeks. I forced my body forward, feeling as if I was trying to stretch the limbs of a stone statue. But I managed to reach the glass, despite the fierce shaking of my body in the cold.

Zeke's blue eyes were wide and panicked, his lips moving frantically in incomprehensible words. I only felt my lips stretch into a small smile, feeling the dry skin cracking, and wincing because of the burning pain. My shaking hand moved to press into the thick glass. I could barely even feel the cold surface beneath my palm.

Zeke looked at my hand, tears seeming to glaze his eyes. Then he'd looking frantically to the sides, searching for something. I shook my head when he begins hurrying away.

Stay. Please. I pressed my forehead against the glass. A croaky sob rubbed through my raw throat to escape and reverberate around the exhibit.

I don't want to die alone.

Before the tiredness could overwhelm me once and for all, I held onto a sound coming from behind me. I couldn't make it out but I focused every alert cell in my brain to latch onto it.

After several moments, it stopped. Complete silence and loneliness set in around me. I hunched over, my shaking body beginning to succumb to coughs.

Then I felt something grasp my shoulder.

I shrieked in fright, the sound tearing up my already damaged throat. The grasp moved to slide around my body, gripping me tightly and hoisting me up into the air.

A weird form of pixie dust?

But when I opened my eyes, it wasn't pixie dust. It was Zeke. His lips moved with more words my brain muffled as he carried me away. I leaned into him, never having been so thankful for another person's warmth.

Before I knew it, I was being set down. When I opened my eyes, everything was completely blurred again. I could feel Zeke's hands yanking hastily at the layers of clothing clinging to my clammy skin, peeling them away.

"...be okay." I blinked as his gentle but panicked voice reached me, clear and sounding more amazing than I could ever have imagined.

As my vision clearsed, I watched Zeke hurriedly taking the layers of coats the Founders made me put on off and throwing them to the side. I shivered violently, cherishing the rays of sunshine that burned my cold skin as I was finally left with only the swimsuit on.

"You're okay," Zeke said again, hoisting me into his arms for the second time.

"Zeke?" I croaked, my voice a thick rasp as he hurriedly jogged with me down the cobblestone paths. Was this a hallucination?

"Yeah," he said, giving me a warm glance. "You're going to be okay. I just need to get you warm."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. But my silent question was soon answered when he set me on my feet to open the door to a car. We were in the parking lot. My legs buckled beneath me, but not before he could catch me and slip me into the car. I moved sluggishly to buckle the seatbelt. Mom always tells me to buckle my seatbelt.

I felt him tuck some warm blankets over me before he raced around the car to slip into the driver's seat. I shivered beneath the soft weight.

He gave me another glance as he started the car. "Crap!" He whipped his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a number, starting the car and pulling out of the lot.

I frowned at him. "That's i-i-i-illegal!"

"Shush!" he said. Then he nodded, the phone pressed to his ear. "Yeah, Wayne? Yeah. Hey, I need a favor, and don't ask questions. I need you to fill the bathtub up with warm water. Warm water. Don't ask questions, just do it, please. Please." He swerved out onto the main road. "Yes. Thank you!"

He hung up. I leaned my head back against the seat. "I'm...I-I-I'm t-tired."

"No, don't go to sleep!" Zeke shook my shoulder. "Gianna, stay awake. You're not in the safe yet."

When was I ever "in the safe"?

I frowned, wrapping my stiff fingers around the warm fabric and clutching it tighter to me. But even with the blankets rubbing against my bare skin, violent shivers didn't cease to shake my body. I turned my head to gaze at Zeke through half-closed eyes. "Z-Zeke...B-Ben is with th-them."

Zeke frowned, his eyes on the road. "They have him too?"

I shook my head, coughing. "N-No. I mean, h-he's working with them. I h-heard Stermin talking a-about having someone s-spying on us, an-and then Y-Y-Ykell said "B-Ben?" He's a-a traitor."

Zeke was silent for several moments. I pressed my face into the blanket, closing my eyes. I couldn't keep them open.

"Hey," he said, shaking my shoulder again. "Don't close your eyes."

"I'm n-not," I lied, my voice muffled.

"Gianna."

I whipped my head up, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "My head and eyelids f-feel like dead weight. I c-can't."

"We're nearly to the apartment," Zeke promised. "Just stay awake until we're inside and settled, okay?"

"M-My apartment?"

"No, mine."

I wanted to question him but my cracked lips didn't want to move anymore. So, instead, I focused on keeping my eyes open. Zeke's hand moved from the steering wheel to grab mine, our fingers entwining. His skin burned against my own. I whimpered softly when I swallowed, my numb skin feeling as if it was bruised around my neck.

"Gianna," Zeke said softly, his voice shaky.

"Shut up," I whispered, not wanting to cry. I blinked tears away.

The heater was blasting hot air that crawled in tendrils over my body. My weak grip on Zeke's hand loosened when a wave of lightheadedness strikes. My head rolled to the side. I shuddered again.

"We're almost there. Don't go to sleep, Gianna."

"Shut up," I groaned again. "I'm n-not."

"You're quite the liar so I don't believe you."

"My head hurts," was my response.

Through my closed eyes, I could feel the car swerve onto another road. I leaned with it, frowning to myself. "D-Don't b-be ille-illegal."

Zeke didn't reply. I clutched his hand more tightly to keep some muscle taut so as to not slip away. Would it be best if I did though?

🔹✨🔹✨🔹✨🔹

I guess I slipped away at one point because, when I lifted my head, I was in Zeke's arms again. He was carrying me out of an elevator and toward a door amongst many. It opened for him when he got closer. A sturdy young man stepped to the side to let him pass.

"Good greatness!" The man followed after us as Zeke carried me through the apartment. "What happened?"

My supervisor didn't reply. I blinked in disorientation as we entered a bathroom. I coughed feebly, letting go of Zeke's shirt when he began lowering me. Something warm washed over my body, submerging it. I furrowed my eyebrows but quickly realize it was water. It swirled frantically around me, striving to warm my frozen body.

I saw Zeke crouched down beside the bathtub, his face still written with concerned fright. I tried to open my mouth to say something comforting, but another wave of lightheadedness pulled me all the way under before I could.

•~•~•~•

Ooooh how do you think things are going to unfold?