F I F T E E N

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I woke up in my bed with a headache.

Everything felt normal other than the pain in my head. It was as if last night hadn't happened at all. That was what I nearly believed but the cold was one of the things I could never forget. Not only that but the way my insides curled up in fear when I was trapped under some psycho's anchor could not escape my memory. The state my mind was at was awful.

The fear inside me last night burned more than being put through a panic attack and being suffocated. What happened when I fell unconscious though? Who did it? I didn't feel so good. I felt like I wanted to die.

That was beyond any doubt not a dream. I wasn't an expert but I definitely could tell reality from my dreams. It wasn't a nightmare. The sunlight that shone through the windows didn't help how I was feeling. My body felt drained, as if I had my soul sucked out of myself and my arm felt so sore almost as if...

My gaze slowly looked down at my right arm and horror shoved itself down my gut. A white plaster was stuck onto my arm, right on the forearm.

Did they take something from me? They? Who?

I swallowed a lump in my dry throat, looking around at my room and licking my dry lips. My heart raced. Everything seemed fine. There was no trace of anyone ever being here. With a harsh bite on my bottom lip, I looked back down at my arm and slowly peeled the plaster off, bracing myself for what I would see.

I gasped. It looked like somebody stuck a needle that was way too thick inside my arm. I shoved the plaster back on, feeling my eyes prick with tears. I blinked and blinked, feeling trickles of tears drip down my cheek and onto the covers below me.

I didn't know what had happened to me. I didn't know what I was going to do now. I had nobody to tell. I didn't even want to tell anybody. I wanted to sleep forever and let everything go.

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I stepped into the cold kitchen after finally getting out of my bed. My feet were bare and I shivered attentively and looked around eagerly for Lilly. Somebody I could trust. Some humanity and conversation for the first time today. She was wiping the large surface of the black-marbled island in the middle of the smaller kitchen silently.

"Lilly?"

She looked over at me and put a smile on her face that I could tell was fake. Her blue eyes scanned me. A breath of relief escaped my mouth when I heard her familiar voice. "Yes, dear?"

"Where's Mum?"

Lilly's face softened a little and she blinked, thinking. "I think she went to meet with her friend." She nodded, as if finally realising she was correct.

"Oh, okay. Thank you," I mumbled, turning around and feeling scared and disappointed. I needed my mum. Before stepping out of the kitchen, I checked to see if anyone was in the long empty hallways yet to be decorated. I had been paranoid the whole day and it had taken me nearly an hour working up enough courage to step outside the limits of my bedroom.

"No worries," Lilly said behind me. She was silent for a while then she spoke. "Stella, what happened to your arm?"

I halted quickly and turned around, my heart racing. "I accidentally cut myself," I rushed, letting out a nervous laugh. That was an awful lie. Lilly laughed a little too-- I doubted she took my word for word.

"You alright?"

I nodded silently and curtly. "Yup. Thank you."

Lilly nodded again and went back to her work. I breathed deeply and stepped out of the kitchen, finally gaining the courage to go to my own living room. I found my phone lying on the coffee table. God, I had forgotten to charge it last night. Picking it up, I looked at all my notifications.

Reeve: just told mike about your absence tmr. he says you can replace your shift on mon. want me to join? (:

Mum: Gone to see Luna. Will be back at noon x

I blinked. Mum went out with Luna? Caleb's mum. Caleb was ninety-five percent dangerous. Did that mean his mum could be dangerous too? I doubted it since she was a doctor. How did Mum even meet Luna? Caleb had never mentioned any younger siblings so Luna would have never visited the nursery and Mum never mentioned anythint about a hospital. Perhaps they met through mutual friends.

I wondered if Luna could help me understand what could've happened to my arm. Did somebody take blood from me? Was somebody taking blood from people? Was that why there was blood in the locker?

God, I was great at jumping to conclusions.

I was in the middle of walking up the stairs cautiously to charge my phone when my phone buzzed with a notification. It scared me and I nearly dropped my phone but I didn't. With a narrowed gaze, I saw a text from Lola.

Lola. Could it have been her? She wasn't that strong. No way could she hold me down with that much power. And she didn't know where my house was. The only person who knew where my house was... was Caleb. Unless he told somebody.

Lola: Stella! Andrew's 17th birthday party 2day whoop!! Ur still coming okay.

I blinked. Caleb had told me specifically not to come because he didn't want me there. That meant I was definitely going to be going. Was I though? I had just gotten suffocated or possibly drugged and there was a small wound on my arm and I had no idea what happened. I wasn't well enough to go.

But I couldn't stay at home in fear with no idea what had happened to me. The answers could be at the party. I could die at the party. But at least perhaps I could figure out what happened before I got murdered. Did this happen to Kelly? Reeve mentioned she had bad panic attacks. This could've happened to her and she couldn't take it so she killed herself.

I swallowed.

I looked at the time on my phone and it was one in the afternoon. God, I had been sleeping for so long. I didn't blame myself. I was literally attacked last night.

I made my decision. I was going to Andrew's party, no matter what Caleb warned me. If he wasn't going to tell me, I was going to find out myself. I needed to know.

I texted Lola back a reply.

im coming! can u pick me up at 7?

Lola: Yeah. Duh!

I wanted to go home.

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"Are you okay?"

I pulled my coat sleeves down to cover my shaking hands. I felt utterly unsafe alone with Lola in her pristine Porsche she probably took from her mum without permission. It was okay. It was just a car ride. I was way stronger than her anyway if she tried anything on me.

Why would she ask me that though? Did she know anything?

"Yeah."

Lola sighed and turned a corner. "Cheer up, Stella. It's Andrew's big night. I heard there are loads of people there already and it's not even eight yet!" she rushed happily as if I cared.

I stifled a laugh. "Yay."

The rest of the car ride consisted of Lola telling me about what Jen and her had planned for the party-- like the DJ and the different varieties of cupcakes and alcohol. I nodded and muttered replies that fit and she never really bothered much more to ask about what was up.

She didn't try to kill me in the car ride. In fact, she really seemed darn innocent. I started to doubt my theories but nothing ever made sense in my head. Caleb told me the answers would be at this party and that I shouldn't come because it was dangerous. That meant they did have something to hide. And the painful wound on my arm was going to turn into a scar-- like the marks on Caleb, Kira and Lola's arm.

What was going on?

God. I felt like puking when we pulled up at a white mansion that had to belong to Andrew and Jen.

//

comment your theories!! id love to hear.