When I woke up, I was in a moving elevator, and I was going down, that's all that registered before the blinding pain took over.

I groaned and clutched my head, it was like someone had taken a hammer to my skull. A hammer imbedded with spikes.

I gasped when my hand came away with small specks of blood. I felt along my scalp, there was a row of stitches across my forehead. Whatever they had done it had been inside my brain.

I slid along the cool metal wall, pressing my forehead against it. It offered little relief from my misery.

The elevator stopped suddenly with a jolt, and my head spiked, I cried out. The doors opened to lights so bright I could barely see, only fuzzy shapes of people, speaking in loud voices that hurt. I groaned softly, hoping it would get the message through.

Arms and hands lifted me up, I had my eyes shut because the light hurt, and my body rested against one of those folding beds. There was a sliding noise, and the light that peeked through my eyelids slunk away. I saw faces, Casey's red hair, Frankie's maroon eyes.

I opened them up hesitantly, it was dark. I was having trouble seeing clearly, but Casey was in front of me, and whispering softly.

"William, can you hear me?"

I nodded, blinking rapidly. The hammer continue to pound against my skull.  She held up two fingers, but they wavered in and out of focus.

"How many finger am I holding up?"

"Two," I croaked, suddenly finding my voice wasn't what it used to be.

She gave a worried sigh, and placed her finger over my stitches. I winced as a another dull aching throb shot through me.

"It's looks like they cut into your skull, I bet it hurts, just hang in there okay?"

I grunted softly, she got the message.

I shut my eyes again as she slid the wire mesh door away and exited. I just concentrated on breathing, it helped take my mind off the pain.

She reappeared with someone else. I it looked like a young boy, he placed his hand on my head and the headache let up a bit. I could see clearly, speak, sit up, but I didn't feel like moving.

Casey was sitting next to me with a young boy who I didn't know. He left, opening the door painfully then shutting it. Casey sighed.

"That kid has healing powers, though he's not very strong. The will to use your power is what influences it, he just wants to leave like the rest of us."

"He looks so weak."

"What?" I asked. She called me weak?

Frankie entered the room, I cringed again at the light. She sat down in a corner and smoothed out her plain white dress. She was such a small girl, so fragile.

"He just wants to leave, I don't blame him." She replied, distracting me.

"Those stitches, I remember them from somewhere..." When she spoke this time another lance of pain spike my skull.

"Where?" I questioned, I wanted to know what was going on with me.

"Where what?" She gave me a confused look, peering down at my face.

"Where have you seen these stitches before?" I laid a hand on my forehead, wincing.

"Oh, um, a while back they gave someone similar markings, but he passed away the next night." Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm not going to die am I?" My voice came out in a husky whisper.

"Definitely not."

I'm not sure, maybe I should call Ritchie back, he doesn't look that good at all.

I cried out again, softly pressing my fingers to my scalp.

"William what's wrong?" Her voice was getting farther away.

He's getting paler, I need Ritchie.

"Come on Frankie, let's go get Ritchie okay?"

The sound of footsteps blinding light, I screamed softly as the light cunsumed me.