I was speechless; Xander's green eyes merged with mine. I couldn't utter a word. "Anna!" Émilie’s voice snapped me out of the moment. I looked over at Xander—Flynn meant to say hello. I saw Flynn standing behind her. He gave me a closed-mouthed smile. "Hi, Anna." "Hello." "Can I talk to you for a second?" Émilie and Xander frowned in confusion. "Sure," I said, and followed him to a lonely place. "What's wrong?" "Anna, I know that the first impression you had of me was not the best," I crossed my arms over my chest. "But please don't tell Émilie about Lyra and Sana." "She is my friend." "I know, but I really like her. If you tell her, I know she'll push me aside." "I don't trust you, Flynn." "I'm not asking for your trust; just give me the opportunity to show you that I'm very serious about Émilie," I sighed. Flynn sounded really honest. "Fine, I won't tell her, but if you hurt her or at the first sign of something bad, I swear you will pay." "Thank you, thank y
Cold... It is very cold... I'm on my knees; I can feel the snow soaking through my pants. My hands are shaking in my lap; they're covered in blood. Why? There is a huge commotion around me, voices screaming, and I feel like I'm not there, as if my mind has decided to go away and leave me lying in this freezing snow. The blood on my hands drips and stains the white ground beneath me. Blood... Anaís... I clutch my chest; I can't breathe, like something is stuck between my ribs. It's so painful... My vision is blurred by the huge tears that have formed in my eyes. In the distance, I can see a male figure dressed in black. You... A strong hand touches my shoulder, and I scream loudly in panic. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking as I adjusted to the light around me. The first thing I saw was a white ceiling. Where am I? I felt the soft bed beneath me; I was lying on my back. I lifted my arm, noticing an IV in it. What happened? A flash of memories from the night
Listen, Anna, I know we didn't have the best of starts— she paused, looking down. And it was my fault, entirely. Can't we just start over? she asked, looking up. There was honesty in her eyes. Of course.— I smiled at her. She nodded and left the room. Lyra was strange, but I knew she wasn't a bad person. A very tall doctor entered, his white hair and mustache matching the walls— Good morning, Miss. I'm Dr. Altman, the psychiatrist on call. How are you feeling? Well, a little confused. He gave me such a big smile that made me feel like everything would be okay, “That’s completely normal.” What happened to me? Am I... okay? - I had to ask. Yes, the neurologist has already examined you, ordered some emergency tests, and received the results this morning. You are doing very well; just a little anemic, but nothing that can't be resolved. So... What happened to me? Well, we could know more exactly if you describe to me what happened yourself. I don't know how to explain it; I just
Silence... A very awkward silence reigned between the brown-haired boy and me. His words kept spinning around in my head: We finally met. What was he talking about? “Who are you?” I asked, frowning at his cold expression. He stepped forward, staring at me intently. I’d never seen such deep black eyes, had I? He just smiled at me. “Are you okay?” I ignored his question. “Who are you?” He ran his hand over his chin. “Who am I?” His face seemed so familiar to me. Do I know you? He hesitated. “That doesn’t matter now, Anaís.” How do you know my name? He opened his mouth to speak, but the door abruptly opened, revealing a smiling Xander. “Anna, I...” Xander's smile faded when his eyes met those of the brown-haired boy standing a few steps away from me. The boy just gave him a closed-mouthed smile. “I was just about to leave. Bye, Anaís”—and with that, he disappeared through the door, leaving me even more confused. “Do you know that guy?” Xander asked me as he sat
I started my way down the long, silent hallway. I passed doors that looked very different from the ones in our apartment; they looked like thick metal doors. Some had a small square glass window that didn't look easy to break; others didn't even have that window; they were just metal. A cold wind blew through the windows on one side of the hallway. I looked outside, seeing dark clouds and fog. I swallowed hard, scared. It was too lonely out there. The only sounds I could hear were my footsteps. I hugged myself, quickening my pace. I heard something behind me and turned quickly. Nothing... Then I heard a voice, soft, delicate, full of confidence. “Why are you in such a hurry?” Where does that voice come from? I stopped, turning my head to look at the door beside me. “You have nothing to fear; we're safely locked in.” I shouldn't answer him. “Your name is Anna, right?” How the hell does he know that? “Don't be afraid; I can't hurt you.” Curiosity moved my body, and I
Logan... I whispered, feeling him behind me. I was trapped; one side of my face pressed against the door. I couldn’t move and wasn’t sure I wanted to. Logan’s well-built body was pressed against mine. I tried to turn away, but he pressed me harder against the door. His breath caressed the back of my neck, sending tingling sensations through my body. “Logan, let me go.” "Why?" he spoke directly into my ear. I swallowed. -You're hurting me- I lied. -That's not true.- he answered, rubbing my earlobe with his warm lips. Logan... Yes? It sounded funny. Let me go.- Surprisingly, I felt him step back, freeing me. I turned around, confused, and found him staring at me. Those gray eyes could drive anyone crazy. Instantly, I blushed slightly. What? You're so easy to read, Anaís. - He smiled at me and walked over to my bed to sit on it. -What are you doing? You can't be here- I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm bored," he sighed and fell onto my bed. -Hey! Get off my bed.
I knew they were going to say no, so I opted for another form of pressure. "If I involve the police, they'll surely get a warrant to question him if I tell them he knows something, right?" Both doctors remained silent. “But I don’t want to involve the police because I know he might not want to talk to them or reveal anything to them, and maybe he doesn’t want to tell me. Please, doctors, put yourselves in my place.” "We'll discuss it and let you know the answer at your next appointment," Dr. Altman explained. With a little hope, I walked out of there. Maybe I was crazy to try this, but I had nothing to lose. Something told me that Mason knew something. Back in my room, I crawled under my covers to sleep. I looked at my hands, wishing my parents were here. From the moment I knew they were gone, I felt so miserably alone. My parents made me feel safe, and that was a feeling I missed so much. Even though I was already 18, I felt too young to survive without them, but I knew I ha
Flashback…….. It was Monday? Or Tuesday? The truth didn't matter; the days lost meaning in this place. They were all so alike, so repetitive. Elise and I used to hate Mondays because we had to go to school. I remembered the tantrums she used to throw to avoid going to school or how she would sometimes pretend to be sick. A sad smile came over my lips as I remembered her. My gaze was focused on the window beside us. The group therapy was going on as usual; there were only six of us women, recounting our progress, being encouraged and pressured to share what we felt. The room felt big for just us and the psychologist. The psychiatric building looked old but well-maintained. I settled into the small wooden chair, watching the cold fog up the windows. The weather in this part of Canada was always so depressing, so gray; maybe this wasn't the best location for a mental institution. Anna—the psychologist—got my attention. “Is there something you want to share today?” My eye