You Killed My Mate

*Ryatt*

I blink, and there’s nothing but unfamiliar faces all around me. Faces covered in dirt and soot, old and young. All of them stare down at me, their voices mingling into one as my head pounds and aches.

“Get him some water. Be quick about it,” says a female voice nearby.

“Ella-” I reach for her, my finger’s curling around someone’s wrist, but the face that comes into view isn’t my Ella, not even remotely close. I yank my hand back and sit up, my head swimming as the room goes dark.

“Get him back down, now!”

“Get off–GET OFF!” I shove at the hands trying to pin me to the cold, damp ground.

“Ryatt,” Westfall says nearby, “you need to calm down now. Listen to me.” He kneels beside me, grabbing the shirt I’m wearing, a shirt that doesn’t belong to me.

“Where are we?”

“An outbuilding near the river. You passed out.”

“Obviously.” I run my hand over my face and peek through my fingers at the odd group of people hovering over us. “Who are you?” I ask them. They take several steps