Chapter 2: Riddled With Doubt
I don't know how long we drove for, but I felt my cheeks dry against the cold window of the car and knew my tears had ceased. My body shook less, and I could feel drowsiness spread through me. I was so tired, and the smooth feel of the road beneath the car didn't help. My eyes drifted to a close as the stranger continued our drive.
The sun streaked across my face. Morning had come. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, wincing in the bright light spreading through the wide windowpane of the room I lay in. I suddenly felt much more awake. This wasn't my room. Where was I? I sat up and looked around, blinking rapidly as my vision came into focus. This room was clearly a bedroom, and it was entirely unfamiliar. There was a chandelier dangling beautifully from the high ceiling, black curtains hanging on either side of the window, and shelves upon shelves of books. The walls were wallpaper-less, stained wood of a dark brown shade. I looked down and saw that I lay in a large bed laden with black satin sheets and a deep red comforter. I was surprised, yet immensely relieved to see that I still bore my clothes from that treacherous night.
My attention snapped to the right side of the room, where a door stood ajar. Voices were emanating from behind it, one of them certainly belonged to the stranger who had rescued her from the terrors of the bonfire. She recognized it simply from then, but still had no clue who it belonged to.
"I checked an hour ago and she was still out cold. I think her parents must still be out of town. I haven't been able to get a hold of them." The familiar voice said.
"What about bringing her to the hospital?" Replied a harsher voice. "Reid, she's been out for three days. How could you be so irresponsible?"
"Oh, shut up, Caleb. If I brought her there, what was I supposed to say? 'Yeah, Doc. I put her under a spell to help her relax and it was too strong so now she can't wake up' – I'm sure that'd go over just peachy."
I felt my mouth go dry, and suddenly realized how thirsty I was. But that wasn't my concern now. These boys, Reid and Caleb, were talking about someone who had been unconscious for three days. They can't possibly be talking about me, I thought. But as soon as the thought struck me, they began speaking again.
"And that's another thing! How could you use like that? Surely she would have calmed down on her own." That was Caleb's voice.
"You didn't see her, Caleb." Reid's voice sounded strained. "I didn't know how else to help her. She was so…"
I pulled the blankets and sheets off me as quietly as I could. I didn't understand what they were saying. What had Reid used on her? Surely he didn't mean the kind of "spell" he made it sound like. It had to be code. Had he drugged her?
"You should have brought her to the hospital," Caleb stated again. "They could have medicated her. But instead you –"
Reid cut him off. "Shut up. I hear something."
Damn! I froze, standing at the edge of the bed, still staring at the door behind which the boys stood. The large, wooden door creaked open and the two boys emerged from the hallway beyond. One was pale skinned with blonde hair. He wore a black shirt and jeans. Tattoos could be seen along his arms and his ears were pierced – he was almost stereotypically rebellious, if not for the look of great concern on his face. The other boy was olive skinned with dark hair, much shorter in length than the first boy's, and wore a familiar casual suit. They were both devilishly handsome, and I grimaced at the thought I could even care about what they bloody looked like. I felt myself sway slightly as I stared at them. My knees were weak.
"Sit down." The dark haired boy commanded. "Before you collapse."
I couldn't help thinking Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around? But he was right, and I did as I was told. My head rushed as I sat on the edge of the bed, heaving a sigh.
"How do you feel?" The blonde boy asked, his voice much lighter than the dark haired boy's. His voice was the same as the stranger who had picked her up at the barn.
"I'm fine." I said automatically. Blondie snorted, and the concern on his face turned to some kind of cross between pity and amusement.
"I'd hardly say you're fine, September. You've been asleep for three days." The darker boy replied. The concern on his face contrasted with blondie's, whose eyes met his, causing him to turn his gaze to the floor in some kind of embarrassment.
"How do you know my name? Who are you? Where am I? What happened? Why did you bring me here?" The questions blurted from my mouth as my heart began to pound again. Asleep for three days in a strange room – a strange house – that I had never seen? I had no idea what was happening, and I suddenly realized how potentially dangerous this situation was.
The dark haired boy turned to face the blonde, "Go ahead, Reid. Explain to the girl what happened."
So the blonde one was Reid. That meant the other boy was Caleb. But voice of my rescuer was confirmed. It was Reid. But was he really my savior? I had no idea what had happened in the last three days, if three days really had passed. I waited in silence, my mouth slightly open in anticipation and anxiety of what story he was about to tell.
"I'm Reid Garwin. I don't know if you remember, but you went to the Pre-Thanksgiving Bonfire with Charlene Mason four nights ago. In a game of truth or dare, Charlene dared you to go into the old 'haunted' barn." Reid started. "I don't know what happened in there, but by the time you came out on the other side you were having some kind of… breakdown. Everyone just stood there. I guess they didn't know what to do. I picked you up and carried you back to my car. You were still panicking pretty badly, but after a while of driving you managed to fall asleep. I don't know where you live, so I brought you here – to my house. I carried you up to my room and you just stayed asleep. I tried calling your parents, but there was no answer. The answering machine said they were out of town for the holiday, so I had you stay here."
He took a breath, then continued on. "I tried to wake you up, but you were out cold. Today's the third day you were asleep. Assuming you just woke up in the last 15 minutes, it's just after 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday afternoon."
My mouth fell open more as I stared in stunned silence. Yes, I remembered the night of the bonfire, up until the car ride. He sounded honest, but I had to be sure. I turned my gaze slowly to the bedside table behind me. As if reading my thoughts, Caleb strode over to it and grabbed my cell phone, handing it to me. I flipped it open and looked at the date. Sunday, November 28, 2010. He was telling the truth. I had been asleep for three days.
"What did you do to me?" My voice hoarser than before as reality hit me.
Reid cast a weary glance at Caleb, who raised his eyebrows as if curious to hear the answer Reid was about to supply. "I told you already. I carried you in here, covered you with the blankets so you wouldn't freeze, and that was it."
I shook my head, which was an immediate mistake as a wave of dizziness swept over me. "No. You used something on me. I heard you talking in the hallway."
Reid looked mildly surprised, but his expression quickly turned to amusement. "You must've been dreaming. We weren't talking. We just got up here 5 minutes ago."
"No!" I repeated more forcefully. "I was awake. I heard you."
I was annoyed to see Reid shaking his head with a smirk toying across his lips. "Whatever you say, Keaton. But I didn't do anything to you except give you the privilege of staying in my bedroom rather than a cold, unfriendly hospital room."
Scowling, I looked at my phone again. Of course, no text messages or voicemails from anyone. None whatsoever, not even my parents had tried to reach me. Typical. They were too caught up in their own lives to consider checking up on me while I'm home alone for Thanksgiving weekend.
"How do you know who I am?" I asked, my voice bitter with the thought of my careless parents.
"We go to school together." It was Caleb who spoke this time. "Spencer Academy. We all have history together."
My eyes shifted from my cell phone to Caleb's suit and I recognized the Spencer Academy crest on his jacket. Of course! Why hadn't she realized it before? Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler are the most popular guys here, Charlene had said. Not to mention they're absolutely gorgeous. You'll know it's them instantly. I hadn't seen them in the week and a half I'd been at Spencer Academy, or if I had I hadn't noticed them. Now that I was face-to-face with them, however, I began to understand what Charlene meant. Their faces, their body structure, everything about them was entirely unique – like nothing I had ever seen before. Yes, devilishly handsome was the only way to describe them.
"Right. I knew that." I lied. I was beginning to grow tired again. I wanted nothing more than to lie back down under those satin sheets and drift into a deep sleep where I wouldn't have to dwell on the distinct appearances of the boys who had seemingly saved my life. My eyes began to close, and I felt the bed sink slightly as a hand touched my back, preventing me from falling back onto the bed.
"Don't go back to sleep, September. You have to stay awake." Reid said, his voice growing more distant. Time seemed to be slowing down as his voice faded further and further away. I knew I shouldn't sleep, but I was being pulled away into the darkness of a figment night. I felt myself slipping back against the cool comforter on the bed. Someone lifted me just enough to bring my head back against the pillows and slid my legs beneath the sheets once more. Before I could murmur any kind of thanks, I blacked out into sleep once more.
Author's Note: Much longer than the first chapter, I know. I'd really appreciate reviews. I haven't written any fanfics in a longgg time so I'd love love love to know what you think so far. Let me know of any predictions you might make.
What really happened in the barn? Why is September fading in and out of consciousness? How will she react to Reid and Caleb when she finally wakes up completely? You'll find out soon, I promise! Read and Review, please! :]
