Alright, I just want to get something straight before you read the 4th chapter. When I wrote "Mr. Cullen" in the 3rd chapter, it had nothing to do with Twilight. As I was writing that, I was driving myself crazy because I couldn't find a random last name for the Science teacher. I kept re-reading that chapter and thinking that that name was so familiar. It wasn't until after I actually posted that chapter that I realized that "Cullen" was the last name of Edward in Twilight. I laughed myself like crazy when I realized this. I just wanted to point this out to all you Twilight fans. I seriously never read it and I don't plan on it. I even ignore my friends on that suggestion. I have nothing against Twilight and I love reading, I just don't like reading what everyone else reads. If it's a trend to read any other book, I'd be forced not to read it.

Sorry, I just wanted to point out these little facts about me. On with the story…

Mz. Jinky 3


Chapter 4: Coincidence? ---Don't think so.

A hand? I realized. Yeah, that's a hand. So, I can feel. That's a good sign, right?

Beeping…constant beeping…Oh, geez! This is worst than my alarm clock except there are two sides to this. One: it's not as loud, two: I can't move to shut it off.

I was awake. I've been awake for maybe 30 minutes. Problem was; I couldn't move or even open my eyes. I've been trying to gain more consciousness but the only accomplishment I've gotten so far was sound and touch. I could feel a hand holding mine. It was rubbing a finger against the back of my hand, and holding it very tightly. After a few more seconds I was able to let out a groan and I was able to stir a bit.

Okay, so I can move now!

"Sam?" A voice called to me.

Who was that?

I knew it was a boy. And I knew I knew him, or else he wouldn't be holding my hand at the moment. His voice sounded shaky. As if he'd been crying?

I was finally able to struggle to get my eyelids open but only to be greeted by a large burst of light forcing my eyes closed once again. I tried to open them again, but prepared myself. Once my eyes adjusted, my vision was still a bit blurry. But I was almost able to make out a face. He had raven hair and eyebrows. His eyes were blue and red?

I knew who it was.

"Danny?" I managed to croak out. I noticed that my mouth had been covered with a clear mask. It felt as if it was sending air into it. He smiled slightly, but it fell way too soon when I decided to speak once more. "Danny, where am I?" That's when I was finally getting nervous about what was around me. It was a white room. The entire room was white. I saw there was an old, gray television hanging from the ceiling. I was lying on a white bed with two remotes on the side of it. When I turned my head towards Danny again I noticed where the beeping had come from. I was wired to an IV. I was in a hospital!

"Sam, you got hurt real bad. Do you remember anything that happened yesterday?" Danny asked me tightening his grip on my hand. I shook my head. He let out a shaky breath and continued, "There was a fire; in the school. Somehow you weren't anywhere near the group. When I found you, you were stabbed with a piece of wood that was cutting through your stomach. You weren't burnt or anything, but you lost tons of blood."

That's when everything came back to me. The ceiling collapsing in front of me, the piece of wood, the white flame… The red eyes… they were there too.

"Why is there a mask on my face?" I asked him trying to take the mask off, and then succeeding.

"You inhaled too much smoke to be breathing on your own. You kept coughing and having trouble breathing before they put the mask on you. Then you finally relaxed and fell asleep."

"Danny, how long have I been asleep?"

"A day exactly. The doctors were getting worried. If that wood hadn't stabbed through you, you probably would've woken up sooner."

A DAY?! I screamed in my head. I WASTED AN ENTIRE DAY?! I was just too weak to exclaim that.

"How long have you been in here?" I asked him attempting to sit up, but found myself being stopped by the large bandaged gash on my stomach. So I just laid back down.

"I'd say 'bout five hours, but who's counting?" He responded using his other hand to rub the back of his neck nervously.

"Five hours?! Why?! Weren't you bored just staring at me sleeping?" I snapped at him, but soon realizing that I yelled at him for doing something very generous. "I'm sorry, Danny. I just thought that sitting here would be a bit boring for you."

"I was worried, and practically begging for you to wake up. Yesterday, I was there until the nurses had to drag me out."

I smiled at his concern, but couldn't help myself from asking, "Where're my parents and Jake?" I knew what the answer was gonna be when I saw Danny frown. My parents obviously weren't here. I mean, sure they love me, but not more than what they do.

"Your parents had an important meeting with the Peace Corps, but Jake's here. He went downstairs for coffee with Tuck 15 minutes ago." Danny told me. I sighed at the misfortune, and then repeated in my mind what he just said.

Tucker? In a Hospital? By will?

"Tucker's here?" I questioned ridiculously. That's when the door clicked open and my African-American friend came in with my brother and a cup in his hand.

"In the flesh!" He exclaimed spreading his arms out representing his presence. "How're you feeling, Sam? You took quite a gash out there."

"I'm dealing. What are you doing here? Didn't you have like an extreme phobia of medical homes? How do they call it? --- Nosocomephobia?" I asked him. Tucker shrugged and leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"Are you saying that I wouldn't come for my best friend?"

"No, I'm saying you wouldn't come for your best friend in a hospital."

"That's where you are wrong, my friend. You see, I would've came except---"

"Except your friend here wanted to wear at least seven jackets and five masks just to make sure that he didn't have what the other patients had. " Jake finished for him now sitting next to Danny.

"I resent that," Tucker exclaimed in astonishment. "I was only preventing myself from any sickness. If I caught something, you two were bound to catch something too!" I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"How're you holding up, Sam. School says you were the only one who had actually gotten hurt." Jake asked leaning into his chair.

"I've felt worse, I'll be fine. But really, I was the only one who got hurt?" I questioned curiously.

How was it possible that the whole floor being on fire, but me being the only one who got hurt?

"Yeah, everyone was able to leave before the fire spread too far." Tucker told me.

"Well, I'm done here. Sorry, Sam, but if I want to keep my job, I have to be on time. I'll come back later alright?" Jake said. He got off the chair and gently kissed my forehead, then rubbing it with hid thumb. "Get well, okay. I'll get the doc in and tell him you woke up." He said before leaving, and he left leaving the door opened behind him.

That was when I noticed the hand I was holding. I looked down to my own and saw that Danny was still holding it. Apparently, he had done the same, blushed, and then removed the hand from mine. I wish he hadn't though. I wish he hadn't felt so uncomfortable about that. But knowing Tucker, if he had realized that Danny and I were holding hands, we would never live it down.

A few seconds later a man with a white lab coat and a clipboard came into the room. He looked up at me and smiled.

"I see you're awake, Miss. Manson?" said the doctor.

"Yes, I am." I replied finally capable to get myself sitting up, just to show the doctor that I didn't have to stay there more than 40 more minutes.

"Well, I'm Dr. Travis. Says here that you've had quite a school day yesterday, am I correct?"

"I guess, but I'm feeling much better. So if I can just…"

"Nice try, young lady. You are scheduled to stay at least one more day. A few tests just to see if you're stable, then you can leave."

"Tests," I repeated now looking nervously at Danny and Tucker.

"Just to see if that piece of wood hadn't injured any of your organs. Besides that, I'm pretty sure you're fine. We're taking precautions. Especially since the fire seemed to have happened very randomly. Policemen are checking out your school building to try and find the cause of the fire." The doctor wrote a few things down on the clipboard then turned back at me, "Any pain? Pain killers needed?" I shook my head.

He finally left the room a few minutes later after interrogation of my health.

"You know Sam; it was strange how a fire just randomly appeared in the school. How you were the only one hurt too. It's just… strange." Tucker observed.

Then it came to me. Everything that just happened connected to the things that I've already experienced. The fire making no sense at all was one clue. The red eyes and the flame was another. I had to tell Tucker and Danny. Something was going on.

"Tucker shut the door, and lock it. I need to tell something to you two." I commanded him as Tucker did just that. Danny scooted closer to the bed and Tucker took a chair beside him.

"What is it?" Danny asked with seriousness in his voice.

"Remember when I told you two about the red eyes and the voices that I heard?" I questioned them. They nodded. I took a deep breath and continued, "I was in the bathroom when the fire occurred. After trying to find anyone that could help me out, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it. Then I tripped and the wood cut into my stomach. I couldn't move. Then… then I saw something. Maybe I wasn't in the right mind because of the injury, but I did see something. Right before Danny came, I saw a white flame. After I confirmed that it was, I saw red eyes. The same red eyes I saw in the park. It was a person, and I knew that. It had a blue face and the red eyes and the flame as if it were hair. It was approaching me slowly, but then… it was gone."

"I was so scared. I had no idea what was going on. Practically thinking I was going crazy, except I somehow knew I wasn't. What was really confusing was that it disappeared just as Danny came to save me. The flame and the red eyes were the last things that I saw before I passed out." I paused; waiting for a reaction before I went on to tell them my theory. They were both staring at me; not in craziness, but in concern. I took another breath, and then said, "Guys… I think somebody's after me." Now both my friends' eyes widened.

"It does make sense," Tucker said breaking his silence, "Sam, you said that the voice said that it wanted you, right? Then the same day that you hear that voice you see the same red eyes that you saw in the park, which happened just the day before. Coincidence? I don't think so."

I turned to Danny waiting for him to say something. When he didn't I asked, "Danny, what do you think?"

He was deep in thought; I saw this. He was now glaring at the floor, cursing at one point under his breath. He then looked up at me with a frown and said, "But why? Why would somebody be after you? You never did anything to anyone, Sam. You did nothing to give yourself an enemy. Why would someone be after you? It does make perfect sense, except the reasons. I would expect this to happen to me, but never you, Sam."

"The question isn't why, Danny." I told him looking at his blue eyes, "Question is: who?"