Althea's POV:
I awoke from my slumber peacefully. Nightmares of a dark so dark it hurt haunted my closed eyelids, so I sprung up with a scream, clutching around me. Light blinded me, a sigh of relief escaping my parched lips. I wasn't in the hellhole anymore, I was ok, I was… Where was I? Looking around, I saw Ian's room, with his off-white walls and soft carpet and football trophies lining the shelves. Books were strewn everywhere, more messy than last time I'd been here.
The most prominent feature however was that it was empty, devoid of Ian's presence. Was he trapped in his mind just like I'd been? And was I still in a hallucination or was this real? Bile rose in my throat at the thought that I wouldn't ever truly know the answer to that question.
"Ian?! Ian?" My voice stuck in my throat - I was parched and unable to do little else apart from speak in croaked whispers. But I needed to shout. This was no good. I should use telepathy, it was the obvious solution, yet I was feeling so crowded by everything that I couldn't think logically. My chest hurt from trying to yell and failing, my eyes burnt with unshed tears, and my mind continued to chaotically mull over what was happening. As if summoned by my distress, Ian entered, humming lightly to himself. He was carrying some coffee, but the second he saw me awake he dropped the mug. It shattered in slow motion, pieces flying everywhere as Ian's eyes blew wide open. His lips parted in shock, a startled breath coming through them in a hiss. Whilst this all happened, I clutched at the place where my heart lay, panting and moaning in pain.
"Ally, oh my god, you're awake." His eyes filled with tears as he rushed to my side, pushing some pillows under me to help me incorporate myself. I continued to whimper silently, although it was much subdued now that Ian had placed his hands on my cheeks, staring at me with all the intensity of a billion suns. "I'm going to heal you a bit, ok? You're dehydrated and my dad's gift is healing, so I can borrow it." We'd never discussed gifts in depth, but I knew his briefly. It came in handy in moments like these, making me relax against the pillows. However, as he healed my body, I realised that the throbbing in my chest wasn't physical, but rather my whole being screaming in fear.
Another moan left my chapped lips, as I weakly struggled against Ian.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"
"You should go clean up the coffee you spilt." I twisted my body away from him, taking in deep, controlled breaths. How did I know he was real, and not the man from before manipulating my thoughts to give me a glimmer of hope? All he'd need to do now was put fake-Ian in danger and I'd be his. Even if I was fully aware that this was a dream, I'd still sacrifice myself to him because of the simple idea that this might be real. That my real Ian could be in danger.
"Later. What's wrong babe?"
"What if you're not real?" I let out in one breath, the idea choking me until I let it out. It burnt trough my tongue, and when Ian registered my words I could see them hurting him too.
"Are you crazy? Of course I'm real." The thing was, I couldn't trust him. Because if that asshole was in my mind he could see what I expected Ian to say and think and act like. Even if this was all completely real, I'd be second-guessing myself. Forever.
"How can I know that?"
"Babe, look at me, please." He implored, pinning me down with his gaze. I clutched my hands tight on my lap, before looking up. I needed to stay strong, I needed to stay strong, I- I couldn't do it. The second he looked me in the eyes I was completely lost, completely his. It didn't matter if the mysterious man from before was manipulating this to his advantage - Ian was here and I was scared and I needed him. Desperately. "It's me, alright? You've got to know that." I didn't know that. But the problem was that I didn't know anything, and I needed someone to believe in. So I believed in him.
"Oh, Ian." Tears gathered in my eyes as he crushed me to his chest. I was ashamed to say I even let a sob escape me. Yet the dark had been so dark and so cold and he was warm - alive. I wanted to live here, in the spot he'd made for me between his heart and his soul.
"Shh, it's ok. We got you out. It'll be ok."
"It was so awful, I- I thought I wouldn't make it." As I said this, he looked at me with pride swelling in his eyes.
"But you did."
Ian's POV:
I watched Ally's still form morosely, torturing myself with the hope that maybe if I spoke to her she'd wake up. It had been a week now, so long that we'd had to connect an IV-drop to her. However, not nearly long enough to discover how to help her. Whatever or whomever was causing this had her tight in its grasp, squeezing the life out of her slowly.
"Hey Ally. My parents started talking about making me go back to school today. I got so overwhelmed I kind of stormed out. Truth be told, they didn't insist very hard. I think they understand what I'm going through." I waited a beat of silence, as if giving her a gap to speak in my one-sided conversation. It was stupid, of course she wouldn't suddenly wake up and answer me. With a choked breath, I kept going. "Funny, huh? That it takes an awful situation such as this for me to get along with my parents. Mum's constantly stressed out, insisting she should use her gift to find you. Dad keeps trying to heal you despite there being nothing to heal. And me? Well, I'm just trying to hold myself in one piece so that when you wake up I'm not shattered into a million fragments."
After giving her a basic run-down of the day, I talked whimsically about all which popped into my head. I knew she was a sucker for beautiful words and artfully woven daydreams, so I focused on that the most, hoping to attract her attention. Every once in a while she rolled over, mumbling something or other under her breath. It was much too quiet for me to decipher what she said, but I took solace in her words. They were the only indication that she was still in there.
"Ian?!" Her breath turned from steady to erratic, as she clutched around her. Thinking she was looking for me, I grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. This was the first time she'd spoken coherently, making a surge of hope flit through my system.
"I'm here."
"No no no, Ian."
Althea's POV:
Ian and I were just laying there, holding hands and catching up on all I'd missed out on, when something began to change. The atmosphere became charged, the lighting dimmer, and the sparkle in Ian's eyes died out.
"I can't believe he's using you to get Maisee." He spoke, thoughtfully. I stared at him hard, trying to figure out what was different. All I knew was that I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, and I was no longer that sure that this Ian I was talking to was my Ian.
"I know, it's scary, isn't it?"
"So what are you going to do about it then?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you need to help her, don't you?" He pinned me down with his eyes, and everything about this was wrong. "You should deliver his message to her, and then hand yourself over to him to save her."
"Ian what are you on about?"
"She's more important than you anyway. I mean have you seen the amount of protection she has around her? That should be indication enough that you mean nothing and she means the world to us." I shrunk away from him, sliding off the bed. This couldn't be my Ian. Surely not. But what if it was? What if the real Ian was saying all these horrid things to me?
"Ian, you're scaring me." As I looked around, I saw I was surrounded by an iron cage, full of jagged edges on which to hurt myself.
"That's the point, babe."
"Ian?!" I screamed, hoping he'd confirm that it wasn't him, that he wasn't the one allowing venom to spew from his tongue.
"The one and only." He slowly ran his finger along one of the metal spikes, causing a drop of blood to accumulate on his hand. Staring me down with those eyes that weren't the right grey and didn't have the right fire within, he licked it off slowly. "Oh, the fun has only just begun."
"No no no, Ian."
Hi :)
Sorry this is a bit late, but I came home today from my holiday so it's been a bit busy haha. However, that means you guys get regular chapters again! Yay! No more beach to distract me from the important thing in life - soulfinders ;)
Ok, I hope this wasn't too confusing, but if it was just send me a PM and I'll sort it out xD I have the bad habit of assuming you guys know stuff that you don't, so... Whoops haha
Thanks so much for all your reviews last chapter, I know the story's at a pretty stressy place right now, which is hard for me to write, so I'm so happy for all your support! Can e get to 172 reviews this chapter? Thanks a bunch!
Bye bye xx