Flashes. That's all I got at first.
Moving.
Someone else's clothes. How did I get dressed?
More importantly, why was I naked?
Laying on fur. Warm.
Screaming.
Only, the screaming wasn't another flash of memory at all. It was real. I could hear it from somewhere. Somewhere close. Sarah!
I sat up quickly, wishing I hadn't. I was immediately dizzy but I didn't care. It was Sarah who was screaming and I had to get to her!
I ran out of some frilly-yellow looking room, not giving myself the chance to completely take in my surroundings. I was stopped short in the hallway, not being able to ignore the horrible smell. I couldn't really put words to it. So I kind of just decided that sugary butt and Doritos was a pretty good description.
I kept looking for the screaming. But I could smell that the source of that awful scent was growing nearer. I ran into the next room that I saw. And boy, did I see an eyeful.
An eyeful of my tortured best friend, that is.
I ran over to her. She was in the center of the room; laying on a pretty blue bedspread on a very fluffy-looking bed. She was writhing and screaming so loudly! I fluttered my hands over her, uselessly, looking for the source of her pain. I was afraid to touch her, afraid that I would cause her more agony.
It was then that a kind-looking blonde man ran into the room. Well, "kind-looking" isn't the best word. Maybe… "Earth-shatteringly, amazingly beautiful". Yeah, that word would do. Though, while he may have been the most lovely man I'd ever seen, he was also the worst smelling. I knew he had to have been the cause of her pain. No one who smelled so dangerous could be up to any good.
I turned to him, with a look on my face that said, "If you come anywhere near me or my extremely loud friend I will rip you to pieces." Thinking that, the memory came rushing back, the ripping the tearing. So I spoke the words that had come to mind a few seconds before.
"If you come anywhere near me or my extremely loud friend I will rip you to pieces."
The kind man didn't even flinch.
"Please, I mean you and your friend no harm. I just need to see how she's doing."
He tried to make his way over to her but there was no way on this green earth that I would let him touch her. I blocked his way.
"Who are you? Where am I? What did you do to her?" I snarled through clenched teeth.
"My name is Carlisle. You and your friend were brought to my home. And I don't have time to explain what is happening to her but I can tell you that I am not the cause of her pain; though I wish there was a way I could stop it." His voice was infuriatingly gentle and kind.
"How long has she been like this?" I asked.
"A little over two days now."
I was about to ask what he thought he could do but then…
"Lexi!" It was Sarah's scream.
"Help her!" I shouted at the kind man.
He went over to her and gently lifted her hand. He sniffed her delicate little wrist. She shrieked again and I faltered. He looked like he was going to hurt her, like the woman at my house. I was stuck, too confused to do anything but stand there; shaking like and idiot.
She shrieked again, wordless this time. Her back arched.
"Sarah!" I wept.
Someone was behind me; I could feel/smell them. I turned and saw a small girl there. She was petite and had spiky, black hair. She stunk too. I turned to Carlisle, not knowing who else to turn to. Was this girl safe?
Carlisle nodded to me; so I let the girl lead me to the far corner of the room. I was still looking at Sarah. I barely even noticed I was being spoken to until the girl grabbed my chin and angled my face at her.
"She is going to be okay." She said this like she was talking me down from a cliff.
"How do you know?" I asked in the calmest voice I could muster.
"I can see it. In the future."
"Crap" I said, hiding none of my disbelief in my voice.
"It's true. But I can't see a thing when you're so close. I need you to go downstairs. It'll be okay. I promise."
I wasn't sure if I could trust them but I didn't have very much of a choice. So I went into the hallway, quickly locating the stairs.