Something of That Extremity

 

Chapter Six

 

When I open my eyes I see Chase standing near me, murmuring to Brody and another guy, who I can only assume is Logan. I try to sit up but I feel a wave of nausea and I lean over the bed I’m laying on and throw up into a strategically placed trash can.

All three guys turn toward me, their conversation stopping. Well, don’t stop on account of me. I’m just throwing up over here.

“Hello, Skye.” The third guy, the smallest out of the three of them, says. “I’m Logan.” He looks like Chase and Brody, their facial features the same, his hair a medium color in between Chase’s brown and Brody’s blonde. He’s toned too, but not as heavily as his brothers, and he’s slightly shorter. His face is kinder, almost less rough, and less angular.

I groan under my breath. “How many of you are there?” I ask rhetorically. Logan laughs, light and airy.

“There’s only three, don’t worry. But I’m not mean like the other two.” He says to me and than winks. I try to smile, but can’t find it within me. Chase and Brody stand to the side of my bed, soundlessly, watching me. I avoid looking at them.

I try to sit up but Logan presses a hand against my shoulder, pushing me back down. “I’d suggest not getting up if you want the nausea to go away.” He tells me kindly. I nod.

“Got it,” I say and stay lying down. “Uh, where am I?” I ask Logan, still ignoring the other two.

I look around and everything adds up to telling me I’m in a hospital room.

“You’re at our house in the medical wing.” Logan explains, walking around to the side of my bed and handing me a small cup and two pills. I eye them warily. “Advil.” He tells me and I can’t help but believing him, this kind person. I take the pills and the cup—water—and swallow them quickly. I then close my eyes, pretending to go to sleep. Images press into my head as soon as my eyes close, as if glued to the back of my eyelids. I quickly open my eyes and fight the nausea that hits me once again.

“Urgh,” I mumble. I look around at the three brothers. They’re all so gorgeous, it’s not really fair. I bet they’re mom is a freaking Victoria’s Secret model. Like the one that had a baby and like, two days later was on the catwalk again. So not fair.

Logan waits by my bed, as if he wants to say something, but doesn’t know how to put it into words. Weird, I’m usually the one with that problem. “Sup?” I ask Logan and he looks confused. “What’s up?” I amend. “Why are you all standing around my bed like a cult ready to kill me?”

Brody barks out a laugh. I glance over at him, and he grins at me. Chase isn’t looking at me however, and I can see a bruise forming on his forearm. I make an “oops” face.

“So it was you that I kicked?” I ask, talking to Chase. His head swivels so that he’s looking at me and his eyes are troubled. I’m quite confused.

“It was,” Chase says and watches my face as if I’m suddenly going to start shaking like a maniac again.

“Sorry.” I say, trying not to smile. “We’ll just consider it payback for that prank you played on me.”

Chase, Brody, and Logan look confused. More than confused, they look at me like I’m a crazy person. I sigh. Maybe I am.

“What prank?” Logan asks me, shooting a glare at his brother. I shrug.

“It was actually kind of a morbid prank. You made me see that girl die, right?” I ask Chase. He looks sick. Brody and Logan are scowling at him now.

“Skye…I never…I never made you see a girl die.” He says slowly. I roll my eyes.

“Oh, come on. It’s my fault for being such a pain in the a*s. Don’t deny it. It was quite a well played out prank, actually. You really conjured up realistic images and put them in my head as if I was…there. If it wasn’t so freaky I’d be giving you props.” I say, ranting. I sit up, and this time the nausea isn’t so bad. Logan takes a step closer to me, in case I get sick again. Brody turns to Chase, his eyes angry.

“What did you do?” Brody asks his voice low. I’m even more confused now. I thought he was in on the prank.

“Nothing…I swear, I didn’t do anything. I controlled your mind for only a minute or so... One second I’m telling you to trust me and the next you’re staring at me, horrified, shaking like crazy.” Chase explains.

“So...you didn’t make me see my mother die?” I ask him, confused. Brody still looks like he wants to kill somebody and is glaring at Chase hardcore. Logan sits on the edge of my bed quietly.

“You saw your mother die?” Chase asks me quietly. I nod. I can feel my stomach churning as I start to remember the images. “Skye, I didn’t make you see anything. I swear to you, I didn’t.”

There’s a chilly breeze in the room, and I shudder. Logan notices and walks over to a cabinet to get me a blanket.

“Thanks,” I say quietly when he sets it on my bed. He smiles slightly.

I glance over at Brody and see that he doesn’t look angry anymore, but worried. Weird. You think it would take a lot to worry a guy like him. Like, maybe a bear breaking into his house and attacking him. Something of that extremity.

“Skye, do you want to talk about what you saw?” That’s Logan asking. His voice is soft and I can understand why. As soon as I start remembering I’m going to wish I never had.

“Um, no. Not really.” I say, trying to be nice about it. Logan nods kindly. “So um, if Chase didn’t make me see those things, who did?” I ask out loud for anyone to answer.

The brothers look at each other in question. I sit quietly waiting for someone to say something.

“Maybe it was your Talents mixing.” Logan offers. Brody and Chase look wary.

“That makes sense, actually.” Brody amends. “Both of their Talents are alike so it wouldn’t be unlikely for them to mix and for something to go…wrong.” He says, glancing at me.

“Yeah, that could be what happened.” Chase says, agreeing. He stares at me through hooded eyes.

“So maybe we should try not to use our Talents on each other.” I say to Chase and smile.

“Sounds fair,” He agrees. And then he smiles and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Like something was wrong but then he smiled and it was alright again.

“Okay guys, let’s let Skye get some sleep. We’ll talk more later.” Logan says, pushing his brothers out of the room. Brody turns and half-waves goodbye to me and Chase looks at me, his eyes dancing, before leaving. Logan stays behind.

“There’s a change of clothes for you here when you wake up. They’re some of my older stuff, the smallest stuff I could find around here to fit you. And there’s toothpaste and all of that in the bathroom. If you need anything, just press the button right here.” Logan says and points to a red button near my bed. I giggle.

“So, you’re my nurse?” I ask him, giggling still. Logan smiles at me and shakes his head.

“Chase did say you had a sense of humor.” He says and then backs out of the room through the door.

When everyone is gone I sit in my bed quietly, enjoying the sound of the wind outside. I know I said I wouldn’t stay with Chase, but his brothers are really nice. They took care of me when I was…unable to take care of myself, so how bad can they be? And I don’t suppose there is much chance of me getting out of here so I might as well stay.

With that, I lean my head back against the pillow and lay down. I close my eyes and then pop them open again as soon as I see the images coming back. This is going to be a long night.

I pick up the picture frame on the table next to me and look at it. Logan, Chase, and Brody are all smiling broadly into the camera. A woman, who I assume is their mother, is standing behind them, grinning with a man that is—was—most likely their father. They are such a beautiful family. All of them.

Trying once more to fall sleep, I close my eyes, only to be bombarded by more creepy images. I open my eyes with a sigh and then shake my head. I have to sleep at some point, I realize. And with that, I close my eyes with resolve, fighting against the images flooding my brain. My mom, dead. Bloodied syringes. The little girl shaking. Evil doctor. You’re next.

I do my best to ignore the images and eventually fall asleep.

 

I wake up two hours later (I know, because I looked at the clock) screaming. I hear someone rushing through the door and then flipping on the light. Once I can see I stop screaming and my breathing is heavy. Brody comes over to me and wraps an arm around me.

“Skye! Are you okay?” He asks me, trying to stop my shaking.

“Urngh,” I mumble unintelligibly. I close my eyes. Why was I even screaming? Was I having a nightmare?

“Do you want me to get someone else? Logan…Chase?” He asks. I shake my head.

“No, no. I’m fine. I’m sorry I woke you. I think I just had a nightmare.” I explain frantically. The last thing I need is all of the brothers in here looking at me like the basket case that I’m becoming.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” He asks me, staring at me like I might break down. I might, actually.

“Yeah,” I respond and attempt a smile. “I promise. I’m really sorry I woke you.”

Brody shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. Try to get some sleep.” He says. I nod.

“I will. Thanks, Brody.”

He smiles at me and then turns out the light, closing the door behind him. I listen to him walk down the hall until the shuffle of his feet cannot be heard and I sit up in bed. There is no way I’m falling asleep after that. Now that I remember the nightmare, it’s not likely I’m ever falling asleep.

As if seeing my mom supposedly die earlier wasn’t enough, I saw myself dying. Which, they say, if you see yourself dying in your dream you die in real life. That might have something to do with why I woke up screaming. Something about being strapped to a chair while a “doctor” stabs you with a needle full of God knows what doesn't exactly comfort me. No wonder the Davenport brothers think I’m crazy. For crap’s sake, I think I’m crazy.

Reviews

[Anya]

scary.... really scary. I still managed to laugh out loud once or twice though :)
Next chapter... :)