You Said I Was Ready

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Don’t let go.” I whispered when we came to the city. “Don’t let me go.”

“Everything will be okay Bree.” He promised lifting my chin. “If I didn’t believe that then we wouldn’t be doing this.” I nodded and let him drag me down into the ground and then he kept dragging me until we stopped at one of the meeting rooms. He knocked gently and then walked in.

“Bree!!!!!” Elizabeth yelled running to me and hugging me. “You’re back.” She whispered when I pulled away.

“Is she always silent now?” Austin asked.

“No. Only when she’s having to fight.” Daniel told them.

“Danny.” I whispered, “Get me out of here.” I requested but then Eli walked out of the corner and looked straight at Daniel.

“I’ll take her from here.” He warned cold as ice. Daniel nodded and handed me to Eli. Eli didn’t take my hand though and I immediately switched to grabbing the chair. Everybody watched as I slowly came back.

“You have to keep a tight grip on her. It helps her stay in reality.” Daniel told Eli and Eli quickly put his arm around my waist and held me close.

“I’ll see you later Danny.” I whispered.

“You are doing great Bree.” Daniel promised. “You can do this.” I shook my head and just focused on the arm around my waist.

“What’s going on between you and Daniel?” Eli asked.

“Nothing. I was planning to run anyway so that I could get under control. Daniel said that he was going to go with me and teach me how to control the fears…”

“I know that much.” Eli snapped.

“I can’t really handle you snapping at me right now Eli.” I whispered pulling away and sinking to the floor. “Get Danny.” I ordered him but he shook his head.

“I’ll get him.” Austin promised and I realized that Austin had followed to make sure that I kept control. “I followed to make sure Eli kept his head not you.” Austin promised before running back to the meeting room.

“Move Eli!” Daniel ordered running straight to me.

“You said that once I was back they’d stop…” I begged Daniel.

“That’s because I’m taking you to the hospital wing.” Daniel explained and picked me up. “Austin keep Eli here. This will be hard enough for her to fight without him around.”

“She’s not any better?” Elizabeth whispered.

“Danny!!!” I screamed terrified as Elizabeth transformed into a monster.

“Keep Elizabeth here.” Daniel ordered running away with me.

“What’s going on with her?” Nurse ordered.

“Keithton has somehow managed to keep adding nightmares into her mind. They now transform the people they want her to kill into other things.” Daniel explained and suddenly a group of doctors were surrounding me.

“Let me in!” Eli ordered outside.

“No.” I whispered begging them to make him leave. “It’s not safe. I shouldn’t have come back.”

“We’ll keep you in solitary for a few weeks until we figure out how to fight this.” One of the doctors promised. The nurse quickly wheeled me into a private room but I recognized it from somewhere.

“True or False.” I started and Daniel quickly turned to look at me leaving the conversation that the doctors were having, “People can watch me from behind that mirror.”

“True.” Daniel nodded but looked surprised.

“True or false.” I started again, “Eli is standing behind that mirror.”

“True.” Austin said coming in.

“Make him leave.” I whispered and then added, “Danny please make the mirror quit.” I begged and he quickly pushed a button making the mirror a blank wall.

“She has a thing against anything reflective. For some reason it makes it harder for her to distinguish reality from nightmare.” Daniel explained to the doctors. “Please make sure nobody brings reflective objects in here.”

“Of course.” Nurse promised and he turned back.

“Danny?” I whispered and he turned back. “True or False. You knew I wasn’t ready to come back yet.”

“True.” He admitted, “I knew that you needed doctors though.” I stayed silent after that and just looked at the floor.

“No!!!!!!!!!” I screamed myself out of the nightmare but for the first time in a year nobody was there to comfort me to help me find reality. “Danny…” I begged a couple hours later when the doctor walked in, “Get Danny.” I whispered and they left quickly hearing how tired and weak I was.

“Hey…” Daniel whispered. “It’s okay.” He promised. “Repeat the reality you know.” He coached.

“My name is Brenin Lee Hampton. My parents are dead. Keithton killed Eli.”

“False.” Daniel told me quickly understanding easily what nightmare I’d had. “Your name is Brenin Lee Hampton…” He started me again.

“My name is Brenin Lee Hampton…” I whispered feeling a tear fall as I finished, “I don’t know anything else.” He pulled me up into his arms and rocked me gently.

“What does she mean?” Eli’s voice came from behind the now solid white wall.

“That it’s going to be a rough day.” Daniel provided him and I looked up begging him silently. “She wants you away from here today.” Daniel told him.

“Come on Eli.” Elizabeth’s soft voice came through the wall. “If she needs you Daniel will come get you.”

“You can’t be here either Elizabeth.” Daniel warned.

“I know.” She whispered, “Nurse told me last night when I tried to visit.”

“They are gone.” A doctor told me and I relaxed some into Daniel.

“Do you want to try again before you go to sleep?” Daniel whispered late that night after calming me down time after time throughout the day.

“No.” I shook my head, “It’s obvious it’s one of those days.” I whispered and just curled up into the bed. “Don’t leave.” I whispered, “Please.”

“Okay.” He nodded but got up as the doctor walked in. “I’ll be right here.” He promised me and I nodded.

“Okay we’re going to try something that we’ve only tried on paper.” The doctor said and suddenly he was terrifying to see. He had sunken in eyes and his mouth was hanging to the floor like his face had lost all the bones.