Risk

Amber sighed, her face flushed when she looked into the mirror, she still hadn't gotten to the point of understanding her situation yet.

The last few days had worn out all her energy that was even hard getting herself ready in the morning, nonetheless getting out of bed.

It's been a day; meaning yesterday was when her entire life changed drastically, going from boring to intense with only one word to describe it...demons.

She hugged her arms together, rubbing her goosebumps, from only bringing up the name. Demons.

 She squeezed her eyes shut, clapping her palms against her cheeks.

It was all real.

Her eyes wandered to her bed, where the book layed on her bedside. It was the book Arsan had given her, but too frightened, her head still spinning she hadn't opened it.

Amber, sucked in a breath she didn't know she was holding, reminding herself to remain calm, but she couldn't. How could she?

She dragged her feet or after the next when she walked over to her wardrobe, pulling out an outfit resembling an undercover agent. It was not like she could dress all pretty and go along with her life as it was anymore.

She changed into a long-sleeved black hoodie, followed by a knee-length skirt, and tied her hair in a low bun so that it'll fit under her hood. She groaned, staring outside her window; it was a beautiful morning too, sun beaming blissfully, the cotton candy clouds if possibly more fluffed, birds singing to start the morning and the roads quiet.

She swung a bag over her chest and fitted the large dusty book into it. Maybe it'll come in handy for something.

Dressed discreetly in all black, Amber made her way downstairs, whipping up a mug of brewing coffee and immediately going relaxed when she sipped it, the heat seeping through the cup and instantly warming her body. She sighed her tense shoulders from earlier now in a slouch.

When finished she placed the cup into the sink before turning off the light and exiting through the front door, the cold breeze caressed her face. 

She stood, blowing into her palms when she hauled at a taxi, quickly slipping into the backseat from the coldness.

"Right down the street please," She called out to the bearded driver who looked to be nearing his thirties, his hands gloved and clutched onto the steering wheel when he looked back at her. "The hospital." She leaned forward to pay him.

 The doctors say she'll be fine; Amber's mother, though they were confused about what happened to Chloe, being a doctor herself, one that they knew and worked very closely with. Amber had only shrugged, saying that it was an accident. Though being a very tactful person, if she told them the truth no one would believe her. 

But she was just happy her mother was okay, it made her tear up seeing the condition she was in that night but she was alive and breathing, and she was thankful for that; she has to spend up to a week before it's okay for her to go home.

She clutched her bag over her shoulder when the car came to a halt, "Thank you." She waved at him before she turned to stand at the hospital. 

She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, fatigue already hitting her. She wondered how her mother's condition was.

"Chloe Lane?" She asks the receptionist who smiled at her and gestured through the hall with her long pink acrylics.

"She's at the Recovery room." 

Amber gave her a nod before she took off. She walked through the hall cautiously, already feeling her heartbeat accelerate. Hospitals. She truly hated them but she had to be there for her mother.

She inhaled a supply of oxygen and placed her palms on the metal door, pushing it open so she'll enter. She smiled when she saw her mother on the bed, her chest rising and falling which meant she was breathing but with all the equipment and the oxygen mask on her face, she couldn't fight the frown on her face.

She sat on the end of the bed and reached out to join her hand in hers. "I'm sorry mom—" She says.

'If only I hadn't left her alone.' She stayed at her side watching her until her eyelids got heavy, falling asleep. She wasn't able to get good sleep last night, thoughts only going to her mother and parents and what happened at the hotel.

She stayed hand in hand with her mother sleeping upward when someone shook her shoulders. She stretched her hand over her head with a yawn and blinked her eyes open to see her father in front of her. 

"Dad?" She rubbed her eyes, still tired though she had come out of sleep.

"Why don't you go home, rest up a bit?" He half-smiled at her worriedly, but she took her head, her eyebrows joined together in a pout, "I—"

"I'll stay with her." He assured her before she could argue and she smiled at him, opening her arm around him for a hug.

"Thank you, dad. Call me when she wakes up?" She placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Of course." He smiled and Amber's smile stretched knowing that he took time away from his job for Chloe. Her father, John was also employed, working as a businessman which he too didn't spend much time at home.

With that she walked out of the room and out of the hospital, signaling a cab once again that took her straight home.

The taxi stopped in front of her house and she had to walk to her front door, her legs unsteady and her eyes half-open. She hadn't noticed how tired she was until she fell asleep in the car. All the sudden events had taken a toll on her.

Amber's fingers fidgeted when she unlocked the door, the effect of the cup of coffee she drank earlier had already run out and she was returned to her uneasiness caused by exhaustion.

The door clicked open and she was greeted by the warmth of her house, already feeling the hot water against her skin, accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate and some shut eyes. 

However, it was unpleasant for Amber when her plans were crushed. Because it wasn't only the warmth she was greeted with but also the people whom she had met at the hotel, the ones who caused half of her exhaustion and the reality she dreaded the most.

Her throat went dry when Indigo came down from her stairs, pausing to look at her.

Her eyes then went to Arveion's who sat on the arm of the chair, twirling a knife against his finger.

Amber's knees buckled and she had to hold her face in her palms to keep her head from spinning. She took jittery steps to the kitchen, walking fast on her feet when Indigo followed behind her. 

Her hands clutch the kitchen sink taking a moment to steady herself before she could take a glass and fill it with water.

She gulped the cold pipe water down her throat, placed the glass in the sink, and turned on her heels to look at Indigo, Arveion standing behind her.

"What do you want from me?" She pinched her nose bridge. Her headache now appeared worse.

"We want to help you, Amber." Indigo reached out her hand but as it was about to touch her Amber sidestepped through the drywall opening, twisting her body to escape them.

"Help me from what?!" She circled the single couch, massaging her fingers into her hair, "I don't need help, the only thing I want right now is for two to leave my house so I can pretend all of this didn't happen."

She Arveion scoff, "Oh yeah, and how's been going? Do you seriously think we'll want you if we had a choice" 

"Then leave!" She pauses to shout at him.

"You'll come with us if you value for life—"

"My life is far more valuable without you in it!" She crossed her arm over her chest, "All you do is shout and call things! Why would I ever trust you?" 

"Trust? You know maybe I should've let that monster eat your sorry ass, then all of this would be solved."

Amber stormed closer to his face, "In case you've forgotten, you were the one who would've been eaten if I didn't come back to help you!" They both angrily stared into each other's eyes.

"Stop it!" Indigo stood between the two, putting an arm on Arveion's chest so that he'll step back.

"Fuck it," He swung his back to her, throwing his arms exaggerously into the air before returning to the couch, "She's hopeless." He dropped himself to sit, propping his head under his arms.

"Hey…" Indigo spoke gently, "Sorry about him, but he is telling the truth, we only want to help you. You walked away with memories of all the events that happened at the hotel and we're sorry if that affected you but there are far more threats in the world than the creature you witness at the hall, others being faster, deadly, scarier...it not only puts you at risk but your family as well."

Amber's expression softened, perhaps she's right but then again she couldn't help but question, "And why would you want to help me? Why does all of this land on me?"

"W-well," Indigo stuttered, and turned her face to look at Arveion, before going back to Amber again, "Uhm, you're kind of at the center of everything and you see, we need you to come with us in order so we'll figure all of this out."

Amber stepped back, "So is this why you separated my mom and me back at the hotel, in order to get me alone. How do I not know that you wanted me to get hurt as well that day? Giving us separate rooms to kill us off."

"No, that was not our doing, we had no idea that our location would be found that day. Those creatures' visit was a surprise to us as well, please we're telling the truth, Amber." Indigo reached up to her, but Amber brushed her off. 

She held her hands outwards to her chest, "I'm sorry, but I-I just can't trust you right now, I...not after what happened to my mother." Amber held the handrail of the stairs but waited for Indigo to say something before she could run off.

With her head low Indigo took a step back and nodded when she said, "I understand but please call us when you need help or change your mind…" 

She placed a crystal-like stone on the table and sent one last glance at Amber when she turned her back, Arveion already at her side and had already opened the door to exit.

Amber looked down at the both of them until the door closed and they were no longer in her view. She sighed before continuing up the stairs and diving onto her bed. 

She laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling. After so dearly wishing for sleep, she could only lay there, trying to shut her eyes but her mind only wandering back to Indigo and Arveion's words.

'You'll come with us if you value your life.'

'It not only puts you at risk but your family as well.'