another (un)wanted visit

The nurses sedate me again, but this time the medicine doesn’t work. No matter how much I toss and turn, I can’t fall asleep. I stare at the ceiling, count sheep in my head, close my eyes. Nope, nope, nope. Sleep doesn’t come, no matter how much I’m trying to make it.

My throat is parched. When was the last time I drank water? Frankly, I can’t remember, and it scares me. Maybe this entire thing is happening only because I am dehydrated.

I sit up slowly. A stinging pain shoots through my ankle at the sudden movement, but it disperses the moment I stop. The cup of water shakes in my hand as I raise it to my dry lips.

The water is icky and freezing. Disgusted, I set it down on my lap. Should I drink? But if only the water was a little warmer-

The water warms.

Oh my god.

What’s happening? Why is it warming? Was it just my imagination?

I drink the water and it scalds my tongue.

Impossible.

I glance down at the cup. It looks normal, average. What if… I close my eyes and wish for the cup to go cold. It stays warm. Then I wish for it to warm some more, and this time it does. A side effect of my hyperthermia? Sure, my body temperature might

be way above average, but this? I don’t have to be a doctor to know it isn’t normal.

“Haven.”

“Oh my god!” I shriek and splash the water in the direction of the voice.

“Shit. How hot is this thing?” It’s Rain. He’s in a hoodie again, emerald eyes shining in the sliver of moonlight that brushes his face, a long, messy mop of hair that peeks out dark brown from under his hood. Without blood streaming down his nose, he actually does look cute. That is, until my eyes trace out the dark red blisters on his cheek.

“I’m sorry!” I search frantically for anything to salvage the situation. As weird as he is, this is only the second time I’m meeting him and I burn him? Way to go Haven.

“Whoa, calm down, I’m fine. It’ll go away soon.”

The patch of blisters smoothen out and shrink before disappearing altogether.

What the heck did I just see?

“Oh, god.” I scramble away from Rain. But my ankle is hurting again, so I stop moving. Rain has to see this, because he frowns.

“Let me help you with that.” He pulls my blanket off me gently and unwraps the bandage.

“Wait.” I stop him with a hand. “Get away from me. You’re freaking me out. It’s either you explain or you leave.” I sound surprisingly calm, although I’m screaming internally.

Rain sighs. “Haven, please. I don’t mean to harm you.”

His touch is gentle over my foot, eyes almost earnest. When I look at him, I see a boy under the moonlight. But I’m not falling for the stuttering beat of my heart. Not for green eyes and a sloped grin.

I jerk my foot away. “Explain, or leave.”

Rain swallows. “I know your Anathem is slowly beginning. I’m here to ask you, again to join us. Again, there are many like you across the world. Some leave their lives and devote themselves to protecting us. Many others stay under the protection of the fighting group, and occasionally offer us resources like money and shelter.. Which one will you join?

“Protection from what? The person you said is trying to kill us?” My heart is beating fast and I’m suddenly hyperaware of the bite on my ankle.

Rain bites his lip. “That, and a lot of other things.”

We stay silent. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand any of what’s going on.

“Like I said last night, what if I don’t want either? I don’t want to leave my life, but I don’t want to live under protection, either.” There’s a nagging seed of doubt in my chest that tells me to stop being stupid and decide. But what if this is all a prank?

Rain’s face darkens. “You can choose neither and we will leave you alone. But I know no one who has taken that option and lived longer than five days.”

A chill races down my spine.

He’s not lying. I can tell. His dark brows are furrowed.

Hot, my brain supplies. I slap it mentally.

“No.” It slips out of my mouth. Evidently, my mouth-to-brain filter has holes the size of Venus. No? What the heck?

But the more I think about it, the more certain I am. Rain could be lying. All of this could be a fake. This kind of thing only happens in story books.

And it just so happens I’m not exactly in a book right now. So, no. Rain looks confused.

“But-” He stutters, running a hand through his hair. “You… you could die. Don’t you see? The poison in your veins now has spread, developed. You just saw proof of it.”

“No.” I shake my head. This nutcase isn’t going to be moving me anytime soon. “Out. Now. I want to rest. Or I’ll splash you with some more hot water.”

Rain’s jaw hangs open. He looks completely, hilariously, gobsmacked. I turn to fill the cup with some water so I can splash him.

“Come on, you little-” I fling the cup as I turn back to face him.

The cup falls to the ground without hitting anything.

The water splatters to the floor.

Rain—my supposed last chance of salvation and protection, the boy with a mystery I’d been so desperate to unravel—is gone.

I think I’m going to piss my pants.

_________________________________________

why is rain getting hotter (jk) i sense a crush incoming!! anyway please i just painted my nails for the first time while in a zoom lecture, who cheered? support me on patreon

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