My Last Breath (Book one of The Portal Series)

Let Me Be Normal. CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sitting alone back inside Marek's home, I do my best trying to find some inner solace. I felt completely ashamed to let the group of us feel unsafe in Province when I didn't know for sure who I kept seeing. My accomplices would have had a great night without me, but instead, I endangered them and cut their night out short.

Luke agreed to take us right back after he spent money on clothes for us. We safely walked back to his home, with no altercations or strange person stalking us. He only wanted to impress us by showing us around Province, but we all ended up doing was walking back to his house watching over our shoulder in case we were being followed.

Luke explained that he is sure there's nothing to worry about because our family has never dealt with anything of the sort in Province; or on Elyria of that matter. He only thinks it was a coincidence but the other girls and I weren't too convinced. Being where the three of us came from I'm sure Luke understood why we were so shaken.

Once we arrived back to Luke's home the three us of were assigned official beds to sleep in. I immediately distracted myself from the images in my head by sinking into the mattress, remembering what it was like a few nights ago when I slept in Jane's bed. Now I'm no longer extremely tense because my muscles have relaxed, which is still new to me; like many other things.

Again, I'm so very grateful I have a mattress that's not just springs and a thin later of fabric poking into my body. The bed is extravagant, with actual large blankets and pillows that I dreamed to have only a week ago. My body feels completely content with the moment, but my brain is on another page.

I've been trying this whole time to sleep but I realize my sudden need to sleep is only because I want my thoughts to go away. My eyes are wide awake and I can't close them because all I can imagine is that dark figure in the streets of Province. A night out in town should have gone much better than it did. It should have been normal but of course, with me, my life consists of the complete opposite.

This evening was nothing remotely close to normal, it was horrifying and now I'd rather not have any strangers give me company; even if I am in their house. Avoiding them is my easiest option because right now I don't want to be pestered about my issues. Instead, I need to find the truth about who that cloaked figure is.

Physically escaping from the Hunters was one thing, it's a whole other to be trapped inside my head with them still mentally torturing me. Everything they'd said about that forest, their secrets and lies to keep me from knowing the truth, the talking rabbit in the woods, and now this figure stalking me here on Elyria. I can't wrap my head around the fact that all of this has happened within the past week. It makes me wish to be normal more than anything in the world.

The thought that keeps circling around in my head is that this stranger is one of the Hunters. A man seeking for my wearabouts in order to take me back to be their prisoner again. The situation makes me feel like I may not be so free after all.

I pick up on Grams voice downstairs. She explains to Luke that she is worried the family will accidentally trigger something in me. It clicks in my head that everyone has been careful about what they tell me and after everyone found out about my story, they've been silent to me about it.

I understand their intentions now because they don't want to bring thoughts into my head, or bring up bad memories, after all that is all I remember. I wonder if they want me to come to them if I want to talk about it, but I know I won't any time soon.

Normally I tune out the voices, but when I'm stressed I can't as much, so in a neighboring room I overhear Koda whispering to Lynn, "I couldn't let myself get caught either..." The conversation is much more interesting than the one from downstairs so I keep listening. "They'd ruin me. I can't be their prisoner."