In the Eyes of the Wolf

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

-Pax-

The only thing I could concentrate on was the sound which vibrated through my entire body. It was far more than a discomfort which you would usually get when there's a slight high-pitched noise. I didn't know the science behind the pain, but I had learnt that the more sudden it is, the more pain I experience.

I couldn't hear what the others were saying, I felt a complete fool. I was behaving like a child who had been stung by a wasp. The pain wasn't going away, the memories of my childhood when I felt a similar way was piercing my mind. The feeling of dread and regret was heavy in my stomach.

Fabric met the back of my hands. It was bouncy and smooth. It was gentle at first but then the pressure increased. My hands slipped away from my ears, not knowing what was happening. Something was put on my head, hugging my ears.

I didn't know I was crying until a warm hand wiped the tears away. I couldn't tell who it was, a fact which irritated me. My hands reached for whatever was covering my ears. Plastic met my fingers, causing me to flinch in surprise. Two round things were either side of my head, the plastic thinning and meeting on the top of my head.

"I'm not sure putting something on is a good idea," a muffled voice said. "It could cause more pain."

I opened my eyes to red and white dots dancing in darkness. My shoulders relaxed and I leant to the right, where I remembered Farley to be sitting.

"That seems much better," Farley said. His voice vibrated through his arm. "That's what happened at the park. Maybe he followed us here?"

I couldn't hear a lot of what was being said. Every time I tried to focus on someone's' words, the ringing came back to my ears.

"They'd come straight here if they knew he was here though." Clementine must be sitting to my left, on the arm of the settee. "As long as he's out of view."

"The windows open," Farley observed. "He knows what I look like, he'd know Pax was here if he saw me."

"If he saw you, he'd be knocking on the door," Lana said. As though fate had heard her, a loud banging came from the passage.

"Thank you, Lana," Rowan said sarcastically.

My arm was grabbed, and I was pulled to my feet. "Keep your head down," Farley told me.

I practically had to quickly slide up the stairs. The thing on my head slipped a few times, but they were easy to adjust.

I fell into Farley and Rowan's room, lying on my back with a heavy sigh. Farley's hand was still grasping mine, the clamminess told me that we were both nervous.

"-Pax?" His voice was still faint. "Sit up please."

I did as he asked, lying down was a little disorientating without being able to hear what was going on. The vibrations of the door and people walking around travelled through my back.

The plastic which covered my ears was lifted. The chilly air made me flinch, it hadn't felt as cold before. My fingers twitched from where they were on my knee, instinctively wanting to cover them again. The sound of the whistle was still echoing in my head. I wasn't sure if the whistle was still being blown, but it was still aggravating.

Now that my ears were no longer covered, deep voices travelled up the stairs. Kian's was instantly recognisable; Caspian's and Rosary's took me a little longer to distinguish. It was rare I heard Rosary speak, save for what I overheard.

"We're looking for someone," Kian said. "His name's Pax. He ran away yesterday; intelligence suggests he may be around this neighbourhood."

I didn't know what intelligence they had, but the way he spoke made a shiver go down my spine. I jerked my head to the side as something cold and wet made contact with my ear.