The Intruders

Chapter Six

I KEEP FEELING my canines. Making sure they are small, slightly flattened from grinding my teeth. I lie in R's bed staring the ceiling; moonlight making its way through the cracks in the boarded up windows.

The news was taken okay-ish. Sam and dad refused to let me go; I explained the full of the deal, that I would be back soon. I still don't think they want me to go, but the deal is done.

She can't do anything to me. But I can't do anything to her either.

The rest of the Survivors were iffy about the deal. Luka doesn't trust her and neither do I, but to get R back. This is the only chance I get, this is the hand I've been dealt, the dice have been rolled, and I have to play the game. I'm almost at the finish line; I can see it.

A future with R, in his ruby red room, dancing in the music hall. The future he promised me, the future I've been begging for, praying, hoping for. It will all come true.

"Wanna do something fun?" Cassie's voice enters my brain. I turn and see her standing at the door, the only light is from a candle in her hand.

"Hey," I sit myself up, and she enters the room, placing the candle down and sitting at the edge of the bed. "I gotta get an early night, Lyton wants me to do another fear serum tomorrow." I scratch at my eyebrows.

"Well, I have a dream." She flops onto the bed.

I feel Lyton's necklace hanging on my neck, any heavier and it could choke me in my sleep. The coin lying flat in between my breasts.

"Go on." I say.

"Well, you know how Mikko is this annoying bastard who tattoos people?" She says.

"Annoying bastard, harsh." I comment.

"We had a fight." She rolls her eyes. "Anyway, tattoos."

"Ah yes, how could I forget?" I climb out of the duvet, shuffling closer to her. Running my hands through her curls.

"My dream is to be a piercer!" She exclaims.

"A what?" I laugh.

"A piercer, like pierce people." She says, sitting up.

"And how will you do that?" I ask her.

"This is where you come into this," She says, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small plastic bag. Inside is a couple of needles, quite thick ones, and some metal rods with balls at either end. I raise an eyebrow. "Can I, be so kind to pierce your nipple?"

I burst out laughing, holding my stomach at the thought of the question Cassie just asked.

I look back to her face, and she doesn't look amused.

"Wait." I get my last giggle out. "You're being serious?"

"Deadly."

"No!" I exclaim, grabbing hold of my boobs, protecting them from Cassie's needles. "You have no qualifications!"

"Neither does Mikko!" She shouts, and I edge myself away from her, to the head of the bed.

"That needle might not even be sterile!"

"Lyton sorted that bit out for me! Besides I doubt your fear is sterile needles!" She begins to crawl towards me. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

"How is stabbing my nipple fun?" I ask her.

"You help a young girl experience her dreams and possible her true potential!" She shouts. "Besides, I'll pierce myself with one and we can have friendship bracelets but instead with nipple piercings!"

"Tempting but I will have to pass." I've climbed to my feet, baby stepping away from Cassie and the crazed look on her face.

"Come on, if you trust me, it'll convince Luka to get an eyebrow piercing and I think that would be pretty comical." She says. That sentence got me. She has got a solid point, Luka would look ridiculous, he hasn't got the face for it.

I squint my eyes.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" I ask her.

"I mean, how hard can it be?" She asks. I squint harder. She presses her hand to her heart. "Survivors honour."

I groan.

"Fine!" I shout. She claps her hands together with glee.

***

My left nipple burns as I sit in Lyton's chair, sleeve rolled up, hands tied down.

Cassie wimped out of the nipple piercing after hearing how much I cursed about it. However, Luka promises by the time I'm back he will have an eyebrow piercing, and I genuinely think that will be worth the pain.

Here's hoping my nipple doesn't turn green and drop off!

Lyton flicks the vial full of green liquid.

"You ready?" He asks. I nod my head. Seventy-second fear test. No answer. I want to throw up when the taste reaches my mouth, and after a few moments I feel my eyes beginning to droop, and Lyton's smile disappears from my vision.

-

I wake in a white room. Blaring white. So bright, it gives me a headache. I see no corners or ceiling, or even a floor. Everything is just white.

I look down and see nothing about me has changed. I see my bruises on my knees, the scar on my hand. My hair is still blonde and I can fit my hand around my wrist. I check my nipple and there is the bar.

I push myself to my feet.

The only thing in this room; is a mirror.

It's a couple feet in front of me; I can see myself from the distance, and I move closer.

I look at my reflection. Still the four-fingered forehead; the one slightly bloodshot eye; the misshapen eyebrows. My teeth that slightly overlap, my pores, my nose, my cheeks that burn red, and the scar on my face.

"Mavis..."

I hear a whisper. I frown, looking behind me, looking all around me, but there is only me in this white room; no creepy voices and no creepy people.

But when I turn back to the mirror; I scream.

I have scars over my eyes; deep, thick, purple scars. I see the wrinkles in my forehead from frowning. Both of my eyes are bloodshot and my normal blue eye colour is a faded gold. My skin is pale, my hair like straw, and when I open my mouth to scream; I see the long fangs in place of my normal teeth.

I cover my mouth with a hand, and there are the long claws where my once small nails sat. My skin turning a sickly green. My veins showing through my skin; dark lines of blue and purple all across my body.

I'm becoming my worst nightmare; an Intruder.

The mirror shatters under my scream, and shards of glass fly out. I try to cover my face with my hands; but I lose my balance, and suddenly nothing is white anymore.

Everything is pitch black and I'm falling backwards.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

-

I shoot up. I pinch my skin and look at my hands.

Perfectly normal.

"That was quick." Lyton mutters. I look to the arms of the chairs, realising I've dug my nails in, and I slowly release them. "Didn't even have time to drink my tea." He says, and I see the cup from the side still steaming.

"How long was I under?" I ask.

"Three minutes maybe?" He replies.

"What does this all mean?" I ask.

"You're getting faster."

"And?"

"We must be getting close to figuring out what your fear is."