by N. Phillips
“How do you expect me to relax, Dad? You just told me I’ve been in and out of sleep for weeks. I can’t keep calm and sit here. I have responsibilities. I have people that need me. I—”
“Aliyah, please. We can’t lose you again. Listen to your father.”
I ended my rebuttal at my mother’s words and exhaled before shutting my watery eyes. I laid motionless for what seemed like hours, hearing my parents go in and out the room as my heart sank deeper into a pit of despair. My consciousness almost faded to black until a familiar face walked into the room.
“Lucas,” I gasped, using the small bit of strength I had to tie my arms around his neck after he rushed over to me. “You’re here.”
“Of course, I’m here, Ali,” he said, his mouth open and eyes wide. “I’ve been here every single day. I knew you’d wake up. I’m so happy you’re back.”
My eyes drifted toward my parents, who were standing near the door of the room.
“We’ll be back tomorrow,” my father said.
“We love you,” my mother chimed in.
With my parents exiting the room, Lucas and I were now alone. I gazed up at him and smiled.
“Lucas, I’m so—”
His lips pressed against mine without warning, leaving me marveling at his affection. Our tongues then intertwined, taking in the moment.
Breathless, we stared at each other. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he admitted with a chuckle, taking a sit in the chair by my bed.
I wanted to keep the mood lighthearted, but thoughts of the past led me down a darker path.
“Lucas, I tried to stop Val from killing herself, but a swarm of demons attacked me and knocked me off the roof of the school. Val wasn’t trying to kill me. She—”
“I believe you. I knew something else had to be up, but that doesn’t change the fact that you broke your promise, Ali. Not unless you were dragged into it or had an idea that it was Val being possessed.”
My lip curled with disgust. “So, it’s okay if I help when one of our friends is in trouble, but not when it’s somebody else? What the hell, Lucas?”
“That’s not what I meant,” he replied with a sigh. “I don’t want to argue, alright? This is a happy moment for us, and I just want you to know that I’ll support any choice you make going forward; but I want you to be safe. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle seeing you in the hospital like this again. So please, Ali, I don’t wanna be selfish, but think about what you’re doing to me.”
His words caused a heavy confliction to weigh on my mind, becoming heavier the more I tried to think of a solution. All I could do was let go of my frustrations and tell him the truth.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do, but it’s not like I can do anything anytime soon in this condition,” I told him, feeling pain all over my body and weakness in some areas. “How’s everything outside of this place, though? Is the city more corrupted?”
“Honestly, everything has gotten weird and depressing. The new craze on social media is people posting videos of themselves doing things that should be impossible. A lot of those people who managed to go viral went missing a few days later.”
“I bet the government killed them off. Are you sure the videos are real?”
He confirmed with a nod before slouching back in his seat. “It’s unbelievable. Another thing is that a bunch of people we used to know and be friends with are flat-out miserable now. I lost so many connections because nobody wants to hang out or do anything.”
“The demons must be causing that. They can increase any negative thoughts or emotions you might have until they take over your entire persona. I hope nothing’s happened to Tyler after all this.”
He huffed with his head low. “I hate to tell you, Ali, but that guy’s lost it. I mean, we’re still cool and all, but he’s not the same person he used to be. Val’s suicide attempt hit him hard, and the only time I ever see him is during band practice and gigs.”
“Oh. I see.”
I couldn’t imagine what Tyler had gone through for the past month. Valeria may have been my best friend, but she was the love of his life. She knew him better than I did, regardless of how long me and him have known each other.
I rested back and decided to talk about an easier subject. “So, how’s the band?” His grin caused me to sit back up in anticipation. “What is it? Did you guys finally decide on a name to stick with?”
“Yeah, we’re going with Broken Limitations. The whole group decided the name was pretty sick. Check out our newest song.”
He took out his cell phone and played the band’s latest track. I was more of a Hip-Hop and R&B kinda gal, and the metallic instrumentals were a much different sound than I had expected, but I was still overjoyed to hear him on the recording.
“Wow, this is so cool,” I said, almost wanting to squeal like a fangirl.
“I know, right? It’s like a wave of energy just hit me one night, and I knew for sure that this is what I wanted to do with my life.”
The sound of a female voice on the track made me raise my brow. “There’s a girl in the group, too?”
He muted the song and put his phone away. “Yeah, her name’s Robyn. She’s my co-writer and co-singer. We met about three weeks ago, and I was surprised when she told me she goes to the same school as us.”
I pursed my lips, deciding not to voice my worries when a male doctor stepped into the room.
“Good afternoon. I’m pleased to see you’re awake. Your recovery has been nothing short of a miracle.”
“It’s not a miracle,” Lucas said, caressing my hand. “It’s just her. She’s a fighter.”
“Well, despite her improvement, she’ll need to undergo rehabilitation for a month. I can assign a physical therapist today if she feels ready to get started tomorrow.”
I turned to Lucas and saw his encouraging smile. With him by my side and my desire to slay the demons still somewhat alive, there was only one answer to give the doctor.
“I’m ready.”
My days of recovery came and went in the blink of an eye, and I was more than eager to see anything outside of the white walls I grew to hate. As much as I wanted to leave this place and go home, there was still one last thing for me to do.
One last person to say goodbye to.
I stepped out my hospital room and into the hallway, where I took the elevator up to the fifth floor. After passing by the receptionist desk and a few doctors standing in the hall, I stood outside of a room that made me take a deep breath before entering.
“Val?” I said, knowing she couldn’t hear me. The machines surrounding her bed were the only things keeping her alive.
And maybe, just maybe, the person sitting in the chair near her bedside.
“Hey, Ty. How are you?” I asked him, placing my hand on his shoulder. I didn’t expect a response, for every time I came to visit Valeria during my rehabilitation, he would be in the room staring at her in silence.
I turned my attention to my best friend, who laid with her eyes close and an oxygen mask covering her mouth. I leaned in and kissed the side of her face before saying, “I love you. I’ll be back soon.”
My actions must’ve sparked something in Tyler, because he looked at me and simply asked, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why is it that you get to walk out of here, but she doesn’t?”
The stern, aggressive tone in his voice offended me. “Tyler, I don’t think it’s fair to—”
“Life isn’t fair, Aliyah,” he shouted, cutting me off. “Why is it that everyone else can make their wishes come true, but not me? I’ve been praying for her to get off this damn life support every single day, and nothing ever happens. Why do I have to suffer while everyone else is happy? It’s not right.”
I didn’t have the words to console him, because if I did, I’d be able to make myself feel better as well. Something else I lacked was the knowledge of how abilities worked, and why some people had them and ot
hers didn’t. It was moments like these that made me feel powerless, regardless of what I was capable of.
“If only I was a better person,” he continued with teary eyes. “A better listener. A better protector. If I had put in more effort into loving her, none of this would’ve happened.”
“It’s not your fault. Something happened the night before Val was manipulated. Whatever it was made the demons attracted to her. You can’t blame yourself for something out of your control.”
He said nothing and looked back at Valeria in his usual trance-like expression. There wasn’t anything I could do to make the situation better, so I decided to walk out the room, but not before saying, “She’s not dead, Tyler. Just remember that.”
My brief exchange with him was not how I wanted to start my first day out this place. I brushed it aside, however, and took the elevator down to the first floor of the hospital, where a man with shaggy gray hair confronted me.
“Aliyah Dawn, I presume?”
“Uh, yeah? Who’re you?”
He adjusted his glasses before speaking. “My name is Alvin Steinberg, and I am in charge of this facility that you’ve been a patient of for the past two months. I must say, your case for being here intrigued me. Tell me, what will you do now with this second chance at life?”
This guy was giving off creepy vibes that made me want to turn around and leave out the back door. He didn’t have a strong negative aura around him, but something about the way he spoke and looked at me was off-putting.
“Well, I’m gonna finish high school,” I told him. “Afterwards, I don’t know. Maybe do some volunteer work over the summer until I figure it out.”
“I see. And would this volunteer work have something to do with… saving people from themselves?”
Okay, red flag. That couldn’t have been a coincidence.
“Um, what? How do you…”
The nurse who had been my therapist approached us with a smile. “Good afternoon, sir,” she greeted him before addressing me. “Aliyah, your family is waiting for you outside.”
“Okay,” I replied, keeping my eyes on Alvin. Either I was being paranoid, or this man knew about my abilities.
“Very well. It was a pleasure speaking with you,” he said to me, as if we had a full-blown conversation. “I do hope we meet again, Miss Dawn. Carry on with your ventures in life.”
He sauntered away and left me in the company of my therapist, leaving any questions I had unanswered. She sat me in a wheelchair and pushed me down the bright corridor of the hospital. I waved goodbye to the staff and patients I became acquainted with until my therapist opened the door at the end of the hall. When the sun’s rays beamed down on my skin, a feeling of freedom and deliverance overcame me as I covered my eyes with my arm and smiled.
“Aliyah,” my mom’s voice called out from a short distance away. I blinked a few times before I stood up and saw her and my dad standing in front of their car. After giving my therapist a goodbye hug, I reunited with my parents.
“There’s my girl. I’m happy to see you,” my father said, embracing me with a tight squeeze before kissing my forehead.
“You ready to go home?” my mother asked, holding me close as well.
I nodded and got into the vehicle, waiting for my dad to start the engine. Looking out the window, a daunting, familiar sensation shot through my body, and all I could do was whisper my angst at the shroud of purple mist and shadowy creatures consuming the area.
“What has the world come to?”
CHAPTER 4
We arrived home after an hour drive. I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the vehicle while examining the beige exterior of the house and the verdant lawn that surrounded our driveway. I was quite surprised at how tall the grass had grown.
“Looks like Dad’s been slacking.”
“Hey, I heard that,” my father chirped as we walked in through the front door.
“Where’s Mya?”
“She’s at an art show displaying her latest work,” my mother answered before opening the door. “She’s been really motivated lately. I’m so proud of her.”
Walking into the house, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around the off-white living room; and it didn’t take long for my dog, Cinnamon, to rush down the wooden stairs and pounce on me.
“I missed you so much, girl,” I laughed out, excited to kneel down and rub my hand through her dark-brown fur again.
“Aliyah, your room’s all ready for you,” my father told me. “I made a few slight adjustments, but I kept everything the way you had it.”
His face widened into a comical grin. The same expression he would have whenever he tried to fool me.
“Uh-huh. What did you change?”
“It wasn’t my idea. Your mom insisted that I do it.”
I rolled my eyes and walked upstairs into my bedroom, expecting a disaster. But wow was I left in awe at the luxurious interior design that was fresh, sophisticated, and inviting. I could not stop rubbing the back of my hand against the velvet, cotton bedspread that complimented the red rug and auburn drapes hanging from the window.
My fascination came to an end after spotting a photo of Valeria on top of my shelf. I picked up the vintage frame and held it close to my chest, shutting my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Val.”
Her falling off the roof of the school replayed in my mind over and over again no matter how hard I tried to get it out my head. When placing the frame back on the shelf, I noticed a picture of my brother beside it. His gentle smile and soft features began to wash away the ghastly, vivid thoughts of the incident.
“I’ll make you proud. I promise.”
With nothing particular to do, I fell flat on my bed and considered calling Lucas. I had planned to surprise him in person by keeping my discharge from the hospital a secret, but the urge to speak to him right away couldn’t be fought. When I tried to call him, though, all I got was his default voicemail.
Curious, I decided to get my laptop and log onto my social media accounts, hoping to discover his whereabouts. Upon viewing the images on his page, my heart dropped in my chest.
“Oh, hell no.”
My forehead creased in anger at the photos on the screen. Most contained the girl with jet-black hair and red highlights standing next to Lucas and the other members of the band. It was no doubt in my mind that she was Robyn, Lucas’s co-singer.
I scanned through the rest of his page until I came across a video of the band performing. The aggressive tune and graphic lyrics were difficult to withstand, and a look of disgust made its way onto my face as I watched Lucas and Robyn match each other’s vocal intensity.
At this point, I was more than ready to march over to his house and find out what the hell was going on, but my eyes landed on a post that read the band would be performing tonight at a party. I rushed downstairs and approached my parents, who were sitting together in the living room on the brown linen sofa. I put on a broad, fake smile that resembled my dad’s comedic grin.
“Oh boy, now she’s doing the face. What is it?” he asked.
“Mom, Dad, Lucas and his band are performing tonight at this party, and I really want to go and support him. I remember telling you guys not to let him know when I was being released because I wanted to surprise him. So please, it’s my only chance. I won’t be able to—”
“No, Aliyah. You just got home, and there have been reports on the news of people disappearing lately. I’m sorry.”
I frowned at my mother’s sharp response and looked over to my father, who appeared almost as disappointed as I was.
“Honey, I think we should let her go. She needs to—”
“No, Richard. That’s final.”
I was ready to turn around in defeat and walk back up the stairs, but I gave my father one last pleading look before doing so.
“Marie, please, allow her to do this for one night. Lucas will be there, and you know he’ll look after her no matter what. She’ll be all
right.”
My mom sighed. She glanced down at the beige carpet before looking up at me.
“Aliyah Marie Dawn, you promise me that you’ll be back by ten, and not a minute later. You understand me?”
“Yes, I promise. Thank you so much. I love the both of you.”
I sprinted back upstairs and into my room to get ready. My anxiety and determination for answers had driven me to tell a white lie, but it was one I decided to live with to confront Lucas and Robyn face-to-face.
I stepped out a cab later that night where the house party was taking place and opened the front door to the loud, booming sound of the music. My nose wrinkled at the smell of drugs, sweat, and alcohol, which were all surprisingly strong in the early hours of the party.
Despite the unfamiliar tune that filled my ears as I pushed past a horde of drunken teenagers, I knew it was Lucas’s voice singing to the heavy metal instrumental. My heart clenched in my chest when I made it to the front of the crowd. He was in plain sight, strumming his guitar with a fiery passion.
Halfway through the song was when I felt an uncanny vibe that only intensified when Robyn stepped out the shadows and started to sing. My suspicions of her only increased after sensing her hatred and sorrow, wondering why couldn’t I feel her emotions in the past.
Wanting to scream and warn Lucas about the witch he’s been working with, I stopped myself knowing my words would only fall on deaf ears. Even if I could voice my fears, no one would believe me.
With my only option to wait for the end of the performance, I stood in the rowdy crowd and glowered at Robyn until another unsettling feeling came over me. A purple mist had begun to replace the marijuana smoke in the air, and after analyzing the audience and following the shadow current, the sinister source was identified: a demon that hovered its murky body over a hooded male.
The person appeared out of place in the loud, active environment, and I watched in horror as the demon leaned down and whispered into his ear. It reminded me of the beast who had influenced Valeria to end her life.