Society

Chapter 32

I woke up in my old area outside the city, I must be dreaming, I pushed myself up off of the ground and stood, scanning my surroundings. I was standing on the outskirts of the area, it looked like it was after I had killed everyone but there was no body's anywhere, not even ones that were not my doing. I stood, confused, then I saw her, the girl from earlier she walked towards me and I felt myself freeze I was unable to move my feet or my arms but I watched her come closer. She placed herself in front of me and grasped my face in her hand putting her face close to mine.

"This is what you did to me." She spoke, her voice was raspy but was still recognizable as what it had previously been. I felt a shiver run down my spine as she spoke.

"You killed me, you caused me to look like this." She leaned in even closer, our faces almost touching and I could see her teeth were razor sharp and her nails enclosing my face transformed into talons which cut into my face.

"Now" she said as she smiled, the sight was horrible as she was missing a cheek.

"Now, I'll do the same to you."

My heart began to pound so hard against my chest I felt as though if I willed it too it could break free and hit the girl but she launched herself at me and bit into my cheek. I screamed at the pain and felt the world darken around me, I felt pressure on my shoulders and struck out at the figure I could see in the dark, after a couple of misses I caught them in the face and felt them fall away from me. I heard a groan, then realized I was back in my room and it was Neco I had punched, I looked around me in the pitch black and saw the girls razor teeth and talon claws coming towards me. I could feel the searing pain on my cheek and curled up in a ball in the corner of my bed to protect myself.

"Aima, hey Aima. Calm down, you're safe."

I continued to stay curled up in my ball as Neco warily put his arms around me, I felt myself shudder once then I forced myself to sit up and then, without looking at the monsters hiding in the shadows, clutch onto Neco. He held me close to him until I calmed down, I pushed myself away just slightly but I didn't let go of him.

"I'm sorry, I had a dream. She, I thought it was real, I was scared. I'm sorry for hitting you."

It was too dark for me to see his face but he hugged me tightly again.

"Don't apologize, you're scared it's ok."

Relaxed a little and lay back down, Neco went to get up but I held him.

"Please don't go."

He hesitated before lying down next to me, he put his arms around me and I quickly fell asleep with him hugging me. I slept through the night without dreams but instead flickering images of the demon girl who was now haunting me.

I woke up the next morning in the dull room, the sun had just begun to show over the wall of the city. I pushed myself up slightly before I noticed the weight of Neco's arms on my waist. I looked at him while he slept, he looked tired but was still as good looking as when he was awake. I lay back down next to him and let myself indulge in the few minutes that I could lying in bed, half asleep before my habits kick in and force me awake.

I pushed myself up and lifted Neco's arms off of me, gingerly placing it back on the bed in my place so as not to wake him. I sat on the edge of the bed rubbing my eyes which were still damp from the night before, luckily the combination of Neco's presence, although asleep, and the fact I just woke up kept my nightmares at bay. I got up and went through to the bathroom to see how bad I looked. I reached the bathroom only to be reminded that I had smashed the mirror the day before. I sighed and resorted to splashing water on my face and running my fingers through my long tangled hair. I heard Neco stir as I turned off the water, he pushed himself up of the bed and I dried my face before making my way through to join him. He looked up at me as I walked into the room.

"You look better than you did yesterday." He said as I walked over to him, I sat next to him lying back against the wall.

"So far I feel better, but I can't guarantee too much."

He leaned over and hugged me before standing up.

"Do you mind if I use your shower?"

I shook my head and gestured for him to go, he made his way through to the bathroom closing the door after him. I heard the water turn on and I lay on the bed, I felt exhausted after yesterday's incidents but I resigned myself to pushing through. I jumped as I hear my phone go off. I pushed myself up and found my phone lying on the floor next to my bed, I picked it up to hear Dan.

"Hey, A. just to tell you, Leila isn't doing anything about your little attack but I need to get you to take some better missions, the higher ups want you doing more."

I pushed my hair back from my face and leaned back against the wall.

"Yeah, sure. I'll do one soon, don't worry."

I heard him mutter something under his breath before he responded.

"Soon isn't good enough, it needs to be today. Don't think that you're actions go unnoticed, the amount of trouble you've caused needs to be accounted for. Don't forget that you were given the death sentence, you understand the gravity of this right?"

I went to respond when the bathroom door opened and Neco walked out wearing similar clothes to what he had yesterday.

"Thank A." he shouted me, oblivious to the fact that I was on the phone, he covered his mouth as he saw the phone in my hand.

"Relax, it's Dan not Tanya."

He dropped his hand and sat down next to me, I returned my attention to the conversation between Dan and I, he was completely silent and I felt slightly embarrassed.

"Was that Neco?" he asked and I felt my face flush even though it was a simple question.

"Uh, yeah it was."

Dan laughed a little before continuing.

"Well then, it's a good thing that I wasn't Tanya, I take it he stayed overnight. Let me rephrase my earlier point. If you don't take a blue mission by the end of today I'll tell Tanya about Neco staying over at yours. Remembering how she reacted before."

"But, what?! That's blackmail, why would you do that?!" I shouted down the phone, Dan just laughed.

"Because there's no other way to guarantee that you do what I tell you."

I couldn't argue because I knew he was right, I groaned as I agreed to his terms and then hung up on him. Neco looked at me with a strange look.

"Dan's making me go on a mission, if I don't he'll tell Tanya you stayed overnight."

"Go on a mission, I don't think I can survive another one of her rages."

I sighed and stood up, grabbing another set of clothes for today, I head to the bathroom shouting to Neco before I closed the door.

"Only if you'll go with me." I closed the door before he had the chance to answer, I turned on the shower then got dressed, washing away the horrors of the previous night.