Chapter 53

Elise POV:

I turn to glare at Hunter. He takes a step back. My body is instantly filled with rage. My body feels hot.

“Elise,” he says, his eyes widened. I continue to glare at him. “Your hair is white again.”

“I don’t give a damn about my hair. Don’t try to manipulate my emotions. I know what I’m feeling isn’t the best feeling out there. But I don’t need you to try and make me feel happy when I fucking don’t. Let me fucking navigate things on my own,” I yell at him.

I can feel myself starting to lose control again. Fucking this stupid bullshit. I have never been such an angry person like this. I don’t like these strong feelings rushing through my body all the time.

Kyros comes up to me. He pulls me into his arms but I fight him on it. I don’t want comfort.

“Stop fighting it, Elise,” he whispers into my ear. “Let me help calm you please.”

I slouch into his arms and stop fighting him. I place my head in the crook of his neck and breathe in his scent. It always calms me down.

“I’m sorry,” I say loud enough for them all to hear me.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kyros says back.

We stand there with me in his embrace for who knows how long. I breathe in his scent. He runs his fingers through my hair.

“How are you feeling now,” he asks me.

“Better,” I say, pulling out of his embrace.

“I’m sorry, Elise. I didn’t think about how I would actually make you feel by doing that. I just wanted for you to not feel so alone. You know you can count on us right,” Hunter asks me.

I look over at him. I nod my head. I shouldn’t have snapped on him like I had.

“Hey, hey. Don’t do that. Don’t feel bad for speaking up for yourself. He manipulated your feelings,” says Ezekiel.

“I shouldn’t have snapped on him though. I just don’t know how to control this rage that suddenly takes over me. It comes out of nowhere and I don’t know how to stop it,” I say sheepishly.

“You’re going through a lot. I would be more worried if you were happy all the time even with what has happened so far,” says Cassian.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” I say. I had noticed how all of them have turned into good friends. It’s been a short amount of time but I feel so close to all of them. “Thank you for not giving up on me. I know I’m probably just a nuisance. But it means a lot that I can count on all of you.”

“You are not a nuisance. And honestly it adds flair to the group,” Juliangelly jokes. We all chuckle and that helps settle the mood between everyone.

“Let’s keep going,” says Kyros. He grabs my hand once again and we begin walking.

…..

We continued walking the rest of the day. Take a break here and there when needed. They were mainly for me and I blushed every time. If I wasn’t here they wouldn't need all these breaks.

At one point I was cursing at the bushes and trees we kept running into. I had noticed how Cassian and Ezekiel had tried their hardest not to laugh at me.

A while later I even turned to cuss them out too when I got a strange feeling. I felt like we were being watched. The others noticed the look on my face.

“What’s wrong,” asked Kyros.

“I feel like we are being watched,” I say quietly. The other suddenly became alert.

“Stay here,” Cassian tells me and Juliangelly. We stand together and the boys go look around.

They are gone for like ten minutes. Each one had gone in a different direction.

“I didn’t see anything,” says Hunter.

“Neither did I,” says Cassian.

“Nope, nothing,” says Ezekiel.

“There was no one around. I didn’t even feel the presence of anyone,” says Kyros.

“Hmm, maybe it was just me then. It was a sudden feeling,” I say. “Maybe it was nothing.”

“It could just be exhaustion from walking at this point,” Juliangelly says.

I hadn’t told them about my hallucinations. So maybe now is the time to tell them.

“Um, there is something I haven’t told you guys. I felt embarrassed by it and I know I should have said something before,” I start off. I nervously play with my fingers.

“What is it,” asked Kyros, stepping closer to me.

“Um. Well I’ve been hallucinating. It’s like my dreams have spilled over into the real world. I think it has to do with everything going on right now. Plus not being able to sleep well,” I finally tell them.

“You have been hallucinating,” asked Cassian. I nod my head. I look at all of them trying to see what their reactions are. But I’m not quite sure what they are thinking.

“Tell me what you have been seeing,” says Ezekiel.

“Well, it’s been mainly this voice that I’ve heard in my dreams. I hear it every now and then. It’s basically my fears spilling out into the form of a hallucination,” I explain.

“Hmm,” I turn to look at Cassian. “Are we sure this is a hallucination? What if someone is trying to play a trick on you?”

“Actually, I think that could be a possibility,” says Juliangelly, agreeing with Cassian.

“When something like this happens again, I need you to tell me. Or tell one of us,” say Kyros touching my arm lightly. I look over at him and he gives me a small smile. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You have been through a lot. Whether it's a hallucination or not, this is basically a trauma response.”

“I can’t wait for the day things start to go smoothly,” I groan. I want things to be normal for once.

“Let’s keep going. That way we can find a good place to stop for the night,” say Ezekiel.

We start walking once again. Me and Kyros took the lead. The boys behind us start joking around. Until I trip over something. I fall down and let out a scream at what I see beneath me.