Chapter 15 Lockdown
Chapter 15 Lockdown
VANESSA’S POV
I slam my door shut and lean against it. I finally let out the breath I’ve been holding since lunch. My heart is beating so fast I can feel it in my neck. It’s the first time I’ve been alone all day, and I feel like I’m about to lose it.
My room isn't much. It’s a tiny box at the end of the hall, just big enough for my bed and a desk. The school calls it a scholarship room. They say it’s for privacy, but I know it's just to keep us away from the rich kids. Right now, I don't even care. I’m just glad nobody is here to see me.
I took off my hoodie. My skin was burning. I looked at my hand. The bandage was gross, covered in dry blood and smelling like smoke.
"This is bad," I said to myself. "Way worse than before."
I went to the sink and splashed cold water on my face. It didn't help. The fever was hitting me hard. My head was pounding, and every noise from the hall hurt my ears. I could hear girls laughing down the hall, and it sounded like they were shouting right at me. Even the water in the pipes sounded way too loud.
I looked in the mirror and my stomach dropped. My eyes weren't brown anymore. They were flickering. That gold color was trying to come out.
“Stay down,” I whisper, holding onto the sink. “Not now.”
I tried to breathe slowly. I looked at my phone. One missed call from Mom. I wanted to call her so bad and tell her everything was going wrong, but I couldn't. I haven't spoken to them in a while, and I know I have to call soon, but I can't let her hear me like this.
They warned me about this. They said shifting would get harder as I got older. And I still messed up. I used my strength, people noticed, and now I’m a mess. If I called her and she heard my voice, she’d freak out. I couldn’t do that to them.
I reached under my bed and grabbed my box of herbs. I tried to chew on some of the stuff inside to stop the heat, but it didn't work. It was too late for that. My wolf didn't want medicine. It wanted to run.
A loud knock on the door made me jump. I almost fell over.
"V? Open up."
It was Lena. She sounded worried.
"V? I know you're in there. You've been acting weird. Are you okay?"
I froze and held my breath. I looked in the mirror, and my eyes were still changing.
"I'm fine, Lena," I called out. "Just a headache. I’m trying to sleep.”
"You don't sound fine," she said. I heard her lean against the door. "V, listen. They’re doing room checks. Like, actual ones. The staff is coming around with some specialists. They’re looking for safety issues because of the fire. You need to look okay.”
My heart jumped. Room checks? With those specialists?
"I'm already in bed," I lied. "Tell them I'm sick. Just go, Lena. You'll get in trouble."
"Fine," she muttered. "But I'm checking on you in the morning. Don't die on me."
I heard her walk away. I stood there, my mind racing. Room checks. Specialists. If they walked in and saw me like this, I was finished. Everything would be gone.
I looked at the clock. 7:52 PM. Eight minutes until lockdown.
"I can't stay here," I whispered.
I pulled my hoodie back on. I grabbed my herbs and my phone, then went to the window and pushed it open. It was three floors down, but I didn't even care. I just jumped.
I landed on the grass and stayed low in the dark. The cold air felt good, but I was still burning. The school was way too quiet.
A black van was parked by the back door. Four men stood around it. They weren't school guards. They had on heavy vests and boots. Their flashlights were cutting through the dark.
I hide behind some bushes. I can hear their radios making noise.
"Sector four clear," one said. "Moving toward the trees."
I watched them. I waited till they turned away. Then I ran into the bush. I didn’t even look back. Everything was dark and quiet. I was just starting to feel safe when I heard it.
A light flashed on the leaves near my feet.
"Movement near the west side,” a voice came from the radio close by.
I didn't wait to see if they saw me. I just ran.