Helanie:
"Ugh! It hurts so much," I groaned, my bones aching as I sat on the couch and stared at the TV.
"Baby, watch some cartoons and drink this hot cocoa. It must be from playing in the rain," my mother said lovingly as she handed me the cocoa and put on my favorite cartoon movie.
"Nothing is helping," I whined, squirming as I complained. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but ever since I came here with my mom, I had been feeling so restless.
"Maybe you’re missing the connection with the pack," she sighed, running her hand gently through my hair.
"I’m not missing anyone. I’m happy here," I replied, holding her hand and giving her a broken smile. But just then, a knock at the door jolted us out of our moment together.
"I’ll go check the door. Drink this and keep yourself covered, okay?" she said, planting a kiss on my forehead before walking away.
"Ugh! I’m supposed to be at comfort," I groaned, twisting my elbows in an attempt to relieve the ache.
Suddenly, the pain was gone. I sighed in relief and smiled to myself, quickly taking a sip of the cocoa. I didn’t remember feeling relief like that before, but today, I did. As I savored the moment, I noticed the atmosphere around me change. Even the place itself seemed to shift.
It was no longer the couch or the living room of my mother’s new place. I was now at the underground station where I had been attacked. My heart started racing in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes as the fear of the alphas returning gripped me.
And then, I heard them--giggling and laughing. I froze on the spot, my steps stuck, and my knees shaking. I didn’t want to go through all of that again. But as I stood there, paralyzed, I watched the alphas walk past me, ignoring me completely.
Relief washed over me as my body relaxed. My muscles unclenched, and for the first time in a long while, I felt comforted. They disappeared from sight, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Nothing happened," I whispered, a wide smile spreading across my lips, a sense of ease settling into my heart.
Nothing bad had happened. I had finally escaped from those alphas.
And then, I found myself standing in front of the kitchen door where I had once witnessed Lamar and Sydney making out. But this time, when I opened the door, there was no one there.
The visions kept shifting. I found myself in so many different places, but eventually, the effects of the flower began to wear off. Too much time had passed.
I woke up in my bed with a smile on my lips and dried tears on my cheeks.
Stretching and yawning, I smiled like a fool.
"I really do feel so light," Lucy said as she got up, stretching her arms. Everyone else looked just as refreshed, as though they’d had the best nap of their lives.
To our surprise, when we checked the time, we realized we’d been sleeping for four hours.
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