Chapter 10 Take The Comfort Out Of Comforter

"What exactly am I looking at?" I heard a deep, rich girls voice off in the distance. It seemed to echo in my head as I slowly came back to consciousness. "I know this is not who you were talking about-"

"Can you chill with the attitude? Talking to you is like pulling out a splinter-" I recognized that voice.

"No way am I having any part in your babysitting extravaganza when in reality Jackson just wants to get some-"

"Aaaand that's enough, thank you Jasmine you may exit." I knew that voice too, just higher in pitch and louder, but not louder than the stomping on creaking wooden floor boards I could hear from directly below me.

My eyes slowly fluttered open and a flash of golden blonde hair whisked out the door with a harsh slam.

I looked above me and saw the familiar faces of the two boys who were just in my bedroom. Except, we were no longer in my bedroom. I sat up and breathed in the sight of a big garage of sorts. The brick walls had posters of bands and shows I recognized, all placed in a precise way to make sure none were out of line. There were several tables with books and trinkets with the door facing the opposite side of the bed. All of this was on a wooden deck that allowed for a shining black vehicle to rest in the same room right below us.

I looked down, I was gripping the unfamiliar material of a comforter that didn't belong to me, and sheets that were too soft to even be close to mine.

"We were... just in my room..." I whispered.

"We knocked you out," Kyle said slowly with a nod, scrunching up his nose.

Jackson beside me uncrossed his arms and held them in front of himself while he mouthed

words I couldn't make out but shook his head disappointedly.

"Where am I?" I asked.

Jackson turned his attention to me and shook his head, "I'm sorry but I can't tell you that."

I blinked, "Where are my parents? Why am I here?" I was raising my voice which made my skin crawl.

"All very good and valid questions... that I can't answer at least not right now," he shrugged as if that made anything better.

My throat felt dry and my stomach was alarmingly empty maybe from my nerves or from the unknown amount of time I spent here unconscious. This was too much for me to think about, I was overwhelmed to the point of crying but I knew I couldn't do that right now. They probably wanted to see me cry.

There was a pained look on his face. He interlaced his hands and looked away, clenching his jaw.

"I know this is probably a lot to handle," Kyle spoke up. "I want you to know that Jack and I and some others want you to be comfortable and we will be here for you whenever you're ready. We are your designated companions."

Companions. I thought I was going to be sick. These people broke into my house, did whatever it is they did to my parents, abducted me, and more than likely are the ones behind Calvary's murder. How dare they call themselves my companions as if we are lifelong friends? I have no friends- and it's all their fault.

Jackson took a breath that sounded annoyed, "For the last time. Ayla, we did not have anything to do with Calvary's death."

I knew somehow they were telling the truth, I could feel it in my gut but there's no denying those eyes they both shared.

I looked down at the comforter and watched a tear sink into the fabric and dim the gray into a harsh black. I didn't realize I had been crying, or the lump in my throat that felt as if it were expanding. I've been kidnapped again and I stupidly let it happen.

Jackson and Kyle looked at each other and awkwardly looked around before Jackson finally said something, "I've been in your position before and I know how overwhelming this all feels. In time I swear you'll get the answers you deserve but right now I want you to know it could be much worse."

I wanted to spit back about how comforting that sounded but instead I let my head hang low and looked at the triangle I made out of stray tears. Part of me believed them, but after all I've recently been through I didn't know if trusting strangers was the smartest thing to do.

"And you have every right to feel that way," Jackson interjected.

I didn't know what he was talking about but I ignored it and watched Kyle walk to the opposite side of the room toward the door.

"I'll be in my room," Kyle said before shutting the door behind him.

Jackson stared at the door before looking back at me still awkwardly holding his hands together. "I honestly don't know what to say to you..." he said quietly. "There's a million things I want to just scream but half of them won't even make sense."

"None of this makes sense," I muttered. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, "Am I dying?"

Jackson sucked in a breath, tension held in his chest before releasing, "Not if I can help it."

We stared at each other silently, the only sound the humming in the vents above. I could feel the tension of unsaid words between us and it pulled on my heart. Was he okay with just letting me be freaked out? He couldn't keep his eyes on me and kept blinking or shaking his head, intensely awkward. Not so big and strong now.

A part of me thought his presence was almost familiar and I wondered if that could be why I wasn't as freaked out as I bet others would be.

"I um... set up a bed for you."

"Oh... yeah," I tried to say cheerfully and quickly slipped out of the soft, thick sheets.

I stopped and stared at a heap of blankets to the right of Jackson's bed and hoped this wasn't what he meant.

"If you need any more pillows or blankets just let me know, I have way too many."

I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head. No way this was real. No way did I wake up in a random place surrounded by people I didn't know. All of this was some terrifying dream and I'd wake up with Calvary's face looming over me. Everything would go back to how it was, no more nightmares, headaches, no more pain.

Jackson laid in his own bed with a creak and pulled the covers over himself, hiding his face away from me.

I looked back at my heap of blankets and slowly sat down amongst the fabric and melted into it. It was surprisingly comfy, and the array of blankets and pillows was neatly put together so I knew he had put some care into it.  It could be worse, but I was not planing on staying.

-

I was awake for hours staring up into the darkness, listening to the hum in the lights and vents and the occasional footsteps and whispers outside the door. Jackson made no noise so I knew it was time to get out.

I folded over the blanket I had on top of me and scooted out quietly before standing up. My bare feet padded against the wood and before I knew it my body landed against the door with a light thud.

Part of me suddenly felt guilty for leaving, but there was no way I was staying here. Not without them informing me of anything, not when home had a bed and here I would be sleeping on the floor.

I shut the door behind me and felt the air get sucked out of me when I entered a dimly lit hallway, split into different halls lined with dark blue lockers. There was no way I'd be able to find my way out of this place.

I heard laughter echo down the hallway to my right so I decided to choose left and lightly jog down the hallway, following the light out into a bigger room, a commons.

"What..." I looked around doing a full 360. The place was a school, a visibly aged and broken down school. There was only so much I could make out with the place being so big with minimal light but it reminded me of my days at Portland High with its balcony showing there was a second floor and several colliding hallways.

My shoulders tensed and I turned around when the sound of air whirling behind me got me off guard. As soon as I was looking the other way the soft tapping of footsteps came from the other side of me. Whatever it was found me and had me trapped in a circle.

I gasped and let out a scream when the back of my shirt was grabbed and my body was thrown back into the wall. I felt the air get knocked out of my lungs when my back hit the wall and before I had a second to recuperate I felt something cold at my throat.

More footsteps came flooding in and the lights were flicked on all the way, revealing a tall, muscular, and fit girl in front of me, with the same cold silver eyes and a knife at my neck. I recognized her blonde hair from when it whisked out of the room when I opened my eyes.

She raised one of her thinner eyebrows and I heard her click her tongue. "Looks like the only intruder we have is the one Jackson brought back with him," she dropped the knife from my throat and let me sink to the floor, coughing and breathing heavily.

"Alert Jack and get him down here now, I'm no longer interested," She said to two guys who accompanied her. She looked over her shoulder and snickered, "Word of advice, Ayla," She walked toward me and dragged out my name. "You don't want to try escaping while I'm on night watch duty. I don't want you here but I love the hunt even more."

One of the guys behind her laughed while the other looked stunned and still as if he was afraid of her.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, staying silent while her piercing eyes looked over me. "God," she straightened up, "I'm already bored."

"I'm here," I heard Jackson's voice echo throughout the commons and I heard the distinct sound of disappointment in his tone.

"I caught your little experiment trying to get out, you should give her a leash and tie her up so it doesn't happen again." The girl crossed her arms and smirked at Jackson as he came over to me. "You better keep that under control or next time I won't be so nice."

Jackson rolled his eyes and crouched in front of me, "Are you hurt?"

I got caught trying to get out of here and he's asking if I'm hurt? Shouldn't be be scolding me?

I began to slowly shake my head although it was still hard to control my breathing.

"Good. Let's go." He stood up and held his arm for me to take which I didn't hesitate doing. Staying with Jackson seemed a lot better right now, at least he gave me blankets instead of throwing me into a wall. I didn't even know girls could do that.

"Girls can do insane things around here," He whispered a warning. "Don't mess with them, if they try to be friends with you then that's the only time you should ever engage with anyone else do you understand?"

I didn't know how once again he seemed to understand what I was thinking, but I nodded and hurried along. I was ready to collapse and sleep... it's been a long night.