It's been two days since Owen put us on, 'bed-rest'. We were given our respective our rooms back, but... All my team and what remains of... Sam's team, we have just been spending it together, sleeping to try and get better, but also gain some strength back.
We haven't seen Avery yet and I ask every time Owen comes around to see us how she is and he says his looking after her and that she's getting better slowly. He comes with our meals and to check each of our health. The Guys from Sam's team have been sleeping on the floor of our room so they didn't have to go back to their team room. I feel bad for them, I really do.
About just after mid-day, I wake up to see my friends are awake and sitting in a circle on the floor, with pillows tucked around them and blankets wrapping around their bodies. The colour has returned to Kelsey's blue eyes which I'm glad. Cloud's hazel eyes too! Louis and the Guy's though were much better than us to begin with, but they are each dealing with emotional demons at night while I, Kelsey and Cloud spend it shivering involuntarily.
Someone knocks on our door.
"I'll get that." Louis says, wearily dragging him-self up off the floor and to the door, his blanket trailing behind him a bit like a robe and pulling the door open to reveal Owen holding a plate full of sandwiches and several cups on it too. "What is in the cups?" Louis asks confused. "Hot Chocolate!" Owen grins handing the plate to Louis who places it gently in the middle of the group. I see everyone reaching for it excitedly. Louis takes a seat as well.
Owen steps into the room, a shoulder bag at his side. "Did she eat or drink yesterday?" He asks.
One of the Guys from Sam & Avery's team, turn to look at me on the bed. "No..." He trails off. Owen walks over to me, kneeling down. He gives my a shoulder a little squeeze. Groaning to look at him, he helps me sit up straight, placing a pillow behind my back.
"Does your stomach hurt?" He asks me to which I whisper a quiet, 'no' and I rub my sore, tired eyes. I feel his hand on my wrists, bringing them down. "Doing that will hurt you." He says gently. "Try and eat something if you can, Valerie" He says with his eyebrows furrowing and me giving him a weak nod. "She's still running a fever." I hear Louis comment to which Owen turns and looks at him.
"You all are." He responds, correcting Louis. "I can give you Guys some medicine. I have it, but you have all been refusing it."
I just groan, laying back a little, closing my eyes. "Hey, come on now, Valerie" He says, sitting me up again, but I don't open my eyes this time. I hear him sigh. "You're not all going to like me, but I think I should give you each a dosage of cold and flu medicine."
I see him looking in his bag and he produces a fine syringe, sticking it into a bottle and pulling it up and out. A second later I feel his firm, but gentle grip around my wrist to stop me pulling away. "This will just be a small pinch, Valerie" And before I know it, his done it and every else, then begs goodbye and leaves us all in peace. After a few minutes, I weakly push my blankets back, standing up, but pretty much falling to the floor which earns a slight gasp from my friends and I crawl over to my Friends. One of the Guys from Sam & Avery's team who helps me sit up straight and I lean on Kelsey who wraps her arm around me.
"W-what are we doing?" I ask. "Just talking." Louis says with a yawn. "About?" I ask. "Anything." Kelsey answers. "We were just talking about our life before we all ended up here and what we would have like to have been doing if we weren't trapped here." Cloud says after her.
"These Guys were just telling us that they are friends and had been on a four day hike when Rain and Sebastian snuck up from nowhere and kidnapped them." Cloud explains to which the Guys agree, nodding. "We saw alot of stuff! We were taking photos of moose's and all kinds of other animals. We even saw an abandoned fire-watch tower and it was near a lake." One of the Guys explain, elbowing his buddy and they both break out in a grin.
"Although, right now, I wish we were practicing our tangent cycling and canoeing and hanging out up at our cabin." The Guy says.
"Oh yeah, that would be the life! We probably missed an upcoming race there was since we have been trapped here." Says the other Guy.
"You mean multiple?" Answers back, the other one and I hear them sigh. "We could have been running and swimming at the beach too while also doing a spot of fishing in our boat." Answers again the other, other Guy.
"Sounds like you both are real athletes, huh?" Cloud says, jumping in. The Guys nod excitedly, looking at each-other.
"Why won't you tell us you names?" Kelsey pipes up. They glare at her and shrug. Do they not know it?
"What would you be doing right now if you weren't here, Valerie?" The Guys ask me. Kelsey goes to answer for me, but then closes her mouth to let me if I want to answer for myself.
"Being normal..." I trail off. "Normal?" They ask perplexed. "Why?"
"Doesn't everyone want to fit in?" I respond.
"Well, I guess you're correct in that thinking." They respond together.
"Were students of magic from another world." Kelsey adds on.
"You weren't joking about that it seems..." They trail off.
"Anyway, be realistic. What would you want to be doing now?"
"Maybe reading...?" Is the one thing I say in response to such a question and they nod slowly. "Sounds like we all previously... Had it good maybe, but then again, so did many other members too." The Guys say.
"Yes. We did..." I hear an unfamiliar voice, but is female and we all, turning around to look at the door to see someone sliding in and gently closing the door behind her. "Avery!" Scream the two Guys, running up and hugging her. She gives them a quick hug back.
"You look tired." Louis comments. "Aren't we all?" She responds back, crossing her arms. Just then, I see she is wearing an armband and I rise to my feet slowly. "A-Avery.."
"Yes, Valerie?" She says, relaxing. "Y-Your arm!" I choke out. She looks sad. "Oh no." The two Guys say.
"You don't know how horrible it is to wake up and learn that your best friend, let alone the last living family member is gone. O-Owen gave me her team leader arm-band. Looks like I'm team leader now..." She says, sinking to her feet, wrapping her arms around her knees, rocking back and fourth.
I feel bad for her. This is horrible! She doesn't deserve to be going through this! "Valerie, before I ended up here with my family. We helped out to run a surf shack with our uncle.
I helped him out during the breaks when University wasn't running. I was studying for a degree in veterinary and to the side, I played guitar at the local bar all while having a love for the ocean. I swam and surfed and doing photography on the side. Taking photos and sometimes videos. The world I came from was lovely.
No doubt by now the Police have closed our missing person's case. All of ours infact, except for you and your friends.
You've been only here for a little while compared to us. Five years and now, Samantha is gone too."
"Avery..." Everyone chokes out, their eyes feeling with tears. She wipes the tears from her eyes. "I just want to sleep for a while." She says, laying down near the makeshift beds were the Guys having be staying and roll over to hug her on either side.
After this, we all settle down and go right back to bed too because we feel horrible and nothing else to do.
---
I'm rugged up and walking down to the cafeteria. I woke up feeling better, no doubt because of the medicine Owen gave me. I just wanted a little walk to clear my head. I see few members are out training in the snow or at the cafeteria, eating. I see Sam's flower is right where Ricky placed it.
No one around, I walk up to it, grabbing a seat to sit on and reach my finger out just to rest underneath it's petal's. "Hey Sam- Samantha." I say when I feel a strong grip slam up against some cupboards by my shoulders.
I open my eyes to meet Ricky's angry face. All the competitors are backing away in fright. "Don't you dare go near her, talk to her, breath on her or even look at her, squishy!" He yells at me, threateningly.
"It's bad enough that you are even in the same room as her. If I had my way, you'd be EATING YOUR FOOD OUT IN THE COLD FROM NOW ON FROM A DOG'S BOWL!"
I nod weakly, but then I hear a voice speak up. "As much as hate her too right now, *put* her down, Ricky."
That voice! I crane my neck to see who it is. It's Rain standing there with her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression. He lets go off me and I hit the floor hard, my rear end and tailbone hurting. Rain walks over, roughly pulling me to my feet and dusting me off, still looking quiet annoyed. "T-that-"
"Don't you even dare say it, Valerie! I DON'T want to even hear your voice, let along see you, but we can't everything we want in life can we? No! So I will settle for not hearing you speak!"
She lets go off me, walking over and pulling a tray of warm cupcakes out the oven and places them down on the island and pulling one out with some tongs and plonking it on a napkin and then reaches over to a 12 pack of water, grabbing one and shoves into my hands. "There, you have your food and water. Now go!" She snaps and I nod, hurrying away as fast as my legs can take me. Yikes!
After eating it and heading back to the dorms, I feel a strip of fabric tossed over my eyes and two sets of hands, covering my mouth and pulling me into a dark alleyway. I kick and squirm, but I'm just too weak.
I feel myself dragged for a little bit and I'm pushed into a chair, but whoever it is, does it very gently...
And my blind-fold is pulled off.
"Happy belated 18th birthday, Valerie!"
My jaw drops seeing my friends, Avery and the Guys from her team with paper party hats on their head. I look around seeing paper ring chains and papers lanterns, strung up, all over the room.
Even a couple balloons too.
"H-how?!" I choke out. "Owen surprisingly!" Kelsey smiles, giving me a hug and another kiss on my cheek. Louis looks a little shocked, then steps forward, placing a party hat on my head.
"This, 'observatory' looks great!" I cry. "We honestly didn't do much. Owen told us to 'vanish' and we came up here, finding all this. We don't have any presents for you, but we do have a cake! He said though, 'keep the noise down or the Guards on patrol will hear us so were going to be as quiet as possible, but still celebrate your birthday!" Cloud smiles.
I run around the room giving everyone a big hug and then we start to party as best we can. Owen had also left behind paper and other stationary for so we could make a paper pin the halo on the angel and other party games like that, we also have the blind-fold so we could put it on one of us then all spread out and the person it would have to wake around blind, trying to find someone.
---
I sat in front of my birthday cake.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear, Valerie."
"Hip, hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Hip, hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Make a wish, Valerie." Avery smiles.
I wish to be able to go back home...
After this, Louis hands me the knife and I start cutting a piece for everyone.
Louis, Kelsey, Cloud, Avery, Guy #1, Guy #2 and lastly, Sam- Samantha. Everyone grabs their plate, sitting down to eat and then I realize I cut one too many...
She's not here to enjoy it... I sit looking at my piece and hers as the snow falls outside the window and the wind howling. I sware I can almost see her in the sky outside the window. Hear her voice even.
She died for a cause. Our cause and I won't let her sacrifice or memory be in vain.
"Happy 18th birthday, Valerie."
"Thank you, Samantha."
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