As I staggered out of the bus, the feeling of the same fear and desperation that I felt that day many years ago came flooding back. The putrid green fog started to sneak its way into the bus as I felt bile rise in my throat. I could almost see the piles of rotting fish that were laying out in the sun, almost see the piers with the oceans of San Francisco, almost feel the pain from my scar. I look down at my wrist and it’s glowing a bright white light. The pain starts flaring once again.
Addie looks at me and grabs my hand saying, “We’ve got to go.” She bolts out of the bus with me in tow and sprints to the vacant field by the school. I’m sluggishly stepping behind her because the pain is excruciating and I can’t concentrate on anything except for silently pleading for the pain to stop. She stops, looks at me and says, “He’s near. We need to go now.” She turns to the center of the field and softly whispers, “Tiephriam. That’s the location. I’m Adleremse with a friend. Please welcome Yelir.”
A swirling white vortex descends from the sky and touches the ground with a gentleness that seems beyond its capabilities. It looks like millions of electric eels are contained in a vase without an exterior and are trying to find an escape, squirming violently and sliding past each other. This further reminds me of San Francisco and I heave up my breakfast into the grass nearby.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The girl looks at me with pity in her eyes, it’s evident that I’m not going to enjoy what happens next.
“Riley, I’m really sorry. This is going to hurt.”
“Wha…,” As she walks into the vortex with me in tow, I feel pain. More pain than I’ve ever felt in my life. More than when I broke my arm riding the seesaw when I was two, more than when I fell from the willow tree when I was six, more than when I knew my parents no longer believed me, no longer cared, more than that day in San Francisco. It’s almost as if my whole world was pain. It’s so hard to describe with words. Imagine all the pain that has ever existed, physical or mental, and just wrap that into one excruciating, painful experience. I almost wanted to die. I just wanted the pain to end. My eyes rolled back and I fell to the ground like a limp sack of flour. I was out.