Chapter 21: The Protest Begins
The blaring sound of that damn alarm jolted me awake again, the same grating noise that greeted us every miserable morning in this hellhole. I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck, it felt like I hadn’t actually slept in days. And maybe I hadn’t. The kind of sleep we got here wasn’t rest.
I blinked, confused for a second as I looked around, then remembered exactly where I was curled up on the cold floor beside Zaara’s bed. My head had been resting on the edge of her mattress all night. No wonder my neck felt like it had been snapped in half.
I turned slowly, trying not to wake her. My hand instinctively reached up to touch her forehead, and I exhaled when I felt her skin, warm but no longer burning. The fever had broken. Thank God.
That did something to my chest. Like a tight knot loosening just a little. I hadn’t even realized how hard I’d been holding on to the fear that she might get worse.
For a moment, I just stared at her. The soft rise and fall of her chest. The way her lips were slightly parted as she slept. There was something about watching her breathe that made the rest of this nightmare feel... manageable.
Everyone else was still passed out despite the alarm blaring above us like a war siren.
I stood up fast, as I realized how obvious it would look if anyone saw me there. I moved quickly, darting across the room to slide back into my bed. Just by in time. My back cracked as I straightened. I was so damn tired. Tired in my bones. Tired in my soul.
Moments later, the door burst open and the men in black stormed in, tapping everyone aggressively to wake up. Grumbles and groans echoed through the room as we all staggered to our feet like sleep-deprived soldiers. I rubbed my face, missing home so much it hurt. If I were back home, I’d be getting a deep tissue massage with some overpriced tea in hand. But no, here I was, stuck in a militarized game show designed by psychos.
We were ordered to line up. I shuffled into place, then spotted Zaara just ahead of me and moved behind her. I leaned in slightly.
"How are you feeling now?" I asked.
She turned slightly, giving me a tired smile. "Thanks for last night, Vincent. I... I don’t really remember everything that happened, but thank you."