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When Roses Grow Black Chapter 33 I was aware of a cold, hard surface beneath me. The air was chilly and I shivered involuntarily from my laying position. I was half awake or maybe half alive is the better term for it. My neck was throbbing from the claw marks I must have made in the dream, and it hurt to breathe. Although I didn't dare to open my eyes I knew immediately it was dark out. The crickets chirped happily as the peepers sang in the distance. My body was numb and I knew the moment it was moved it was bound to come alive with pain in places I didn't know I had. Someone gently brushed my bangs back out of my face, and felt my forehead with the back of their hand. It was then I realized someone else was with me, and propping my head up. I slowly opened my eyes as I felt the person sigh. I could feel pain radiate off of him as I became more aware of my surroundings and situation. I looked up to see who my wonderful caretaker was, but frowned when I saw the sadness and worry etched in his features. "Brian?" I whispered quietly. My voice was rough and weak. I felt like allowing the blackness to over come my body right then and there, but I didn't have any wish to return to that dream. Brian jumped at the call of his name and looked down into my eyes. He attempted to conceal his sadness, but it was still evident. "Rose, your awake! What happened? Are you alright?" I took in a shallow breath of air and winced as my body protested. "I'll be fine, what's wrong?" I ignored my own hurt and concentrated on Brian's. At the time I didn't see myself as worthy enough to be concerned about. I looked around and didn't see any of the others. "Where are the others? Why didn't you put any lights on? How long have I been out?" I fired one after the other at him. My voice was becoming usable again the more I talked, although I failed to notice how much energy it was draining from my weak body. Brian cradled my torso in his arms and began rocking us both back and forth as he began to answer my questions. He took in a deep breath before beginning, "The others never came back. It was still light out when I got here, and found you on the floor. I tried everything I could to wake you, but the only reward I got was discovering you had a fever. I wasn't sure what happened, so I didn't dare to move you. I screamed and screamed for help. For one of the others to come back, but it was no use. They were already to far into the forest to hear. I waited and waited and waited here just like this. I didn't want to leave your side incase you woke up and became frightened. Hence the fact of no lights," Brian stopped there when we both heard sticks breaking outside. We both looked in front of us out the opened door. At the thought of Vance jumping into the bus again, I tensed up and waited for it. Brian held me tighter, trying to reassure me we'd be safe. The sticks broke again, closer this time, footsteps. Brian and I stayed perfectly still in the unwelcome night. Only the sounds of our light breathing filled the bus as we listened closely, and contemplated different scenarios in our minds. Although fear jolted my mind, my body and heart remained strangely calm. Two more footsteps, and the person was standing in front of us. Both me and Brian heaved sighs of relief as Kevin stepped in to the bus. His expression was disoriented and his shoulders were slumped. He dropped to his knees in front of us before collapsing to the floor. We stayed silent as we stared intently at Kevin's unmoving form. We weren't sure what else to expect him to do after that. Slowly, but gradually, I pulled away from Brian. My eyes were fully accustomed to the dark of the night, and I stood up. Every inch of my body hurt including about an inch surrounding my body as well. Brian crawled over to his older cousin and checked for a pulse. "Is he okay?" I whispered softly. Brian shrugged as he rolled Kevin onto his back."What the hell happened?" I asked to myself as I stepped off of the bus. My jaw drooped to the ground and a smile played on my face at the site laid out before me. I could hardly find my voice to call Brian out. "Bri.. Bri....BRIAN ! BRIAN!!!!" I yelled behind me as I ran towards the three boys in front of me. They were going to be okay. We were going to be okay. I dropped down next to Nick, and lightly slapped him on the cheek to see if he would awaken. Not to my surprise, he didn't. I then did the same to the other two with only a moan from AJ. I looked back into the bus and wondered what was taking Brian so long. Light flooded into my eyes, blinding me. I covered my face, hoping to regain my eye site anytime soon. My answer as to what was taking Brian so long was answered. "Oh my gawd!" I heard him exclaim in his southern accent. "Are they alive?" I nodded my head and stood up. I squinted up at him since I wasn't used to the light yet. I laughed when I saw he was doing the exact same thing. "The light hurts," he said innocently when I laughed. "Then why'd you turn it on, you doof!" I laughed as I knelt down next to AJ. Brian shrugged his shoulders at me and smiled. "Which one to move first..." I pondered and Brian gave me a strange look. "What?!" He just smiled that smile of his, "Normal people move the one closest to them first." "Who ever said I was normal?" I asked as I got up and walked over to Howie who was the furthest away from us. Brian followed and picked up D's upper half while I got his lower. "Good point," he joked when we dropped Howie in his bunk. We then proceeded to do the same for AJ who mumbled incoherent things the whole time. The trouble was going to be how to get Nick into the bus with out hurting him. Well, that's what the trouble would have been anyway, had I not fainted from being too weak. It's not like I had planned it. One moment, I was perfectly fine, the next, I met the floor. Luckily, fainting spells only last a couple of minutes, not enough time to dream. "Rose, are you all right?" I heard a familiar raspy voice ask me as I slowly came around. I moaned in protest to the sound of the voice. I was so tired and only wished to stay in the place I was in. I opened my eyes regretfully and looked into at AJ, "When did you decide to wake up?" I asked as I pulled myself to a sitting position. I was still on the ground next to Nick where I had collapsed. The night was dark, but the sky shone brightly with stars. I looked to no avail for the moon. "When Brian flipped out and rolled me out of my bunk. I think he got hit on the head or something, cause he's not thinking straight," AJ pulled me up off the ground, but my knees buckled and I fell against him. "Oh, geez, I'm sorry! I wasn't expecting my knees to buckle," I apologized as I stood up on my own. I smiled sheepishly and he shrugged as if telling me it was okay. "Um, AJ?" I stopped and turned towards him. "Yeah?" he asked as he stopped before he walked into me. "Brian did hit his head," I laughed a little bit, "in the dream, remember?" "That's right! We need to get these guys to a hospital, I can't take care of 'em!" AJ announced to me. He walked into me as I stopped from walking in to the bus yet again. "What now?" he sighed in frustration to my stalling. "What about Nick?" I asked taking in a glance of the fallen blonde who lay motionless in the wild grass and pine needles of the forest. I shivered thinking how much déjà vu I was having at that moment. There was something about it all that made me feel at home. One thing was sure for the time being, no matter what anyone felt about it, we needed help and we had to get out of here. "Oh, yeah, right. BRIAN!" he yelled in to the bus over my head and soon the shorter man appeared in the doorway and came out. He looked like a lost little boy, which made my heart go out to him. It was quite apparent that the normal Brian was not at home for the rest of the night. I couldn't help but think how much trouble we would be in if anything else bad happened tonight. We would be doomed.Next: Chapter 34 |