Page 54 of Fallen Thorns
He cries out.
“That we are immune.”
A guttural screech.
“But we’re not.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Do you want to end up like those two?”
My mind snapped and I looked up. Marianne stared straight at me, eyes trapping my very soul. Everything else blurred around me.She’s coming for me. I’m next. This is it.White noise. Static. Buzz.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Tight.
A clap.
A screech.
Then the sounds stopped.
I finally let out a breath as my lungs relaxed.
Looking back up slowly, I found Marianne sat on her chair in the middle of the room. She wasn’t looking at me; in fact she was barely looking at any of us, which was when I peered around the room and noticed every single person was standing, mouths agape in horror. Some rubbed their eyes, while others rubbed their throats.
I turned to Mars, who simply stared straight ahead, but I noticed their hands were clenched tightly into fists, knuckles white.
My eyes wandered to Casper and Ben. Both staring forwards too, almost as though they were in a trance. A single tear trickled down Ben’s freckled cheeks.
I wasn’t imagining it then.
Weallwere.
Manipulation.
“Lesson one, you all need to work on your mental guards.”
* * *
The next hourthat ensued was most unpleasant.
I decided, in one of the brief moments when my mind wasnotbeing attacked, that Marianne would make a terrible school teacher. I nearly laughed at my own joke if it were not for someone else invading my head and bringing me to my knees, which, by that point, were severely bruised.
I scanned the room frantically for whoever had infiltrated my mind and at last locked eyes with what appeared to be about a seven-year-old girl, hair in pigtails. She winked at me, yet we lost eye contact as someone was thrown between us.
It was getting very loud in there.
“What’s your biggest secret?” Someone — Lawrence — demanded. Though it wasn’t directed at me, something dripped from the tip of my tongue. I stopped myself. And apparently so did Lawrence’s opponent because his request elicited no response and he repeated his question in frustration.
“Excellent work, Matthew.” Marianne’s voice carried through the crowd as she leaned over to pat Lawrence’s opponent on the back. I was still on my knees and struggling for a breath when she noticed me and shook her head, but not through disappointment.
“Get up,” she said. And I did. Quite easily.Too easily.
“Face me.” Another demand. Behind me. Casper? I didn’t have time to try and block the demand.
I turned to face Casper who grinned, his smile then moulding into a laugh.
We were the same height, but I don’t think I’d noticed that until now. His deep brown eyes met mine. “Hit me.” The words left his lips so casually.
