The Animal Within You

Chapter 28

My body twitched violently before I fully awoke, mumbling incoherent words as I looked at my surroundings. Rubbing my cheek, I cringed in disgust when I wiped a bit of drool from the corner of my lips. The book beneath my head wrinkled and fluttered as I moved off it, the pages somehow still neatly pressed like I had found it. I flipped the book shut before digging through the pockets of my pants, uncovering my phone.

Glancing at the screen, I found out what had awakened me from my ungraceful slumber.

Before I could call my dad back, my phone started vibrating uncontrollably once more. Sighing, I slid the icon to the side and brought the phone to my ear, stifling a yawn. "Hi, dad—"

"Caitlyn! Where are you?" My father immediately questioned, his voice sounding flustered. I groaned internally, completely forgetting about last night's events. I shuffled out of my seat and made my way over to the large bookcase settled behind my mother's desk. "Hello? Are you still there?"

"Sorry, dad. I went out for a jog early in the morning." I lied, pushing the book I found back onto the shelf in my mom's secret office. "I should have left a note."

"It's fine, I was just worried since I received a call from your school regarding your absence. They told me you were excused though, something to do with an extracurricular activity." I furrowed my eyebrows, confused by his words. I practically smacked my palm against my forehead when I remembered we were excused from school because of how long we were with Kalmin and Dr. Moore.

"Yeah, they told us during school. It's a Forensics meet. I forgot to mention it. It's supposed to happen later on in the day but the whole group is meeting up soon." I stated awkwardly, relieved that my dad wasn't standing right in front of me. If he was, he would have instantly known I was lying to him. "Are you on your way to work right now?"

"Yeah, I left the door unlocked for you."

"Okay, dad, thanks. I'll see you later."

"Have a nice day, sweetie. Stay out of trouble."

I bit down on my lip as I hung up the phone, guilt washing over me. Frowning, I shoved my phone in my pocket and grabbed one of the unread notebooks of my mother before moving to the door leading to a hallway towards my room. Looking back in the room once more, I turned the light off before climbing up the steps to the exit in my room. The wall slid closed behind me as I trudged around my room, getting ready for the day ahead of me. 

Before hopping into the shower, I rummaged through my drawers to look for an appropriate outfit to wear, since it was probably about below freezing outside. Once I had my clothes laid out on my bed, I stumbled to the bathroom before stripping down and letting the hot water pound onto my body. Almost immediately, the pain I experienced from last night violently thrashed at my nerves and muscles, causing me to release a strangled cry that was drowned out by the shower's water. My fingers crawled up to my face, feeling the cloth that protected the elongated cut on the supple skin. I groaned once more, dreading the moment my father would see the condition I was in.

I doubt he'd believe me if I told him I fell during my jog.

Going through the pain of washing and scrubbing my skin, injuries included, I got out and dried myself off, wrapping the towel tightly around my body. Taking a deep breath, I turned to the mirror and wiped at the foggy glass before I managed to lay my eyes on the tired, zombie-like version of myself. Dark circles stained the skin beneath my eyes, which were slightly bloodshot from the lack of sleep caused by last night's exposition, my skin was pale and full of coloring bruises and cuts, and my bottom lip was currently healing from the minor abuse it suffered.

In more simple terms, I looked like shit.

I left the bathroom with a brush in one hand and a hair dryer in the other, heading back to my room to savage my hair and search for the first aid kit I knew had to be lying around somewhere. As I walked, a strong sense of paranoia hit me, leaving me slightly breathless and feeling as though I was slowly suffocating. I thought back to the unknown person that had been with me down in the maze when I was separated from Dylan and Jackson. Somewhere deep inside of me knew that it wasn't an illusion; someone had been down there. What startled me the most was how he managed to get inside in the first place.