Orphic - Until Dawn (Josh Washington)

☆ Chapter Nine - A Choice ☆

WARNING!!

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TALK AND UNINTENTIONAL SELF HARM AS WELL AS DEATH AND GRIEF.

PLEASE DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE IN DOING SO. 

IF ANYONE IS IN A DARK PLACE THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DROP ME A MESSAGE, I'M HAPPY TO TALK. 

🌛🌛🌛🌛🌛

“Cora...”

The voice; while familiar to my ears is distant as my body continues to shake side to side gently. There is pressure on my arm, unfamiliar and uncomfortable pressure as though someone is touching me firmly. Everything is black because my eyes won’t peel open, I’m too tired, my body feels too heavy.

What happened?

“Cora, please wake up. Please, oh God.”

The voice is louder now, closer. The pressure on my arm increases as does the shaking as it becomes more rough and desperate. I feel the fingers of another curling around my arm and pulling whilst their pleas for me to wake up continue to go unanswered.

Dammit Cora. Open your eyes.

My throat is dry but I don’t let that stop me from trying to speak, I need this person to know I’m okay. I need them to hear me.

“W-wat-"

“Water? You need water?”

I finally tear my eyes open with all the strength I possess within me, and while I’m unable to focus on anything around me as my vision works to adjust to the new surroundings, I do manage to nod in response to the person panicking beside me.

I hear their fast footsteps as they rush to the other side of the room whilst mumbling to themselves. Then before I even have the chance to look up, there is a glass inches from my face with water swirling within it. I smile at the simple drink being offered to me and gratefully accept it with shaky hands, hands I had somehow managed to get moving even with them still feeling a little heavy.

I bring the glass to my lips and gulp the cold water down in seconds, a satisfied sigh leaving my lips as it hydrates my throat. I wipe my mouth and set the glass aside before turning to the person crouched beside me with a yellow torch in hand.

I stare at them as my vision adjusts, the blurriness slowly fading out as the persons face comes into focus. Their short blonde hair and blue eyes that remain framed by black rectangular glasses spark recognition in me as a relieved cry escapes me and I lunge forward into his arms.

“Chris!” I sob whist clutching onto him tightly, “thank Odin you’re okay.”

“Well, I’ve been worse.” he says whilst helping me to a stand, my legs still feel like jelly but I work hard to get my body functioning normally again.

I inspect his purple bruise, the one on his forehead from where the psycho had punched him. Oh God, the psycho. I look to Chris in a panic and as though he knows exactly what I’m thinking he speaks up. “I don’t know where Josh or Ash are, I woke up alone with you passed out beside me.” he explains with a sigh.

“We have to find them Chris. Who knows what that sicko has done to them already.”

He nods in agreement and mutters a quiet “yeah,” before leading the way out of the kitchen door, only we both step back in unison at the blood splattered on the wall with the word ‘Die' written within it.

I crinkle my button nose in disgust and choke on a sob, worry consuming me completely at the thought that that could be Josh's blood or even Ashley's. They could already be dead, we could be too late. I could be too late in saving the one person I’m worried about the most, the same way I was too late to save his beautiful sisters.