Kayden's POV
Ceiling collided and I found myself pulling Layla to my chest to protect her. Massive rocks were falling and it seemed they will continue doing that until there is nothing left. I slowly walked to one corner that seemed safe with Layla curled up in front of me. She took my shirt and squeezed it tightly. She was trembling and breathing heavily.
I had a feeling like I'm holding priceless - fragile statue made of glass. I feared that if I do wrong move she will break.
Few long moments later, rocks stopped falling and small area that we were trapped in was filled with dirt flying around. There was enough space for three people if they stood really closely. Only sources of light were several small cracks between fallen rocks.
I hated small and tight rooms.
I hated them.
Discomfort went through me and I felt goosebumps on my hands.
I took a deep breath and moved away from the girl.
She still had her eyes closed and as I moved away she embraced herself. I watched her biting her lip and opening her big chocolate eyes. Her dress was ripped slightly at the right side and her stockings were a mess.
"I hate earthquakes...or any kind of sudden shaking", she said quietly.
"Yeah... I hate tight spaces", my voice slightly quivered but I covered it with a cough.
"I hate when people wear pink and red in one outfit"
I chuckled at that forgetting about cramped room and decided to play along.
"I hate dark"
"I hate spiders"
"Yeah, I noticed", I said and looked into her eyes. There was no fear in them. Every person I talked to looked at me with fear in their eyes, except Adrian and his brother. Kael just looked at me with pity. That was worse.
"Really? How so?" she smiled genuinely not looking away. She indeed was something else.
"Angel, let's face it; you have a scream of a banshee", I said smirking.
"I'll take that as a compliment"
Silence filled the small room making me think of its teeny dimensions, again.
There is not enough space. We will probably be stuck here for some time. Beautiful.
I looked around feeling slight lack of air in my lugs. I knew it would get worse. It happened before.
I closed my eyes trying to calm down. I didn't want it to happen in front of someone. I didn't want it to happen in front of her. Just when I found someone that... dammit!
I opened my eyes and saw that she was looking at me strangely.
I need to focus on something.
What?
I feel cold sweat sliding over my face. Not good.
Quickly, find something to focus on, don't think about those walls!
My brain is a blank, a void. Nothing useful can be found there now.
Sudden heat spreads and a moment later coldness follows it. Shit!
Okay, just calm yourself.
I look around again and all I see are walls just coming closer and closer wanting to crash me.
Inhale, exhale. Focus on that.
My heart beats wildly. There is not enough air.
I took a deep breath and as I did that I inhaled not so insignificant amount of dirt. I coughed couple of times and soon regretted it, because now I couldn't stop.
Air just wouldn't come in.
I felt like my lungs were on fire. Sharp pain was radiating from them every time I took a breath.
"Kayden", I hear Layla saying, "What's wrong?"
I wave her off and stumble over my own leg. I fall and my head bumps the wall.
"Fu...sh...damn...it", I tried to say in between coughs.
And there it is. The feeling like I'm not here, like I'm dreaming â finally comes. I see nothing but darkness and hear nothing but my fast heartbeat and blood running through my body.
I feel light headed and in the same time nausea rises in my stomach.
I'm going to faint.
"Kayden, look at me", soft voice says and I blink few times.
Cold.
Heat.
Sweat.
Nausea.
Pain.
There is not enough air.
"Kayden look at me!" this time voice is more demanding.
My heart is beating so fast it hurts.
All I can think of are those walls coming closer, choking me.
I shut my eyes closed and see bare white walls. No, no, no, no, not this, anything else, please - I pleaded someone, whoever heard me.
I cannot live through this, at least not now.
I open my eyes and close them. Nothing works. Constant loud beeping can be heard somewhere in the distance. The smell of chemicals and blood fills the air. My vision is blurry, I can barely see anything. I look down and see my hands tied to the uncomfortable table I was laying on.
I want to scream.
I can't.
Metal chains pierce through my skin as I move.
I still can't breathe. Pain from my chest is now magnified a thousand times and followed with sharp pain in my wrists. My shirt is soaked with cold sweat. Nausea overwhelms me and I just can't focus on anything besides burning pain caused by shortness of breath.
None of those things mattered. I could endure anything. Pain was a constant in my life. It was always here and I didn't mind it. It kept me from loosing my way.
But, sight of those disgusting white walls, sound of that irritating beeping and the smell of torture broke me. I saw them every night in my dreams and it wasn't becoming any easier. Time does nothing.
Suddenly I feel gentle hands on my cheeks. Tingles rush through me making it easier to breath.
Beating slows down, but air still hurts my throat like it is made of sharp crystals.
I blink again, again and again clearing my vision.
I see full, pink lips pressed in thin line in front of me. Pale soft skin of her face is twisted in expression of worry. Her eyes are widened in desperation.
"What is happening?" she asked scanning my face.
"Are you okay?" she continues stroking my face calming my racing heart completely.
I was still afraid...well, not afraid, but skeptical of taking a deep breath, although my body was aching for it. I wasn't sure what it would do at this point. Only thing I was sure of was that I don't want to go back in that room, at least not now.
Afraid â it's a big word. It meant feeling fear or anxiety of something or someone. Fear on the other hand is one of those big human emotions I swore to myself I will never feel. I shall never be like humans, not in any way.
I looked up and saw Layla's questioning face. I nodded remembering she asked me something.
There was just something about her...
"What happened?" she asked as she started moving away. I stopped her by taking her hand and placing it back on my face.
"Panic attack", I said simply. My voice was hoarse and I frowned at it.
"I told you I hated tight spaces", I said a moment later. She wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixated on her hand. It was on my face and my hand was still on top of it. She looked confused.
"Are you okay now?" she asked finally shaking her head at some thought.
I looked deeply in her eyes with every thought of what happened just a few moments earlier gone completely.
Without thinking of it I pulled her closer and locked our lips together. It wasn't one of those long, passionate, messy kisses. It was more of a light touching of lips strong enough to send shivers along with tingles through mine and surely hers body.
It lasted for a quick moment and then it was over; a moment too soon if you ask me.
It felt good, maybe even amazing.
I frowned. No. Nope.
I'm not Adrian.
This thing will not happen.
Not to me.
I raised my gaze back to her face which had horror almost written on it.
Awesome.
I'm not that bad of a kisser, right? I know I'm not. It was a stupid question.
Well, this definitely makes things easier.
"That just had to be done", I said bluntly with a hint of humor hidden somewhere deep in that sentence.
She looked at me with a frown on her face. She was angry. I smirked.
I should've expected it. I was asking for it. But still I managed to be surprised by painful slap she gave me.
At least, now I had something to distract me from those walls.