Chapter 5 The news

Chapter five

"Hey!" Beth started as she and Emily strolled towards the cafeteria during lunchtime.

"Hi... "Emily replied, not paying much attention.

"That table is empty; let's take a seat there before going to get our food," Beth said, pointing at a table situated in a corner of the cafeteria.

"We need to talk, Em. You've been acting strangely these past few days; the coach said you've been missing practice, too." Beth said, awaiting Emily's response, but all she heard was the noise of clattering cutleries and trays and the voices of students chattering at a distance.

"This is not the same friend I met in kindergarten who left a bag filled with worms in Anita, the bully's locker, just to protect me.

What's wrong, Emily Carter? What are you hiding from me?"Beth asked, leaning closer across the table and reaching out for Emily's hands.

Her voice was as calm as the silent ruffle of breeze, and her eyes were filled with warmth and concern; as they pierced into Emily's soul, the only thing she wished for was to really experience that peace of mind, the one she felt whenever she was with her best friend.

"Em... " Beth cried with a gentle squeeze on Emily's hands, separating her from her thoughts

"Talk to me... Please!" Beth pleaded, on edge but softly.

"Beth I....my...um... Actually...d...d...Dad... " Emily stuttered, not knowing where to start from. Was it from the strange concurrent nightmares that she always had ever since she was in a coma, or the strange beasts she saw in the school field the other day before passing out, or her illusions of strange human-like creatures and war? Or the fact that she was leaving Beth and moving far away

"Just calm down, okay? I'm not going to judge you, Em, and you know that. Get it out of you. Don't let that thing get to you and burn you," Beth added, her voice still calm and soothing.

Emily swallowed the lump forming in her throat, her pulse thudding in her ears. The cafeteria's chatter seemed to fade into a distant hum, leaving only the warmth of Beth's hands anchoring her in the moment.

"I don't even know where to begin," Emily whispered, her voice trembling. "It's like... ever since that accident, everything's different. I keep having these...these nightmares, but they feel so real. And not just that. I...I saw something, Beth. On the field the other day. Creatures that weren't... human."

Beth's eyes widened, but she didn't let go of Emily's hands. Her grip remained firm, steady. "Creatures?" she echoed softly.

Emily nodded, her breath hitching. "I thought I was going crazy. And then, when I tried to focus on school, on practice... I couldn't. It's like my mind is stuck somewhere else. Like... like there's something inside me that doesn't belong."

"Something inside you?" Beth tilted her head slightly, confusion and concern mixing in her gaze.

"I don't know what it is. I just know...I feel different, Beth. Stronger sometimes, but also... like I don't fit into my own skin anymore." Emily's voice cracked at the last word.

Beth squeezed her hands again, tighter this time. "Hey... look at me." She said, fixing her eyes on Emily; Emily lifted her gaze reluctantly, meeting the unwavering warmth in Beth's eyes.

"We'll figure this out, okay? Together. You're not alone in this, Em. Whatever's happening, we'll get through it. You hear me?"

A shaky breath escaped Emily's lips, and she gave a small nod.

"There's something else..." Emily hesitated, her fingers tightening around Beth's. "Dad's been transferred. He's going to be the new director of a hospital in this town called Dairon. We're moving there on Sunday"

Beth's smile faltered, her eyes searching Emily's face as if hoping she'd heard wrong. "You're... moving?"

Emily nodded slowly. "Yeah. I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to leave everything behind...leave you behind. But it's happening whether I want it to or not.""Dairon...but today's Wednesday on such short notice?" Beth whispered, the word foreign on her tongue.

She blinked rapidly as if holding back tears. "That's so far away, Em. We won't even get to see each other every day anymore."

"I know." Emily's voice cracked as her own tears threatened to fall. "But I swear, I'll call you every day. We can still talk. We can still..."

Beth stood up from her chair and pulled her into a tight hug, cutting her off. Emily clung to her, the cafeteria fading into a blur around them.

"Just promise me one thing," Beth murmured against her shoulder.

"Anything," Emily whispered.

"Don't shut me out. No matter how weird things get... don't disappear on me, okay?"

"I won't," Emily vowed.

Beth pulled back, her smile wobbly but determined. "Good. Now, how about we get some food before the pizza's gone? You know how fast it disappears when the football team's around."She said trying to hide the pain that was starting to build up inside her.

"Emily was all she had; she couldn't let her go just like that; how was she supposed to live without her?"Thoughts filled Beth's head.

Despite herself, Emily let out a faint laugh, the tight knot in her chest loosening ever so slightly. "Yeah... okay."

As they stood up, Beth slung an arm around Emily's shoulder, guiding her toward the food line. But even as they moved through the cafeteria's bustle, a shadow of unease clung to Emily's heart.

No matter how much she wanted to believe Beth's words, a part of her couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was inside her... wasn't something anyone could fix.

A rush of nervousness and panic ran through her body as the thought of being in a new town occurred to her, a strange one at that, maybe this was a wrong choice after all, but it was too late.

She had to embrace it.