Chapter 1(Empty Vessel)

"Annabelle take my hand! “I was yelling. I remember because she was coma toast. Her eyes were going around wildly, looking for me because he'd stolen every single sense from her. She couldn't hear, or smell, or taste or touch or see. She was slipping and I couldn't hold on. Still, it always got worse. Most people black out when someone slips, they don't remember their death.

I watched her as she hit the ground. Watched as she got torn into two pieces.

~

I jerked up in my bed, drenched in sweat and trembling in fear, in horror. I couldn't handle this. It was the same reoccurring dream of my best friend Anna. I don't know why I would use her full name, she hates it, but I think it is desperation. I'm so desperate to get her to respond I try to anger her with her full name.

She knocked on my window, and it was her because it’s like our little code. Knock-knockknockknock-knockknockknock-Knock. I got up, pushing the stupid old window up and leaning outside. "Anna!" I snapped, quietly and only because it was getting cold. She didn't pop up though, so I huffed and just closed the window again, with more force than really necessary. I walked away from the glass, still shivering from the slam, and got back into my bed, huddling under the still warm covers.

I was freezing, mostly because I was covered in sweat and had just leaned into the unforgiving city cold. We lived on the outskirts, nearly suburbs in their setup but not quite. I and Anna had always lived across from each other, and she often got up when she couldn't sleep and woke me up to talk. She used to simply crawl into my bed but that stopped because her mom hated to have to go get her.

I had never seen her just walk away though. She almost always just walked into my room like it was simply an extension of her own. It didn't bother me though, because our relationship was sister and brother in its nature, we just didn't have the blood ties.

The leaving her room had also been less and less frequent, almost non-existent now, because her boyfriend asked if she could try getting more sleep. That was the week she had been up nearly 24 hours of all the 7 days.

I didn't blame her and I never would. Besides, I knew that it wasn't going to last long. He had searching eyes and she was bored. The fact she was standing at my window was proof, more than enough compared to the slight hints she dropped when he became a topic of conversation. She spoke to me more, less time spent in his presence, and it was a breath of fresh air because she was my best friend and I missed her incredibly so.

I got back in bed though, frowning and closing my eyes with a sigh meant only for me. I only had a couple of hours till school started again. I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples in frustration, knowing sleep was an easily disturbed mistress who was definitely not coming back to me. I got up, first going to the bathroom to relieve a long night of nightmare and to stretch my aching muscles. I felt as if I had run a million miles in a single night.

I splashed water over my face, sighing and wondering again why Anna had just walked away in the freezing cold. It was so unusual and I hated the uneasy feeling at the back of my head. I must have been tired. My eyes lifted to the mirror, locking with my reflection and I sighed. "Get a hold of yourself." I murmured, staring at the gray-green eyes that belong to me.

Then they blinked.

I lurched back, blinking myself and panting, confused and just terrified. The nightmares, and now I was seeing things. God, I needed sleep. I was about to start the last year or high school and I was seeing things. Great. No sleep. No focus. Nothing. Today was going to be a grand old time...

- - - -

I was waiting on Anna's front porch, whistling quietly as I sat in the rocking chair and just relaxed. I could've fallen asleep in that old thing. It wasn't particularly comfortable but I felt safer here. I don't know why. Probably cause it wasn't my house with all those insane nightmares.

"Come on sleepy head. “She chirped, right next to me with a huge smile on her face and dark circles under her eyes. They were always there and she didn't even bother hiding them anymore. I smirked, standing up and stretching.

"Speak for yourself. “I teased her, slinging my not-for-long empty backpack onto my shoulder and beginning the walk to school with her. A basic morning routine. In the summer it was races to the beach or the ice cream parlor, or the seven eleven. In the winter, it was to the pizza place or to school. After school it was my or her house. We were always together. The town didn't even think past the equivalent of brother and sister, and neither did we.

She laughed, and I smirked too. It was contagious between the two of us, laughter, smiles, and happiness. We felt each other’s emotions like twins and it was nice being close to someone and not having to feel alone or left out. I knew when she was sad just like she could tell from across a school when I was getting mad. It made life much easier for both of us. No bottled feelings or unknown experiences. We were always one.

"Why'd you knock on my window and walk away today?"I asked as we got onto the school ground or, as every high schooler enjoys nicknaming it, entering the grounds of hell. I glanced over at her, just to see confusion flash across her face.She raised an eyebrow at me,suddenly squinting.

"I might've slept walked. I dreamt of knocking on your window only it wasn't you who answered. I mean...it looked like you but it wasn't."she said,frowning. I watched her expression change to becoming completely blank. I didn't have to look up to know her boyfriend was sauntering his way over and I sighed quietly, unhappily. He wasn't necessarily unpleasant but he was certainly boring. All parties and 'look at this funny text' and constantly calling her nicknames, cheesy nicknames.

"Bye Anna."I called out, and she smirked,lugging a paper ball at him.I ducked out of the way,laughing quietly. It was the only separation we normally had. Different classes.

~

There was a good part to this day. Anna and I had the same lunch period, the only place on the grounds of hell where kids had some peace. The places where homework was done and school lunch moved when it was supposed to stay stationary. It was where Anna was forging her parents signatures on those stupid 'I have read the syllabus' worksheets. It was where all the friends we had in this period were gathered around my Cards against Humanity game, that I was also currently wining with the most Awesome points. 

All of us had gotten pretty good at forging our parents signatures, to their blissful ignorance, and only because we always forgot to get the 'I read this pile of crap' signed by our parents. Plus, unlike other schools, we didn't have teachers who didn't care. They were due the second day of school otherwise your very first grade was a 0.

I stood up, stretching out my arms. I had to grab and put things into my locker, and now was the perfect time since Tyler, Anna's boyfriend, had just sauntered over and laid his arm restrictively over her shoulders. Anna smiled, eyes vacant and staring at her friends as she sat there, letting Tyler's arm be draped over her shoulders. I also had no urge to get into a chesting match with him at the moment, so I turned and walked away.

My locker was where it always had been, just like Anna's was seated next to mine and most of our friends were close by. Tyler's was, happily, on the other side of the school. He was so...wrong. Anna certainly didn't need him in her life but I guess it was a necessary experience. Whatever. I frowned, running a hand through my hair and looking at the little mirror Anna had in there for when she and I just hung out over here. I looked over, smirked at the reflection in the mirror."What Anna?"I asked, closing the locker and turning around.

Cold air kissed my face like a loved ones parting soul.

I blinked,frowned, utterly confused an a lot more on edge. I'd forgotten about the blinking thing in the mirror this morning but now this? What the hell was going on?