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Post by ianharris on Oct 31, 2009 23:45:16 GMT -5
Cold water splashed on Ian's face. His eyes shot open, his ears going red. All-nighters really weren't healthy, he decided, and if he was falling asleep in the gym showers after running, then he really was going to have to stop staying up all night. Of course, it wasn't his fault... Jonathan almost never came back to the room, which meant that Ian could stay up and study his books on magic. It was a good thing, really, but Ian was beginning to wor-
All of a sudden, Ian realized something was very, very wrong. His thoughts shut off and focused on trying to figure out what was going on. Ian was having a seriously major problem, and his very confused brain couldn't seem to figure out what was going on.
The only fact that made sense was that Ian Harris was no longer at Dunehelden.
He was still lying on the floor of the gym showers, and his clothes were still on the bench just outside of the showers, but the showers themselves and the locker room were different. Ian knew exactly where he was, and his heart sank. It was the only logical explanation, of course. Ian knew that eventually, the truth would come out, and all that was left would be cold, hard, reality.
The showers and the locker room were that of Ian's old high school.
So there is no Dunehelden University. Ian thought bitterly. I've just been wandering around for weeks again, talking to trees and signposts. Again.
Ian stood and slipped back into his clothes. When he had finished that, he reached out with trembling hands and touched the lockers near him. They felt real. Tears began to roll down Ian's face, and his legs slid out from him. He collapsed onto the bench, holding his head in his hands and sobbing. Natalie... Liam... Seele... Zeph... Korlian... None of them were real. They were all just Ian's imagination.
Of course. Ian thought bitterly. I'm a freak. I can't have friends. It was too much to think that I could go to a place where everyone is like me. Where I'm accepted. I'm in the real world now. Where I belong.
Once the tears had tried, Ian stood and walked out of the locker room and into the gym itself. It was later in the day, and so any minute now, one of the sports teams would be returning. Ian sat on the bleachers and attempted to make his red face look presentable. He was going to come up with some sort of suitable excuse for why he was there so that someone would give him a ride home.
Reality bites...
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 0:18:38 GMT -5
Liam poked his head into the gym, glancing around and calling out. "Ian?"
He stepped into the room, spotting Ian and coming closer to him. "Hey, I've been looking for you... how have you been?" He came to Ian's side, his smile fading a little at the redness of the other boy's face; he looked like he'd been crying. "Are... you okay?"
Liam sat down beside Ian, laying a hand on his back. "What's wrong?"
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 0:23:01 GMT -5
Ian shifted away from the new arrival, looking the other way. "I'm fine, Grant. I'm supposed to be here. I'm waiting for someone. Go away."
He did not like Grant very much. The boy was a condescending jerk who regarded Ian as lower than himself. Of course the first person Ian would run into when he finally woke up would be Grant. Reality wasn't on Ian's side at all...
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 0:27:22 GMT -5
...Okay, now that was unusual. Liam was silent for a few seconds as he tried to figure out how to respond. Who on earth was Grant, and why was Ian suddenly being so harsh?
"I'm not Grant," he answered gently, staying where he was despite a strong urge to meet Ian's eyes and talk to him face to face. "I have no idea who that is. I'm Liam, remember? Liam Farrell. I met you the day you came here, showed you around the school and all." Worry and confusion blended on his face. "Are you feeling okay?"
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 0:38:23 GMT -5
"I told you." Ian snapped. "I just want to be left alone. Unless you want to give me a ride back to my house."
Why was the boy being so damn persistent? How very, very unusual. Ian did not want Grant to continue to bother him. He wanted to be left alone while the harsh reality set in.
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 0:44:23 GMT -5
"I... u-um..." Liam stammered for a bit, his confusion and worry mounting. "First of all, I have no idea where you live. Second, I'm not who you seem to think I am. I don't know who this Grant person is, but I'm not him." He placed a hand on Ian's shoulder, slowly and cautiously. "Look at me, Ian. Please. You're starting to scare me."
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 1:08:47 GMT -5
Ian stood and started across the gym, throwing his hands into the air. "I'm scaring you?" He spat, his voice rising. "That's not new. I've been scaring everybody for years. If I'm being too scary, then to harass someone else. Don't hang around me."
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 1:15:43 GMT -5
Liam stood up quickly and followed Ian across the room, catching him by the shoulder and coming around to face him. His worry was clearly evident on his face and in his voice.
"Look at me, Ian. Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am? Really?"
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 7:47:19 GMT -5
Ian slapped Grant's hand away, anger rising on his face. "Why do you keep making fun of me? I know who I am. I know who you are. Now leave me alone." He kept walking around. Someone would come... they had to come. They would take him home. And he could get back to his normal life.
Normal life sucked.
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 10:47:13 GMT -5
"I asked where, not who... and if you know who I am, then tell me," Liam retorted, trying to keep his voice calm. This was... maybe not the weirdest thing he had ever experienced, but it was definitely way up there. And it was really scaring him.
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 21:51:44 GMT -5
Ian was done. Done this this conversation, done with reality, and done with stupid Grant. "Fine, you know what? I'll just walk home. Goodbye, Grant. Go to hell." He turned and brusquely headed across the gym towards the door. It was almost a two hour walk to his house, but Ian didn't care - he just wanted to lock himself up in his room and cry until he couldn't produce tears anymore.
Ian reached the door and put his hand on the metal bar, ready to open the door and get back to his horrible life. However, for a moment, he hesitated. He didn't want to have to explain Dunehelden to his family... and the doctors would probably have a field day with is...
...damn psychologists...
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 22:01:35 GMT -5
Liam stood still, staring at Ian in hurt confusion. It was painfully obvious that Ian was not in his right mind... Liam swallowed and approached Ian again before he could make up his mind to leave the gym. Maybe he could get him to that new psychologist, Professor Honghui.
"Would you mind if I walked with you?" he asked gently. "I'd appreciate the company." He wasn't very sure that this was going to work, but he wasn't sure what else to do.
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Post by ianharris on Nov 1, 2009 22:28:35 GMT -5
Something inside Ian snapped. He whirled on his heel and took a few steps toward Grant, his eyes fixed on the other boy's chin. Without warning, Ian's fist came up and caught Grant on the side of the head. Tears welled up in his eyes again.
"Leave me alone!" He screamed. Then he turned and fled from the gym.
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Liam Farrell
Ireth
University Freshman: Not a Sin-Eater, Because We Don't Have Those
Those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...
Posts: 200
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Post by Liam Farrell on Nov 1, 2009 22:49:23 GMT -5
Liam stumbled back with a gasp of pain as Ian's fist slammed into his head, narrowly missing his left eye. He lifted a hand to his face, gingerly touching the spot. Ooh, that was going to bruise. Wiping his watering eye, Liam stood still as Ian screamed at him to leave him alone, then fled from the room.
Well, so much for that plan. Liam sighed and ducked into the boys' locker room to have a look in one of the mirrors -- yes, the place where he had been struck was already bruised, as well as swelling. Suppressing a groan of frustration, Liam headed out of the locker room and out of the gym, heading quickly toward the sick bay. Maybe Ellie had come back from being AWOL for the past week or so.
He couldn't blame Ian for this... not really. He hadn't known who he was talking to, or even where he was. Liam sighed again, remembering Ian's strange words to him the day they had met: "...assuming you're real..." He had deliberately kept the oddness of the words from affecting him, but now that Ian's strangeness had hit him in the face (quite literally), he was really getting concerned for the poor guy. He hoped there was a way to help him realize what was real and what was not.
This place keeps on getting weirder and weirder...
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