"I'm sorry, but we couldn't find anything wrong with you." The nurse apologized. "We'll go get your sister."
Parker stared out the door as the nurse left. The IV in her arm burned and itched her skin to the point that she wanted to tear off her own flesh. She shut her eyes, getting a small glimpse of the usual fire. She looked at her wrists to see the marks from the chains.
What was happening to her?
Parker touched the raw skin at her neck. "It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." She repeated the same words over again. It wasn't going to do anything, but it was all she really could do.
A small snickering laugh brought her out of her trance. Parker pulled the IV out of her arm and got out of the bed. She stumbled through the halls, using the walls for support. She covered her ears as the laughter got louder.
She looked around to find nothing. She held her hand against her head, trying to soothe the ringing in her mind. Parker walked out of the hospital, which she found weird.
Why was she allowed to leave so easily? And where was everyone? Why was the hospital so quiet and empty.
It would've unnerved anyone to their core.
Parker found herself wandering into the woods. The damp trees kept her hidden from anyone's sight. It felt like she was going to faint at any given moment but her body just pushed forward.
Why was her body moving on its own? Where were Jade and Dalton? Why hadn't they searched for her? Were they even searching for her? Were they even looking for her?
The ringing in Parker's mind grew louder and more painful. Flashing lights blurred her vision and caused her to nearly faint.
"I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy." Parker repeated over to herself. "I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy." Tears unintentionally slipped from her eyes. She gripped the tree, tearing off the bark.
The laughter got closer.
Parker searched around to see a glowing red butterfly flying near her. "Okay, maybe I am going crazy." She chased the butterfly deeper into the forest where she started to hear the howls of dogs. The butterfly landed on a plant and the laughter finally stopped.
"About time." Parker rubbed her ears for the howling to get louder. "Yeah, that's a big no." The laughing started back up, making Parker roll her eyes. "Okay, where are you?"
"Right here." Parker turned around to be met with an older woman in a short black dress with glowing red eyes and black hair that went down to her pale shoulders. "Hey, sweetheart."
"Who are you?"
"None of your business, kid." The woman flicked Parker on the head. "You just have to listen to me, darling."
"Get away from me." Parker backed away from the woman. "What do you want from me?"
"You humans are always so paranoid, even in your dreams." The woman stepped closer, playing with a lock of Parker's hair. "Or, in your case, half human."
Parker froze for a moment. "Hold up, dream?" She slapped the woman's hand away from her. "What are you talking about? Are you high on something?"
The woman chuckled, "Sweetheart, you're still in that hospital as we speak. You are simply in a coma and probably won't be waking up anytime soon."
"You're crazy." Parker scoffed and attempted to walk away from the woman.
The woman only replied with a simple smirk. She whistled and the dog barking got closer. "I'm a Nocnista." She said, confusing Parker. "And this is a dream, whether you chose to believe it or not."
Parker huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Right, let's say that I believe you for even a second. Why should I? Why should I trust you? I don't even know you."
"My name is Concordia." The woman finally told her. "As for why you should trust me is because I'm the only one who can wake you up."
"Of course you are." Parker turned away to be met with two large dogs with spiked collars and red eyes. "And these things are what exactly?"
"Hell Hounds." Concordia said in a statement as though it was obvious. "They're hard to train, but once you get them to learn to obey their masters, they will do anything." She patted the head of one of the hounds. "Pet one."
"I'll pass."
"It wasn't a question." Concordia grabbed Parker's hand, forcing her to pet the Hell Hound on the snout. "See, aren't they such good puppies? Be careful, they tend to bite strangers."
"Can you just wake me up now if this really is a dream?" Parker asked, losing her patience. "I'd like to not be in a hospital or a coma because of you." Concordia rolled her red eyes. With a snap of her fingers, Parker was awake back in the hospital.
Parker looked over to see Jade and Dalton sleeping in the chairs next to each other. Parker sighed and fell back against her hospital bed.
"Did you have a nice nap?" Parker hesitantly looked over to met with the sharp red eyes of Concordia, who was wearing a doctor's outfit and was leaning on the steel bars of her bed with her arms crossed. "Still don't believe me princess?"