Gravitational Pull

As soon as I left the library, I took off towards my room and shut the door behind me. Now, that I'm away from the library, it finally sinks in what I had just agreed to.

I begin pacing up and down as the many scenarios run through my mind. We could get caught, and get sent to prison for breaking and entering. I could even get expelled. I felt sick to my stomach, my palms were sweaty and I was shaking with nerves.

I should go and tell him I changed my mind, I'm sure I can find the answers I'm looking for another way. Yeah, he'll understand.

I turn on my heels and walk to the door but stop just before my hand touch's the door handle.

But, this could be a once in a lifetime chance. How many people can say they've been inside a secret library and not only that imagine all those unread books that have been opened probably once in their lifetime.

I bite my bottom lip at the thought. I could get so much more in that library than I could in the ones available to us. I step away from the door and sit on my bed to collect my thoughts.

I look over towards my phone and I get the urge to call Rodney and tell him what happened but he hasn't answered my text message yet. He's probably searching for answer's or looking for that mage.

I toss myself onto the bed and stare up the ceiling. I still have four hours till midnight and a lot of free time on my hands. We didn't get any assignments to do or even a task. I turn over to my side as I think of a way to spend my time.

I could read a book but I'm too restless to read, maybe a good jog is what I need but I've just taken a shower and I don't think my body has fully healed to allow me to move as easily.

I sigh and figure that it's best I just go to sleep until then. I get up and grab my phone to set the time and give myself a two hour nap and get to his room an hour early so that we can go over the plan.

Once the alarm clock is set, I get comfortable and sleep comes easily. Within seconds my eyes fly open and I wake up shaking, not sure why I reach over for my phone to check the time and I see its three am and panic sets in.

I didn't hear my alarm clock ring. I clamber out of bed and go to my notebook to find Chaviv's number and message him but I can't find it on the table.

I look through the drawers and under the table in case it fell down but there is no sign of it. Dread sets in as I realise that he's probably upset that I made him wait, especially after he was willing to help me.

I rush over to my school bag and rummage through to check if maybe I had put it in there but its not. My blood goes cold when the thought that I left it in the library, where someone could open it and see what's written inside.

Not wanting to waste another second, I get up and swing the door open. I'm met with a blaze of heat and fire, screams echoing all around. I stand there frozen to the spot, unable to move or breathe.

"Anita," I turn around and I'm no longer in my dorm but standing at the front door of my home and I see two corpses on fire, stalking towards me as they call out my name. I keep telling myself to run, to get away from the fire but fear has a stronghold on me.

Their burning flesh fills my nose and I cover my mouth to not throw up. They stalk closer and closer, calling out to me with their arms outstretched as if to bring me into a hug.

I shut my eyes tight and wait for the searing pain and the smell of my own flesh burning but it doesn't come. Instead I hear the sound of rushing wind and feel arms around my waist. I slowly open my eyes and I see the burning ground shrinking away as I go higher.

I look up and see the black creature staring up ahead, towards the clouds. I shut my eyes as we fly through the clouds and I open them again and I'm back in my room. I could still hear the screams, the crackling of fire and the wind. I felt disoriented and unable to tell if I'm awake or having a vision within a dream.

When I hear my alarm go off, I'm relieved and shaking from the shock of hearing it. I turn the alarm off and take a moment to take deep breathes to calm myself down and wipe away any stray tears.

I dial Rodney's number and wait for him to pick up, but I reach his voicemail. I try again and still no answer, I put the phone down as the fear grows. I hug myself and try counting down to calm myself but that also still doesn't work, I'm too rattled to calm myself and the noises isn't helping. I pick up my phone and try phoning Rodney again to see if he'll pick up but he doesn't.

With fear and anxiety running through my veins I quickly get up and grab my notebook. I flip through the pages to find the numbers I'm looking for and type them into my phone. My thumb hovers over the call button.

What am I doing, why am I calling him? 'You don't want to be alone,' I hear a small voice respond, it sounded so soft and scared. The words runs over me like ice cold water. I lock the screen and use the chair to hold me up, the only person I can talk to is unavailable and I'm not sure how I feel about talking about it to someone I barely know.

I fall to my knees, tears fall down my face and I'm gripped with the overwhelming emotions of fear, and anxiety. Unable to take it anymore, I get up and head for the door. I tense up when I swing it open and breathe a little when I don't see burning buildings and just the door of another dorm.

I lock the door and immediately put my Glamour up so no one sees me and I just walk not even paying attention to where.

I don't want to be alone but I also don't feel like being in my room. I keep checking to see if I received anything from Rodney but nothing. I'm unable to stop the tears, no matter how many times I wipe them away they keep falling. Eventually, I stop walking and I'm standing in front of his door, I think its his. I only glanced the room number before I rushed out of my room.

I look around to see if there was anyone walking down the corridors and I knock softly on his door and within seconds of waiting, my anxiety goes on overdrive as I realise that his not there and he's already gone to the principals office.

The door creaks open not a second later, Chaviv, who was probably busy while listening to music looked confused. When he doesn't see anyone standing in the corridor he looks slightly annoyed. At least he doesn't until I push on the door and force it open.

"Anita?" Chaviv asks sounding confused and I can't help wonder what other invisible person he knows and was expecting. I push on the door again until he gets the hint and opens it wide, giving me enough space to get through. Once I get in, I close the door behind me.

"Anita?" He questions the air around him since he can't tell where I am. "I wasn't expecting you until a little later on tonight, is something wrong?"

I hadn't realized that I had set my alarm clock an hour early before the agreed time. I was too shaken up from my dream and I was running on fear and anxiety to think straight.

"I'm fine," I let my small and terrified voice sound through the Glamour. I don't drop the Glamour, worried that he'll look at me differently when he sees I've been crying and how much of a mess I am. He turns to face where I stand. "I just..." I hold back a sob and wipe another stray tear.

"Drop the Glamour, sweetheart," he coos softly, picking up on my mood. "I'm sure whatever it is, it will be fine."

I don't think it will, I can't get ahold of the one person who I can talk to and I know sleep won't be easy if I know that someone isn't near me to reassure me everything is fine. And here I am standing in the middle of a stranger's room, completely vulnerable.

I do as he says and drop the Glamour and stand there as vulnerable as I've ever been to a complete stranger. Chaviv's expression softens when he sees me and I'm unable to hold back my sob and just break down.

He steps towards me and gently reaches out to guide me to sit down on his bed. Once I'm seated, he leans down to my eye level, holding out a box of tissue for me and I take it, and blow my nose.

He doesn't say anything when he sits next to me and allows me to cry while he gently rubs my back with his thumb, the motion helps calm me down and he offers me the box of tissues when I need to blow my nose or wipe my tears.

"Want to talk about it?" he asks carefully once he sees that I've slightly calmed down to soft sobs.

My bottom lip starts to quivers as I shake my head in response. I don't think I'm ready to tell him or ready to see the look of pity in his eyes when I tell him. He reaches out and places a hand over both of mine, which are sitting intertwined on my lap, and squeeze.

"Everything is going to be okay," Chaviv reassures me as he rubs his thumb over my knuckles. I hold back a sob that racks through my body like an earthquake and another flow of tears race down my cheeks.

Chaviv pulls me into a hug and continues to reassure me even though he doesn't know why I'm crying. I hug him back and allow his scent to wash over me and calm me.

"I had a dream-" I start slowly, he doesn't say anything but continues to hug me and rub my back with his thumb. I continue, unable to hold myself back, "I woke up late and was worried that I had made you wait. I tried looking for my notebook to message you but I couldn't find it. I was scared that I left it in the library so I opened the door to go find and-" my voice catches and Chaviv immediately hugs me tighter.

"Its okay, you don't have to tell me," he reassures me again, I continue "And I was immediately surround by flames, I heard someone call my name and when I turned I wasn't in my room. I was back at home, my home was on fire as well as my parents, they called out my name as they walked towards me. I felt so scared and I...I couldn't move, I couldn't-"

My body trembles as I let out sobs and grip onto his shirt tighter. Chaviv continues to hug me closely and reassures me that I'll be okay, and I start to believe him.

We stay like this for lord knows how long. I match my breathing with his and I feel myself completely calm down, and relax in his hold. I slowly look up and our eyes meet and I'm surprised that his eyes aren't filled with pity like I expected. Instead, I feel a gravitational pull as I look into his black orbs, it feels like I'm looking into the eyes of the universe and they are looking back at me.

"It's getting late, we probably should get going before we miss our chance," he says but doesn't move and neither do I, and I'm not sure if neither of us wants to. I'm the first to pull away with a pinch of regret and stand up, and clear my throat "Uh yeah, you're right. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can call it a day."

Chaviv also nods and stands up, we stand there silently for a second too long, "So, what's the plan?" I ask when the silence feels a bit awkward. Chaviv walks over to his table and grabs his backpack from the floor, emptying out the books inside than stuffs pens and notebooks inside.

I look at him quizzically when he turns to face me with his bag over his shoulder, "We going to need writing materials," he explains and it dawns on me that I left mine in my room.

Chaviv notices my expression and quickly jumps in, "You can use mine, I have an extra pen and notepad. So don't worry," he says giving me a reassuring smile, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, I don't mind letting you borrow my stuff," he says and I shake my head "Not for that," I tell him and he looks at me confused.

I fiddle with the hem of my jacket, keeping my eyes down on my feet, "For earlier, you didn't have to go out your way to comfort me but you did. So, thank you."

He closes the space between us and gently reaches out to my shoulders and softly squeezes "No need to thank me, its what friends are for," he says with a smile, I feel something crack inside as an unfamiliar emotions weaves in, but I push it aside, "Yeah, I guess so."

"So, you're agreeing that we are friends?" he says quizzically and I nod. I mean we might as well be after I rocked up to his doorstep crying.

I see him fight back from a full grin before stepping back and adjusting himself "The plan, we need to talk about the plan. But firstly, can you Glamour the both of us?"

"I can try but I've only Glamoured objects."

Hiding myself is easy but hiding someone else is a whole different ball game. I can probably do it but I'll also have to mask his heartbeat so that no one with sensitive ears will hear and I'm not gifting with sensitive ears.

"I have to hide your heartbeat and I'm not sure if I can do that," I tell him, he closes the space between us and pulls me into a hug. I'm taken off guard by the sudden movement and almost move to push him away but stop myself when I hear his steady heartbeat and realise what he was doing.

"Will this work?" he asks and I nod, not wanting to waste anymore time, I Glamour myself and than focus on imagining that his also invisible and focus on his heartbeat, masking it's sound.

When I feel like I did it, I step back and I hold his hand so he would remain invisible, he holds back but not without lightly squeezing it and I feel my heart nearly jump out of my chest. I didn't know how much I was shaking when I held his, he was squeezing mine to help calm me down.

"Did it work?" he asks, "I think so, the only way to know is if we test it out," I tell him seeing as I could see him.

"Well let's go than, I'll explain on the way," he says, holding my hand in is and leading us out of his room and in the direction of the principals office.