Page 64 of Healed

Somewhere in the middle of the night, I became aware of movement in my room.

I was still in a half-dazed state, half of my brain stuck in my dream, remembering Vienna climbing on the tables, his own tail betraying him, causing him to trip over and face plant into one of the booths, and the other half of my brain waking up, alerting me to the danger.

Back at the Riders clubhouse, I’d have been awake the second the door handle twisted. But here? Here I had already let my guard down, and hadn’t even noticed the intrusion until it was too late.

Just as I went to open my eyes, a hand slapped over my mouth and a female face swam before my tired eyes.

“Wake up,” Rachel grinned at me, her features coming into focus.

Well, as best they could. She was swaying from the effort of leaning over me, and was getting too distracted by the giggles coming from the other person next to me.

“Rise and shine,” Steph sang. I turned my head to see her climbing into bed next to me, her eyes drunken and vacant, but shining brightly.

She brought her face close to mine as Rachel wandered around the room.

“Shhhhhh!” Steph hissed at me, her nose touching my own.

“I didn’t say anyth—”

Her hand came over my eyes.

“Oh, well, that’s silenced me. Brilliant job.”

“Where are your shoes?” Rachel called out, banging into the table and sending everything scattering off the top of it.

I didn’t see it, but I cringed behind Steph’s hand, hearing everything hitting the floor.

“Shhhhhhh!” Rachel laughed, slapping the corner of the table.

“Shhhh!” Steph giggled back, taking her hand off my eyes.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked, but they both ignored me.

Steph climbed off the bed, her arms extended in front of her as she navigated the dark room.

“Careful—” I called out, just a second too late. She smacked into Rachel, the two of them falling to the floor in a drunken heap.

“Can I—”

“Shhhh!” Steph hissed at me.

“But—”

“This is a secret mission! It’s imperative that you be quiet!” Rachel barked.

And then she threw a slipper at my head.

“Right,” I whispered, leaning over the bottom of the bed to glare down at the idiots on my floor. “I understand you want me to be quiet. But why? What are we up to?”

“What are we… shoes!” Steph boomed.

“Shoes!” Rachel cackled back. “She needs her shoooooooes.” The pair of them then proceeded to crawl around my floor, calling out to my shoes.

“I don’t need my shooooooes,” I mimicked. “I need you two to tell me what we’re—whoa!” I stumbled back on the bed as Rachel’s face popped up directly in front of me.

“We’re going to pay Vienna a visit,” she grinned.

A strange, almost terrifying grin.