Her next words sent tingles down his spine.

"We can kidnap Moonwatcher Everfrost."

~

"Please keep this a secret."

Everyone stared at him in horror. "How do you expect us to keep this— all of this— a secret?" Lynx snapped fiercely. "You tricked everyone. I didn't think you were a kind of a person who used trickery to get attention, Absher."

Winter sneered and gave Lynx a toothy grin. It sent shivers down Moon's spine. "Do you think I care? You all use trickery everyday to hurt people. I was only one of them, wasn't I? You guys are who made me who I am."

Lynx's eyes flashed on surprise. "You...remember? I thought... Your memory..." Lynx's narrowed her eyes. "Or was it a lie? Like all the other ones?"

Everyone was silent, watching Winter with distrustful, anxious eyes. Winter stood up abruptly, making Lynx flinch. His calm self was gone.

"I," Winter said quietly, "have nightmares every night. I see you"— he pointed at Lynx— "and you"— he pointed at Turtle— "and you, and you, and you."

Moon froze. Does he see me every night, too? Wake up screaming his head off?

It seemed horrible, in humane. How can a
Drain do this to a person? Every time someone tears someone apart, did they read themselves apart, too? Become a little less human? Kill a part of themselves?

"I wake up every night...shaking...because you guys haunt me. You guys laugh and hurt me over and over again..." Winter narrowed his eyes. "At first, I didn't know who, or what, it was. But now..." Winter was shaking. "But now I know."

"No."

She stood up. did She really say that to Winter? She could see the expression of disbelief on his face. "You saw what you wanted to see, Winter. Some of the stories, some of the reasons...you made them yourself."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" He said in a calm, dangerous voice. It scared her. The anger was clear in his eyes. The emptiness of a broken boy, a boy who couldn't contain nor control himself any longer. "All the pain, all the suffering— for nothing, you say? No, you guys made it. You guys tore me apart like a damn doll!"

Moon was at loss of words. Wh y did I say that? I should be trying to help him.

"You told me lies. You used me. You...you destroyed me." Winter was shaking. with anger? Madness?

"Did I?" Moon whispered, the words faint on her lips. Did I really, Winter?

"Mr. Absher, please calm down." The principal said, fidgeting nervously.

Winter gave him an angry look. "I will not calm down!" He growled. He grabbed a nearby case and smashed it down the floor.

"Mr. Winter Absher! There are students down there!" Mr. Webs said, standing up.

Moon tried to get to him, but, with a sudden overwhelming nausea of dizziness, she tripped and fell to the ground.

A small, sharp pain blinded her vision for a second. With a small shuffling sound, Qibli quickly came to her and kneeled beside her, whispering in her ear. His voice was calm, soothing.

She couldn't make out his words. She blankly stared at the blood streaming down her hand. Qibli gently wrapped it with a handkerchief.

Winter was staring at his hands with a doubtful, pained expression on his face. Then he turned to them, and he seemed more confused than ever. Anger? Sadness?

Qibli stared right back. "Winter." His voice was quiet, dangerous. "Control yourself."

Winter raised an eyebrow, his pain and confusion shifting to the mad anger again. It was a sickening sight. An explosion from a broken boy. A boy who has nothing to lose.

"Of course. I won't...hurt your girlfriend." Winter sneered.

"Whatever you've went through...expressing your anger like this, it isn't acceptable." Qibli helped Moon up.

He gave Moon a one last look and walked out of the room silently, ignoring everyone's protests.

~

You
You love it how I move you
You love it how I touch you
My one
when all is said and done
You'll believe
God is a
woman

~

Qibli: I was surprised. Is your hand okay, Moon?

Moon: I'm fine. Thank you.

Qibli: Do you want to talk about what happened?

Moon: I'm sorry, but I'm tired. G'night.

Moon tiredly turned her phone off. with a soft sigh, she dived into her comfortable covers.

She fell into a restless sleep.

~

When she woke up, it was night.

Someone was watching her. With a pair of very cold blue eyes.

This was her first thought:

Tundra.