When Words Run Out of Time

Somehow, Amani's arrival only made the situation seem more serious... more real.

When she arrived, she shared her experience. It mirrored ours—first the tingling, then the pinpricks, and finally, the sensation of dissolving, as though she were turning to dust.

A wave of pressure settles in my chest. Everyone's eyes are on me, waiting for answers. I can't falter now—not with Amani here, not with the way she looked at me when she walked in.

Especially not Amani.

I thanked her for coming to me and had her sit down. She went to an empty space next to Juno. The two of them are already friends, making his pretty much the only other familiar face in this room besides mine.

I stand in front of the room, trying to pull my thoughts together. My breath comes in shallow bursts, and I clench my fists, trying to calm the wild pulse in my neck. Focus. I need to focus.

Well... it started with the tingles, then pinpricks, then the flaking. We started feeling lightheaded and unbalanced. That seems to have stopped now, but I'm still feeling tingles, not as subtle as they were at first. It's happening to all of us, even Amani, who doesn't get used for stories much. Not like the rest of us. If she's being affected too, then this must be bigger than we think. I had a suspicion that this had something to do with 抖阴社区r, and this essentially confirms it.

I survey the room. Sym has moved from behind the desk, positioning herself in front of it, near the couches. She sits close to Mel, who now rests on the floor beside her, her posture tense as she watches her sister. Mel fidgets, her concern for Sym just as heavy as her worry about the situation. Despite being the younger sibling, she's taken on a caretaker role lately, watching her more than she should have to. Sym seems focused on reassuring Mel.

Ash is sitting in a chair just behind them, next to one of the couches. They've brought their legs up and wrapped their arms around them, resting their chin on their knees. It's usually quite difficult to tell what they're feeling just by looking at them, but I've learned their subtle facial expressions and body language. Ash's eyebrows are furrowed, and shoulders hunched. I notice them tugging the sleeves of their cardigan. Even they can't hide it today.

Next to them is the first couch, with Nishat and Busaba.

Nishat isn't the type of person who usually gets stressed. She's typically calm, laid back, and does much better than most under pressure. She's the most level-headed, like me. Now, she looks genuinely scared. It's the first time I've ever seen her this visibly shaken.

Busaba, on the other hand, looks downright pissed. There's almost nothing she hates more than the feeling of uncertainty. Not knowing even small things makes her feel uneasy and unsure, which makes her frustrated. This whole situation must be taking quite a toll on her. She keeps tugging on the ends of her hijab and wringing her hands. Her face is scrunched up as if she's deep in thought, or puzzling over a complicated problem. I almost hear her faint muttering under her breath.

On the second couch to the right of the first, there's Shaina and Paloma.

Shaina is restless. Her body has gone stiff and her feet are tapping rapidly. Her fingers are fidgeting with her Star of David necklace, pressing it into the palm of her hand and pressing her fingertips to its corners. She's trying to steady herself with deep breaths, but it's not working. I notice Shaina glancing at her brother, Lukas, who's sitting in a beanbag in front of the other couch. It looks kind of like she's trying to somehow communicate telepathically with him.

By some miracle it works, and he turns around. Lukas looks just as nervous as her. They make eye contact. They seem to have a close enough relationship that they can communicate nonverbally, which isn't typically common with most siblings. They seem to be silently reassuring each other.