Minho regretted saying his feelings out loud straight away. It only made everything he felt for her more real. He had quickly let go of her hand and walked away, needing to think. He returned to the corner, running a hand through his hair in annoyance, with himself and Pasty. He wished she would make some sort of response, anything at all.

 The thought “be careful what you wish for” came to mind when she began to scream.

 Flash.

 Image of a dead baron land.

 Flash.

 Image of crazed people.

 Flash.

 Flash.

 Flash.

 “She must have broken through her coma, and now she is starting the process of the Changing,” Alby shouted over Pasty’s screams, trying to pin her down on the bed. Newt looked grim.

 “At least we know she isn’t brain dead if she can still experience pain,” he muttered.

 “Is that all you shanks are going on? The fact that she is in shuck loads of pain? What the hell is wrong with you!” Minho cried.

 “We ain’t sayin’ she is fine. The Changing ain’t no picnic, but it will pass. There are lots of us who have been through the same.”

 But it seemed to last forever. Four days passed. She showed no improvement. Gally was up and going again. He walked around with a guilty look on his face, but Alby, Newt and Minho had more on their mind than shouting at Gally for his sheer stupidity.

 Five days had passed. Minho had been persuaded to have some rest, and was asleep in the room next to Pasty’s. Her wails had weakened a lot, probably because her body was too exhausted to fight back anymore.

 Gally had waited for his chance to visit her, and with Minho, Alby and Newt all out of the way, he sneaked into the room where her weak body lay. She had lost wait, unable to eat much during her time of illness. Her hair was lank and greasy, her face red from screaming and her lips chapped, deprived of moisture, but when Gally saw her, he still thought she looked perfect. He grabbed the chair that Minho normally occupied and dragged it to her bedside. He brushed the hair off her clammy forehead and fed her some water that sat on the table beside her. She was finally able to drink something at least.

 “Hey Pasty,” he whispered. “Just want to let you know how sorry I am. I know it’s not much, but I needed to say it anyway. And if you will just wake up…Alby and Newt are worried for you. Minho misses you so much, he is in a mess. He really loves you, Pasty. And if you will just wake up, I will do anything for you, anything at all…”

 “Really,” she croaked in a raspy voice “Get your shuck arse up and get me some more water then.”

 Gally actually fell off his chair in surprise.

 “What the klunk?”

 “You said you would do anything,” she said wearily, her eyes closed.

 “I…how long have you been awake?”

 “Since you decided to move my hair. That woke me up,” she mumbled.

 “Umm…sorry?”

 “Don’t be. Just get me some shuckin’ water! And Minho, if you don’t mind. Oh, and I guess you need to find Alby and Newt too.”

 Gally scrambled to his feet and literally ran down the stairs. Then he remembered Minho, and thought he would be pissed if he wasn’t informed first. He shook Minho awake.

 “What? Get off me, Gally, you piece of-”

 “Pasty is awake!”

 He blinked stupidly “What?”

 “Pasty is-”

 “Yes, yes I heard you! Are you yanking my chain?”

 “No way, man. See for yourself.”

 Minho leapt to his feet and scurried into Pasty’s room, almost tripping over in his haste. There she was, hauling herself into a sitting position. He ran and helped her.

 “Stay still, Pasty,” he warned, “I don’t want to lose you again.”

 She looked up with him, her eyes telling the story of a hundred years of pain. “Well I don’t particularly want to go back to how I was, if I’m honest. I feel like death.”

 She shifted slightly and winced. Minho hugged her carefully, her body feeling frail in his arms, like it might snap into millions of pieces at any moment. He felt a tear drip onto his shoulder.

 “It was horrible, Minho. It was so bad.”

 “You’re safe now,” he whispered “You’re safe…”

 “No Minho, I’m not. None of us are…”

 “Pasty, calm down.”

 She was silent for a moment. Then she pulled back and looked Minho in the eye. She could see how he hadn’t slept properly in days, how he looked sad and anxious, like she was going to disappear at any moment.

 “I heard what you said.”

 His eyes flashed with sudden fear, and she could feel his heart beating fast against her arm. He tried to look like he didn’t know what she was talking about, unsuccessfully.

 “I don’t know what you mean. It must have been a dream…”

 “No. It wasn’t. We both know it.”

 Minho’s mouth opened, but he shut it sharpish to stop himself spilling out more unneeded words. Luckily for him, he was saved from humiliation as Newt ran into the room. His face flooded with relief, and he lightly kissed Pasty on the head. Minho wondered why, with all his cockiness and confidence, he hadn’t had the courage to do that. Pasty smiled at him.

 “Hey there, Newty.”

 “Alright, Pasty Face,” he replied fondly, remembering back to the day when they met. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. Alby strode into the room, business like and serious.

 “What do you remember?” he asked curtly.

 “Jeez, you wouldn’t think I had been half dead for a week, would you?”

 “I’m serious, Pasty. It might be our ticket out of here.”

 “Well, before the pain started, I had strange dreams. I think they might be about the future. But I don’t remember anything from after the pain started.”

 “Hold up, hold up. You saw the future?”

 “That is what I’m guessing. Look, can I just eat some food and go to sleep?”

 “Unfortunately not. We need to know everything you remember.”

 “I can tell you in the morning…”

 “It is morning. And didn’t Minho explain? The memories you have-”

 “So they were real?”

 Alby sighed “Well it sounds like you’re a bit of a special case if I’m honest. Tell us everything from the start.”

 “Alright, alright. Sit down, boys, you ain’t gonna like this.”

 She opened her mouth to speak and suddenly an invisible hand clenched around her throat, blocking off her air. She let out a strangled gasp, clawing at the unseen fingers that dug into her windpipe. Then a horrible thought was planted into her head:

Bite your tongue off.

 She was horrified, wondering what or who had planted the thought in her head, but she began to bite her tongue viciously anyway against her will. The boys looked at her in horror, but Minho sprang into action straight away. Trying to ignore the flow of blood from her tongue and mouth, he stuffed his knuckle between her teeth to stop her knawing straight through her tongue. They dug in his hands, but what did he care. He looked at the others, who maddeningly just stood there doing nothing.

 “Well, do something! Pin her arms and legs down!”

Newt snapped into action, like he had been taken out of a trance and gently, but firmly, secured her arms. Alby wavered, but then pinned her legs down obediently. They stood, unsure what to do next for several seconds. Then, to their relief, Pasty’s body relaxed.

 “I don’t know what just happened there, but something was strangling me. And it told me to bite my tongue off.” Her lip quivered and salty tears ran down her hollow cheeks.

 “Sorry. It’s all just…it’s quite literally been a nightmare.”

 Minho’s heart ached for her, and he was unable to stop himself sitting beside her on the bed and pulling her into his chest. She let herself weep on him, his t-shirt getting all soggy, but he didn’t care, it didn’t matter, as long as she was there with him, alive. A tear slid down his own nose and onto her head. Alby cleared his throat.

 “Come on Newt. Leave them,” he muttered, and Newt obeyed, as they left the room together, closing the creaky door to give Pasty some privacy. Her tears flowed free then, Minho stroking Pasty’s hair as she cried. Several minutes later, Pasty let out something that was a cross between a snort and a laugh.

 “I think I’m done now,” she wheezed.

 “I was so scared that I had lost you,” Minho whispered.

 “I know. I could hear you.”

 He took in a breath sharply. He had forgotten that she knew about his feelings.

 “Look, what I said…”

 “Shut up,” Pasty said, putting her finger to his lips, smiling ever so slightly. Then she kissed him. Minho was surprised, but kissed her back, his hand running through her hair as they shared their first kiss. When they pulled apart, he laughed, pressing his forehead against hers, their lips apart, but only just.

 “Is now the time to say something really cheesy?” Minho whispered with a grin. Pasty rolled her eyes and laughed.

 “I would rather you didn’t.” And then they kissed again, lost in the moment. Pasty could almost forget all the horrific things that she knew were to come…