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“Water fountain?” I breathe and slowly catch my breath.
“Talk about mind fuckery,” Blair grumbles. “Let’s get out quickly.”
Agreeing, we rush to get out of the fountain water that’s tainted with hints of purple. I curse when my leg gets caught in a bundle of vines. Reaching down, I quickly manage to get myself untangled, though my attention briefly stares at the petals of a tiny rose.
Another person’s gasping is enough to peel my attention away, but I do a quick reach down to ensure my leg is completely rid of the vines. Multitasking leads to me noticing a male student swimming to the fountain’s stone edge and pulling himself out.
“Fuck,” he curses when he’s finally on the ground. “Where the fuck is my partner?” he questions and looks our way.
Blair is rising to her feet while I take a moment to sit on my knees. Quickly tucking my hands in my pockets, I brush my wet palms on the inner fabric of my pockets. It’s all a distraction because my body is reacting weirdly.
Something doesn’t feel right.
“Ophelia?” Blair looks at me in confusion, but I need to zone her out for a few seconds.
Something is coming.
I can’t justify my next movement as I tackle Blair onto the ground.
“Oomph!” Our fall is cushioned by a patch of grass, but I groan in protest because my body is killing me.
“My bad,” I groan.
“Should I ask?” Blair ponders.
“Nope. I do that a lot.”
“Tackling people to the ground a lot or acting upon your instincts a lot?” she inquires and smiles my way.
Yeah, I could get used to her company.
“Both.”
She manages to shrug.
“I can deal with that,” she concludes and helps us sit up. “Now why did— Oh hell’s gate of all mercy…”
“Hell’s gate of all mercy?” That’s the first time I’ve heard that saying. “Isn’t it supposed to be Oh heaven’s gate of— Fuck.”
Following her frightened gaze leaves me no choice but to look back at the fountain we’d just pulled ourselves out of.
Only to see it flowing with thick molasses liquid.
That’s not what makes my stomach churn in disgust.
It’s watching the male student we just watched come out of that fountain remain completely still with a shocked expression on his face.
“I… failed…” he whispers as tears of blood begin to run down his cheeks.
Neither of us understands what’s happening until half his body begins to slide off his bottom half, the top layer falling back into the fountain of black.
The collision of flesh and the thick molasses makes a sizzling noise while steam and bubbles ignite from his body’s descent into the thick liquid.
It only gets worse when vines of green that decorated the fountain so intricately weave around the bottom half of his body until it’s lifted and going down the same path his other half went.
The smell of burned flesh makes Blair gag, but she covers her mouth and moves her gaze away from the horrifying scene.
I’m both horrified and fascinated by how this garden works, but my instincts are nagging at me again, which is why I’m up and grabbing Blair’s arm.
