Fizzle

by Heather D Glidewell

  “I needed to use the bathroom,” she huffed. “I didn’t have any issues before now, but when I woke up and moved, there was blood everywhere.”

  I looked around the room. The only blood I saw was the puddle at her knees. Rose must have been hallucinating; she was in worse shape than I thought. I was sitting on the floor, holding the padding to her wound when Mona rushed in with Shawn at her heels.

  “Get her in bed,” Shawn demanded, as Mona and I helped the girl up and back on the mattress.

  He pulled up her shirt and growled at the torn stitching.

  “Bathroom, huh,” he said, motioning to Mona. “Get me some sutures and a catheter. Dawn, what are you doing out of bed?”

  “I heard her screaming,” I replied, watching my brother. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

  “Then help me,” he demanded, grabbing my hands. “Hold her hand. This is going to hurt; she tore the stitching, and now her wound is jagged instead of straight.”

  I grabbed onto her hand, and Rose looked at me with pleading eyes. She winced as he pressed on the wound to slow the bleeding. Mona returned with the sutures and assisted Shawn in re-stitching her open wound. Tears were streaming down her face.

  “Do you know where Adam is?” she asked me.

  “They had a meeting. Wesley is there too,” I told her, and she nodded at me, understanding.

  “Looks like Purgatory taught Krista some survival skills,” she said, making conversation.

  “You’re telling me. She’s the only one of us that didn’t wind up hurt,” I laughed as Rose’s eyes brightened.

  “Mom says you died.”

  “Mom, huh.” I glanced at Mona, and she smiled.

  “I’m glad she brought you back,” Rose stated breathlessly.

  “I am too,” I replied as she squeezed my hand tightly.

  “All right, I’m going to insert a catheter to avoid this happening again. You are going to feel some pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt,” Shawn said.

  Rose winced again and then sighed in relief.

  “No moving until you heal,” he demanded, and she nodded at him. “Dawn, let’s get you back in bed too.”

  Shawn’s strong arms lifted me like I was nothing, carried me down the hall, and back to my room. He lay me down on my bed, covered me up, and sat down next to me.

  “Battles have hit every state. Hundreds if not thousands are dead,” he stated, running his hands through his hair.

  “Dear God,” I moaned. Had they decided to attack random locations in hoping one of them was the right one? “And Aaron?”

  “No news has come from the Incubi. They seem to be on radio silence.”

  This was not the news I wanted to hear. I needed to know Aaron was ok.

  “What about the Reapers?”

  “We did hear from Peter. They split their forces, at least one Reaper is at each compound,” he replied, pursing his lips.

  “That’s a plus then,” I sighed and put my hands on my face.

  “She’s retaliating,” he growled.

  “It’s her mother. Miranda would have come here herself, but her mother sent her somewhere else. All I was given was a warning. Too bad, I decapitated her before she could return to say she had given it to me.” I felt a prickle in my toe, and I tried to move it.

  “You are relentless.” Shawn shook his head at me.

  “I couldn’t let her get away, not that easily.” I turned my head to the side. I did not feel bad for taking the demons head. It was bittersweet to get even with the demon who had deceived Krista and me that night weeks earlier.

  “Get some rest,” he said, patting my leg.

  “I will sleep better when Wesley gets here.” I glanced toward the door, hoping at any moment he would enter.

  “If you say so.” Shawn got up and walked toward the door. “They are pretty busy, so I’m not sure how long it will be until they get here.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Misfortune

  “What time did you come to bed last night?” I asked as I opened my eyes and glanced at the time.

  Wesley looked at me and smiled. He was sitting on the other side of the room, rummaging through his sketch pad and ripping out pages. He stood up and stretched before walking toward the dresser.

  “Well, good morning to you too.” He grabbed a black t-shirt and threw it over his head.

  “Sorry.” I shook my head. “Good morning.”

  He lowered his face to his chest and let out a soft laugh.

  “It was after four when your mother released us. You were sleeping soundly when I came into the room.” He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.

  “Where are you going now?” I asked perturbed with the fact he was leaving me again.

  I was restless. My wounds still had not healed enough to allow me movement, and I was getting stir crazy in my room; what I wouldn’t give for a few minutes outside. I would gladly take the sun's sizzle over my drab walls.

  “Another meeting.” He hurried toward the door.

  I hated how my mother was calling all these gatherings when she knew three key elements were trapped on bed rest.

  “I shouldn’t be stuck here,” I objected. I knew where my place was, and the doctor’s orders weren’t letting me out of my room until the wounds had healed.

  “Well, next time, don’t get hurt,” he teased me.

  With one last kiss, he was gone.

  “I wouldn’t sweat it too much. I think he enjoys it,” Krista stated, appearing in the door. Her blonde hair was pulled back, and her face was void of any makeup. While her eyes sparkled, I could see the faint outline of bags under her eyes.

  “Why hello there, stranger,” I said, smiling.

  “Hey. Sorry I haven’t come to see you. With the three of you down, we’ve had quite the interesting turn of events.” She walked into the room and sat down in the chair next to my bed.

  “It’s ok; I have been laying here counting the bumps on my ceiling. I think I’ve counted several of them multiple times. I never get the same number.” She let out a laugh, and I retorted with a huff.

  “I know it’s boring. Rose is about to rip Adam’s head off if he doesn’t stop leaving her. Helen is so incredibly pissed because she still can’t take the neck brace off.” Krista sighed. “You want your computer? I’m sure several hours of Candy Crush will make the day go by quicker.”

  “I hate that game,” I groaned. I never made it past level one hundred, and it only infuriated me.

  “There are always movies. I can have Marshall bring you up several of your favorite horror DVDs.” She wagged her eyebrows at me. She knew my weakness.

  “Yeah, that sounds like fun,” I replied, and she patted my leg.

  “You know, I saw you taking out the enemy. You were like a blur; I didn’t even know you knew how to wield your sword so quickly.” She placed her hands behind her back and began to fidget. I was unaware she had even seen me. Then again, I had noticed her for a split second before returning to the task at hand.

  “I think I was lost in the moment. All I could think about was ending it. Seeing Helen torn at the neck sparked something in me,” I sighed.

  “Still, you are a hero in the eyes of the town,” she mentioned.

  I had not completed any noble feat. I saved a little girl; this was the only reason I could produce. I could have left her, let her die in the hands of the enemy, but that is not who I was.

  “I am far from that,” I replied modestly.

  “To that little girl’s parents, you are.” She gave me a smile before leaving the room.

  I reminisced about the little girl I had saved — that shivering, disheveled little girl, so scared. I could still see her face with those wide eyes. A child caught in the crossfires of a supernatural war was not something I wanted on my conscience. Krista left me thinking, and the minutes passed quickly.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” Marshall uttered, lugging a stack of movies into my room.

  “Hey th
ere.” I smiled at him as he came to my bed and put the stack down on the end. I was happy to see him. Even though Wesley told me he was ok, I had to see it for myself. Marshall’s face had a single cut above the eyebrow, but no bruising anywhere visible.

  “Krista said, you like horror. Well, I grabbed a few of my favorites as well. Figured we could make a day of it.” He smiled, and I nodded. Continuing to stare at his face, I noticed around his neck was an amulet of protection. He had finally been accepted. That alone made me feel warm inside. I knew I could save him, though it seemed he had also saved me.

  “You don’t have any meetings?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “No. Krista has everything under control, and Kelly is working with the remaining fire-bearers in the field. I’m free till about five,” he said, grabbing my computer and plopping down beside me.

  “What happens at five?”

  “Dinner,” he grinned.

  We laid in my bed all day watching movie after movie and talking about anything and everything under the sun. He asked my advice on how to ask a girl out, and I obliged with my horrible experiences with dating. I think I scared him celibate for the rest of his life.

  I wasn’t shocked to find out he was interested in Kelly. There was a connection there, that was for sure. The two of them would not go anywhere without the other. I guess this is not entirely true; she was in the field that day doing drills. Outside of work, they were inseparable. Yes, that sounds better.

  Five came way too quickly. Wesley still had not returned, and I was growing concerned. I could hear Rose yelling for Adam, though I knew he was at the same meeting. What were my parents doing to keep them so long? At seven, Wesley finally entered the room covered in dirt.

  “Did you have to dig your way out of a hole?” I asked as he started to strip off his clothing.

  “No, we started building a hospital floor under the second barn. Figured we needed somewhere to keep the people if something like this happened again.” I watched him as he grabbed a clean pair of clothes and walked out into the hall in just his boxers.

  “You have no shame!” I called after him.

  “I don’t have anything they haven’t already seen someway somehow,” he said, and I broke out into laughter.

  I watched another half hour of a movie that I wasn’t even paying attention to. When Wesley returned to the room, he looked refreshed. I glanced at the scars that outlined his neck, shoulders, and back. I still had not mustered the nerve to ask him what each bite was. I wasn’t even sure if he knew what they were anyway.

  “Feel better?” I asked, my eyes following him as he walked around the room.

  “Much.” He sighed and laid down on the bed, taking my hand in his he lifted it to his lips, kissing it briefly.

  “So, a hospital, huh,” I mentioned, glancing at him.

  “Yeah. After what happened here and all over the country, we wanted to be ready.” He squeezed my hand and closed his eyes for a brief second. I could tell he was exhausted.

  “They think this will happen again?” I asked.

  The last thing I wanted to think about was another attack. We had lost too many people, and I couldn’t fathom any more of them being slaughtered for Sheridan’s pleasure. The whole idea of war made me sick; I never wanted to see another battlefield. I knew that wasn’t going to be an option; sooner or later, I was going to have to face off with my worst enemy.

  “Most definitely. We talked to the other compounds that were hit, not a single one of them said that the attacking forces were led by a redhead.” He took a deep breath. We knew there was a chance Miranda was only testing us.

  “She wasn’t at any of the attacks,” I groaned. Part of me wanted to hear the tale of her demise. The other part was still plotting revenge.

  “No, she wasn’t. Neither was John,” he answered with a yawn.

  I sat there a second and bit nervously on my bottom lip. What was Sheridan doing?

  “Sheridan is keeping her key players alive for some reason. What is she waiting for?” I asked, knowing full well he was going to pass out in a few moments.

  “Confirmation,” he replied groggily.

  “Of what?” I rolled my eyes, wishing he could stay awake long enough to answer all my probing questions.

  “That an attack would end in the death of all four of you.” The words flowed out of his mouth smoothly.

  “How can she get that if she doesn’t have you?” My head was spinning. Confirmation? What could she possibly need confirmation for? Was she scared to take a risk? If we had any idea where her forces were stationed, we would jump at the chance to end this war before it ever had a chance to start.

  “Because she has Nick.” He yawned again.

  I felt my breath catch in my throat. Nick was supposed to be on his way to the Incubi Mountain’s prison. What had happened? Why had nobody told me he never made it to his destination? I hated how my parents thought keeping secrets was only going to save me emotional distress. I did wonder if the others knew, and if they did why they felt the need to keep it quiet.

  “How can she have Nick if the council took him?” I felt like I was going to be sick. If what he was saying was true, we were in for a world of hurt.

  “They found an empty car about twenty miles outside of Tucson.” He looked at me with heavy eyes.

  “Someone sprang him?” I groaned.

  “That is what it looks like. All three council members with him were found dead in the desert.” He fluttered his eyes. “There’s more, but I am so tired.”

  “It’s fine. Get some rest.” I ran my fingers through his hair, and he smiled.

  “It’s so funny,” he said, closing his eyes.

  “What is?”

  “If you asked me six weeks ago, if I was going to be back in your arms, I would have laughed.” He rolled on his side, facing me as his face relaxed.

  I watched as his breathing slowed. He was asleep. I leaned back further into my pillow, thinking of the information he had just given me. Miranda and John were nowhere on the battlefield when each compound was attacked. What was Sheridan up to?

  It didn’t make any sense to me. Miranda would want to be with her people. She wouldn’t want to sit back and let them die. I had seen her; she cared about the individuals in her camp. They were what gave her life. John made sense; he stayed wherever Miranda was. He couldn’t care less if any perished; all he cared about was his meal ticket.

  I felt great the next morning. My body was no longer in pain, and my wound had pretty much healed the rest of the way overnight. I was even able to pull a few flames into my palms without having to wear myself out.

  “Looks like you are feeling better,” Wesley said, walking into the bedroom at noon.

  “Yeah. I think I’m good enough to get out of this prison.” I gave him a smile. I hated being cooped up in the bedroom all day with nothing but my computer to keep me company. I felt useless if I wasn’t in the field. I needed to get back into the swing of things before there was no going back.

  “You want to see the hospital?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

  I gave him a blank expression. Was he serious? Was I going to be allowed to leave the bedroom prison?

  “Of course!” I exclaimed, crawling out of bed, and looking at my feet. I had been in the same clothes for several days, and I didn’t smell too pleasant. It was probably in my best interest to freshen up before walking out into public. “But first, a shower and a fresh outfit. How could you lie next to me? I smell like roadkill!” I stuck out my tongue and shook my hands in disgust.

  “Didn’t notice,” he replied, lifting an eyebrow. “Do you need any help?”

  “No, I got this.” I chose to ignore his comment and walked uncomfortably across the room to pull clothes from my dresser. I glanced at him and sighed. “Give me an hour.”

  “An hour?” He raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

  “Yeah. It’s going to take me twenty just to get to the bathroom. Go
od Lord, I’m stiff,” I laughed, padding out of the room and down the hall.

  I turned on the hot water and let the room fill with steam before crawling inside the ceramic tub and letting it pelt against my skin. The water felt amazing. I lathered my hair with my lilac-scented shampoo and rinsed it thoroughly. Scrubbing my body with my luffa, I felt rejuvenated. I stood there a few more minutes before deciding to turn the water off. I grabbed the towel I had so nicely laid on the toilet seat and wrapped it around my body. I pulled my toothbrush out of the drawer and placed the toothpaste on it.

  I barely had the brush in my mouth when I looked up. Suddenly, the brush fell into the sink with a clank. Staring back at me was Prudence, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a gaping hole in the side of her head. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. This had to be a hallucination; there was no way what I saw was real. When I opened them, I was staring at myself, but written across the mirror was ‘I’m watching you.’

  That did it for me. I screamed.

  “Dawn!” Wesley yelled, banging on the bathroom door. I cursed under my breath and wiped my hand across the mirror. The message disappeared with a smear.

  My hands were shaking when I opened the door. Wesley pushed past me, looking for someone or something in the room, only to find I was alone.

  “I’m fine,” I stammered, hoping I had left no proof of what had just happened.

  “You sure?” He put his hands on my bare shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

  I nodded frantically. “Yeah,” I replied again and forced a smile. I grabbed my clothes and left the bathroom in a rush.

  “You are not acting like you are ok,” Wesley stated, following me with long strides.

  “I saw a spider,” I lied.

  “Since when are you scared of spiders?” he asked.

  As I rounded the corner into my room, he was hot on my heels. I knew if I looked at him, he would know I was lying. I needed to calm myself before even attempting to turn around. The last thing I wanted was for anyone, especially him, to know what I had seen. Even then, I wasn’t sure what it had been. Someone was in the bathroom with me, but I had no idea who it could have been.