Taken

by Bolton, Karice

  Arie looked as still as could be on the couch across from us. Her breathing quiet and steady, but I could detect no other movement. Cyril was sitting on the floor next to the couch, holding her hand. Cyril glanced over at me.

  “You look great, Ana,” Cyril replied.

  I smiled at him and glanced once more at Arie.

  “You always snap out of everything so quickly,” Cyril muttered, shaking his head.

  “That she does,” Athen said, pride filled his voice.

  “She’s going to be just fine.” I winked at Cyril and felt Athen begin to lead me out of the room, but Arie’s voice stopped me.

  “Cy?” Arie mumbled.

  “I’m right here, babe,” he replied.

  I looked over at Arie; her eyes lacked the green sparkle that I was used to. The process was complete.

  “Everything is so fuzzy in this state,” she mused.

  “Isn’t it though?” I snaked my arm around Athen’s waist as I watched Arie sit up slowly.

  Matilda hopped up on the couch next to Arie and started whining and I couldn’t help but laugh. Timing was everything.

  “Really? You need a walk this second?” Cyril laughed.

  “I’ll come with you,” Arie offered.

  “Are you up for it?” Cyril and I asked in unison.

  “I think so. Besides it’s a bulldog, not a black lab. I think I can keep up.” Arie’s laughter filled the living room and Matilda began barking.

  With the click of the front door closing, Athen’s eyes flew to meet mine.

  “What?” And before I had a chance to object he scooped me up into his arms.

  “Where are you taking me?” I giggled tapping him lightly.

  “You need to rest,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Is that so?” I asked, feeling more energetic with every step he took toward the bedroom.

  Athen took in my expression as he placed me slowly on the bed. The comforter wrapped itself around me as my body quivered with his gentle touch. His hands slowly followed my shirt’s edge as he teased me with his eyes, and I realized many sensations might be muted as a mortal, but this wasn’t one of them. I started giggling and he sat back intrigued.

  “Something strike you as funny?” His eyes danced with the familiar glow I loved.

  “Mmm.” I placed my finger to his lips not wanting him to stop what he had started.

  He hovered over me as his eyes burned into me. “I love you with everything I have,” Athen whispered, desire edged his words. My hands trembled with anticipation as I ran my fingers through his golden hair, bringing him toward me. The desperation I felt to be kissed and touched by him grew with every second that passed.

  “I feel the same,” I whispered, tracing his lips with my finger.

  “You have to promise me that if you become in danger, you’ll leave immediately.” Athen brought his lips down to my neck and began slowly kissing my skin. “No matter what you find.”

  “I won’t do anything to jeopardize this,” I murmured, feeling the sensations roll through my body, as his hands ran up my arms.

  Athen pushed my shirt up making my skin tingle with anticipation as the air hit my flesh. These emotions were so pure it didn’t matter what world I was in. We would always be one in this world or the next — this reality or the other. As Athen’s mouth traveled down my body, I felt everything as if I were still in my white demon form.

  “You fit me so wonderfully,” Athen whispered. I let myself fall into the fantasy of the moment and forgot the hurdles of the future as I curled into him.

  “That I do,” I moaned softly as his mouth found mine once more. There was no other man who could make me feel this beautiful, this wanted. I would always come back for this, for him. I could never be torn away.

  Chapter 4

  “Well, that was easier than I thought,” Arie whispered, grabbing my hand and pulling me through the double doors to the outside.

  “Something tells me people aren’t lining up to work at a facility like this,” I replied.

  Athen pulled the car in front of the hospital, and we both climbed in.

  “Did you get hired?” Athen asked.

  “You know it. First shift starts tonight.” I replied, ignoring the nerves that were building.

  “Hopefully the only shift,” Athen countered.

  “They even gave us outfits,” Arie squealed, completely ignoring her brother.

  “It’s a white skirt and shirt. You’re excited about it?” Leave it to Arie to fall in love with the idea of a new outfit, no matter its form.

  “Don’t forget the hat,” she offered.

  I shook my head, unable to control my laughter.

  “I can’t wait to see you in it,” Cyril told Arie.

  Arie blushed and lowered her eyes.

  “We need to go get the shoes they specified.” Arie changed the subject.

  Athen turned down the main street of Victoria, parking in front of a bank. The weather was holding out. The skies were overcast threatening rain but not actually producing it. It was typical for December.

  The stores in town had everything ready for the holidays. The dime store windows were covered in large red poinsettia leaves that had been painted in the corners. The café had snowflakes hanging in the window, and the jewelry store displayed a beautiful Christmas tree covered in tinsel.

  “I love this time of year, even if the dark demons are trying to take away a bit of our fun.” I hopped out of the car.

  “I agree.” Arie smiled.

  “So what did the hospital look like compared to last night?” Cyril asked, walking next to Arie.

  “Like absolutely nothing occurred,” I replied, looping my arm through Athen’s. “You’d never know those creatures were there.”

  Cyril shook his head, and we all fell silent as I realized the reason I wouldn’t be able to detect any of it.

  “Oh, that’s right. I’m a mortal now.” I sighed. “I wouldn’t know if I tripped right over a problem.”

  “After you,” Athen said, opening the door to the shoe store. The door hanger jingled alerting the salesman inside to our presence. The store smelled faintly of leather. I’m sure in my normal state it would be overpowering.

  “How are you doing? Is there anything I can help you with?” the salesman asked. He was a slight man, seemingly timid. His eyes also carried a burden I couldn’t decipher as a mortal. Athen seemed to notice something too. At least I could ask him later. This mortal thing was tough.

  “We need the Oxford leathers in white,” Arie replied.

  “Nurses, huh?’ the man asked, finding his way to the appropriate shelf.

  “My wife was a nurse,” he replied, his voice tender. “What sizes?”

  As we rattled off our sizes, I noticed Athen and Cyril’s demeanor begin to change. They both took a seat near the cash register and began quietly speaking. In my mortal state I couldn’t hear what they were saying, which was a bit aggravating. Arie looked over at me and wrinkled her nose. She was feeling the same thing as I was. We both tried on our shoes quickly. I could tell she wanted to get over to the guys as much as I did to find out what they were thinking.

  “So you’ll be working at Valley Hospital?” the salesman asked. “That’s a great place to work.”

  “No,” I replied, shaking my head. “We’re over at Masons.”

  “Oh,” he said slowly. He became quiet and glanced up at Arie and then back at the counter as he packaged our purchase.

  Athen slid his hand on my shoulder, and I knew this wasn’t making him any calmer. “What do you know of Masons Hospital?”

  The man’s hands began trembling as he placed everything in the bag. Several moments went by before he said anything. Finally he looked into my eyes. The sadness couldn’t be hidden and neither could the fear.

  “You both need to be careful there,” the man replied at long last. “Many go in and never come out.”

  “Patients?” I asked.

  He sho
ok his head. “Workers.”

  How long had this been going on? My visions made it seem like a new incident, but what if it wasn’t?

  “For how long?” Athen asked.

  “I lost my wife to that wretched place four years ago,” he replied, grabbing a handkerchief out of his pocket.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr.?” I whispered, hoping to be able to piece together who his wife might be once inside.

  “Tony. You can call me Tony. My wife’s Charlotte. She went in there determined to help the patients, and before long she started confusing fact and fiction. She became so immersed she couldn’t separate herself from what she saw inside those four walls. She became one of them.”

  “One of who?” I asked, my throat becoming dry.

  “The possessed,” he replied. “ She’s gone now.”

  “I’m so sorry your wife passed away,” Arie whispered.

  He shook his head, his lips forming a tightened crease. “Oh, she’s very much alive, if you can call it that.”

  Athen squeezed my shoulder, and Cyril grabbed the bag from the man.

  “Girls, be careful,” he whispered again.

  “Thank you for sharing.” I nodded. “And we’ll be extra careful.”

  The emptiness in the pit of my stomach began growing. How long had this hospital been active?

  Out on the street we were all in a daze. If the dark demons had been using this hospital as a front for so long then why only now was I getting the premonitions.

  Athen held my hand as we continued walking down the street. We were expected at the hospital in less than an hour, and now what I really wanted was to act like it never existed. But I couldn’t do that. Those people needed us.

  The sidewalk was beginning to fill up with families. Husbands and wives holding hands; children bundled in their coats staring at the Christmas window displays. The large red velvet bows hanging on the lamp posts began flapping as the breeze picked up. It was quickly turning into a brisk evening, signaling winter had arrived along with the holidays. Seeing the festive mood of everyone around us left me with a sense of hope — a gentle reminder of what I was fighting for.

  “I’m going to be okay. We’re going to be just fine,” I finally said, stopping to look into Athen’s eyes.

  “I know, angel. It’s what you do best.” He smiled as I stood on my tippy toes to reach his lips. “Besides, Cyril and I will be outside waiting.”

  He started laughing nervously, and I cuddled into his arms.

  “Is that so?” I asked.

  “You can count on it.” Athen looked across the street, and I followed his stare.

  “I second that.” Cyril was hugging Arie just as intense. These guys were worried, and I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t.

  “If this is bigger than I thought —”

  “I think we can count on that,” Athen replied, narrowing his eyes on whatever he spotted.

  “This mortal form is certainly annoying,” I whispered. “What do you see that I can’t?”

  “Something I’ve never noticed before. And it’s not that I see it. I sense it.” His voice was somber.

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “There’s activity under these streets.”

  “Oh no, are you sure?” Arie asked.

  “I am. You feel it, Cy?” Athen folded his arms.

  “I do. It’s gotta be new. We would’ve picked it up earlier otherwise.”

  “One more thing to add to the list.” I sighed, shaking my head. “We’ve gotta change into our lovely uniforms, so we should get going.”

  “After you,” Athen replied, ushering me with his hands.

  I stepped into the crosswalk and glanced around Main Street one last time, wishing I felt what it was that Athen caught under the streets. But something told me I’d be finding out soon.

  I caught Arie’s expression and saw the fear I was feeling. We would be walking into something much larger than ourselves in this mortal state, unable to protect ourselves, but there was no turning back. Whether this was an invitation specifically sent to us or not, we had accepted the invite.

  Chapter 5

  We jumped out of the car and closed the door, waving at Athen and Cyril as they drove off to the far end of the parking lot. It was completely dark outside. I looked down at my uniform and began smoothing the wrinkles out of it. Arie caught on to my nervous ways and reached for my hand, gently squeezing it as we opened the double doors leading into Masons Hospital. The air was not right, but I couldn’t figure out why. That would have to be for another day. One when my senses were back to where they should be.

  The floor of the lobby was ivory stone, polished to a glossy finish. This room was the prize of the hospital. Everything else about this building reeked of its archaic and institutional presence.

  “Good evening, girls,” the guard greeted us from behind a desk. “If you’d sign in please… every shift we ask that you sign in and out, date and time. Do you know what floor you’re expected on?”

  I nodded my head and scribbled my name, hoping it would be the only time I would be doing that. “Floor three.”

  “The stairs directly behind me lead to the nurse’s station. Quickest route there.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, scanning the staircase. I wondered how easy it was going to be to find what we were looking for.

  Arie followed closely behind me as we climbed the steps.

  “I want to check on that woman from last night at some point too,” I whispered.

  “Sure,” Arie replied.

  Reaching the third floor, Bethany came over to greet us. She was the head nurse on this floor and appeared not to have any connections to the wicked side of things around the hospital. But after talking briefly with Tony I could no longer presume immediate innocence.

  “We’re understaffed on this floor tonight. It’s wonderful that you came in when you did,” she replied apologetically. “Sorry we won’t have much time for introductions and orientations. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better.”

  “I understand,” I said, nodding my head.

  Another nurse came over to greet us, and I began to worry we might not be able to get away as easily to snoop as I’d hoped.

  “Dorothy will take Arie down hall A and I’ll take you down hall B to show you the procedures expected. Each chart is hanging on the outside of the room. It’d be best if you could familiarize yourself with the patients as quickly as possible so we can all tend to what is needed.”

  Oh, thank goodness.

  “Will do,” Arie replied.

  Bethany walked back toward the nurse’s station and I followed quickly behind. She grabbed a pen and handed it to me before we took off down the hallway.

  “This is where we let the patients who are well enough congregate during the day.”

  I looked around the bare room and wasn’t sure why anyone would want be in this room. The cream walls were dingy. The couches were stained. I really wanted to move on, but it didn’t seem like Bethany had any intention of that.

  “Over there is the rehabilitation room, but we rarely use it. And sometimes over there is where the nurses will go for a break in the evening.” She pointed over to a door that was closed, but light was visible in the cracks. “You’ll see why in a moment.”

  I followed her over to the room and was stunned at the difference between this room and the one for the patients. It was like it wasn’t even in the same building. Nice looking furniture filled the space and a television was tucked in the corner.

  “Our secret break room.” She laughed, closing the door.

  “Onto the patients?” I asked, hoping to get on with the evening.

  “You’re one of those, huh. Self righteous and all that.” She shook her head. “All right. Follow me.”

  Maybe this nurse wasn’t quite what I thought after all. It was so hard to judge things in my current condition. She flipped off the lights to the large room and I felt very empty, very lonely in this nurse’s prese
nce.

  “No. Not all. Just anxious. I didn’t mean to give you that impression.” I couldn’t believe I was apologizing for caring about the patients. I wonder if Arie was having the same luck with Dorothy.

  She stopped walking and turned around to face me.

  “You have to understand something about working here. It’s not like other hospitals.” Her cool, blue eyes scanned me for a reaction. I gave none. “We’ve got to make the best of things — especially given the situation.”

  “How so? What situation?”

  “Things aren’t right here. If a building could be possessed, I’d say this one was.” Her mouth formed a skinny line, and she folded her arms across her chest.

  “Then what makes you stay?”

  She shook her head and looked around the hall we were now standing in.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she replied. “There’s something that pulls me in here and doesn’t ever let go.”

  A shiver ran through me as I wondered about what her words meant. Could a building be possessed? No. That’s ridiculous.

  “How many years have you worked here?” I asked. She began walking down the hall again.

  “Two years this Christmas. I didn’t think I’d last a week and here I am.” She laughed quietly.

  We stopped in front of a patient’s open door, and I looked over at Bethany. There was something she wasn’t telling me.

  “After you.” She tumbled out her hand, pointing at the chart.

  I picked it up and peeked my head around the corner. There was only one bed in this room. The male patient was sleeping soundly. He looked to be in his twenties.

  “The chart says he’s here for amnesia?” I queried.

  “He was hit by a car a week ago. Had no identification on him. He’s starting to come around.”

  “Wow. That’s bleak.” I placed the chart back on the wall peg, and we went down the hallway together checking on each patient. Everything seemed very typical, but I knew there was more to it. There had to be.

  “What makes you think there’s something wrong with this place,” I paused. “I don’t doubt you, but it just seems pretty ordinary to me so far.”