Bloodline (The Forgotten Origins Trilogy)

by Tara Ellis

  The light continues to intensify behind me while I begin my descent. It takes much less time going down the stairs than it did to come up. When I reach the platform with my medallion still in place, I pull it out and like I suspected, the room starts to slowly scrape back up into its original position. I put the chain back over my head and turn on my flashlight as Baxter and I rise up into the dark chamber.

  Half expecting to be greeted by a group of Shiners, I am relieved to find that I’m alone. Making my way back through the long tunnels, I creep quietly to the opening of the pyramid. Baxter walks out first, sniffing at the ground but otherwise at ease. I follow him closely, looking out into the woods for any sign of someone waiting for us. It’s hard to believe that only a few of them would have come for me; not after what Mr. Jones said. Even if the anti-virus works, there’s no way to know how long it will take for them to be cured. That’s assuming they’ll ever really be normal again.

  With each passing minute that I’m not attacked, my confidence grows and eventually I’m running, frantic to get back to Jake and Chris. The emotions from the past days are beginning to catch up to me and tears begin blurring my vision as I hurtle through the trees.

  When I can’t find them after half an hour, I panic and start calling out, not caring anymore who hears me. Sitting on the cooling ground, all I hear in return is the hooting of an owl. I turn to my friend. “Baxter, find Jake!” Baxter gives me one of his classic looks and seems to understand. Barking excitedly, he tears off to my right and then through some bushes in the distance. I quickly follow, not noticing the scratches on my arms as I push through the branches after him. I’m just in time to see him running up a slope and his bark has changed pitch.

  “Baxter! Alex! Is that you?” I can barely hear it, but begin to cry even harder at the sound of Chris’s voice. He’s alive! Scurrying up the hill after my dog, I try to answer him, but only a sob comes out.

  Once at the top, I can see them in the distance. They’ve lit the emergency candle, and Baxter is jumping around Jacob who is not only standing on his own, but hoping up and down. He’s also smiling. My flashlight gives me away and Jake comes running to me. I drop down on my knees and gather him up in a fierce hug. His face is cool; the fever gone. Could it really happen that fast?

  “You did it Alex! I knew you would! Is that what the light is? I’m already starting to feel better. What happened? What did you do?”

  Pulling away from me, he searches my face for answers. “It’s hard to explain,” I whisper, my voice weak with emotion. “But Dad showed me. He always looked out for us Jake. He still loves you, don’t ever forget that.”

  Taking his face in my hands, I look closely at him. He actually does look almost normal. There are still bags under his eyes, but his color is good. “When did you start feeling better?” I quiz him, still afraid to believe it.

  “I dunno. I guess a little bit after that light thingy. My throat doesn’t even hurt anymore! Do we have any food? I’m hungry.” Smiling, I hug him again. Now he really sounds like himself.

  Taking my hand, he starts to pull me towards Chris. “We need to take him to the doctor,” he tells me. “Do you think it’s safe?”

  Following him in a daze, I try to focus on his questions. “I’m not sure. We’ll get him back to the cabin though, and then we’ll figure out what to do.” I allow him to lead me into the candlelight.

  “Told ya I wasn’t going anywhere.” Still propped against the tree, Chris looks pale, but seems alert. I’m fighting the familiar urge to hug him, but decide to give in to it. Kneeling down beside him, I do my best to wrap my arms around his shoulders without hurting him. He returns the embrace, holding me close. The rest of my fear melts away and for the first time since this nightmare started, I almost feel safe.

  Pointing up at the rays of light spreading out across the sky, he grins. “I’m assuming you have something to do with that?”

  Turning to sit down beside him, I look up at the display. “Well, kinda. But to be honest, it couldn’t have happened without you. Or your blood.” Giving me an odd look, it’s obvious he wants some answers. “There is a pyramid. I don’t even know how to describe it. What happened inside; I’ll explain later once we’re out of here. I just can’t… do it right now.” To my relief, he doesn’t push it.

  “What about the Khufu Bast and the Mudameere’s? If what the Professor said is right than this may only be the beginning, even if the anti-virus works on everyone.”

  Fighting the new fear that threatens to take over, I try and get a grasp on things. “Right now, there should be more than a dozen pyramids all around the world releasing the anti-virus. According to the Professor, they were connected, and this wouldn’t have happened if they weren’t all activated. It seems like it started working on Jake incredibly fast, but there’s no way to know how long it’ll take for everyone else. Or if it’ll even react the same way for someone who was changed all the way.”

  Jake and Baxter have come to sit with us and I’m starting to feel like we have been in one spot for too long. It could be a mistake to think that we’re out of danger now. I look at Chris and his expression tells me he’s thinking the same thing. “There could be more Shiners out here. They wouldn’t have just sent a few of them after us. Did you see any when I was gone?”

  “We saw some movement nearby earlier, but they weren’t interested in us,” he answers, gathering the few items next to him into the backpack. “I think all they cared about was finding and stopping you. Obviously, that didn’t work out for them.”

  I can’t help but smile, but then grow serious again when I lift his shirt away from the wound in his side. It stopped bleeding, but its nasty looking and I’m afraid that as soon as he moves it’ll start oozing again. Looking around somewhat helplessly, I try and come up with a plan. “We have to get you back to the cabin.”

  “Maybe we can help with that.” Jumping at the voice behind me, I spin around, my hand going automatically to the rifle on my back. Standing at the edge of the clearing, is our neighbor.

  “Hey, it’s Brent’s dad!” Jake yells. I put a hand on his arm, just in case he was thinking about going to him. Baxter growls quietly, but remains at Jacobs’s side.

  I don’t know Brent’s dad that well, but even I can tell that he looks confused and not confident like my mom and the others have been acting. His eyes are still glowing, but dimly. He’s rubbing his hands together nervously and shifting from one foot to the other. Maybe the first thing that goes is the connection they all share, the single purpose that was driving them. I relax my grip on the rifle slightly.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” he continues, not moving any closer. “I’d just like to get out of here and go back home to my family, but it’s obvious that you need some help, Alex.” Looking around fearfully at the dark woods, he runs a hand through his hair in a very human gesture. My hopes rise.

  There’s movement behind him, and stepping out of the shadows and into the glow of the candlelight…is my mom. Her blonde hair is loose and messy, framing her face the way she used to wear it. Not moving with the same grace and poise of a Shiner, she stumbles forward and looks quickly from Jake, to Chris, and then me. Praying again with my newly restored faith, I cautiously smile at her. The forest grows still and then relief floods me as she smiles back. More important than the curve to her lips is the undeniable love that’s shining in her normal, blue eyes.

  THE END

  Alex’s story continues in book two of the Forgotten Origins Trilogy; HERITAGE. Available now at all major distributors.

 

 

 
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