by Sophia Sharp
Absently, she wondered who the man was to visit Selaine so late at night. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to Alexander.
She started jogging down the street, then, seeing that nobody was around, picked up her pace and ran. It wasn’t far, going at her speed, but every second going by pressed down on her shoulders with the weight of a thousand boulders.
She sped down the streets, crossing intersections and flying by buildings, until she was at the very edge of town. Just when she could see the barn in the distance, she stopped dead in her tracks. Something crossed her mind. The man that she brushed shoulders with outside Selaine’s shop – he had that distinct human smell. Yet, compared to Selaine’s smell, it was so much more potent, so much more vivid. Maybe she was just imagining it all, but it occurred to her for the first time that Selaine’s smell was… just a little bit off. Dulled, a bit, perhaps. But the urgency of getting to Alexander made her press forward instead of dwelling on the discovery.
She ran to the barn entrance. Somebody had propped up a large, rectangular piece of plywood against it, making a semblance of a door. Laura squeezed by it and came inside.
Immediately, her eyes found Alexander. He was in the same spot he had been when she left him, but she saw that a cot had been made for him, complete with wool blankets and pillows. A few candles that were nearly burned out stood around his bed, providing a weak, flickering light that Laura did not need. His body was under the covers, and a damp rag lay on his forehead. She reprimanded herself for getting impatient with Selaine – by the looks of it, she had tended to him much better than Laura ever had. Still, Laura all but ran over to the makeshift bed, sliding to her knees beside it.
“Oh, Alexander,” she whispered, lifting the rag on his head and carefully flipping it over. He was still hot, though not as bad as before. At the same time, he looked so peaceful with his eyes closed. It was as if, like Selaine had said, he had embraced his fate. No. Not yet. You can’t leave yet.
His breaths came slower than before, and were more shallow. No matter what Selaine told her about him fighting off the poison, it was clear to Laura that he was nearing his last stand. She hoped the liquid she held in her hand would be enough.
Carefully, slowly, she rolled down the top of the blanket that was pressed up to his neck, and revealed the sickening wound. She winced as she looked upon it again. The actual wound looked slightly tighter, more constricted at the edges, but the discoloration of the skin had spread to a much wider radius around it. Alexander’s entire shoulder, and nearly half of his upper-chest, were now a nauseating black-stained yellow. The contrast against his otherwise perfectly-white skin only emphasized the severity of his condition.
Two drops on the wound, the rest for him to swallow. Taking great care, Laura twisted off the cork stopper. As soon as it popped open, a vile, horrific stench stained the air, catching Laura off guard. The smell permeated deep into her nostrils and clung to the top of her throat, its harsh edge uncompromising and stinging all at once. It soiled her clothes and scratched at her eyes. She started to cough violently. Her eyes watered, and she kept coughing. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop the coughing fit that overtook her. She turned away, away from that vile stench, to breathe in the cleaner air around her. That made it a little better.
Slowly, the initial shock of the smell started to wear off. Slightly. She dabbed at her eyes with one hand, wiping them clear, and pulled her shirt over her nose to avoid smelling the brown liquid in the flask. She couldn’t imagine what the ingredients of it were for it to smell so vile.
Gathering herself, she looked over Alexander again. The shock of the smell had caught her off-guard, and perhaps it was amplified by her increased senses, but she knew she had to give it to Alexander. She picked up the small bottle, gripping it tightly by its neck. As she carried it over Alexander’s still body, she realized her hands were trembling. And her breath was ragged. She was nervous. Nervous that this may not work, nervous about the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen next. She was also worried. Worried about the instability of Alexander’s condition, and about the dire circumstance she found herself in, all alone in a strange and secluded Canadian village out in the middle of nowhere.
Two drops on the wound, and the rest for him to swallow. Laura took a deep breath, and tried her best to stop her hand from shaking. Slowly, methodically, she tipped the flask over directly above Alexander’s wound. She watched as the liquid started to pool together near the edge of the rim. She waited, tilting the flask a hair-breadth’s more, for a drop to form out of the pool. It did, slowly, and Laura watched as it grew larger, dangling precariously as it gained weight and was beckoned down by gravity.
It broke away and fell, down through the air to make contact with Alexander’s wound. Immediately, the liquid started to sizzle violently, like an egg dropped on a too-hot frying pan. As it bubbled, it seemed to thin itself out, and either Laura’s eyes deceived her, or that single drop began to expand, growing large enough to thinly cover the entire wound. Bubbles rose from the edges, but the sizzling had died out.
Again, Laura tilted the flask with deliberate care to pool out a second drop. It formed slowly, and then gained enough size to break free from the rim of the flask. It fell, and landed perfectly on the same spot as the first drop. However, instead of bubbling or sizzling, this one only started to react with the layer the first drop had created. It changed the consistency of the coating. Laura stared in amazement as the deep red of the wound shifted to a more natural, softer red. And the skin around the wound slowly lost some of its harsh edge, regaining a bit of the tone of Alexander’s natural skin color.
Just then, Alexander groaned, and shifted to take the weight off his shoulder. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes shut tight. Laura looked worriedly at him. She hoped these herbs would work.
Two drops on the wound, and the rest for him to swallow. Laura looked at the remaining liquid in the flask. There was at least half a cup in there by volume. It smelled vile, but Selaine said it would help. She couldn’t imagine how bad it would taste.
Gently, she lifted Alexander’s head up, and brought the flask to his lips. Then she poured the liquid into his mouth.
With a gasp, Alexander’s eyes shot open. They were wide, but not seeing. Vainly he tried to push away the bottle held at his lips, but Laura kept it there. He struggled, thrashing against her grip, but she held him tight. Maybe a quarter of the liquid had already made its way into his mouth, which meant there were three-quarters to go. His eyes closed, and he fell back, dropping away from the flask.
Again, Laura brought the flask to his lips, and again poured it in his mouth. This time, she was more ready for his struggle against it, and pushed herself over his upper body to keep him still. He fought against her again as soon as the remedy touched his tongue, thrashing every which way and desperately trying to get away, but Laura held him down. He twisted his head away, and she followed him with the flask, forcing the mixture down his throat, until all of the liquid was gone. After the last drop had come out, Laura leaned back, relieved that it was over.
Alexander coughed weakly. All of a sudden, spasms ran across his entire body. Laura watched, worriedly, as wave after wave overtook him. Had she done something wrong? His entire body shook, again and again, and all Laura could do was watch. Just as suddenly as the onslaught came, it stopped. And his eyes slowly… fluttered open. He turned his head weakly towards her.
“Madison?” he asked uncertainly.
“No,” Laura answered sadly. She heard the pain in his voice, and saw the conflict in his eyes.
He turned his head to look back up. He squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them again. He tried to shift his weight up, to move up into a sitting position, but his body was too weak to listen. He closed his eyes again, and his jaw clenched.
“I won’t let you go,” Laura whispered. “Not like this.”
Again, his eyes came open. But this time, when he moved to l
ook at her, she saw recognition in his gaze. “L… Laura?”
“You know me,” she breathed, joy overcoming shock. “You remember!”
His furrowed his brow, and shook his head. “What… what are you talking about? Of course I know you, Laura.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” Laura said. “I was so worried about you.”
“Worried…? Why?” He coughed. “I’ve been so far away. So far from everything…” His eyes started to glaze over.
“No!” Laura exclaimed, gripping his hand. “Stay with me.”
“It’s calling to me, Laura,” he muttered, barely moving his lips. “The sweet embrace of death. The final end. The release from this world. It’s… calling me.”
“No,” Laura said again, heat entering her voice. “You can’t go!”
“…the release…” he said softly as he exhaled, closing his eyes.
Laura strengthened the grip on his hand, and held it tight. She saw his face, saw the pain he’s in, and her heart went out to him. “I will keep you here,” she promised. “For Madison.” The words felt dirty to say, after all the pain Madison had caused her. But if it was what Alexander needed…
“Madison?” His eyes opened, and Laura saw recognition again. And… relief. “She is here?”
“Not yet,” Laura whispered reassuringly. “But she will come. Soon.” It pained her to say it, and hurt her even more to lie to him like this, but it was what she needed to do.
He looked at her. His eyes slowly sharpened, until she could feel his gaze on her face. “I see you, Laura,” he said.
“I see you too, Alexander,” Laura whispered. She could feel tears start to build up behind her eyes, and blinked quickly to hold them back. Her heart felt heavy. “Don’t fade away.”
“You are… so beautiful. Your transformation… it has made you so much stronger. Keep that strength, Laura. Your youth, granted to you forever.” He coughed again, and looked away. “Madison was right,” he said softly, “we shouldn’t have split up. But I insisted on it, dammit! We had to protect you.”
“What?” Laura couldn’t understand what he was saying. Was he delusional again?
“Logan. He… cares for you. Do not forget that.”
Laura smiled sadly, and took Alexander’s hand again. “No,” she told him gently, “he left me. Deserted me in the woods. All I have now is you.”
Alexander’s eyes flickered for a moment, and then his head fell back. He stared up at the ceiling lifelessly. “No!” Laura exclaimed. “No, you can’t leave yet!” He didn’t respond. Laura looked away desperately, and looked back again, hoping, wishing, that somehow his condition would change in that short interval. He was still breathing, at least, but his jaw was clenched again, and strain was clear on his face. He was in pain.
“I’m right here,” Laura said, stroking his hand gently. “Right beside you. I’m here for you now when you need me most. As you were for me.” She felt a tear form in the corner of her eye, and let it fall. It slid down her cheek, hanging for a moment on her chin, and then fell, through the air to splash onto Alexander’s hand. He didn’t react.
She looked at him, lying there in front of her. He had been so magnificent once, not very long ago, and was now so vulnerable, so defenseless. So weak. And it was all her fault. If it hadn’t been for her, the arrow would not have come. If it hadn’t been for her, he wouldn’t have taken it in his shoulder, and wouldn’t have been poisoned beyond healing. If it hadn’t been for her, he would still be with the woman he loved, the woman he called for so many times in these dark hours. He would still be with Madison.
She shuddered, and let more tears come. She was overburdened with emotion. Logan had abandoned her. She had left her family behind. And now Alexander, who she promised to take care of, was hanging by a thread to his hold on life, and death beckoned him from below. In the darkest hour, where uncertainty ran rampant, she let, for the first time in a long time, her emotions completely take hold. She needed to feel something; she itched for warmth. For the same touch, the same electricity she had once had with Logan.
Suddenly Alexander’s hand bolted out to grab her wrist. He pulled her close to him, until his face was only inches away.
“Don’t… let… me go,” he whispered to her. It was so quiet, she thought she imagined the words. Laura saw his pain, and for a completely irrational moment, forgot everything. She was in the moment. And the moment dictated… called for… warmth.
Hesitantly, Laura looked at his face. Her gaze wondered from one of his eyes to the other, then down to his lips, and back again. He looked so fragile, but so… beautiful. The candles flickering idly nearby added depth and shadow to his face, to his gaunt cheeks, to his elegant jaw.
Slowly, unsurely, Laura closed her eyes. She yearned for warmth, and for that jolt of electricity. In a single uncertain moment, amid the darkness outside, she moved closer until she could feel his breath on her lips. Hesitantly, she parted mouth just enough to kneel down, and let her lips brush delicately against his. And she felt… nothing. No electricity, no warmth, no extra feeling like with Logan.
Alexander gasped, and Laura broke out of her spell. She jerked away, gripped by fear and uncertainty over what just happened. Alexander fell back down, eyes still closed.
A single tear trailed down Laura’s cheek as she moved to place a kiss on his forehead. “Get well,” she whispered to him unsteadily.
Chapter Twenty-Two
~A Restless Night~
That night was restless, and long.
Laura couldn’t stop thinking about Alexander. About whether the herbs would help, about whether he would get better. About that brief, meaningless kiss.
Laura desperately wished for a reprieve from everything. Even sleep, with the nightmares that constantly haunted her dreams, would be a welcome respite from the world.
But her body told her no. There was no need for sleep after taking vampire blood, and she didn’t know how much longer that sensation would last. So she paced the area within the barn, every anxiety-ridden moment worse than the last as she prayed for Alexander’s condition to improve.
At the start, she could get by checking on him every ten minutes. At the start. Soon, that devolved into every five minutes, then two, and not long after she was by his side every thirty seconds. When a thin rain started outside, Laura went to bring Gray inside, which gave her mind a welcome break from worrying about Alexander. But it was unfortunately short-lived. Gray fell asleep immediately under a blanket Laura provided for him, and she was back to being on her own, worried sick about Alexander’s wellbeing.
Soon after, the rain picked up, and so did the heavy winds, shaking the barn’s foundation with every gust. Thousands of raindrops pounded the tin roof like exploding bombshells, amplifying the destitute atmosphere.
And Laura couldn’t do anything but wait. And because of that, she didn’t know what to do. She paced the barn, running over to Alexander every time she thought she heard him stir. And every time, she found that he hadn’t moved since she… shared… that ill-advised kiss.
What was she thinking when she did that? She couldn’t believe it really happened. Was she really so desperate for warmth, for companionship? For romance? Or had it been the pressure and uncertainty of everything that was happening that finally got to her? The pressure of being away from home, of being all alone? Of caring for the only person left on earth who seemed to care about her? The pressure of being unable to contact her family, and her friends, no matter how much she wanted to?
It was a dark time. Laura’s mind swarmed with possibilities of what might happen next, and each one progressively got worse than the last. And more depressing. Laura didn’t have the capacity for optimism anymore.
So she paced the barn, going from wall to wall pointlessly. There was nothing else to do. The only option was to wait. But time seemed to grind to a standstill, every minute agonizingly more slow than the last.
A bright light flashed from out
side, momentarily blinding Laura, and the heavy crash of thunder followed. She blinked, regaining her night vision, and shivered. It was not auspicious weather at all.
An hour passed, and slowly, another. Laura kept track by the movement of the moon. But those hours seemed to extend to feel as long as days: restless, horrible days. Nerve-wrecking days.
The candles had long since extinguished, blanketing the entire barn in darkness. Which made Laura’s vision that much better. And her acute awareness of a lack of progress – good or bad – in Alexander’s condition.
Why did she kiss him? That question also loomed ominously in her mind. She did not want to think about it. She did not want to think about anything. She missed the days when she could go to sleep in her bed, happily knowing that when she woke up, everything would be exactly the same as the day before. Exactly as stable.
She found herself staring through the broken window. Out there, the downpour continued. But she also felt something beckon her from outside. Maybe it was her imagination, or maybe it was something else, but the need to get away from the barn slowly formed in her mind and became clear. Taking one more look at Alexander – and seeing him exactly the same as he was before – she ran quietly out into the rain.
She headed for the forest, away from town. She ran through the trees, angling away from the river. In the forest, the upper canopy shielded her from the worst of the downpour, but she barely noticed it. She just ran. There was no thinking as she raced by the trees, around boulders, and up and down the uneven ground. She let her mind zone out, and just ran.
She was going fast, nearly at top speed. Her instincts were good – she didn’t fall or slip once in the wet mud and slick earth. She ran, not knowing where, but at the same time feeling liberated by the run.
She knew she was getting further and further away from everything. All alone, out in the middle of uninhabitable western rainforest, she felt free. Let the Vassiz come. Half of her wished they were here right now, so she could face them. In her current state, she would welcome the challenge. Let them find out what she could do when there was nothing at stake. When there was nothing left for her.
