Ancient Awakening (The Ancient)
Page 14
Joseph Miller had been in the hospital for several days. He was quite impressed with it. Apparently, man had gotten by just fine without him. Had it really been over a hundred years? There had always been gaps, but none this large. They had made such progress. This “TV” was truly amazing, although he could follow very little of what it showed him. It was like a magic mirror into a world he no longer understood. But then, figuring it out was the best part, and he was dying to try everything. Perhaps “dying” was a bit too appropriate in his case. Unfortunately, the wounds he had received on his first night back in the land of the living were serious. The bones in his right arm and leg had shattered, as well as several of his ribs. At least, that’s what the nurse had told him. Wounds like this took time for even him to recover from, although he healed much faster than normal men if he survived the initial violence.
There were demons here, and of course their offspring, the Cursed. He could see the dark mist that clung to them. He was so close, and yet could not make a move against them, or at least not yet. And so he waited and enjoyed the magic of the TV and healed. Nurses and doctors would come and check in on him from time to time. Some were human, most were not. After the first day, he paid them very little attention, transfixed by the television. This turned out to be a small tactical error on his part.
He registered the nurse that had entered almost unconsciously. His attention was wrapped up in “The Price is Right.” He shouted out random numbers, trying to imitate the people on the show. He had no idea what it was about, but they all looked so happy to be there. He didn't acknowledge the nurse for a whole minute and then, at last, and far too late, he turned to face her.
She was a demon and a young one too, by the looks of it. No more than a few days old. Like all demons, who were vain and could shift shape, she had made herself quite beautiful. Judging by the look of her uniform, she had been a nurse until recently. She stood preparing some sort of device. There were so many in the room and Miller didn't understand any of them. The nurse was possessed by an ancient and terrible evil, which fed on man, woman, and child alike, and in a few days he would most likely have to cut her head off, but for now, he saw no reason to be rude.
“Well, hello there Miss. Care to watch this wonderful TV with me?”
She responded by jabbing something small and sharp into his arm. The world darkened around him.
“Actually, we're off to get a bite to eat.” She grinned.
“So, no then?” he asked weakly, before falling silent.