Anointed

by Sara B Gauldin

  “She will,” Terra said.

  “She who?” Portia asked.

  “Umm, I mean I do. Today's the day.” Terra attempted a smile.

  “Uh-huh,” Portia said.

  "I can make these decisions for myself now. I'm not a little girl anymore," Terra said.

  "I'd like to see some proof," Portia said.

  Terra laughed. “You always said I was an old soul.”

  “I thought so when you were younger, but now I’m not so sure,” Portia said shaking her head. “Either way I’m staying clear of this situation. That way if things come crashing down… well, that was a poor choice of words. I mean if you get your feelings hurt you can’t blame me. Get a nurse or an attendant to wheel you there if you really want to go.”

  “Alright,” Terra said, “I respect that.”

  Portia stood up from the plastic-covered chair and stretched. “I’m going to the cafeteria for some coffee. Do you want anything?”

  “No, I’m okay.” Terra plopped back onto her pillow.

  Portia raised her eyebrows. “I’ll bring you a snack.”

  “Thanks,” Terra said as Portia walked through the doorway and into the hall.

  “Do you think the hospital will let you visit again?” Brendan asked.

  “Maybe, I’ll try,” said Terra. “But the better question is: do you really want to attempt to live as a mortal?”

  “I’m a little nervous, but it's a good look for you, Terra. Besides, I think it would help me understand my charges later.” Brendan paced as he spoke. His long strides took him across the small room with smooth efficiency.

  “You'll have to convince Christine and the family. Do you remember their names?”

  “Yes, Terra, I’ll be fine.”

  Terra smiled. “It’s too bad we can’t just remove the threat up front.”

  Brendan shook his head. “One thing at a time. You’re in too much of a hurry.”

  Terra rolled her eyes as she pushed the call button for the nurses’ station.

  “May I help you?” the nurse’s voice sounded unnatural over the antiquated PA system.

  “Yes, this is Terra Roland. I was wondering if there was anyone available to take me to visit my friend on the third floor.”

  “Do you mean Liam Conway?”

  “Yes,” Terra said.

  A shuffling noise exaggerated an awkward pause. “Hold on, I’ll be there in a minute,” the nurse mumbled.

  “That was easy,” Brendan said. “Humankind, here I come! How are you going to find the real Liam?”

  “You haven’t met Troy yet. I'm hoping he may have some ideas. His police background may help us find ways to track Liam down.”

  The door opened abruptly. A young nurse rushed in, glancing over her shoulder and down the hall as she closed the door behind her. “So you're the one I heard about?” The nurse grinned a lopsided grin, her eyes were wide and shifting to look around the room.

  “What's going on with her?” Brendan asked.

  Terra shrugged slightly.

  “I’m Terra Roland.”

  “I thought so,” the nurse sounded winded. She glanced towards the closed door.

  “There's something seriously strange about this one,” Brendan said. He approached her as she moved towards Terra unsteadily. “She is so sweaty and look at her eyes.”

  “Are you alright?” Terra asked.

  “I’ll be just fine. I didn’t think I would be the one.” The nurse glanced back at the door once more.

  Brendan caught the nurse by the arm. The foreign and invisible sensation caught her off guard, and she flinched away from his touch. “She isn’t who she claims to be. Her face matched her ID badge because the Scourge thing stole the body from a real nurse. Terra, she came here to kill you!”

  The nurse squirmed against Brendan's invisible grip as he probed the nurse’s thoughts. He took his hand away, repulsed.

  As if on cue, the nurse sidestepped Brendan as she rummaged through the deep pockets of her scrubs. She produced a hypodermic needle as she lunged toward Terra.

  Simultaneously, Terra sprang straight upward, causing her body to rocket toward the ceiling.

  Brendan launched himself after the nurse. He focused his effort on the nurse’s outstretched arm as she reached toward Terra.

  Terra adjusted her position, moving her body parallel to the ceiling above. She could not risk damaging her physical body any further. It was not built to withstand the attacks it had recently been subjected to.

  “I knew it! You’re the one they've been looking for: the guide!” The nurse hissed as she moved to step up onto the bed.

  Her other foot never left the floor. Brendan’s impact on the physical matter of the nurse was as silent as his voice to her ears. The nurse rocked back onto the bed, holding her arm as she recoiled from the invisible attacker.

  “Gain control over the Scourge’s innate being. If you do, you can separate her from the body!” Terra called down to Brendan.

  Brendan shook his head slightly as he attempted to pin the mortal body. “That would kill her.”

  The imposter nurse attempted to pull herself to her feet. Brendan manifested his strength to drag her bodily from the bed. She landed on the floor with a sickening thud.

  “Ahhh!” she screamed. “What's happening to me? What have I done?” She sat up with blood streaming from her nose. She reached towards her abdomen where the hypodermic needle remained stabbed into her flesh.

  “You stabbed yourself with the needle!” Terra’s voice raised an octave as she realized that the thing posing as a nurse had fallen on her own weapon.

  “It bent. The body may survive.” The nurse's voice slurred.

  “Terra you have to get help. You can’t let that body die. If it does, what will the corporeal it was stolen from do?”

  “I know; we can’t have this thing transitioning back to the Tweens. Besides, I’ll be blamed if she dies.” Terra’s feet met the floor, and she stood somewhat unsteadily. Her head spun slightly as she glided towards the door and called out into the hall. “Help; there’s something wrong with my nurse. She tried to attack me. Then she fell and hurt herself. Somebody help!”

  Her cries were answered by the sounds of running footsteps.

  “Nurse Johnson, can you hear me?” the doctor who responded to Terra’s calls attempted to stabilize the nurse. “How did this happen?” His eyes met Terra’s for a fraction of a second.

  “I’m not really sure,” Terra said. The words felt like a lie. “She came in acting strangely. She was mumbling crazy things. Then she came after me. She had a needle in her hand. I tried to dodge her, and she fell on the needle. It stabbed her in her stomach.”

  Brendan kneeled beside the nurse’s prone body, opposite the doctor. His stillness was in stark contrast to the doctor’s frantic attempts to stabilize the nurse. She twitched slightly as the doctor rolled her to her side. Brendan put his hand on the nurse's shoulder. “Is she dying Terra? Should I remove the Scourge entity? We can’t risk sending it to the Tweens!”

  Terra felt frozen; there was no easy answer she could give Brendan.

  “The needle, where is it?” shouted the doctor.

  The door slammed open and suddenly the room was filled with hospital staff. Terra shuffled to the side to get out of the way. The unexpected movements awakened a dull pain in her middle.

  “She pulled it out,” Terra shouted to the doctor over the clamor. She pointed to where the nurse had been when she last saw the needle that was meant for her. “I don’t know what happened to it.”

  The doctor stood aside as the nurse was loaded onto a gurney. As the team rushed the nurse towards the hallway, he kneeled, and then searched the floor on his knees. He found the hypodermic under the rolling nightstand. “Insulin: She was injected with a huge amount of insulin,” He shouted at the team as they struggled to stabilize her inert form.

  “Terra?” Brendan demanded. His hands gripped the woman’s arm.

 
“Wait.” She said quietly. If the body could be saved for its real owner, it would be worth the wait.

  “Terra! Terra! Portia’s voice broke through Terra’s focus.

  “I’m here mom,” Terra said.

  “Oh, thank God; when I saw all the commotion and I thought… Terra, what happened?” Tears welled in Portia's eyes.

  “The nurse came in when I pushed the call button. I just wanted someone to take me to see Liam, but something was wrong. She seemed confused, and then she tried to stab me with a needle. She stabbed herself instead when I dodged her.” Terra was surprised to hear a sob at the end of her confession. Human emotions were unpredictable at best.

  Portia turned to the retreating crowd in the doorway. “Why would this woman attack my daughter?”

  A charge nurse left the cluster of medical professionals and approached Portia. “Ma’am, I assure you that we have no idea why nurse Johnson would have tried to hurt anyone. It's completely out of her character. Be assured; we will get to the bottom of things. We will be reviewing every security tape around the area until we find out the real story.” The nurse glared at Terra. Her accusation etched across her face.

  Instantly, Portia observed the thinly veiled inference. “I don’t understand what happened, but I think it's clear that Terra has been here in her hospital room recovering. How would she have access to a syringe full of anything? I would appreciate it if you reviewed your videos before you draw any conclusions.”

  “Agreed,” the charge nurse huffed as she stomped out behind the retreating gurney.

  "Security tapes?" Brendan asked Terra.

  “Get Elise, we're going to need help,” Terra whispered to Brendan, while Portia was focused on the offensive charge nurse.

  Chapter26

  Portia eyed Terra suspiciously. “Do I dare leave you alone?”

  “Thanks for wheeling me down here,” Terra said. “I just want to clear things up with Liam before I go home. I hate that things were so... I don’t know.”

  “That's an understatement. This time please try to stay safe.” Portia’s raised eyebrows made her appear sterner.

  “I’m sure I can stay out of trouble for a little while,” Terra attempted a smile to reassure her mother. In reality, her stomach was churning in anticipation of what she planned to do next.

  “It's a shame that you can’t tell her that you're not going in alone,” Elise said. She stood near the doorway with her arms folded in front of her.

  “This is not the time to kid with me,” Portia said to Terra.

  “I understand,” Terra said. She looked her mother in the eye for a long moment.

  “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Say what you came to say by then. It's time for us to get out of this town before any more trouble finds you.” Portia knocked on the closed door.

  “It's ironic you know. She's trying to protect you, Terra, when she's the one who is vulnerable,” Brendan said.

  Terra nodded slightly.

  "Hmm," Portia said. She knocked again, this time a bit louder.

  “Come in,” Liam’s baritone mortal voice answered the knock. Terra’s stomach gave another flip in response.

  It’s not him. It’s just some Scourge thing that's wearing his body. Get a grip, Terra.

  Portia opened the door and hastily pushed Terra’s wheelchair inside. Terra had objected to using the wheelchair, but it was hospital policy since she was still a patient for another hour or so.

  Terra’s eyes scanned for the imposter. As she looked, he emerged from the bathroom door. He was using crutches to compensate for the broken limb, but Terra could hardly focus on his injury. The imposter’s hair was wet from the shower. He wore only his towel draped around his neck and a pair of basketball shorts. Terra’s eyes were instantly drawn to his chiseled physique.

  Stop it, Terra. It's not him. You know what you came here to do. This mortal shell is nothing. The real Liam is in danger. Terra knew that the handsome young man in front of her was really the embodiment of evil. However, her body was not so sure.

  “Well hello, Terra.” The imposter smiled showing Liam’s straight white teeth.

  “Hello. I need to talk to you before I leave.” Terra kept her expression calm.

  “Thirty minutes Terra,” Portia warned as she walked out the door.

  “I’ll be ready,” Terra responded automatically.

  “A short visit: did you stop by to practice those sweet kisses of yours?” the imposter taunted her.

  Terra’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “No, I came to take back what you stole.”

  “Terra, I’m surprised at you. You’re so ready to end this nice young man’s life. Whatever will the hospital staff think? You attacked an innocent nurse and tried to blame her for your violence. Now you want to kill the handsome young guy you came in with. No wait, that was always the plan, right! Do you still have the knife or did you plan to overpower me with your bare hands?”

  Elise looked at Brendan for an explanation of the comment.

  Brendan shrugged.

  Terra sighed. “Neither.” She stood up cautiously, ignoring the ache in her middle. The Scourge imposter grinned. “Oh help, Terra Roland is going to attack me!” He spoke with a higher-pitched voice to mock Terra.

  “You sure think you know a lot about me after just one kiss.” Terra extended her hand and made a grasping motion. The imposter moved toward her, involuntarily dragged forward by the sternum. The crutches fell to the floor with a clatter as he dangled immobilized a few feet in front of Terra. “You should also know that to you, I am Terra of the Tweens. You won’t need to remember my name for long. I came here to destroy you.”

  “You would leave him without a body,” the imposter wheezed through his restricted diaphragm.

  “No, you're the only part I'll destroy,” Terra said. She smiled as she glanced toward Elise, “Now for a brief tutorial...”

  “Yes, Terra, how do we make the switch?” Elise asked.

  “I'm ready to try humanity on for size,” Brendan said.

  “Just don’t get too attached, Brendan. I will find him.”

  “We will find him, Terra. I have a feeling that whoever took Liam has a lot of the answers we need to start to put things on Earth back the way they should be.”

  “Who are you talking to?” the imposter whined.

  “I'm talking to two of my fellow guides. Did your Master tell you that you were only a token? He knew that I would destroy you.”

  “Guides? I see no one.”

  “You see what you can through human eyes: but not for long!”

  “What should I do Terra?” Elise asked.

  “Reach into his chest and try to catch hold of the Scourge entity. Once you have a firm grip on it slowly pull it out. Be careful to separate the energy that belongs to it from the body’s natural energies.”

  Elise approached the inert body as it hung suspended by Terra’s invisible grasp. “Like this?” she asked as her hands disappeared into the exposed chest’s cavity.

  “Exactly,” Terra said, “It may be strong when you pull it free. It has been tied into a direct energy supply.”

  Elise’s brow furrowed with concentration as she examined the microscopic fields of energy that were the boundary between the physical body and the spiritual entity within it. “Alright, I think I’m ready.”

  Terra watched her former student with a sense of pride. Elise had always been a quick study. “Brendan, stand behind the body and put your hands on each shoulder. As Elise pulls the Scourge away you need to step forward. It will feel very strange as the body accepts you. Oh and don’t forget that you have to breathe once you're united.”

  “Breathe, got it. Oh and Terra, what about this whole bathroom thing?” Brendan smirked.

  “You’ll figure it out. Hopefully, we can get Liam back and everybody in their natural form soon.” Terra said. “Okay, I’m going to let go on the count of three. Is everybody ready?”

  “Yeah,” said Brendan.
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  Elise nodded slightly, but her eyes remained trained on her intended target.

  “One, Two, Three!” Terra released the matter and energy she held in midair. Before the body could sink the few inches to the floor, Elise had ripped the Scourge entity from the body with a small static popping sound. At the same moment, Brendan stepped forward into the unoccupied body. Brendan coughed twice and then stretched as he realized the changes that being confined within a body brought. “This is something else!” he mumbled.

  Terra advanced on the Scourge entity as it attempted to shake its way free of Elise’s grasp.

  “Should I end it now?” Elise asked. She looked at the creature with disgust. Its outer layer appeared tarnished. Its ears were stretched so that they swung around its face like a pretty girl’s hair in the wind.

  “As much as I would love to, no.” Terra scrunched her nose at the repulsive form as she grabbed its other arm.

  “No?” Elise asked.

  “I knew you loved me, Terra. She wakes me with a kiss!” The goblin-like creature that once was human proclaimed with a gurgling voice. It began making kissing faces at her.

  “Silence. You are not part of this conversation.” Terra ripped the thing’s energy to manifest away, leaving it dangling limply between them.

  “I'm not sure I really understand Terra?” Elise asked.

  “Why would you want to keep that thing?” Brendan asked. He had managed to stop the body from falling over by levitating in place and was opening and closing his fist in wonderment at the motion of his fingers.

  “It will be like a guide dog. It is going to lead us to Liam,” Terra said.

  “I won’t help you.” The Scourge thing sneered.

  “I thought you would say that. But think again. Your so-called master sent you here knowing I could rip you to shreds and destroy you completely. Your Master is incapable of that much. He betrayed your loyalty. He never cared if you were destroyed. You were only a way to get at me.”

  “He will make me suffer!” The Scourge thing gurgled.

  “I can make you suffer,” Elise said. Her eyes flashed as she raised her palms to the Scourge entity.