Nightingale

Chapter 22

Backstage, Fable was received with open arms and hoots from everyone around her. She tried to thank each and every person who came to praise her, but the bright lights were making her squint and she felt as though her skull was about to split open. The dizziness wasn't going away. If anything, it was getting worse and she needed to lie down. There were no adults around to help her, and she was naturally too embarrassed to ask her peers. They were all in such a party spirit, and she didn't want to be the kill-joy. She had to power through.

"Fable, Fable! You were... amazing!" cried Jake, who had appeared before her, and was smiling widely. "Wait, are you alright?" He suddenly asked, realising how sickly and pale she looked.

"I... I think... its just the adrenaline or something. It's gone to my head and I feel a bit dizzy" she replied, her voice sounding pitifully weak.

"But... are you sure you're okay? Come, let's find you a glass of water." he said reassuringly, but his face was etched with concern.

Jake helped her up with some difficulty, as her body felt limp and heavy. Fable collapsed into his chest with exhaustion. She had to lean into him because it was increasingly difficult to keep her head upright. The dizziness was all-consuming and her head felt hot. All she wanted was to collapse onto a nice, fresh bed with cool linen sheets, and splash her face into an icy bowl of water. She needed to go somewhere dark and quiet... but this boy was accompanying her to the noisy guest reception instead.

When they entered the lounge area, Fable noticed her aunt was chatting away with Mr Hudson at the pop-up bar. They were laughing loudly and sitting close together. Everything else around them was a blur. She could only focus on them. She saw Vanessa turn around on her barstool, and observed the way her glossy, black hair slipped over her shoulder like silk satin. She gave her aunt a feeble wave. Vanessa quickly hopped down from the barstool, and came rushing over to her niece, sensing something was wrong from Jake's worried facial expression.

"What's the matter with her?" she asked him, as it was clear Fable was unable to answer for herself.

"I don't know!" cried Jake.

Vanessa crouched slightly to take a better look at Fable's eyes, which were like two murky puddles of frozen water; they seemed void and inanimate. It was alarming to see. Vanessa snapped her fingers directly in front of her niece's face, but she made no response. There was not even a flutter of an eyelid.

"Okay, someone call a doctor!" yelled Vanessa. She grabbed a by-stander's arm. "She's not responding! Please call nine-nine-nine."

Mr Hudson came pushing past the crowd of people who were now gathering at the scene, and as Fable saw him through faded vision, her heart stopped and she could no longer hear or see a thing. It was like she slipped from consciousness. Everything turned to fuzzy blackness.

When she roused only seconds later, she found herself lying on the carpet, with her curls fanned out around her. She gave two slow blinks as she tried to let the light back into her eyes, and see where she was and what had happened.

"Fable? Fable? It's me - it's Mr Hudson! You fainted, but it's okay. We're getting you some medical help, okay? Can you hear me?"

Mr Hudson lifted Fable's arm up gently and inspected her wrist to find the pulse, but as his fingers made contact with her skin, he felt a sudden burn and instantly snatched his arm away in shock.

"Ouch!" he cried, springing backwards. He gazed at her arm which was lying limply, palm-upwards, and noticed there was a peculiar marking on her wrist. It was like a pagan symbol, and it wasn't ink. It looked more like it had been scratched into the skin, or branded with heat. How strange - he thought. Why would she have that? It looked painful and it was blisteringly hot; could this be a rare illness? He couldn't piece it together logically in his mind. How could skin cause such an adverse reaction in another human being? He thought he'd better not mention it to anyone around him, and pretend he strained his shoulder in case they asked. It would sound too crazy...

Fable was coming around, and she could tell Mr Hudson was freaked out by something. She figured it might be something to do with the magic, as she could feel her mark throbbing with pain. Had he touched it too? She needed to escape immediately. There was no way she could let a paramedic examine her... They might see her wrist and it could burn them too! The adrenaline started to pump through her body, and despite feeling incredibly weak, she started to raise herself up.

"Whoa, whoa - slow down, Fable," said her aunt Vanessa, who was trying to steady her. "You need to rest while we wait for the ambulance to show up."

"I... can't... wait." stammered Fable, who was still unable to speak properly.

She mustered up the last of her strength, and pushed through the crowd who were too redundant to try and stop her. Fable was surprised when she broke out into a run, as the weight of her skirt and the tightness of her corset were doing all they could to restrict her. She tore off her headband and ran out into the car park. Some men in company shirts were stood smoking outside, leaning up against the fire escape. One of them spotted her and shouted for her to come for an interview. Their camera van was parked up beside them. Oh god - thought Fable, realising who these people were. She kept on running further and further away. She waited until she completely out of sight.

It was time to fly. But it wouldn't come...