The Chosen

Chapter 13 - Darkness: My Loyal Companion

Linked to a man like a dog I am sold
And we lay nocturnal, speculate what we feel
-James Blake
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All the lights around me are turned off. Blinds are close, television off, radio off, anything that can trigger my sensitive nerves were not in use. I wish I could shut down the rest of the things in the world in the same manner that I can with the television; just one button ending my suffering. I was hearing things, no...that's making me sound insane. What I mean to say is, my ears have gotten so sensitive, I believe I had better hearing than even a wolf. It was driving me insane. My eyes burned me with anything that started with 'L and ended with T'; the very reason I had the blinds drawn and all electric lights turned off.

Darkness, its a loyal companion. It shelters, hides, and comforts me in my time of need. These, however, are not my only sudden differences. My skin tingles on constant, and my tongue is the flavor of scarlet, as my teeth feels as if they're shifting, and my tongue throbs in tune. It's like I'm a slave to my own gifts, if I can even call them so.

"Linked to a man like a dog, I am sold." Sold to whatever I am. I think to myself as I slouch further down into the plush couch.

"I'm so fucking hungry," I say to no one but myself as I am alone. I've been keeping everyone away from me.

Their voices were too loud, and their scents too strong causing my gums to burn even more as more teeth shifted. My stomach growls with need, and I groan. I couldn't go through the suffering of trying to bite down onto anything. My teeth pained me each time making it feel as if I wasn't biting into anything soft, but more so a rock. And even if I had manage to get something into my system, I would vomit it up as soon as I had gotten it down. An endless cycle of struggle.

"Taji!" My hands go to cover my ears, I was sure that if whomever yelled any louder my ear drums would burst. It didn't help as they followed up with knocking at my door.

I needed this to stop, I couldn't take this anymore. But I didn't know where to begin to have it stop; this sensitive-this change.

My nostrils flared to life at the scent of something oh so sweet, "Taji?" The voice is softer and I come to realize the voice belonged to Zi, and soon I feel her hand covering my own. I hissed, moving without thought and found myself shoving her away from me. I felt it, the blood moving along her hands, so hot, so tempting...

I shake my head, what was I thinking? Why was I thinking about the blood within her palms? I didn't understand any of this.

"I-I...Zi." I didn't even sound like me as I could barely formulate a sentence.

She gazes up at me with concern, I watched as she pulls herself to her knees but makes no move to get closer to me as another sound comes from the apartment door. Glancing over, I take notice of the twins.

"Its okay, we're going to help you." She whispers.

With wide eyes I watch as Laurent hands her a small glass, as she brings forth a knife. "W-What-"

"This will lead you to see," Larry speaks up, unfazed by the fact that Zi was now sliding the blade of the knife across her palm. My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head as I sniffed the air of it's sweetness.

"The answers are in the blood you drink." Laurent finishes, moving fast to wrap her hand as soon as she was finished pouring it into the glass.

Larry takes it from her, and walks the short distance to where I was seated to force it into my grips.

"The answers are in the blood," he says again stunning me as I suddenly feel a slight sting. I was late to notice that he had cut into my thumb on my right hand, and squeezes it over the glass halfway full with Zi's blood. "Now you drink."