Running for My Undead Life

Chapter 18: Darkness

*Lena's POV*

I looked up as the door opened for the ten thousandth time. Each time I hoped it was Art and that she was here to stay. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. I cried out as I saw her limp in her dad's arms. "What's wrong with her?" I asked stupidly, my hands now covering my mouth as tears poured from my eyes. Right after the words left my mouth, I saw the dagger sticking out of her chest. Her eyes were closed as Spencer shuffled off the couch onto the floor and her dad laid her down in his place. Her appearance was rough. Dried blood was caked on her mouth. Her hair was out of place and full of dirt. Her clothes were drenched in blood and torn in so many places. Why were her eyes still closed? Why wasn't anyone helping her? I looked to the kitchen where her mom was to see her frozen in place. "Help her!" I screamed. Her eyes snapped over to me and she began to move again, grabbing her supplies and running over to the couch. Her hands trembled as she removed the clothing around the wound. In the end she tore Art's shirt off completely, revealing multiple gunshot wounds along with the dagger. I ran over to the closest corner and puked. How is she alive? She can't be. I sobbed as I turned back around and walked over to the couch, fighting the urge to run away, out of the house, out of the desert altogether. I stood at the end, where her head was so I could be close to her, but out of the way. I kneeled and put my hands on both of her cheeks. She still had some warmth left in her body. I didn't know if that meant much though. Not in her condition. I rubbed her skin lightly with my thumbs. I didn't know if she was aware of what was happening, but if there was a chance she did, no matter how small, I needed her to know I was with her. There were so many things I wished I could take back. So many situations I wish I would've reacted differently to. "I'm sorry," I cried as her mom removed the dagger and began injecting her with different types of medications. "I love you, Artemis. Come back, please," I laid my forehead onto hers and cried even harder.

Logan burst through the door causing us to jump collectively. Their dad had tensed and stepped up in front of everyone protectively but backed down when he realized who had entered. "Things are coming to an end out there. Hunters are surrendering now that they know their leader is dead. We need some direction," Logan looked to his dad for support. With one last look at Artemis, their dad walked outside and began barking orders. "Kill them all!" I heard him bellow. Logan walked over next to me and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing really hard. I stood up and he pulled me in for a hug. I cried into his chest as their mom continued trying to save her. Cassie had been moved closer to the fireplace where Spencer was now leaning against. She had been given medication to make her sleep, in order for her to heal faster. Spencer refused to take it when his mom offered. I'm guessing so he could be lucid for moments like this, where he might have to say goodbye to his loved ones. I pulled my head off Logan to watch their mom start CPR on Art, meaning her heart must have stopped. I couldn't see anything different about her wounds. They were still there, but they weren't gushing blood anymore so I guess the medication would help them heal faster. Nothing that I've learned in medical school would have been useful in saving those I care about today. At some point someone had shouted that the weapons were coated in spells, whatever that means exactly. All I know is it's lethal to vampires if not treated quickly, especially when delivered to vital organs, such as the heart. Logan was fully supporting the weight of my body as I eagerly waited for Artemis' heart to start pumping again. I wanted to shove their mom out of the way and perform CPR myself, but I knew her stamina could out last mine. I just couldn't stand watching and waiting while she laid there lifeless.

As the seconds passed, I grew less and less hopeful. Her mom stopped CPR and began rummaging through her medical bag. She pulled out two EpiPens and plunged them into Artemis' chest one at a time. She stepped away, not making moves to do anything else. "What are you doing?" I spoke up. Was she giving up? She couldn't. I wouldn't let her. She put her hand up, stopping any other words from leaving my mouth. "Give the medicine time to work. Mixed with the adrenaline I just gave her; the medication should reverse the effects of any spells and her heart should begin to pump on its own." I listened to what she said. Trusting that she had been doing this long enough to know what she's talking about. "Artemis told me that you pioneered most of the life-saving methods and medications available to vampires. What are spells? How do they affect a vampire?" I asked worriedly. "Witches created us, and they can destroy us," she responded. I thought back to my conversation with Artemis; remembering that witches cursed them to be vampires, meaning they probably had spells to reverse the curse when needed. Minutes passed, slowly, painfully, with no changes. Artemis' mom had pulled out her stethoscope and was pressing the end onto Artemis, listening for sounds of life. It felt like my own heart had stopped beating as I waited desperately for her to say Art would be okay, that she would live. Logan was still standing next to me, as still as a statue except for his hand which was gripping mine and squeezing tightly. I realized suddenly that we had all just gotten her back. I wasn't the only one who missed years of her life and had regrets on how things played out. As I watched her mom fight for her life, her brothers watching desperately, I thought to myself, come on, Art. Wake up for your mom, your dad, Logan, Spencer... me.

The door opened behind us, and their dad walked in slowly, stopping next to Logan, "We left one hunter alive. He can give us information on other groups. We can talk about that later, though. How's Artemis?" No one spoke, as she clearly was the same as before with her mom bent over her, still listening intently. If I wasn't so worried, I would be more focused on why she needs the stethoscope when she has vampire senses. For now, I can accept that there's a lot in this world that I don't know about or understand. "Wait, something's happening," their mom said, her eyes closed in concentration with her hand over Artemis' heart. I leaned forward eagerly, but before she could speak again, someone ran through the door that was wide open, screaming wildly. We all turned, confused, or at least I was, until I glimpsed a man covered in blood running towards me at full speed. I didn't have time to make sense of the situation as he thrusted a sword into my stomach. I didn't make a sound as Logan tackled the guy, causing the sword to be yanked out of my body in the opposite direction. I fell to the ground as blood poured out of the gaping whole left behind. I watched as Logan ripped the guy's head right off of his body, which should've really frightened me. But the only thought I could form as darkness closed in around my eyes was, where the fuck did that guy get a sword?

I woke up some time later, but I couldn't see anything. And my body was in a lot of pain, like every inch of it was on fire. Oh my god, am I in hell? I started panicking as I realized I couldn't move or feel anything around me. The pain I was feeling was unbearable and I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even do that. Artemis' voice filled my head, whether she was real or not, I couldn't tell. "Calm down, Lena," her words echoed. The sound of her voice saying my name was like a bucket of ice-cold water splashing onto me. I still felt like I was being burned at the stake, but I was comforted in knowing that she was with me in some way. Even if it was only in my head. Words of affection kept bouncing around my head in her voice any time I thought I had all I could take. I wasn't sure if I had any control in whatever type of purgatory I was in, but when she spoke to me, I knew I couldn't give up. As my limbs felt like they were being torn from my body, I focused on what she was saying. I focused on the love I could feel radiating from her voice. If I did have a choice, I wouldn't let go of her. Even if it meant enduring life this way forever.

I had no sense of time in my current state ofbeing. The only thing that seemed to work was my imagination as I drifted inand out of memories. Every now and then I would hear Artemis speak and othervoices would be murmuring in the background, but I couldn't pick up on whatthey were saying. My best guess was her voice, and the others were my brain'sway of finding comfort in this sea of pain and despair. If some of the memoriesreplaying in my head weren't good ones, then I would've sworn that I truly wasin hell. The most frequent memories were ones from the time around mymiscarriage and when Artemis disappeared. Miraculously, my memories felt soreal that they distracted me from the burning sensations. As I laid in thesnow, blood pooling around me, I could feel my body temperature dropping. Iknew this wasn't real, that it had happened years ago, but it felt like it washappening all over again. I drifted in and out of consciousness. One second, Iwas freezing and the next I was burning up. But then, my dad would show up andtake me away. The memory always stopped at the point. The same with the onewhere Artemis left. The first couple of weeks were the hardest. For the firstfew days, I didn't eat. I barely slept. I thought something had happened to her.I thought that she had hurt herself or someone else had done something. Herfamily and the police concluded that she was a runaway. Most likely due toNikki's death and the stress of the trauma she went through from watching ithappen in front of her. The thought that she had just left, without telling me,without asking me to go with her, broke my heart. She had become my rock as Icontinued my journey of healing from my own trauma. Then she was gone, withoutwarning. After those first few weeks, with the help of a therapist my parentshad me see, I began to recover. I was eating regularly, sleeping regularly, andspending time with my family again. I rediscovered my motivation to travel theworld before going to school. The memory ends here, though. Right where thingswould have started to get better. Each time the memories ended, the pain, theburning, would come back tenfold.