The Key to My Hart

Chapter 20

A gunshot rang out. A bullet hole formed in the forehead of the thinker who saved me. Horror washed over me as I watched her crumple to the ground, her eyes never leaving mine, as all signs of life left her body.

"No!" I screamed and tried to stand. The world spun, and my vision turned...red. For a brief moment everything was red.

Shouts came from behind me. I caught a glimpse of Ryder standing with a gun. Where had he gotten that? Chogan was running back towards the Inn. Ryder still held the gun up, loosely pointing at me.

"Hart?" His voice was filled with terror as he choked my name out.

Blood still leaked from between my fingers, but it was slowing down. It was healing. The world seemed to slow down. It was taking forever for Chogan to run back to the Inn for help. Ryder was yelling something but I couldn't understand what he was saying.

I could hear the wind as it danced among the leaves in the trees. It whistled as it passed through the branches. It flirted with the tall weeds in the meadow.

A few feet away, a family of rabbits huddled in their burrow. An owl hooted in the distance. There was a small oil leak coming from the bus as the pungent smell wafted in the air. The metallic tang of blood kissed my tongue. There was an ant crawling up Ryder's pants. I could see the vein in his throat throb.

The urge to bite down, to taste his flesh and blood was overwhelming. I fell to my knees, struggling not to run over to him. He took a step closer.

"No!" I bit out. "Don't come any closer!"

He hesitated, worry lining his face. "Atalia, your eyes... they're red."

I was turning. "Ryder..." I gasped as pain wrecked my body. I felt like I was boiling from the inside out. "You have to shoot me."

"N...no!" He stuttered and stumbled back, almost dropping the gun.

"Ryder... if you don't shoot me, I will kill you." I said through gritted teeth. My back arched as my nerves were struck with pins and needles.

"I can't." He whispered, defeated. The gun slipped from between his fingers.

The back door of the Inn slammed open. Chogan was exiting the building with the rest of our party following close behind. My mouth watered at the thought of all that food.

"NO!" I roared. I pushed through the pain and got to my feet. "If you can't kill me, then I must leave."

"Atalia... please don't do this. We.. we can find a cure." Tears were streaking down Ryder's face. I could see them glisten in the moonlight. I could taste their saltiness from here.

"I'm disappointed in you." Those were the last words I said to him before I turned on my heel and ran. Shouts rose up behind me, but I didn't stop.

The pain was almost unbearable, but I focused on putting one step in front of the other. Taking one breath at a time. The bitten arm was glued to my waist. It hurt too much to move, but I pumped my other arm up and down.

Faster. Faster. I had to go faster. I had to put distance between... between.... I had to go. Go where? Where was I going? I don't know, but I had to be there.

A dog. Was that a dog? It was digging. Something was digging. Blood. There was blood. And pain. What was causing the pain? I'd kill it. I'd kill the pain.

Stinging sensation on my limbs. Bushes with thorns. My blood dripped off the edge of one. Fresh pine smell. It smelled... like home? The sun was bright. It hurt my eyes.

I wasn't running anymore. One step was higher than the other. I felt gravel beneath the sole of my foot. Pebbles stuck to my skin. Everything seemed gray now. The ground was gray. The buildings were gray.