FATE BEYOND THE NIGHTMARES

CHAPTER 18

Alice gradually stirred into consciousness, before she could open her eyes a painful headache shot through her skull like a reminder asking her to close them back.

She felt around for perhaps a pillow to hug but then reality hit her, the whole surface she laid on are hard and dry, it was nothing like her bed.

She would have thought everything that happened was a nightmare but the dry leaves and sands her hands were grasping was enough prove that she was indeed in the forest hunted by beasts.

She can still remember how she was almost at the verge of death, at the moment the beast grabbed her neck she had internally said goodbye to the word. She suddenly started missing her parents at that point, she thought that was her end especially when she felt herself being thrawn at a tree.

She was still yet to believe that Kelvin turned into one those beasts right in front of her, she wasn't sure if it did happen real or if it was her hallucinations as a result of her loosing consciousness. She had fainted when the beast that was supposed to be Kelvin strolled towards her so she didn't know any other thing beyond that.

She stretched her limbs, her body and then painstakingly opened her eyes, the sun was going down so obviously she had been out for the whole day. She sat up holding the back her head as the pains increased with the movement, it felt like it's swollen but no open cut though.

She gently pressed it and hissed with pains, she bent down gently massaging the area but suddenly something caught her attention, a naked body laying face down just few meters from her.

She paused, "Wait, Kelvin?

She instantly rushed to the body and just like she predicted it was him laying in all his glory. She tried to wake him but the heat from his body made her withdraw her hands, his body was burning with fever, she felt tears pool in her eyes as she shook him vigorously but still no response, she totally forgot that's he is naked or about the pains in her head.

"Kelvin can you hear me? Are you OK? She shook but still he didn't even stirr. Alice looked around to see if there was anyone in sight but sighted no one.

" Kelvin! Kelvin!! She continued shaking him as tears streamed down her face blurring her vision. She don't know where they are but since it's still the forest it would be stupid to scream for help, she don't know if the beasts chased after them or how far they were from one.

She lay at his body and sobbed, with the rate his body was burning he would die if no help is rendered instantly. She can't even imagine seeing him dead, memories of their times together right from freshman year flooded her mind and she sobbed harder.

She cursed her fate for her misfortunes, first it made her fell head over in love with Kelvin who wasn't going to love her back and now the same guy she had loved all these years is dieing right in front of her and she can do nothing about it. She wondered if she was cursed to live and die single without love, tears streamed down her face the more at these thoughts.

She was so immersed in her sobbing that she failed to hear the light footsteps approaching them. Suddenly the person approaching them yelped and ran away screaming, Alice raised her head to se the back of a dirty looking young boy retracting probably he was the one that made the sound.

She contemplated running after him to ask for help but decided against, she wasn't even sure if it was a human being that she saw, the tears were blurring her vision so it'd possibly that she was just hallucinating after all nobody lives in this wild forest.

She kept weeping realizing how hopeless she was but few minutes later she heard more footsteps coming towards her. She raised her head to see the boy from before but now not alone, there was a middle aged man and a young woman about Alice's age but with bigger body frame. They were all dressed in faded clothes that somewhat looked out washed and dull.

Alice was surprised to see that they were indeed human, they were murmuring something she couldn't fathom among themselves.

They kept staring at her like statues.

Alice was both relieved and afraid, she didn't know if she could trust these people looking like ghost. She looked down at Kelvin and suddenly she threw caution to the wind.

" Are you just going to stand there and watch, he is dieing please do something! " Alice  whisper screamed holding her hands pleadingly.

" Our salvation! The middle aged man suddenly shouted startling Alice, she could see smile spread over the man's face and before she could fathom what is happening the man bundled Kelvin unto his shoulder and left, the others followed.

Alice was beyond confused and afraid but one thing was sure for her she was not going to leave Kelvin, she followed suit running to keep up with their long strides.

She was a bit relieved that they finally got help but half of her was imagining if those were some carnivores and they just found food, she shook her head pushing the thoughts away she needs to hope positively in times like this. She continued running after them.