The Hunger

What...

When we came home I felt even worse. I started to sweat, my shoulder started throbbing with pain and I was still very hungry. My father noticed that I looked rather pale and helped me upstairs to my room. He put me to bed and gave me the medication that I had received from the nurse at the hospital. Within 15 minutes I was asleep, clutching my stomach.

-

That night I dreamt of the girl that we found in the woods but this time she didn't have black eyes. She had normal grey ones. She came into my bedroom, through the open window, wearing the same flowing white dress that she wore when she lay dying by the tree, though this one was untainted by blood. Smiling, she held out something in her palm. She motioned for me to eat it, opening her mouth and pointed a finger towards it and then at mine. While she did this I noticed that her corner teeth weren't as long and pointy anymore.

I didn't know what it was that she gave me, but knowing me and my dreams, it was probably a double cheeseburger. Though at that point I would have eaten bricks if it meant satisfying my hunger. I took it into my hands and put it quickly into my mouth. It was the best thing I'd ever had, filling my brain with pure bliss.

She laughed, and then left.

-

I woke up that morning feeling better than I ever had. I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, I felt liberated, carefree. Kind of like when you've done all your homework and know that you can do anything for the rest of the day. I felt rather cool but comfortable and relaxed. My shoulder didn't hurt at all...

Maybe the meds were still working...

Come to think of it I felt really good, strangely so. Something was wrong.

I tried sitting up, expecting to feel the resistance that weakness brings, but I didn't. My mind felt collected, natural, and cool. It felt as though I could see everything, it felt as if though I could somehow focus more. Notice more. I looked across the dark room and saw specks of dust in the air, floating around. It felt weird that I could see them in the darkness since they were normally only visible if they were struck by direct sunlight.

I moved to the side of the bed easily, placing my feet on the floor, one at a time. I looked around the dark room, seeing specks of dust and spotting other oddities that I first hadn't noticed at first glance. Although the room was dark, I could still see everything. It was as though my eyes could see the shadows but somehow ignored them.

I braced myself, deciding to try and stand, and stood up. Nothing... I stood there for a while, amazed at what was happening. No rush to the head, no throbbing, no pain, just coolness. I walked easily in front of the mirror that stood beside my wardrobe, half expecting someone else to stand there, but it was just me. A bit pale maybe, but me nonetheless... When I looked at myself I got a creepy feeling. Something was off, but I just couldn't place it. I decided to ignore the feeling.

Maybe it was all just some crazy nightmare...

I took off my shirt and saw the bandages and scars that covered my body and I knew that it wasn't.

Wait? Scars?

What before had been ugly rips in my skin, from the top left part of my shoulder all the way to my waist, had now become barely visible scars. I ripped the bandages off my right shoulder only to discover that it had also been healed. Only a circular and pale scar remained. I tried moving it and discovered no pain, no stiffness.

I walked towards my phone to call James and talk about what was happening but saw instead a message from a number I didn't know flash on the screen.

Wednesday 1 a.m. by the tree where you found me.