Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 8-1

The first thing I sensed was the horrible whistling that filled my ears, then came the dull, pulsating pain that radiated from my hands and arms, eventually overwhelming my whole body.

I carefully opened my eyes and tried to straighten up. Around me, everything was nothing but collapsed stones and rocks. I was completely covered with a layer of grey dust, scattered with pieces of debris of different sizes. I stood up cautiously and found with the most extreme amazement that I was fine. A real miracle! On the other hand, my head was spinning and a thumping hum was now added to the whistles. My breathing was difficult and a weight was oppressing my chest, probably due to all the dust that must now be in my lungs rather than in that damn cave! Suddenly, all the events came back to me in a split second and I started looking for Jude. He was following me when the explosion happened, so he couldn't have been far away.

I began to slowly move away from the rockslide and shouted his name. I mean, I guess I was screaming because I didn't hear much anymore. After a few steps, I had to stop, seized by a horrible coughing fit that left me shaky and out of breath. I had to wait a few minutes, leaning against one of the walls, to finally calm down. When my breathing became less wheezy and my hearing more or less adequate, I made another attempt but heard no sarcastic remarks. Then I felt a dull anxiety in the hollow of my stomach. I may not hold him in my heart, but I did not wish him any harm.

So I went back on shaky legs, trying to distinguish something through all the dust in the air. I found him lying against one of the walls of a small adjacent tunnel. He was unconscious, in a semi-seated position, his head slumped on his chest, a pool of blood slowly forming at his feet.

I rushed to his side to try to find the wound responsible for this bleeding and quickly spotted it. A very sharp piece of flint, almost like a dagger, had stuck itself in his left side. I stood still for a few moments in front of this sight, watching the blood flow without knowing what to do. Should I try to remove the stone? Or was it likely to make the situation worse? It was then that he began to moan softly and I saw the improvised projectile come out of the wound by itself and fall to the ground, before he slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.

- 'Oh, my God!'

Automatically, he carried his hand to his wound and winced. A stream of blood escaped before he pressed his hand on it with a painful look.

- 'What... just happened there?' I said, staring incredulously at his wound.

- 'I would say... a big boom!' he murmured painfully.

- 'Ha, ha very witty! You know very well what I mean,' I replied, angry, pointing to his injury with a nod, reinforced by an interrogating look.

- 'The stone would have prevented me from healing, so my body got rid of it!'

His voice had quickly returned to normal, although it was roughened by thirst and all the dust around us.

- 'Now it's gonna be fine,' he reassured me nonchalantly. 'I'm just going to need some food and some rest for an hour or two.'

- 'And that's it? No need for a doctor, vaccine, stitches?' I asked appalled.

-'You really don't know anything about anything, do you?' he mocked, shaking his head with a resigned look.

- 'Excuse me, Ô infinite wiseacre! It is not my fault if you and your people judged me unworthy to share all your little secrets,' I assailed him in a bitter and angry voice.

I was stressed, exhausted and his last mean comment had pissed me off. It wouldn't have taken much more for me to collapse. He must have realized it because he reached out and gently stroked my cheek.

- 'Sorry,' he said kindly. 'I tend to turn into an arrogant asshole when I'm stressed.'

- 'Ah, that explains everything, I suppose,' I sighed in an attempt to mask my outburst of emotional weakness.

I backed away from him and turned around so that he could not guess the sorrow that was still visible on my face. All his insulting remarks had hurt me. Maybe because deep down inside, I knew they were true. All the emotions I had repressed since the beginning of this crazy story began to flow. Yet this was neither the place nor the time for an emotional crisis. I had to pull myself together.

However, despite my good intentions, I was soon caught with uncontrollable shaking, while a stabbing pain rose, making me nauseous again. At last a renewed burst of weakness struck me down and I felt like I was going backwards. With a surprise growl coupled with a little pain, Jude caught me before my head slammed violently into the ground for the second time today. He laid me down carefully and undertook to examine me. I was too out of it to protest. When he reached my arms, he cursed and tried to roll up my sleeves. A terrible wave of pain overwhelmed me and I sank into darkness.

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