Summer Bliss: Book 1 {Revised}

Welcome Back Baby

"Is she awake?"

"No. You said you guys found her mauled, correct? I'd be surprised if she wakes up soon."

"It's been five days. I wouldn't necessarily call that soon."

"That's why you have your job Ranger, and I have mine."

The doctor walked down the hallway. Milo resumed staring through the glass pane into the dreary room. A modest size with a large window that showed the rainy urban landscape beneath. Machines took up a majority of the room. Along with the hospital bed Khalia was resting in. A drab green sofa sat tucked away in the corner.

Her chest staggered as it rose. Long pauses between made Milo chew on his lip. Bandages were speckled across her face. Peeping left and right, he turned the handle, rushing into the room. While he wasn't family and this is illegal, he is a Ranger, and he needed to know what animal caused this mayhem.

"What the hell attacked you guys?"

Milo stood bedside next to the broken girl. His mind back at the cabins. Returning from the coast, they were ready to search for the elusive animal. However, it wasn't the animal they stumbled upon when reaching the cabins.

Walking, everything looked fine until Milo saw the blood trail. It twisted and turned, stopping at a Jeep. From there, it took Elaina only seconds to notice the decomposing mass of flesh on the porch. Her phone was out instantly.

Milo took the opportunity to search the clearing. He didn't make it two steps before spotting the first body. He could tell it was a male and that was it. Any other distinctive details were unrecognizable. Bile bubbled in his gut. Looking he spotted another.

"Damn."

Milo stood in a daze. It wasn't the bodies themselves that had him rooted in position. It's the absolute carnage, the rage.

"Halifax! Halifax someone's alive!"

Milo ran in the direction of his name being called, spotting Elaina along the clearing edge. From his angle, she was staring at broken tree branches. He made it to her side huffing.

They both stared in utter shock. The girl, the druggie, was breathing so shallow she looked unmoving. The puncture wounds and cuts were numerous along her frame. Elaina's face became devoid of emotion as she went into investigator mode.

"It'll be a while for the ambulance. We need to stop her bleeding. Find anything!"

Milo had frantically snatched clothes, tape, anything in his car to stop Khalia's bleeding. Vast amounts of her wounds were concentrated around her thighs and groin. He left that area for Elaina to bandage.

Sighing, Milo replayed their interaction over with different approaches he could have taken. He could have hit the Bimbo and sent them to the hospital, fine them for drugs, anything.

"I should have sent you all packing. Goddamn it!"

Unconsciously he grabbed his Menthols, not realizing his mistake until two drags in.

"Ah shit!"

                                                                                      *~*~*

Khalia stirred; the acrid smoke tickling her nose. Twitching, she tried to move her arms but no avail. It felt like boulders laid atop them. Each inhale sent a pain shooting through her. Khalia's thought of her last memory Theo's voice, while he mauled and violated her repeatedly. She wasn't spared mercy for the time they shared. She didn't deserve mercy. Her chest constricted.

Am I alive? How? Why?

"...J-Jay? Are you here?"

                                                                                     *~*~*