Unraveling The Faded

Chapter 11

     Jean had stopped having the convulsive attack. Right now he was just laying in my arms still, limp and asleep. But at least he was going to be alright now that he had stopped shaking. It was just a matter of time for him to wake up. If he reacts the way that I did when he brought me inside the shelter then I don't know how I'm going to dodge him if he becomes agitated. We'll just have to cross that road when we get there. Until then I'm stuck like this. It was starting to get colder outside and his body was starting to shiver. I had to get him closer to the fire.

I tried to stand up, his dead weight was more than a challenge but eventually I was able to and I did my best to drag him over to the warmth of the fire. It was slow even though I want to say I went as fast as I could but gradually I managed to reach our fire pit. I plopped him beside, making sure he wasn't in harm's way of the flames. I panted softly, I looked around for Jean's jacket. I saw it near where the rocks and dirt were leading out to the river. I ran over and grabbed it and then hurried back to him. I placed the jacket over him and then grabbed my own and put it over his just for good measures.

I was sitting down next to him, I didn't know what more I could do except just sit down and watch him. The wind was our enemy as it started to pick up, it blew embers away from the fire as I watched it making sure it didn't set fire to anything else. My soul nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a loud, wrathful screech that was carried all the way out here. It made me want to get up and run back to hide in the safety of my shelter. I wanted to go where I couldn't be found and just stay there. I swallowed my fear, choking it down and remained where I was, those things were far away. They never come here so you don't have anything to worry about. 

Still, I felt this awful, nagging gut instinct that I was wrong. I had a strong urge that made me think that my sense of safety here was false. It made me think that nowhere really could be considered safe here. The need to run was throwing itself at me again, it was clawing at me trying to get me to heed its' warning. I shouldn't be here, I should get up and go. I wouldn't. The bravest thing I have done was staying where I was. I was going to stay here and make sure Jean wakes up so that we can leave together. This time I wasn't going to run. I wasn't going to let those things control me when they aren't even here.

"Come on Jean." Still there was no reaction from him, he was breathing steadily so maybe his body was just tired and taking its' time to recover. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him move, he had twitched so I figured it wouldn't be long now. Those creature's roars were still able to be heard from a distance. They just kept going on and on with their screeching. It'll probably be one of those nights where that's all we are able to hear. 

I heard a groan coming from Jean and I saw him rubbing his face with his hands. He blinked his eyes a few times, collecting his thoughts and then he looked directly into the fire. He jumped and backed away on his hands and feet, he looked around like he was in a daze and he was breathing heavily. He spotted me, he gave me a puzzled and unsure expression. I tried to move slowly, getting on my knees, "Jean it's okay. You're okay." I spoke calmly and slowly so that he might read my lips. I hadn't been able to hear him for a few moments when I had come to, so I suspected he had that blaring ringing in his ears. 

He looked at me like he didn't know who I was. His eyes peered right into mine dubiously, he seemed like he was not about to trust me. His attention then turned to the fire and back to me, he looked all around him trying to figure out where he was. Then he grabbed his head in pain and began screaming as he fell to his side. I rushed over to him, kneeling beside him and stroking his back as he had done for me once. "Jean, Jean try and hear my voice." I spoke with my voice raised but with as much gentleness I could muster. 

At once I was pushed back with no restraint, it stunned me because even though I expected he might act like this I still held onto a small part of me that said Jean wouldn't do so because he didn't seem violent. He sent me a glare that refrained myself from making any sudden movements that might upset him. Recalling now that he still has his knife on him.