The Awakened Dead ( Book 1, Secrets of Far Cry series)

Growing Pains

My eyes finally creaked closed still swollen and watery; sleep overtook me. Though it only lasted a blessed few moments, or at least seemed like it. Stabbing pain in my jaw woke me. "Ow," I winced, sitting up in bed. I rubbed the sides of my upper jaw; a metallic tasting liquid coated my tongue. My eyes widened, pain misting them. Hurriedly, I leaped out of the bed. On my way out the door, I stumbled over my own feet. I tripped drunkenly down the hall toward the bathroom. Once there, I closed the door with shaking hands. White hospital like lights flicked on with the detection of movement. Eyes burning with the abrupt light, I squinted and groped around for the sink. My fingers felt the marble curve downward into a bowl, I found it.

Spitting furiously, the fowl tasting liquid splattered in the sink. "Ah," I yelped, jumping back at the bright red blood that sprayed in white sink. My breath intake came in shallow and short gasps. Slowly I raised my gaze to the mirror. My dark hair was tangled, sticking up in places, my eyes were wide with panic, and blood coated the inner part of my lips. Body quaking where I stood, my hands gripped the sides of the counter. With great effort, I forced my mouth to open. My muscles tensed and I froze in place. A whimper escaped me as I watched my old canine teeth grow to sharpened points. Through the deep red color caking my mouth, there were two new fangs. Clenching my teeth, the growth of them stopped. I gulped down the last bit of metallic blood, and closed my jaw. To my disbelief my fangs fit nicely in my mouth. If I kept my mouth closed no one would even notice...

"Jade! Are you okay? I heard a shout," Lanie called from outside the door.

"I uh- I'm fine," I spoke, shocked to hear I sounded the same. My mouth's newest additions didn't hinder my speech at all.

"But you screamed...Are you sure you're alright?" I looked in the mirror, physically checking if I was 'alright'. My face was a little less pale, and my eyes had calmed some.

"Yeah...I just saw a spider," I lied. As I spoke this time, I watched my mouth. With horror I saw my teeth, fangs most notably, when I talked. How the heck am I going to hide this? Not talk again for the rest of my life? Hide behind my hand maybe? I rolled my eyes at the thoughts bounding around in my mind.

"Jade...What's going on," Lanie questioned with an odd tone. Fudge! I had forgotten my thoughts were loud.

"Be out in a minute!" Rushing, I turned the water on in the sink. The clear bubbling liquid washed away any evidence of blood; I furiously cleaned the red from my lips as well. After assessing myself once again, I was sure I didn't look as if I had just grown fangs.

I opened the bathroom door with a flourish. My roommate stood there, face constricted in a worried expression. Her blonde eyebrows were crunched low near her eyes and her lips were slightly pursed out. Purposefully, I kept my mouth closed, not speaking. Lanie's eyes scanned me from head to toe.

"You're okay," she finally said. My head bobbed a quick not of agreement. Gaze narrowing, she smirked at me. Yet she didn't question me further. "We have wake up call in a few, might as well get ready," she relaxed, then yawned widely, stretching her arms out in front of her. "Momma T brought up some clothes for you last night. They looked nice," Lanie set me a small smile, "for hand me downs." I nodded again and stepped around her. My bare feet padded across the wooden floor boards. As I walked toward the bedroom, I felt her eyes searing into my back. It was only when I heard the bathroom door click closed that the presence ceased.

Closing myself inside our room, I found the sack of clothes a the end of my bed. Digging quickly through them, I found a pair of jeans and pink blouse in my sizes. Pink wasn't my best color, I really looked nice in primary colors... But at least I couldn't humiliate myself any worse than yesterday, in a dress fit for prom and no shoes. Again, I wore Lanie's grey tennis shoes, though I had time for socks this morning. Blisters burned on my ankles, just as I had predicted.