Severed Connections

Chapter Three: Sensations

Was I imagining things? Dreaming?

The trees towering above me swayed with the winds of the storm raging around me. My whole body trembled not just from the cold, but from the drugs streaming through my system, shutting it down. The harder I tried to focus on the howling, the more it faded and the more I slipped into a dazed state.

“What are you doing?!”

A man I’d never seen before was suddenly there. He was shaking me. His fingers clutched my shoulders so tightly I might have yelped if I cared. But I didn’t. Instead, I stared up at him blankly, my tears mixing with the rain. His words weren’t registering anymore. His bare chest, I noticed, was covered in scratches. Through the haze clouding my mind, I reached out, fingers tracing over the wounds. The blood – the warmth of it triggered something inside. My eyes widened and I gaped at him. He was still yelling, and for a moment, I caught wind of his words over the roaring of the storm. Or…was that the roaring inside?

I couldn’t tell anymore.

“Listen to me – whatever it is – you can get through it. But you have to shift now so you can fight off the effects of the drugs. You have to or you’ll die, do you understand me?! You—“

And then the world was mute again, and I started to close my eyes. My heart seemed to slow and I offered the only genuine smile I’d ever offered to anyone, let alone a stranger.

“Don’t you fucking dare –“

A hand struck my face, and I jolted up, the quick movement forcing me onto my side to vomit.

No no no no… the pills.. the pills…

I heard the man who had seemed to be part of a dream just moments ago sigh in relief. My head snapped to face him, and that second quick movement forced me over to vomit again. I sobbed and cursed, fingers clutching at the mud beneath me.

“Who do you think you are?! I can’t shift, you stupid idiot! You stupid…you stupid mutt!” I screamed, tossing dirt at him, anger and passionate emotions I’d never felt before welling up inside me.  The more animated I became, the more I vomited, turning away each time, clutching at my stomach now instead of the dirt. I slumped onto the ground and curled up. Forget him, whoever he was. I didn’t care. I just wanted to be left alone. I didn’t want to be saved. I just wanted peace.

“I’m the idiot –“the male started, grabbing me and pulling me into his arms before standing,

“Who’s trying to save your stupid life.”

He glared down at me, and I stared up at him, weak and too distressed to offer any more verbal protests. Instead, I gave up, vulnerable in this stranger’s arms as I went limp.

“Don’t do that. Stop. Don’t close your eyes. I—I’m sorry. Don’t give up yet. I’m going to get you help.”

I just shook my head. He’d never understand. Whoever he was, whoever he was trying to be, he was no one. Like everyone else, he would always be no one to me. If he thought saving me would make me grateful, he was wrong. My body shook with a mix between a sob and a cry. I draped my arms around his neck and buried my face against him, almost touching his wounds. I heard him sigh and inhale deeply. Felt his head rest on mine for a moment before everything faded to black.

“She’s awake. Dad, look. She’s moving. Hey...Uh, May?”

I groaned, turning over, pulling a warm blanket over my head. My whole body ached. My stomach was churning and there was an unbearable nausea. The taste in my mouth was no help at all. When I buried my face into a pile of pillows it ached as though I’d been struck.