The Cold Ones

Chapter Twenty - Hospital

I woke up to my Taylor Swift alarm blearing in my ears.

I felt alive, better.

I brushed my teeth and then came back to my bedroom to brush my hair.

I tied it up in a high pony-tail and then hurried downstairs.

Jasmine had all sorts of delicacies on the table.

‘Yum.’ I let the word escape involuntarily from my mouth.

‘Morning, sunshine.’ My dad pecked my cheek.

‘Morning dad. Morning twins.’ I laughed at my brothers.

‘Morning Marn.’ They chorused with smiles on their faces.

‘Hey, don’t start eating without me!’ a woman’s voice laughed.

I turned around and hugged my mom.

Her soft golden pool of hair rubbing against my face.

‘Morning, mom.’ I spoke into her hair.

‘Morning angel.’ She said with her motherly smile.

And then I opened my eyes.

I wasn’t at home in the kitchen, I was sitting in a hospital bed.

And there was Scott sitting in one of the chairs opposite my bed.

‘Scott. What are you doing here?’ my voice sounded sleepy.

‘Can’t I visit a friend?’ he asked with his usual lazy grin.

I gave a tired smile.

And then it all started flooding back.

I was locked up. Ruby kept me locked up. She whipped me. She fed on Camille. Camille, Camille was a vampire.

Ashley, oh god, Ashley.

‘Where’s Ian?’ I asked sitting up in the bed.

Scott walked over to me.

‘Calm down, Marn. Ian’s fine. He just went to the bathroom.’ Scott reassured me.

I nodded my head, but I was still in shock.

Where was everyone else? Where was Ashley and Camille?

Where was Ruby?

 Ian came into the room with a smile.

‘Shouldn’t you be asleep?’ he grinned.

‘Ian.’ I held out my arms, gesturing for a hug.

He pulled me close into his hard chest.

‘I’m so glad to see you.’ I whispered into his brown sweater.

‘I’m so glad that you’re okay.’ He said into my hair.

I pulled away from him.

‘Where’s Camille? And Ashley?’ I asked breathlessly.

‘They’re fine, Marney.’ Ian comforted me.

‘I want to see them.’ I started climbing out of the bed, but Ian stopped me.

‘Marney, you have to stay in bed and rest.’ Ian placed me gently back in the bed.

‘I need to see my friends. I need to see them Ian.’ I said angrily.

Ian cupped my face into his cold hands.

‘They’re fine, I promise. But you need to sleep.’ He put my head onto the soft pillow and kissed my forehead.

And then, as if on queue, my eyelids started getting heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.