The Phoenix Series: Sacrifice

Chapter 5: Broken Promise

Completely surrounded by darkness, I have no idea how to get back to my time. I have no links to cling to, no light to lead me home. So am I to just wander through this void forever? Overwhelming emptiness everywhere you look, warmth seeping out of my body as every second is sucked away, limbs losing feeling as my heart slows down to an almost deathly stop.

In the distance a single thread of light can be seen; barely visible, making you question its existence. I would run to it, but my body doesn’t even feel like its whole anymore. Terrified, my breathing quickens, my pulse does random jumps trying to start back up, but nothing helps as I feel myself slowly slipping further into the abyss.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Someone’s shaking my shoulders; their fingers are warm and somewhat clammy. My head is completely limp as it’s being tossed about; in my chest, I can feel my heart beating but not nearly as fast as it should be. My limbs are cold even though I can feel something burning my skin both underneath and on top of me. I can’t remember how to move, or even how to open my eyes; every little sound I hear sounds fuzzy. Focusing as hard as I can, I pay close attention to the buzzing in my ear.

Slowly it starts to sound like a person frantically yelling. Feeling is seeping back into my fingers from the hands holding them. “Sayta, wake up! Come on!” Letting go of my hands, I can hear his feet running into the next room, turning a faucet on, and running back. Something warm and wet is set on my forehead.

Fluttering my eyelids, I’m suddenly blinded by bright lights. “Ugh” I want to cover my eyes, but I haven’t regained all of the feeling in my arms yet.

“Sayta, Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re okay. What’s wrong?”

Adams face completely fills my vision. “O, sorry, I didn’t mean to leave all the lights on.” Backing off, he jumps over to the door and flips one of the light switches. “Better?”

Coughing, I answer with a strangled voice, “Kinda, thanks.” A coughing spasm overtakes me.

Adam puts his hand behind my back, helps me sit up and rubs my back. “My head hurts.”

Concern completely washes over Adams face, “What happened?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” I pause, giving myself time to catch my breath, “My memory is hazy, I can’t remember what happened.”

“You fell asleep under the tree, actually, it seemed like you were sleeping. Your head fell onto my shoulder, but for some reason you felt really cold; so I tried waking you up, instead you collapsed. So I carried you to my house and took care of you. I was terrified, because no matter what I did you wouldn’t move. It got worse about an hour ago, your heart started to slow down and your temperature dropped. Even when I put a heating blanket beneath you and a thick comforter on top of you, it did nothing to warm you up; that is until a few minutes ago. . . ”

Pictures suddenly came rushing through my head, of Yelena, Joseph and everything that I dreamt about her and her time period, “Adam?”

“Yeah?”

Tearing my eyes from the wall, I look up into Adam’s eyes, “What’s the medieval optimum?”

Consideration crosses his face, “I don’t know, never heard of it, why?”

“Well, I had a dream. . . No. . . that’s not it, it felt too real to be a dream.” Feeling a slight tingle at the back of my head, I reach my hand up to rub it; and completely covering my arm are bruises and scratches. They don’t hurt and aren’t very visible, but they are there.

Adam takes a sharp intake of breath and frantically asks, “What happened to your arms? I swear you didn’t have those marks a few minutes ago!”