The Other Side of the Portal

chapter 4

Luka 

"Don't touch me!" Valerie screamed at us as we tried to come near her. She attempted to inch away from us but stopped suddenly and clutched her leg, moving it into view. There was a long, deep, bloody scar running almost the entire length of her leg. She still hadn't looked at us, and therefore didn't know who we were.

 "We're not here to harm you." Russet said slowly, trying to walk closer to her. "Don't worry, we're not taken over."

 Russet saying that so much, was kind of annoying. Those four words came out of his mouth every ten seconds. And with it, came the need to knock him upside the head. There are other ways to explain our situation.

 "Valerie? It's me, Luka." I said tentatively, I couldn't bear to see her in this much pain, she was practically writhing on the ground.

 "Lu- Luka?" She coughed out, sounding unsure. I walked over and touched her leg, but she flinched away. Why? Why her? She was one of the nicest people I knew. Whoever, or whatever did this to her would pay, big time.

 "Pick her up as carefully as you can. We'll take a look at her and try to swipe some medication." Russet said, sounding much too full of himself.

 "No really?" I retalliated, "I thought we'd just leave her and continue on our way." I picked her up and couldn't help but notice just how skinny she'd gotten over the past couple of weeks. Her ribs we easily seen, even through her t-shirt.

 "Ow..." She whimpered, and she grabbed my hand, squeezing it incredibly hard. "It hurts."

 "We'll fix you up." I told her as we reached the car. "Russet? I'll sit in the back with Val."

 "Don't you have to take your piss?" He asked me.

  He was seriously getting on my nerves, "Yes, I still do. But, don't you think another human is more important?" I asked, sarcasm coating my words.

 "Of course." He said, completely oblivious of my irritation.

 "Luka?" Valerie asked me when I set her down.

 "Yeah?" I answered, I was so happy she was okay, well sort of okay.

 "Where am I?"

 "We're almost in Laguna Niguel, California."

Her face pinched in confusion, "What? Laguna Niguel? I don't rememeber anything! What's wrong with me? It's like there's a block in my memory." She sat up quickly, causing her eyes to swim before she slowly sank back down to the seat.

 "It's okay, I'm here with you. I'll never let you go again." I promised her.

 Russet walked back over to us. "Okay guys, we need to get going. I need to find some supplies to help..."

I could tell he forgot her name, "Valerie." I told him.

 "Yes, Valerie. I knew that." He came around the car and opened the door, climbing into the driver's seat. "Well? Put on your seat-belt." He smirked and turned around, fastening his own.

 This was going to be a long drive.

After about twenty minutes, my curiosity got the best of me.

 "So, Val." I started, "How did you get the ghost out of you?"

 "What ghost?" She asked me.

 "You were possessed, and you tried to kill me." I said, I felt bad having to remind her this way, but maybe she'd get some recognition.

 Her face darkened. "I kind of remember some things." She said.

 "Well?" I waved my hand as to get her to keep talking.

 "It was about a month and a half ago, when I felt a pessence in my room with me. It was making my room feel stuffy and the temperature dropped. I was listening to music on my ipod, when I felt something go inside of me."

 She stopped to look at my reaction, and I urged her on. "Soon, instead of just my thoughts, I felt another person's thoughts inside my head, also. It was too crowded, and I almost fainted. My body's reactions wouldn't listen to me, I would try to move my arm, but it wouldn't budge. I was freaking out, and soon my sense of 'I' seemed to dissapear. I faded into the background of my own mind, and whatever was inside me took over my body. It's thoughts were hell-bent and set on destruction. It was horrible."

 I was digesting this slowly, figuring out how she could have ever gotten it to get out of her. "How...?" I asked, looking up at her, there were tears sliping down her cheeks. "Nevermind." I quickly told her.

 Her long, dark brown hair was spread all over my lap, and her brown eyes stared at me with deep intensity as the tears fell down her face silently.

 Russet looked at us through the mirror, and his eyes were filled with determination. "There's a run-down clinic down the street. We'll stop and grab some antibiotics and wrap up her leg."

 Valerie rested her head in my lap, and I knew I'd do anything to help her.