Saviour

2. I Wake Up

Chapter 2.

When I next started to wake up I was sure I was naked. My head felt heavy, as if it was made of iron and my eyelids appeared to be sealed shut. Either that or I was just too drained to open them.

Something was prodding at my lips and I groaned in protest at the feeling, parting them to try and complain. The dry skin pulled apart as I opened my mouth slightly and a warm, sweet liquid was poured down my throat, heating my body up comfortably.

A light feeling over my skin told me that I was under some bed sheets, probably in a hospital or back at home. Someone ran their fingers through my hair and I tilted my head to lean against the comforting touch. "Mum..." My voice came out dry, raspy and incredibly weak and I was unable to do anything about it.

"No, I'm not your mother." The same soothing voice from before I passed out swept through my ears like a summer breeze, making a small smile cross over my features. "Can you open your eyes for me, Alex West?"

Obeying the voice suddenly became my main priority and I forced my eyelids to open up for me. My vision was blurred but I could make out the shape of the girl who had appeared beside me in the clearing. Her hair was now tied back and she was wearing different coloured clothes.

"The first test is over. At least you are alive." She narrowed her eyes as if taking in every detail on my face, her fingers brushing over the cut on my head softly.

My arms were almost lifeless and I could only move them enough to lift the pure white sheets up off my body and look down at myself. I was wearing no shirt but I was clothed in shorts that matched the colour of almost everything else in the room; white. A deep sigh of relief left my body and I let my head fall to the side to examine the wounds on my shoulders.

If I had the energy to widen my eyes anymore or let out a shout of horror, I would have done just that. But all I could do was groan weakly at the sight of my mangled skin. Each long scratch was deep red in colour and I could see right down into each cut.

"The next time you wake up they will be fixed. Don't worry." The girl said to me and offered a reassuring smile.

I tried to force a smile back but my head fell down onto the soft pillow again and I drifted off to sleep instantly.

Consciousness came and went every so often but every time I woke up, nothing I saw and nothing I said made any sense and I soon went back under again.

I had been dreaming of the attack, seeing it over and over again in my mind, when I eventually came around properly.

This time I felt a lot stronger and my head didn't feel quite so heavy and clunky as it did before. I had no idea how long I'd been asleep for. Hours? Days? Surely not weeks?

My eyes opened up and scanned the room, showing me that I was completely alone. A window hung open a small amount and mixed melodies of birdsong drifted in on the warm breeze.

On a table next to my bed was a ceramic jug filled with an inviting looking drink and just looking at it suddenly made me realise how thirsty I was. My mouth and throat felt incredibly dry, as if I'd been scoffing down sand for the last few days. I reached my hand out to grab the jug and pour myself a drink when a familiar voice spoke from the doorway.

"I'm glad to see you're awake at last. You took your time, Alexander." She swept over towards me and poured me the drink, the glass filling up with an orange liquid. She passed the glass over to me and made sure I was holding it tightly enough before letting go of it.

"My name's Alex. No one calls me the longer version." I croaked and took a sip of the drink. It tasted incredible; an explosion of flavour burst in my mouth and I was taken aback by just how amazing it was. It was impossible to work out what it actually tasted like because every time I tried the flavour would suddenly change to something else, leaving me confused and muddled.