The Life of Jezebel Firetongue

17

I jerked awake, every muscle in my body tensed up from nightmarish sleep.

The tree I'd propped myself against had molded into my back, and I struggled to stand without jarring my limp, broken wing. However, I fell back against it the moment I got up. My head ached terribly. Perhaps the crash awoke my old injuries, I thought grimly. As I stumbled towards Jake, I searched the ground desperately for a water bottle. I found one next to Jake, placed there in case he woke up while I slept. I swept it up and sucked down some water eagerly before looking down at the sleeping Jake.

He was still comatose.

Slowly sinking down beside him, I found the thought eating at me, distorting my judgment. For some reason, the thought made me feel the need to weep. What have I done? I began to wail inconsolably on the inside. You should have protected him better! You can take anything! He can't!

I shook my head, making the ache grow more. Just take care of him, I ordered myself. Moving slowly, I checked his pulse, opened an eye to look at the pupil, and looked over his various cuts from the accident. Each movement was unconscious, almost as if somebody else were moving my limbs. Nervously, I took the water bottle and sprinkled a little of the water onto his lips and into his mouth, moistening it carefully. A cringe crippled my body as I waited to see if he would choke. I checked his vital signs, and gave a small sigh of relief. Jake was safe, but if he was going to be under any longer, I'd have to find a better way to do that. Then I stood, stretching my arms over my head with a mournful sigh.

I hissed as the movement jostled my bandaged wing. It would heal, but not very soon. That was the only advantage of Jake being comatose; he wouldn't see my wings. An image of his face wrought with terror invaded my mind, and I winced at the thought of him finding out the truth about me. Nobody can love a monster.

The thought sent a shock through me. Had I just thought about...? No! I hissed it at myself, shaking my head and turning back to the tree where I'd been keeping watch. It can't be! Romantic feelings were an anchor, a tie to life, a reason to let the monster I'd become live on. The shaking of my head grew more and more desperate, as if I were trying to shake the thoughts away. Finally, I looked up at Jake and felt a small sigh pass through my lips. He was so far away...

I groaned in frustration and slid down the tree. Over the past few weeks, I'd changed my opinion of Jake several times. First, hating him for intruding. Then, liking him when he learned my boundaries. Fearing him when he got too close. And now...was I sad because he wasn't close enough?

The frustration was getting to me. What had I become? Instead of hardening my heart, cutting my losses and letting him die, I was nursing him back to health and even worrying about him. Even worse, I was tense with the fear that he'd die from the accident.

At the mention of its name, the memory reared its ugly head and flickered through my mind, like it had all night. There's the smash. Here comes the flip. Cue the thump of Jake's head against the crunching door. A cacophony of noise greeted me, wailing in my ears. Look what you've done to Jake! It's all your fault!

I shook my head angrily. What a mess I'd become.

"Mourning your friend?

Maybe I should have jumped at the unfamiliar voice, but I was too upset to bother. The voice came from directly in front of me, barring my way between Jake and I. Someone was there, I could feel it...but I couldn't see them.

"What's your name?" I asked. As I said this, I stood and stepped around the presence to sit next to Jake.

"Isaac," the male voice replied. A white-blond head with blue eyes and pale freckled skin appeared, followed by the rest of his body. Invisibility, I mused. That's new. He was tall and lanky; the type of boy who you'd think would want to disappear. He looked at me, however, with a confident smirk. "And I know who you are."