A Beast with a Smile {Book 1}

Chapter 18 (Scarlett): The Mother of Time

The second I stepped through the portal I felt my insides churn. The speed at which we were traveling was faster than the speed of light and I definitely felt every ounce of the G-force. I couldn't see anything but blurs of blue and white with a mix of a tornado blowing in my ears.

There was a man hole that marked the end of the journey and I was pretty sure we were going to shoot out of this cannon straight into a wall. I made the mistake of looking at Christ, who winked at me when I noticed his never ending stare.

"Don't worry your little head, le mie bella donne, Christopher is here to protect you."

This was one of the very few instances in which I wished to know any type of cuss word in Italian. I rolled my eyes and clenched my fists and braced for the impact.

When we reached the portal end, I flew out and smacked into an oversized, fluffy mattress which was laid straight up on the wall and was clearly intended for a giant 30 foot giant. I then fell onto another mattress of equal size and comfort that was lined up against it.

The bed was so comfortable that it made me realize how exhausted I was. My eyes grew heavy and my body began to weaken.

I was sinking into the mattress and the more I struggled to get out of bed, the more weak and exhausted I became. I sank further and further into my slumber and into the perfect cushions of the bed.

"Scarlett!" I heard from two familiar voices that had abandoned me earlier that day.

My vision blurred. I tried to get out one last time, but you can't win a fight with a bed, you can only give in to it's demands.

I awoke in what seemed like a hospital room. There was the same type of machines, but I was placed in a large tent outside; I could feel the wind gently blowing through the open flap.

There were no lights on inside the tent or outside. The only thing visible was the faint glow of the machines.

I attempted to sit up, but was met by a hand pressed on my chest.

"You need to stay in bed, Ms. Archer. We have a very busy day tomorrow," she said in a soothing mother like tone.

I could feel my energy being sucked away again: no matter how hard I tried to stay awake I couldn't resist the urge to sleep.

"Don't try to resist Ms. Archer, just close your eyes and sleep."

"Archy and Elly," I managed to muster.

"They are safe. I want to ring both of them by the neck, but they are safe," she soothed with her motherly tone.

I remembered what Chris had said before we walked through the portal.

"Are you the Immortal? The one who grabbed Elly and Archy through the...the... sha...dow...machine thingy."

I heard her let out a small chuckle, "I guess that nickname has really stuck, hasn't it? Yes, I am the un-immortal immortal."

As I continued to ward off the need to sleep, the tent began to get brighter, enough that I could make out some of the woman in front of me.

I noticed the baggy skin and wrinkles on the hand that was holding me down stealing my energy.

"You are quite powerful, Ms. Archer. No one has ever resisted for this long, not even Scavenger."

The pure whisper of his name gave me a cold rush up my entire body and suddenly I felt like I was having more of a sugar rush than the effects of her sleeping pills. I was able to sit straight up now and I could sense the amazement from my captivated audience.