My mind falls out of the flashback that sent me to the hell I escaped. I allow my eyes to flutter open, and try to focus on the flecks of snow that plummet down to cover my face, my body, and realize, I'm moving. I watch the trees pass by slowly. I let my breathing fall into the familiar sway of the pace. Someone is carrying me, although, I can't feel it. My body went numb what feels like hours ago. I allow my thoughts to drift, as the warmth of someone else's body heat begins to thaw my frozen skin. We've been traveling for a while now. I don't know exactly how to describe it, the feeling of the loss of something you don't even remember. It's terrifying, like being in a nightmare where you know you're without something more important than your own life, but you just can't seem to remember what that is. I allow my mind to settle, uncomfortably, upon the fact that I'm just not going to remember anything, and that's that. It's just how things have to be for now. If I survive, I'll learn more later, and I'll be ready to do something about it then.
At the moment, I am beginning to feel someone's skin rubbing against mine, as we move. My skin is getting warmer, but not just warmer, hot.
Do they have a heating pad on me? Some source of heat? This is intense... I think to myself, but it's also, very comforting.
After a while, I'm able to move my head, just a bit, and I manage to look up. A very large, dark skinned man holds me tightly in his arms. His body heat seeping into my body with ease even in this cold. I watch snow melt as it hits his skin. It looks almost as if his body is steaming. That can't be right...
Before thinking, I speak, "Aren't you cold?" My voice comes out in a rasp.
I see a warm smile spread over his face, but he doesn't look at me. He shakes his head a bit as an answer. I manage to look around a bit, and around us all I see is snow, and trees. My mind flashes back to the electric blue eyes I saw before surrendering myself to the cold, and the wolf to whom they belong. I think I was ok with that being the last thing I saw before I let myself die. They were entrancing, beautiful, and I was relieved that I could see something other than white and red before leaving for good... Even though I'm still here. I stare into the woods while we walk, and lose focus for a while, until I see something. It's a good distance away, a black dot in the distance. It's getting closer, but doesn't get too close. When it comes into view, I'm shocked, but more surprisingly, I'm relieved. Beauty seems to follow me, as the wolf with the blue eyes trails warily alongside us. I relax again into the man's arms, and eventually my exhaustion takes over.
My mind flashes back, to hell, the only one I remember. No, you either trust me, or you die. Those words ring through my ears, sending chills down my spine. I remember squeezing the handle of a scalpel in my hand, my heart beginning to race. I nod, and at that moment the chaos begins. The old doctor flips out, but can't move as quickly as he'd hoped. Numbers bounce in my vision suddenly, disorienting, yet focusing me at the same time, and before I realize it I'm moving. The doctor lashes out at me, hands grasping at my neck, but isn't nearly fast enough. My body moves on it's own out of reaction, and I watch as the blade in my hand slides easily through the skin on the man's throat. It takes a moment for blood to begin pouring from the wound, but when it starts, it doesn't stop. I don't let my eyes linger on the gruesome scene in front of me, and let them make their way to the blonde intruder. He just nods, and takes my hand, not hesitating to grab the doorknob and burst out into the hallway, with me stumbling behind him. We run, alarms blaring around us, and don't look back. Numbers are pounding in my eyesight just like my heart in my chest.
I can't even hear the firing of guns behind me over the sound of my racing heart. Bullets fly, tattering the walls and breaking windows. I can't catch my breath. I feel like screaming. Terror burns in my stomach, pulses at the back of my throat. This is all so overwhelming, and I don't know how to handle it. My mind shuts down, and all I can do is concentrate on the man in front of me, and the numbers that move frantically in my vision. Suddenly I'm pushed forward with an unbelievable force, but I manage to keep my footing. I feel warmth moving down my right shoulder blade, down my back, and pain... So much pain. It sears through my back as I run. I happen to look down and notice that I am trailing blood with every step I take. I've been shot. I cry out, and the blonde man glances back at me, immediately seeing my face, which I'm sure is quickly draining of color, and is covered in beads of sweat.
"Shit!" I hear him say in a growl.
A window shatters in front of us and the man drags me harshly in front of himself. I almost trip and stumble out through the broken glass, until I realize, I'm about three stories up.
"Jump!" The man yells, "Jump now or die!"
My heart drops to my feet at the sound of those words but then his other statement rings in my mind, You either trust me, or you die.
So I jump.
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A sigh of relief floods from me as I realize I am no longer in that place, that horrible situation. Hushed voices make their way to my ears. I'm much warmer now, wrapped in something soft. I feel a pillow under my head. I let my eyes flutter open; I feel much stronger now, although I'm still sore as hell. I look around, seeing that I'm in a large room with tan walls. Pictures of wolves hang on each wall, a mirror hangs to my right. I push myself up so I am sitting, and feel every injured part of my body. My right shoulder, and my feet are wrapped in bandages. The large man who carried me before, sits in a chair beside the bed, slumped over in sleep. The numbers in my vision have disappeared, for now. I hear a door click open, just to my right, and my eyes land on a young boy with raven hair and dark gold eyes. He can't be any older than eleven. He holds a white mug of steaming liquid in his small hands. A light smile settles on his face.
"Hi... I'm Ash, are you feeling better?" He says, not letting his little smile fade. A British accent plays in his voice as he speaks.
I nod in thanks.
"I brought you some peppermint tea," he says, "my mom says your throat might be sore from being out in the cold so long."
The man in the chair wakes up and taps the young boy on the shoulder. A bright smile spreads over his face as he nods in greeting to Ash. In the moment when Ash nods back, not saying anything, I realize that the man who carried me through the cold, is mute.
"Oh," Ash looks back to me, "This is Roman. He found you yesterday."
Roman reaches his hand toward me in a gentle gesture, and I allow myself to grasp his hand in thanks. He is a very large man. Even sitting down I can tell he is around six and a half feet tall at minimum. Even with such a commanding demeanor, his presence is calm... Kind... Warm even.
Ash hands me the cup of tea and I smile lightly in thanks before taking a sip. The taste of honey and peppermint is pleasant, and the tea is hot. My eyes flutter shut as I take one sip after another. When they open once more, I notice Roman has stood up, and a woman has come into the room. Her hand rests lightly on Ash's shoulder. I'm almost in awe of her beauty. Her hair falls delicately over her shoulders in honey and amber waves, her frame is small but strong, and her eyes... They are like bronzed coins hidden behind dark eyelashes and porcelain skin. When she smiles at me, I can't imagine beauty being described as anything else.
"My name is Rowen." Her voice is velvet, also dipped in a British accent, "I hope you're comfortable... I can imagine you've been through a lot."
I nod, taking another sip of tea, and try to speak, "Thank you..." My voice is hoarse, and my throat sore, but with every sip of tea it gets better.
"We have had you on I.V. fluids since yesterday, and your gun-shot wound seems to be healing nicely, however, I would give your feet a couple days to heal before you decide to walk. If you'd like to go out and look around, Roman will help you into a wheel-chair and show you around the property. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let us know." The woman speaks kindly, her teeth showing in a polite smile with every word.
"I'll get you whatever snacks you want too!" Ash chimes in, and I can't help but smile.
Rowen smiles at the boy, "I'm sure she'd love that, baby." He must be her son, "Also, if you'd like a hot bath, I'd be more than willing to assist you."
My eyes widen, and I speak without hesitation, "Please...."
After all of the stress from yesterday, a hot bath sounds like heaven, although even though these people are kind, I'm still wary. Rowen smiles, and I set my mug of tea on the dresser beside the bed. I then start pushing the blankets off of my body. She nods to Roman who stands, and once again lifts me into his arms. Ash runs from the room and quickly returns with a wheel-chair.
When I am secure in the rolling chair, Rowen takes over, giving a bright smile to Ash and Roman before taking me away from the place I woke up. She takes me out into a hallway stretching up into dark, stone walls, and arched ceilings. It looks medieval in comparison to the modernized room I was just in. Oil lanterns line the large passageway until the entire thing opens up into a massive common room. A wall of glass looks out onto a crystal lake. Outside, snow drifts silently down onto the clear surface, and covers the ground in a blanket of untouched white. The gray sky is getting dim with the time of day. I can't help but stare. Just yesterday I was surrendered to that very same blanket of snow. Now it looks less like a grave and more like a fond memory that I can't quite reach.
Rowen moves me to a bathroom just off the main hallway. Inside is a large tub, pure black. Rowen parks me inside the room and shuts the door behind us. She then reaches over to a counter, grabbing a small object. I watch her press a button on it and suddenly, without being touched, the tub faucet spews a stream of steaming water. She sees my perplexed look and gives me a smile, showing me that she holds a small remote in her hand that controls the temperature of the water, and everything else in the bathroom, including mirrored windows.
"Come, I'll help you undress," she says, stepping toward me, "trust me, you'll need my help." She laughs lightly, a sound that reminds me of music.
"Okay," I say, "thank you... Again..."
"Sweetheart, it's no problem." She says, while helping me out of yet another hospital gown. She then unwraps my battered feet, and peels the bandage from over my shoulder.
Surprisingly, my shoulder doesn't hurt as badly as I thought it would, and neither do my feet. I look down at them, and instead of seeing scabs, I see scars. Rowen looks just as shocked as I am.
She shakes her head, sounding a bit perplexed, "you're healing... Very quickly..." She looks up at me.
"Why?" I ask. Does it have anything to do with that hospital I escaped?
"No," Rowen answers out loud.
Can she hear my thoughts as well?
She clears her throat, "no, that's not right." She sounds as if she's speaking to herself, I almost let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she can't hear my thoughts. "They must've done some awful things to you..." She says.
"Who are they?" I ask.
She shakes her head and looks me in the eye, then moves to push me over to the tub, "I have so much to explain to you... And the more I explain, the more danger you'll be in."
When we get to the side of the tub, she comes around and helps me get my feet into the warm water first, then she holds the wheelchair as I lift myself into the tub. She moves the rolling chair to the side and sits in it, grabbing soaps and things from a cabinet beside the bath. She gently grabs a water wand and sprays my hair. Then pours a bit of soap onto my head, and starts massaging it into my scalp.
I'm on edge because of her previous comment, but she doesn't keep me waiting for an answer.
"They... Are Others Corp." she says from behind me, "and after everything that happened yesterday, I would bet my life, that they want you dead."
"Why?" I ask, again, "what did I do wrong? I don't remember... I..." I pause, "I don't remember anything."
"I know," Rowen says, rinsing my hair, "you didn't do anything wrong. You're.... Special, and they're afraid of you."
"Special?" I ask, "what do you mean?"
"I don't know quite yet, honestly." She replies, "every person rescued from that place is, and they usually don't survive, but..." She pauses, "I'm sure we will know why soon enough."
The rest of my bath is quiet, and it makes me feel a hundred times better physically, but my mentality is anything but calm. What am I missing here? I know that the man from the hospital could read my thoughts, but I could answer him... Does that have something to do with how I'm special? And what about the numbers in my vision?
Everything is so overwhelming... What was the name of that hospital, that group of people?
Others Corp.
What is Others Corp.?
What is their goal?
And most importantly....
Why do they want me dead?
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Hey guys! So honestly I'm coming up with this story on the run. I have basic ideas of what I want to happen, so if anything doesn't make sense just let me know in the comments! I've been developing this book series for years, but the first book in the series has always given me issues *cries*
Hopefully this time things will be as awesome as I hoped!
Anybody who reads this.... I feckin love you.
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Shattered Tears
Lãng mạnShe doesn't know her past, and nobody can know the definite future. A young girl in a brand new, unfamiliar environment walks on eggshells with her own memories. She remembers nothing of her past, who she was, and is. However, she is beginning to fi...
