The Vampire Who Loved Me

Chapter 29: River whistle.

The wind swarmed all around me, hair in my face, obstructing my view I reached desperately for something to grab onto, to break my fall. There seemed to be nothing. I concealed the ever rising scream as the ground got closer and I just kept on falling.

Immediately after I had prepared to give up, my feet crashed into solid ground and buckled beneath me. I fell forwards, smashing my head upon the harsh mountain rocks. Scrambling from the edge of the ledge, my foot slipped and as my heart jumped, I hauled myself to sit flat against the rocks.

Struggling I glanced around me and could see nothing but the tall expanse of dense forest. The trees must have given my fall cover as I could not see anywhere above me. Michael surely thought I was dead or seriously injured by now. He may come down to find me. I had to move fast, surveying the rocks I scurried along the tight ledge to an area in which the rocks were closest to the forest floor as they could be. 

Sighing and taking a breath I jumped and once again found myself falling towards the depths of the trees. Hitting the thankfully soft mossy ground, I hurried to my feet and ran as fast as my almost broken legs could take me. I had jump so far that it took a while for my legs to remember the sensation of running. After many feeble attempts to run, I rested against a tree, allowing sensation to be restored before bolting for safety. Michael would surely find me if I was not careful so heading to an area I knew. I began searching for somewhere to hide. 

Just as a tall perfect tree caught my eye for somewhere to hide, a noise behind me caused me to spin so fast everything turned blurry.  Something was moving and as I waited for focus to return the moving object gradually got closer. 

Sight restored, I gasped at the view. Rushing to his safety, I helped as Damien was about to throw himself against a fallen tree to get to me. Catching him I picked him up and begun to think of a way of getting him to safety also.

I laid him gently on the floor and using a ripped piece of my own clothing, bound his wounds then slung him gently over my back. Climbing the tree slowly, I kept my senses open and finding no danger reached the hiding spot within minutes. I laid Damien against a branch then sat in front of him. He was barely conscious but he knew who I was.

"Damien... Damien..." I whispered in an attempt to keep our presence unknown.

"Liz... Lizzie..." He forced out, still dazed and confused.

"Damien its me I swear, I came back for you. I got away and they probably will come looking for me. I need to get you better first." He nodded before drifting off into a heavy sleep. I sighed and inspecting his wound found that some were healing but others were not at all. They must have used something to prevent the wound inflicted from healing. 

Jumping down from the tree, I regretfully, had to tear some of the garments from the dead vampires and running through the forest to the river, washed them and using a piece of bark, brought back fresh bandages and clean water. I had just reached the tree when a noise behind me told me that prey was near. Setting down the objects carefully. I hunted the poor unaware animal and brought it back to the tree. Grabbing the 3water and bandages and slinging the animal over my shoulder, I once again climbed the tree. 

Damien was still dozing happily and oblivious. I washed all his wounds carefully and after finding a bullet that had some form of liquid around it, I carefully, extracted it from inside his stomach. After inspecting my work, I covered the injuries with bandages and began to prepare food. 

Shaking him slightly, I brought Damien out of his sleep and made him drink. I had not killed the animal earlier, only prevented it from running away. He drained the animal dry and I slipped back down the tree to dispose of it. I reckoned that we'd have a couple of days head start and upon deciding this, I found a lighter in a pocket of a dead enemy and piling the bodies, I set them all on fire.