We Come From The South » Isaac Lahey [2] ✓

clouded minds

"Again!"
Warm, salty beads of sweat graced her dry lips. Her forehead was already covered in the tiny droplets, making her pale skin itchy. She took a few unsteady steps backwards, her raw feet scraping along the almost red dirt that felt like it was scorching her bare skin. The creature before her rotated its elongated silver sword between its clawed, black hands. It was nothing compared to a human, with the only resemblance being it's silhouette mirrored one. The irises and whites of its eyes were pitch black, it's mouth full of razor sharp fangs and it's body completely black. It was almost as if it were a shadow with a face. It's thin lips stretched and revealed those chilling teeth in a smug smirk.

She tightened her sweaty, horrifically shaky grip upon the hilt of her own sword. Her terrified reflection glinted back at her through the shiny blade. Her legs felt as if they were wobbling so much they were barely holding the rest of her up. Her skin tingled with arising goosebumps. She could no longer feel the crimson blood slowly falling from all her cuts nor the pounding of every bruise, muscle and tendon. Her ears were pained with her own rushing blood and rapidly beeping heart.

"Any time now."

The creature barely a metre from her lunged.

Adrianna bolted upright. The world tilted and swayed around her already blurry vision. Her muscles ached and groaned at the sudden movement. Her mind felt muddy, cloudy, unclear. Where was she? How did she get here? Her palms pressed deeper into the solid material beneath her. It wasn't quite as cold and hard as she remembered lying upon. Her eyes raised, squinted, barely open; blinded by the luminous light seemingly swallowing her. Her sweaty skin stuck to this new ground beneath her, her fingers twitched and trembled.

"Hey, take it easy." A soft male voice muttered, his warm hands gently pushed her shoulders back down against the comfort of this new ground. It wasn't poking little razors into her bare shoulders at the very least.

Adrianna squeezed her eyes shut, even this movement sending shivers of pain along the veins behind her eyes and in her temples. Black and white images flashed before her eyes; pounding, freezing rain soaking her skin, almost complete darkness surrounding her bar a few ferociously yellow lamps providing a harsh glow upon a creature—a creature with taunting white eyes and spikes as teeth.

Adrianna shot up once again, her muscles almost twisting from the sudden movement. Her legs automatically swung over the side of what she now realised to be a long metal bench. Her eyes ached and her rapidly moving pupils made her stomach roll over. She was in a large room brightened by the white glow of the moon. Substantial glass squares lined the ceiling and smaller metal benches lined the walls, scattered with equipment she knew little about. A few illuminators hung on the wall above these benches, one containing an x-ray of what could've been a broken dogs paw. Her eyes landed on Allison asleep at her side, her left arm folded underneath her head and her mouth slightly parted to let small breaths calmly float in and out.

Scott and Deaton abruptly rounded the corner from the other room. Each froze when they saw her upright, their eyes widening slightly in what must be shock. She now recognised the little white gate behind them and thus the room she was in, but how did she get to the animal clinic?

"What happened?" Her voice came out hoarse and the movement made her throat itch. Allison awoke at the sound of her voice, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hand.

Scott and Deaton shared a conspicuous look before taking slow steps towards her, as if she were a wild animal ready to strike them down.

"We were hoping you could tell us that." Deaton finally answered.