DESCENDED

UNWANTED

The next time I come to, I lay face to face with Jacob's mauled corpse. And I don't know what happened after I blacked out. All I know is he's now covered in blood, and he's been mauled. Just like Michael and Emily.

Sitting up, I clasp a hand to my head.

It aches something awful.

I feel dizzy, but I need to make my way to a road to get help.

Staggered to my feet, I look for my backpack. But I don't know which direction I came from. So, I stumble around for a few minutes before I find it.

The sun is up, but it's cold out, and I'm shivering. Gathering my strength, I move a short way across the field before I pass out again.

The next time I come to, I climb to my feet again and make it as far as I can before I end up collapsing again. But there seems to be no end to the marshy woods around me. As I lay there in the grass staring up at the sky, wondering if I'm going to die in this field, I start hearing things.

People...

Forcing myself to my feet, I will myself forward. But I can feel myself losing consciousness again, and I don't want to spend another night alone in the dark.

That's when I finally feel something hard beneath my feet, and realize I've reached pavement. Looking up, I see two familiar faces not too far from me.

Elizabeth and Anna.

They're frantically looking around everywhere. And yelling my name.

They're searching for me.

"Anna," I try to scream. But it comes out more like a croak because my voice is too hoarse.

They're moving so fast I can't catch up to them. And my eyes are starting to close. But before I hit the ground, someone catches me.

I try to fight off the person behind me, but I pass before I can.

It seems like forever before I'm able to open my eyes again. When I do, I'm greeted by blinding lights and an annoying beeping sound.

"Angelique," Sebastian calls my name. "Angelique, can you hear me?"

"Where am I?" I ask. Groggily.

"The hospital."

"Ugh," I groan. "My head is killing me. And what's wrong with my right eye?"

I can't open it.

Sebastian digs in his jacket for something, and hands me a small mirror.

My mirror.

I look into it, and the sight that confronts me is horrifying. My eye is swollen shut and my face is badly bruised.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Anna asks.

She's standing on the opposite side of my bed, and I didn't even see her.

"No."

"Angelique!" Aunt Sarah cries. Rushing to my bedside.

"What happened? Are you alright? Who did this to you?" Uncle Cliff questions me.

Loudly.

"She can't remember," Sebastian informs them.

"My face hurts," I grimaced.

"We found a dead body in the woods where you were?" A masculine voice tells me. Stepping up to my bedside and shooing everyone away. A glance at his badge and uniform tells me he's a cop. "Does the Name Jacob Kyle mean anything to you?"