Genesis 2.0 (Monster Apocalypse Survival) Sci-Fi/DarkFan/Horror

Chapter Twenty-seven

Someone's calling my name, but it sounds like they're far away. Their voice echoes several times before they yell again. It's pitch black out, and I can't see anything, no matter which direction I turn. Panic rises from the pit of my stomach, clogging my throat, and I whimper instead of scream.

I feel my arms, legs, fingers, toes, and other body parts, but I don't see them. I could be standing on the edge of a cliff and not know.

I gather what saliva remains in my parched mouth, and call out for help.

Cool, wet material kisses my dry, cracked lips and I gently open them, accepting the crisp liquid that drops onto my tongue. The thirst hits me like a rogue wave. I reach up to take whatever is releasing the water droplets, but someone stops my hands before they grasp it.

"Be still, you've been out several days." I recognize Daniel's voice as it soothes my nerves like aloe vera on a sunburn.

I open my mouth, about to ask why the hell I've been unconscious for days, when more water flows across my lips. I greedily gulp to keep from choking, and then more pressing concerns hit.

"Why can't I see?" I rush out before he plies me with more. "And I need to pee."

I hear the material of his clothes as he shifts, and scowl when he chuckles. I'm offended that he finds my blindness funny.

"Well, eff you too." I snap, and throw my hands out, intending to feel my way to a suitable spot to pop a squat. If I just happen to pee on any of his shit, then good, it will serve him right.

But, as I scramble to my feet, amid protesting muscles, his hand cups my elbow and he stops me from taking a step.

"What--?"

"Do you ever listen to anyone?" he mumbles, interrupting my flaming words before they fly out.

"Only when they're making sense."
I hear Daniel snicker behind me, and humiliation joins the frustration. I'm a hair's breadth from losing my temper when I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, and equally warm breath rushes across my ear and cheek.

"If you'll sit still long enough, I'll remedy your sight issue," Daniel whispers, and every square inch of skin covering my body tingles with static. "I tried to tell you before." Then I feel the feather-light touch of his finger in the center of my forehead, and the world comes into focus in a swirling vortex of colors and shapes.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Squeezing my eyes shut as quickly as I can, I pinch the bridge of my nose. "I think the sunlight just seared my retinas."

A few - literal - tear-jerking minutes later, I dash behind a boulder the size of my old bedroom, and sigh blissfully as my bladder empties.

"So, who wants to tell me why I wake up blind, after spending several days unconscious?" I ask, rounding the boulder as I tuck my shirt back into the camouflage pants. I don't miss the mutual looks of apprehension on my guides' faces. Nor do I miss the gigantic man casting his equally gigantic shadow over Daniel and Aeriel.

"Hello Andrea," Jophiel greets me with a wide smile, and I wonder if he's ever not smiling. "Feeling better?"

"That depends," I answer, careful to keep my tone cool and aloof. I quickly rethink my plans to throw a hissy fit. If Joe's here, then something important may be going down, and I need a calm head to think rationally. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Joe chuckles softly, and offers me his open palm. "I came to see how you were progressing."

Regarding him skeptically, I place my hand in his humongous one, allowing him to tug me closer. I squeal when he pulls me into a tight embrace.

"You're tired, Andrea, you needed rest," Joe explains. "You woke up blind because I healed your mind and body of stress. I took the negative aura from you, and sometimes it takes the human body a little time to readjust. Just think of it as rebooting a computer."

"You know what a computer is?"

Jophiel laughs, a full hearty sound that vibrates my eardrums.

"Of course we know of your technology," Joe muses. "The Creator knows all." He claims and offers me a slight wink.

Don't forget to vote!