Coldsgrove

Some Birthday

I open my eyes and the first thing I feel is the gentle caress of sheets over my stomach and bare legs. To tired to sit up and head doing nauseating flips making my eyes feel like there moving inside my head I have to close my eyes.

Once the turning stops I open my eyes. I only move my limbs leaving the rest to me to just lie here. My eyebrows scrunch together in question, Where are my clothes? I wonder to my self as I slide my stiff hand to my thigh.

Instead of jeans as I recall having put on this morning there is bare skin closer to my knee, thankfully there is some soft material higher up. Convinced I'm clothed I move my eyes from the pillow that disrupts my view, panic sets deep in me as I don't recognize the space around me. Elegantly carved tables and chairs hug the corners leaving space for the bed that I'm lying on now, everything is arranged in sections. A TV is mounted on the wall but I can see the cord to the box is unpluged, its a small sitting area, on the other side of me is a reading area with one small table and chairs set around it. The room is all in place and perfectly positioned, there's really no in decation its actually used.

All of yesterday's events hit me at once.

Secluded woods. Slayers. Guns. Running. So much running... Ponds. Icy water. Slicing rocks on the shore of that pond. More Slayers. Aiden. Death.

Sobs rack my body as I think of Aiden so close to the Slayers that wanted to draw him and all of my friends out and kill them. Where am I? Who is here? I ask my self pitifully as I try to sit using my one hand to stand my self up but pain lights my left shoulder. I reach out to touch my obviously injured shoulder only to find out my right is even more crippled than the left and my chest and stomach follow suit making pain darken the rims of my vision.

I let out a loud piercing scream of pain hoping who ever brought me here was gracious enough to ease the pain.

The door opens in a flash and Marie rushes in letting the door close on it's own. "Marie!" I choke out of my clenched teeth. "Make....make it stop."

"Audrey. You're awake!" She laughs quickly in disbelief. "I know. It'll stop Honey, just stay still and look at me." Marie's voice calms my panic, I'm with them. I'm safe. Her arms hold mine down on the bed forcing me still, but my breathing is labored and short. I have to hold my breath to keep from stretching out the cuts on my stomach. Finally, when the pain subsides I sigh with relief and she lets go.

"Marie?" I ask my voice scratchy from lack of use, "What happened yesterday?"

"What do you mean yesterday? You were asleep yesterday." she tells and confusion sets in instead of panic.

"No. The Slayers took me yesterday and Aiden found me when I pulled my self out of a pond. He brought me somewhere--here I guess." Marie's eyes are hurt and almost regretful.

"Audrey, you've been sleeping for a month."

My mind stops working as a train hits me and I begin to realize how sore my head is. "What-what day is it?"

"It's December 17th." she says as she looks over a bag that is hanging on a metal hook.

I laugh scornfully. Oh the irony. "Well. Happy birthday to me."

Marie looks at me in astonishment, "What did you say?"

"Nothing." I cut her off before she can begin chastising me for not telling her. "Where's Aiden?"

"Sleeping down stairs. You know he hasn't left this room but twice. This is the longest he's been away and he won't be happy to find you've waken." Marie tells me, but for no reason at all I remember one detail that had nothing to do with anything. Figures. This is the way my brain works.