Upside Down

(24) Where's Kriss?

Chapter 24

Kriss : Good :: Hobo Dude : Bad

"What are you doing here?" Kriss stepped back a bit farther, her feet crunching the snow as she hissed with as much hatred and menace as a girl her petite size could muster. Her face held fury and livid despising but her body, which leaned as far away from the man as it could, showed her fear and her shock.

"She wants you back, Kristina," The man growled merrily as he stalked forward a little bit in the dense forest grove, his tongue running over his needle point teeth that held a grin. "She is going to get you back."

"No, I'm never going back there! I'd rather die!"

"I can make that happen," growled the man, his temper already flaring. His large fist clenching and Kriss flinched remember just how much damage they could do to her small insignificant body, as if her bones were made of twig and her skin was paper.

But she held her ground, looking at him with fire in her cold grey eyes, "Go ahead! I'll watch us both burn in hell before I set foot in that disgusting, horrific hellhole!"

They began circling each other slowly, both slightly hunched and waiting to pounce as if just timing it just right for the other to make a move and for them to both shift. To shift into the monsters they were. The man chuckled, licking his lips as if already imagining the blood in her veins filling his mouth with the thick and metallic liquid. "Is that a challenge?" He questioned mockingly and Kriss only growled more deep in her throat like she was a lion threatened, making him smirk even more. "Well bring it on ... little girl."

Kriss's pupil's dilated in pure white-hot anger, flashing her teeth that became sharper than razor blades as she roared, "Don't call me little!" Then she launched, right at the man's throat.

The fight had begun.

[Emerson]

　

Thank god that was over!

I never want to go to school again ... which isn't possible but whatever. Man, I was just glad to be home. The familiar sight of the house in front of me as my old truck rumbled to a stop made my heart jump with joy. Whoopee! I was so excited to see Kriss ... and Drew. But I was also kind of nervous of what he got into. I'd been feeling a bit jumpy lately too, as soon as I pulled up ... I don't know, this sense of dread filled me.

I rushed into the house.

"Kriss? Drew? Kriss? Where are you guys?" I shouted through the house then soon ran to the living room when I heard the television on in there and a bunch of loud snoring. "Kriss?" I peeked my head in but only saw Drew sprawled out on the couch. "Drew! Wake up, man, I thought you were supposed to watch Kriss?"

Startled, Drew fell off the couch with a disgruntled "Oomph!" then groaned. "What the hell man? I'm sick, that's the whole reason I stayed home today. Sick people need sleep! Go away!"

"Where's Kriss?" I growled lowly at the boy lying face down at the floor.

Drew bolted up this time, first banging his head on the coffee table but recovering quickly and standing up. "What do you mean? Where is she?"

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking!" I snarled and he flinched. "Let's look for her."

We followed a trail of Kriss's scent that flowed like a river from the living room to the kitchen then out the back yard. Little foot prints lead them into the forest and the farther they got in the more Emerson was wondering why she had gone out there and out so far.

"Emerson, do you smell that?" Drew asked and I sniffed the air. "It's smells like ..."

"Blood!" I barked then ran towards the place emitting the smell. It was getting stronger and stronger along with a soft smell of lavender, jasmine, and honey. "Kriss, Kriss, are you out there?" I thundered as I ran. I stopped as I neared a gap between two trees. A pale porcelain frame lay upon the ground, surrounded in a puddle in of thick red liquid that poured from wounds all over her.

"Kriss!" I rushed to her side, pulling her cold, naked form closer to me. I peeled off my jacket crazily, wrapping it around her like a haven before pulling her up into my arms and running back at my house. "Drew, open the door! Now, Drew, open it!" Drew raced forward, opening the door to me so I could run into the kitchen without a block in the way.

Hurriedly, I laid Kriss down on the counter, shouting at Drew to find the first aid kit right before the front door opened.

"Hey, kids, what-Oh my god, why is Kriss bleeding like that?" My mother shouted as she stepped into the door.

"I don't know, I just got home and she was like this." I told her, still putting pressure on the wounds so they didn't bleed as much. "What do I do?" I pleaded, I could feel the tears building up in my eyes but I held them back.

"I'll call Dr. Trodden; you get the first aid kit." My mother demanded, already dialing the number and holding it up to her ear.

"Drew is getting the First Aid," I told her.

"Then ... keep doing what you're doing-Yes, hello? I need to speak to Dr. Trodden right now!"

Hang in there, Kriss, I pleaded.

Hang in there.

[Two Hours Later]

　

Tap, tap, tap went my fingers on my legs as I waited patiently outside of the guest room. The clock ticked by and I just sat waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting until Dr. Trodden walked out of the guest room. I bolted up, almost knocking into the shelf beside me as I stuttered, "I-is she okay? Can I see her? Please?"

Dr. Trodden frowned but nodded and waved me into the room, following close to my heels. "She's probably asleep so I wouldn't make much noi-" Dr. Trodden started but was cut off by a squeal.

"Emmie!" Kriss started to sit up but I rushed to the side of her bed, making sure she stayed lying down.

"Shh, you need to stay lying down. You got really hurt. Do you remember?" I asked her while caressing her hair as she smiled up at me. Her head nodded vigorously, tears forming in her eyes.

"They found me! H-he said and," Kriss cried and blubbered into my shirt so I couldn't make out all the words she was saying. "he attacked and-d" there was a long moment right here of incoherent words I didn't understand at all but I continued to sit with her, rubbing her back and making sure she was okay.

Of course she wasn't okay! Someone attacked her! How could Drew stay home and not be able to take care of her? Some rouge probably got to her and attacked her! Or maybe that monster showed its face!

"Kriss," I asked "Do you remember what the person who attacked you looked like?"

A nod before she sobbed and answer, "He's taller than Drew and really scary, but Emerson you shouldn't go look for him. He's dangerous."

The fear in her eyes and the determination was filling her eyes so much that I paused wondering what she meant.

"He'll kill you."

I laughed, not amused, "Kriss, I'm a werewolf. I could take him."

But Kriss just shook her head, "You don't know him, Emerson, he's not just any kind of werewolf, he's - OUCH!"

I growled as Dr. Trodden injected something in Kriss's arm. Kriss grew sleepy and was dead to the world in the next few seconds. "What the hell did you do?" I roared and Kriss didn't stir but the woman I aimed it at, flinched. Good.

"Emerson, you have to understand, Kriss is highly on medications and everything she is saying is going to be complete and utter nonsense. If she continued she would have a freak attack and nearly killing herself. She needs as much rest as possible and once the medication wears off she'll be coherent again.

My tight shoulders relaxed as I listened to her reason. Yeah, I guess she was right. She is the doctor, not me. I gave Kriss a kiss on the forehead one last time before I left the room. She would be okay, or at least I kept telling myself that.