My Place- Randall Carpio Love Story

All tied up in a cute little bow

"Remi?"

"Yeah?"

"My wound's not healing."

Remi twitched her right cheek and felt the tug of the tight skin around her infected wound. "Neither is mine." She let out a breath and stopped just shy of the den's compound. She grabbed Lilith's forearm and tugged her back before she lifted her hand to take a look at her wound. A dark purple bruise surrounded the cut and black veins trailed out like mapping rivers. The deepest part of the wound was black with tainted blood that smelled strongly of sulfur. Remi's nose scrunched up as she dropped the hand. "That looks bad."

"Yours does too."

Remi nodded, but she didn't want to think about what hers looked like. If Lilith's hand was any indication, half of her face was swallowed by the wound. 

"Okay-" She lifted her arm and ripped the cuff off of the sleeve and brought it to her lips to tear it into a single, long strand. "Here-" she grabbed Lilith's hand again and started to wrap the cloth around it. The cloth quickly absorbed her blood and soiled the clothe to a deep red. 

After Lilith's hand was covered, she used her other sleeve to wipe the bloody tears from Lilith's cheek, then she started to clean her own face.

"What are you doing?" Lilith's asked as she watched Remi gingerly move the stark fabric around her cut.

"Cleaning the blood. If we go in there like this Hamish and Randall are gonna freak. After losing Jack, they might do something irrational." She flinched as she accidentally got too close to her wound. The rough material dug into the infected cut and burned down her jawline. 

"Something irrational... Like walk into a Temple filled with magic practitioners alone?" Lilith teased.

Remi smiled until the wound started to throb. Her eyes sparkled as she met Lilith's soft gaze. "Yeah, something incredibly stupid like that." A flash of fatigue dropped the smile. She lifted a hand to rub at her sore jaw. The exhaustion seeped deep into her and reminded her of bleeding out in her own bathtub. "I... don't think these wounds will heal on their own."

She looked over at Lilith to see her face blanche as she stumbled a bit. Remi reached out for her and grabbed onto her bicep. 

"We gotta get to the others," 

Remi nodded as they started for the den again. The closer they got to it, the more she could sense the others, but it wasn't just Randall and Hamish... there were four bodies inside. 

"Do you feel that?"

"Yeah."

"But who-"

"I don't know." Lilith admitted. 

Remi leaned on Lilith as they made it to the steps. She looked up the porch as she tried to talk herself out of believing that somehow, someway, Jack was one of the four lively presences she felt inside. She knew it was impossible. She had watched him die. Her hand laid on his back as he took his last breath. But still... she hoped. 

Remi pushed the first door open for Lilith to move through. Her hand dropped sluggishly from Lilith as she forced the second door open. She tried to follow after her, but her feet decided to take their sweet time. 

Lilith looked back and noticed Remi glaring down at her uncooperative feet. She reached back and grabbed Remi's hand with her bare hand and pulled her forward with her. "A little help?" She called out for anyone as she helped Remi through the door. 

Remi took one step into the foyer before Randall sprinted into the room. "Remi!" His voice swelled with excitement and relief as he rushed over to them. "Lilith!" He laughed out, but the sound stopped cold as Remi looked up at him. His eyes honed in on the black slash over her cheek. She watched them widen in horror before his face blanched.