The Gifted: New York

Winter Blues

I then looked around. There was no one else on that road. It's just the two of us. Beads of cold sweat ran down my forehead, and my skin was as pale as winter itself. I tried moving my arm but it was paralyzed, as if my body was out of my control. I could feel the goosebumps underneat my wool jacket. Glancing at the side mirror, I saw nothing. I looked straight ahead. Suddenly, the very same figure stood in front of me, just much closer. Its head twitched and contorted, and blood gushed from eye sockets, dying the pale, green-spotted skin it had. It was completely unclothed, and maggots came out of its mouth. I wanted to scream but my mouth wouldn't move. It tried to grasp my head with its hand, exposing its bony, fleshless, slender fingers. Terror struck and the moment I could move, I closed my eyes and screamed at its face.

Opening my eyes again, I could only find myself sitting straight up on a sleeping mattress with a wet towel on my forehead and a thermometer in my mouth. My head spun so hard I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I could feel someone's hand on my shoulder. 

"You're finally awake." A voice said. 

"Erwin, is that you?" I asked, trembling from the nightmare and fever.

"Yes, I'm Erwin. Don't worry. You're safe. Apparently, mid-journey, Ed noticed that when you fell asleep, you had a fever, so he rushed you here."

"Where's Ed? Did he go to buy something or what?" By then, I could open my eyes slowly. My head still ached, but, I had regained my balance and stood up. I had trouble talking out loud. I couldn't recognise myself, and my voice was so raspy I was surprised. 

"Jo, be careful there are the stairs! JO!"

Too late. I tripped and nearly shattered my elbow, and then I felt a tight grip by my arms. 

"Jo, you OK?" It was Ed. He slowly helped me up, and I fumbled my way on the stairs. 

"It's alright. I feel a bit dizzy. I just wanted to get the soup my mom prepared in my luggage. I can do it myself."

"Jo, you should take care and rest. I'm so worried about you right now. Please don't get in trouble for me and your mom, for goodness sake."

"Alright, just this once. When I get well, I'm going to do it myself. Get the rantang in the blue bag. It should be a vacuum, a silver one if I wasn't mistaken. Thanks a lot!" I screeched down the stairs.

 "You need to go to get ready before 3 after this, OK? We have a flight to catch later." he was rubbing his ears from the noise pollution I've caused at midnight.

"Will do," I raspily screamed. 

My throat hurt when I spoke, and I find it hard to breathe. I coughed out green spit. My skin felt sensitive and had rashes. my eyes were swollen, reddened and welled up from the winter. Oh, how much I hate being sick away from home.

---

Erwin and I chatted while playing cards while Ed prepared the soup. Looking at my cards, I felt victory just within my fingertips. 

"Uno!" I said as I pulled out my blue card with number 2 on it.

"Bold of you to assume you're winning." Drawing out his cards plus four cards, he grinned widely. 

Ohohoh, I saved the best for last, I thought. I smiled, and pulled out my plus four.

"Oh, come on! That aint that fair innit? You've won 3 rounds in a row!"

"What can I say, I am a bit lucky myself."

"I can't believe I lost 3 times in a row to a sick girl. Usually my uno skills aint that blunt," he joked