Awoken By Passion

Chapter 7

  Heard

  Soil lingered in my nose, as pain throbbed in my body. Shaking with pain and from the cold, I coughed; trying to sit up. It was dark. I was in a strange place, but it didn’t matter. I had been in many strange places lately. My lips were dry. I wish I had water, or even some food. My stomach was aching. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten. Laughter erupted around me; a group of men were some distance way. They were animals. Two other women were dancing around a bonfire wearing barely anything as the group of animals cheered and clapped. These women were as crazy as they were. They liked what these animals looked like, worse, they liked that they took blood from them. I didn’t like them; they were rude, loud, and completely filthy in the words they spoke.

  “Well, look who’s awake,” said a sneering voice.

  Clawed hands gripped my face. Taking in one of the kidnapper’s in the dim of the fire light. It was the Skinny One. He was ugly, even as human form. “You look like you need to drink something little Miss, can’t have you too weak. You’re the Master’s offering when we find him.”

  Gushing water ran into my mouth, unable to swallow it fast enough it spilled from my rough lips. I wanted to drink normally, but he was doing it wrong. He poured it too fast, drowning me in water. Coughing up most of it, chilling my body, and soaking my dirt stained clothes.

  “Hey now, don’t be so messy.” He upturned the bottle to my mouth without warning, pouring it down my throat just as roughly.

  I couldn’t swallow it, taking the dryness from my lips was the best it did. I wish they would untie my hands. The cords pained my wrist, the ache was numbing, but I hated the position of them.

  “Well now that you’re all refreshed, it’s time for some more fun where we left of last time.” His head bobbed in front of me.

  I knew what he was about to do. I didn’t want to. I was too tired.

  “Look into my eyes Missy.” His hands pulled at my face to stay still.

  I didn’t want this. His power was pitiful, useless. Whatever he tried to do, it never worked properly. Pain was all I felt.

  “What you think you’re doing knuckle head.” A growl from the shadows had him pause.

  “Was having myself a moment with the lass, is all.”

  “You don’t even know what a moment is, you’re a waste.” The other animal came closer.

  His leather boots were in my view, he kicked at the Skinny One who whimpered away like a real dog.

  “Fine. You have her then. I’m going to the party.” The Skinny One ran away as the boots kicked after him, to turn back and stand in front of me.

  I froze.

  This creature was different. He was the Nice One. He was always watching, but he never came close, until now. He was nice to look at from a distance. His chocolate brown eyes stared without blinking, as he pulled a knife to my view, I gasped.

  “It’s okay. Here.” He reached behind me, and with a swift tug, my bonds slipped free. But I dare not move, in fear it were a trick. It wasn’t until he stood that I risked moving my hands. Raw blisters and half healed scabs were the worst of my wounds.

  He stared at me.

  “Please, help me,” I whispered. Hoping he’d set me free.

  The Nice One knelt in front of me, gaining my view of his face. A nice handsome face he had. His smell was so sweet. I hated that I liked him, I hated that he was so good looking, and now, I hated the way he looked at me.

  “What’s your name?” He asked, uncapping the bottle of water before handing it to me.

  “Stacy … Stacy Gilbert,” I whispered, taking my first real drink of water in days. Oh, the sweetness of water was rewarding, warm as it was; it was the best thing I had now that I was able to swallow it at my speed.

  “I can’t let you go Stacy, but I can ease your pain,” he said.

  I watched him, like all the others before him. His face tilted to the light changing from the handsome man he was, to a creature of darkness. Yellow eyes glowed, as the vine like pattern of lightening streaks of black spread his brow and cheeks. Sharp white fangs came forth. He opened his mouth in a hiss and pulled me towards him. My lips were on his—a shock to both of us. Even in this animal form, I wanted to kiss him.

  At first, it was hard; his fangs were in the way. But I moved my lips with his, tasting him. He stiffened at the action. He kissed for the briefest of seconds, pulled my head to the side, and bit me. The sting of his fangs entering into my neck had me hiss. This time, I didn’t care. This time I didn’t fight the bite, or the pleasure I as now feeling. Passion rose inside me—him—as he drank my blood and I shivered in the sensation of bliss.

  Ah!

  I jolted awake clutching my neck to check my wrist. Nothing. It was just a dream—a nightmare. I was here in my bed. I was Kera. Why had I dreamed I was someone else? Why had I dreamed … about vampires? Drinking my blood and I wanted him to? I glanced around the room feeling guilty. The sun had been up for more than an hour. I looked to the clock, calculating the time. Wow—twelve hours of sleep. That was interesting. Gone was my drowsiness from yesterday, my pain in the chest and my fog. I was awake—I was alive.

  “Morning honey, how did you sleep?” asked Elizabeth from in the kitchen.

  Good. Better than good. Were my thoughts and my note I scribbled to her.

  “That’s good honey. Was worried you were ill.”

  Huh … I frowned.

  “You didn’t eat much of your dinner last night. Are you coming down with something?” She reached towards me, touching my forehead before I pulled away.

  I shrugged. I’m fine.

  I came home later than usual, but she wasn’t worried about that. Though spending yesterday afternoon with Spirit wasn’t worth the discussion, since it was a dream, just like the one I had this morning. It wasn’t uncommon for me to blank out entire days; my fog was good at avoiding days on end. Yesterday was Monday and today is Tuesday. I remembered I hid in the library wanting no one to find me—but Ethan did, and he told everyone about how I was being mistreated—and I left. Humm… the rest was just twisted dreams of hope. Me talking to a wolf—in thought? Tugh. And falling to my death—twice? To dream about being someone else, with a Nice One? Maybe television was taking its toll on me. I glanced to the large clock above the arched doorway. I would be early for school if I left now, strange mum didn’t mention me leaving in the middle of class yesterday. I picked up my bag from the side hook.

  “Kera honey,” she called.

  I paused—damn. So close. And here it comes. I should be more matured, I should be responsible. I shouldn’t just leave without telling someone, something could have happened and I it is better someone knows where I was.

  Course that argument was what I was expecting. Instead, she surprised me.

  “You don’t have to go into school if you’re not up to it.”

  I flushed in shock. What happened to a yelling? And really—to stay home.

  “Just for today. Maybe you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

  I wasn’t going to feel better tomorrow; I wasn’t going to feel better in a week or a month. What did it matter if I had to do it today? I shook my head and turned to the door, puzzling why she wasn’t giving me the mature talk.

  “Okay Honey. If you need to, you can do a half day instead.” She called as I closed the door behind me.

  I didn’t want to think about a half day or a day off. Glancing to the misty clouds of promising rain, I zipped my jacket and flipped the hoddie. Kenneth was known for sudden weather changes, it could rain in moments to be a sunny in an hours time, not to mention a storm could roll in from the south without warning; and while the spring was here, the weather was ten times unpredictable. I shouldered my bag to a comfortable position as I walked towards the woods, taking the small path to my garden.

  Trying to find my fog was near impossible. My nightmare played on my thoughts. How much of it was real? The nightmare of Stacy Gilbert and the Nice-One, helping her—before he bit her. Ugh.
That wasn’t nice to remember, even if there was something familiar about him. Yesterday surfaced in a hazy memory of why do I have to, though like before—why didn’t Elizabeth get up me, ground me, or warn me about being irresponsible. But the before going home surfaced more questions than answers. Talking to the wolf, naming him, running away from this place, to fall off a cliff and… wake up. Not fare. Elizabeth said I didn’t eat much of my dinner. I wasn’t hungry when I arrived home. Thinking about yesterday’s art class, I really didn’t want to go to school, especially since it’s where Ethan would be. I didn’t want to think about him, but another thought did make me do just that.

  The history assignment.

  I frowned and fumbled on the idea I hadn’t read Ethan’s notes or book. That wasn’t good; he said I only had them for the night. I rummaged through my book bag. Glancing his elegant writing, I smiled. He had titled each page to a different section of the Salem witch trial, from the months through to the people, and the witch’s involved in trials. I frowned. Ethan knew a lot about this stuff; his notes were flawless.

  The sound of padded feet had me gaze to the brush line of my garden; there in the shadows was the wolf. He was a less like I remember; hidden in the gloom of the morning clouds, it made his large form appear frightening as he prowled closer by a paw step; I didn’t feel fear from him.

  Okay, so you’re here, I said. That was a good sign. It meant that I’d definitely named him Spirit.

  The wolf stayed where he was. He didn’t shift closer as I expected, and that was when I realised I’d cried and begged him to kill me. It was amazing he returned at all with my plea, though considering I was so upset, I shivered at the memory of touching him, knotting my fingers into his thick fur.

  Did you take me for a ride yesterday?

  A dislodge snort echoed from his throat.

  And it’s good to know that you’re answering me still.

  The snort came, though a pause was there—his eyes looked at me with guilt, as though he shouldn’t have answered. Huh. Interesting as that was, I knew there was more to my dreams last night.

  I accepted on the cliff face—least in my first dream—he could read my mind. Here, he claimed that didn’t happen, but he was answering me; even if I secretly thought, he could understand me.

  Fine, be that way. Guess I’ll have a bad day any how.

  He shifted from the shadows and into the sunlight. He paused as I drank in his five foot, three hundred pounds of vicious killing power, and muscular form of claws and teeth.

  If you’re not going to kill me, can you at least not be so mysterious. I tilted my head to the side, unsure if this was what I did yesterday. Talking, yes. I mean no, I wasn’t talking. I was thinking the words, and in that, his reactions were visible. I know you can hear me and I’m sorry I cried on you, but you must be lonely too and then I had a dream.

  He stepped closer; his ears flickered from side to side.

  I pressed my lips together. It was just a dream, a terrible bad dream. One where I woke up, and worse—I am still alive. I waved to myself.

  Spirit grizzled, like a choked laugh. Odd he’d laugh at such a thing.

  It’s not funny. It’s horrible. I can’t die in my dream, and now I’m stuck with today. Wish I had my fog back. I stiffened at my last thought.

  My fog. The hazy void of not paying much attention to anything, but the last nine days my fog was unwilling to be present when I needed it most.

  Spirit’s choked bark was unusual, though his eyes had shifted from my face to my lap, taking in the notes I’d read.

  Hmm … I have to do an assignment and well, I had to borrow them off a cute boy. You’re not a normal wolf. Are you?

  Spirit shook his head with a definite no labelled to that.

  Okay, so, why are you here?

  He resembled yesterday, sighing heavy and glancing around the area, just like in my dream; watching.

  Seems you do that a lot. Pity you can’t come to school and tell everyone to leave me alone.

  His jaw widened into a yawn.

  Okay, I’m boring you—I get it.

  I shifted the parchments, taking in Ethan’s writing. I didn’t want to be late for school and without a clock to tell me the time; I timidly stuffed everything into my bag and stood. Spirit stood with me, his eyes held a look of waiting, longing … no. Hunger. I inched closer.

  You will kill me, won’t you?

  His ears flattened.

  Oh, come on, please, least a bite on the arm. I teased as he stepped backwards. Okay fine, and since I’m completely crazy talking to you. Maybe you could at least lighten up. Death isn’t the end.

  He paused, tilting his head to the side as if to ask why?

  It’s where nothing bad happens, and nothing can harm you, I said stubbornly. Unlike here. I glanced around the area. Okay not here, here. But school. Better get it over with; right?

  I shifted my bag to my other shoulder taking in Spirits height. I was small to him, able to stare into his eyes. Amber flecks of brown and green; the green shined through brighter, specks of jade in several shades.

  So, if you’re here watching, will you be here this afternoon? I risked making plans with the animal. If I’d successfully gone crazy in the past week, then this was definitely the best way to spend it.

  “You can’t go crazy Kerr. It’s just not possible,” Melody’s voice lingered on the edge of my mind. I could imagine her here beside me. “Talking to the wolf in thought doesn’t make you crazy, it makes you special. And I always said you had a knack for being different. Maybe if you sing, a unicorn will appear and a dragon too …”

  Spirit’s tilted his head, his eyes shifted to my side. There was nothing near me to catch his eye, or perhaps it was a tiny bug. He snorted twice to stare at me again. I shrugged it off, and waited for my answer.

  Will you be here this afternoon? That was something.

  His nod was welcoming as I stepped onto the warn path, I headed to school. Spirit didn’t follow as I thought; he howled and padded out of view.

  The closer I came to school, the slower I walked. Resuming my scan of Ethan’s notes, helped take the focusing off where I was going. The light foot steps echoed from behind me, glancing to see Ethan following me, caught me off guard.

  “Morning Kera, how are you?”

  Er … good. I rolled my eyes; I was good moments ago, better talking to Spirit. But with the confrontation from yesterday, I didn’t want to be reminded. I side glanced Ethan as his jaw clenched. And just like that, my nightmare surfaced. Familiar and yet—no, it wasn’t important.

  “I see you’re reading the notes.” His eyes lingered on the papers I held.

  I hastily scribbled a note.

  I missed reading it last night … sorry. Can I hold on to them?

  “As long as you need.”

  A tingle in my thoughts nagged for another image, my dream. Him reaching towards me. It was gone before I could hold the image, and as I turned my gaze from him, Ethan searched my face; perhaps reading my expression. Why did he have to stare so much, I wasn’t going to talk to him and I wasn’t going to budge on my idea from yesterday? I didn’t need him, or anyone. Okay, maybe the idea of Spirit festered in my thoughts as too Melody.

  “You sure, you don’t want a person around Kerr …” Her voice was laughable.

  I headed towards my locker, trying to ignore Ethan walking beside me. From the corner of my eye, he’d stared at anyone who lingered too long on me. What was his deal? Protecting me yesterday became a full time job? I wish he’d stop.

  “Thought anymore on the art competition?” he asked smoothly.

  No. I still don’t want to do it.

  “It will be fun, you’ll see.”

  Did he just answer me? Couldn’t have.

  Fun! Me being centre of attention—fun? I wanted to jab my finger into his chest. The lights flickered along the hall. I don’t think it will be fun. This isn’t fun. You should have stayed away from me. Why can’t
you just leave me alone? I was fine until you showed up.

  “You …” Ethan paused in his words. He glanced along the halls, watching the flickering lights as they increased with brightness. “Breathe slowly Kera,” he whispered.

  Huh? I puzzled why he’d say such a thing, and yet, I was breathing slowly. Tugh. The lights stopped the intense flickering instantly and slowly he relaxed.

  “I just want to spend time with you.”

  My heart fluttered with butterflies and warmth instantly. That was nice… or was it just a trick?

  Seriously. You. Spend time with me? The most gorgeous guy in the school wants to spend time with me? What could he find interesting about me. I don’t speak. I don’t talk and right now, staring at him was possibly closer to undressing him with my eyes.

  “Was thinking, we could spend some time this afternoon going over ideas for the art competition, if you like?”

  Oh, I might like that. I don’t want to be around them. I waved my hand to the halls. Empty as they were, I was referring to the students.

  “And you don’t have to.”

  Huh, I turned to him. You did it. You answered my thoughts.

  Ethan shifted uncomfortably. “We’re going to be late, come on. We’ll talk about this later.” He reached for my elbow to escort me along the halls to first class.

  Later? No. I want answers now! You can hear me.

  He ignored me as he ushered us to first class.

  Art.

  And I use to love this class the most. The best I could do was imagine Melody sitting at our spot; it was soon filled with Ethan taking it. I narrowed my eyes, pondering why he did and had—answered me. He could hear me. It was the only explanation, and later? Who says let’s talk about this later when he knows I didn’t talk. And what crept into my thoughts throughout class, wasn’t that Ethan could hear my thoughts, but so could Spirit.