::Summary::
Ecterina is a simple girl with a rare illness... She prepares for the worst until a faceless man gives her an offer- but does the catch leaver better off than her precious fate? (rated T for Language)
::Pre-story info::
Ecterina: means "innocent" Greek.
Dendritic cells (DCs): are immune cells that form part of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the surface to other cells of the immune system, thus functioning as antigen-presenting cells. Named after the long slender appendages that sprout off the cell. They can be used as treatment towards Cancer and other diseases.
-Dendritic-
I had wandered my way far past the forest line on this cold night. I had merely walked out here for barely any other reason other than to be cold. I wasn't looking for anything but the numbness from lack of body heat.
I wanted my body to cease this boring soreness it had seemingly slipped into in this past month. Everyday my body ached from pain caused by some unknown entity. My muscles where sore and my joints groaned as I made any motion causing me to tire for no apparent reason. This constant fatigue was annoying. I had been partially sick as of late as well- but I had figured it was just from my mental state.
A shiver shook my thin small body and the cold of the night bit into my paled and ashy skin.
I kept my trek in motion however.
My fingers tingled, my ears pained and my nose felt like a foreign appendage made of cold stone. My smooth milk chocolate irises turned up to the moonless sky that skill glowed without its large white orb of dirt.
As the numbness crawled up my arms and legs I felt a soothing relief wash over my senses. I came to a clearing and stopped a few yards in, finally really taking in my surroundings.
The tall oak trees stretched up motionless in the almost breezeless northern abyss. What small breeze crawled over my skin made me unconsciously adjust my black zip-up jacket as well as take a solid inhale of the fresh sharp air.
A pain in my chest gave my nerves a shock.
"Damn..." I snarled and rested a hand over where the snap of pain had occurred, over my heart. I couldn't remember how long I've had these pains… I don't think they started to become noticeable until about a month ago.
I didn't think much of it and pushed my, almost-black, brown hair behind my ear. My hair was a simple cropped cut that rested at a bobbed length about two inches or so bellow my sharp jawline. My bangs shifted out of place and with a jolt of my head they moved back to rest over my brow and graze my eyelashes.
The creak of an Oak made me turn to look at the sky but I was unable to complete the motion as I simply passed out...
My eyes slipped open and I stared up at the ceiling as my skin grew colder; a chill rolling down my back.
I had no idea where I was...
I slowly sat up from the cot I was in, the stiff blanket awkwardly folding into my lap. The walls and atmosphere lacked any sort of color- everything in black and white and gray; the place also seemed to lack any sound other than a small of the white noise my body echoed in my ears. I took in the simple wood cabin I had awoke in and got to my feet with a stumble, my vision fuzzing for a moment. I clumsily made my way out of the room I was in to end up in a conjoined living-dining-kitchen-entry room. All of which was adorned with the simplest of necessities of the dullest standard.
Again there was a lack of color in the atmosphere and I shivered. A small call of the wind turned my attention to the Oak door that sat wide open to the outside world of minute color.
I walked to stop in the door way and look around for possibly a person that had brought me here.
A creak from in the cabin had me look over my shoulder.
In the far corner stood a tall faceless man adorned in a black suit; he stared down to me and a sharp noise cracked the air a mere second after I had locked gazes with him.
Without even giving myself time to scream I sprinted out of the cabin and into the thicket, not even wanting to look behind me again.
My breath was quickened and stuck in my throat per gasp. I was running as fast as I could through the forest, the damp early winter leaves smacking against the soles of my red converse. I tripped and barely caught myself, stumbling from a full speed run. My muscles began to fight through the cold numbness and complain to me.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I gasped again and tried to pick up my pace.
God only knows how far I've been running now but my chest fest like it was going to collapse in on itself from lack of air. The hood on my sweatshirt flapped about on my lower neck and upper back, damp from the few times I had fallen.
I looked back to see if the creature was still following me.
Unfortunately he was... and apparently he possessed long, ink-black, sharp tentacles. his tendrils where stretched and crawling him along like a giant black spider after me, only his white face and blood red tie visible in bright contrast to the black void of his suit.
I snapped my attention forward after the sharp noise rang in my ears from staring at the Tall Man.
I could barely breathe and I felt my pace slowing and my feet pounding harder.
No! No! No!
I had to make it out of the damned woods! Just get past the tree line!
As I approached the edge of the woods, I could see streetlamps illuminating the roads in the night.
CAN'T RUN.
A voice thundered in my head and I stumbled as if to duck from a gunshot.
"FUCK YOU!" I screamed with tears brinking in my eyes. So close...
The road was nearing closer and closer- soon I could be in the safety of the light; praying to god that the creature would indeed leave me once I touched the light.
I cried out hysterically just as I burst out from tree cover, diving to the ground like a football player going for a touchdown.
Before my hands or body could make contact to the safe lush green grass, two large white boney hands grabbed my waist and sucked me back into the trees. I let out a blood curdling scream as my safety was yanked away, reaching out for it with both my arms.
"HELP ME!" I screamed out and my was voice shrill and cracking from the pitch and volume.
A thick static white noise filled my ears and swallowed my eyesight.
My senses practically turned off and my equilibrium spun about, up turning my stomach.
I held back the urge to empty its contents out and made a sad attempt at prying the Man's- no- the Thing's- hands off of me.
I kicked my agonizingly sore legs furiously, hoping that someway in hell I would land a hit.
DON'T LOOK OR IT TAKES YOU.
The voice boomed in my head again and my vision was rushed back to me. I was turned around to look at him- It -the static hit my ears again and I was brought closer toward his craned head for examination. I instantly closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, this thing was horrifying. So simple in creational details and yet because of Its simplicity It was eerie and terrifying.
My chest roared with pain over my heart again and I let out a cry in terror and agony.
I lurched forward successfully smashing my forehead against the face of the monster. I was dropped out of surprise and I sprinted off to the light again, my body arguing against anymore movement.
I looked back to see the tendrils extending after me and I screamed as I passed into the gold sheen of the streetlight.
All the static left my mind and the atmosphere felt less weighted.
I squinted out of the light to see the faceless Tall Man gone.
Had I imagined the whole thing?
No! Hell no! Of course not!
I looked up and down the road to judge my distance from home and then took off on a jog in the right direction, the streetlamps beams passing over to keep me safe.
A few minutes later I had fallen into my front lawn. My breathing was harsh and sharp; a rasp could be heard from my throat. I barely made it to my feet again and scaled the masonry work to my second story window with very much difficulty. I fell into my room and lay on the floor.
What in the hell was that creature?! What the hell had I just experienced?!
My chest pained over my heart again and I grabbed at the skin with a cringe.
"Fuck... That hurts…" I huffed out between gritted teeth.
Once the pain had resided into my aching muscles and joints I slipped into the darkness of fatigue with a large exhale.
A small shake to my body woke me and I found myself stretched out in the backseat of the car as it drifted around the corner; my mother's cries for my older sister to drive faster and to watch for traffic was heard in a muffled tone. My vision danced about the ceiling and I was having trouble focus, why was I being rushed somewhere in my mother's car?
The middle aged woman in the passenger seat turned to me and her tear streaked face partially lit up.
The vehicle lurched to a stop and I shifted forward, my aching muscles all crying out at once. My family got out the car quickly and I was pulled out and carried in my sister's arms. The moment we went through the automatic doors I realized we were in a hospital. I teetered in and out of the darkness and my equilibrium spun again and I didn't have enough energy to halt my stomach from purging.
I fell into the abyss just as I was exchanged hands and set down on a gurney.
A small beep echoed into my ears and I felt my eyes twitch. Another beep and my lip quivered. The next feeling was utter numbness in my limbs minus my head; my skin tingled from whatever drug they had me on and I uttered a small noise similar to a mumble.
"Ecterina!" My mother's voice sounded to the left of me and I heard her chair slide back as she stood.
My eyes opened and it looked as though I had opened them underwater, the world was a fuzzy blur and I could only make out blobs. Another blob entered the room from my right and it adorned a white a body the dark head.
"Ma'am I need to have a moment with you…" the voice was deep soothing.
"Y-yes Doctor…" The blob of my mother drifted away along with the Doctor.
I tried to pinpoint onto their hushed voices; it wasn't until my mother let out a sob that I was finally able to latch onto their voices.
"It appears to have been present for a while but hadn't been 'activated' so to say, is there anything that has happened recently that could have caused a 'jolt'?" the deeper voice seemed out of place and faraway from any emotion.
"Well- I –uh… her father passed recently… but they weren't very close… they didn't really get along at all."
I just lay there still as stone.
Of course.
"She complained very little about the aching but I figured she was mourning…"
"How long ago did your husband pass ma'am?"
"Oh- no, he wasn't my husband, well not anymore, we were divorced- we had about two years ago."
"My apologies- but when did you say he passed?"
"About a month ago…"
"What was the cause of death, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Cancer…"
The blob made a motion of a nod turned his head to me.
"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am…"
My mother's figure began to fill in and shape, she had her arms wrapped around her and her face was darkened in sorrow. "Please how long… does she… ya' know…"
"We can attempt treatment that would extend her expectancy but since it's around the heart it cannot be extensive. The organ is already damaged by the tumors and doing radiation therapy would be too risky. Chemotherapy however if administered would extend her life another month- but without treatment I'd give her about another five to six weeks."
My mother let another sob and I let my tears fall from my eyes as I registered the information.
I had Heart Cancer and such small amount of time to live…