Warning! Contains scenes of explicit violence and gore. I had to up the rating for this one; it turned more bloody than I expected.
I am borne darkly, fearfully afar…
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
I Hate This Face. Trish stared at the cracked mirror, her hands gripping the sink. The multiple mirror images seemed to smirk at her. She could never escape it, it was always there; her face…Eva's face.
Almost a year had passed since she had helped Dante defeat Mundus and escape Mallet Island. Presently they were on a mission in this small town, Meadows Creek. It had held ghosts for Dante, forgotten ghosts from his childhood. Trish could never forget her ghosts; she carried them with her wherever she went. There was no escape. I Hate This Face! Her fist smashed into the reflecting surface. Glittering pieces shattered and the smirking faces fell to the floor. Gone. For now.
A knock was heard on the rest room door and she mentally shook herself. Not the place for this. Not bothering to protect her hands from cuts, Trish scooped up the shards that had fallen into the sink, dropped them on the floor and kicked them into a corner.
She rinsed the blood from her hands and dried them off on a paper towel. The cuts had already healed. This ability she had often cursed.
She walked out to the parking lot where Dante sat on a bench. The remains of their improvised picnic had just been sent sailing through the air and into a trash can. With the other hand he was absentmindedly twirling Ivory. Trish let her eyes roam over the relaxed devil hunter. His handsome face was sporting a content smile. He had dealt with some of his demons and had come out the winner. He had also just gulped down a giant steak and a large stack of fries. Trish smiled, he could eat incredible amounts of food and yet, he had not an ounce of excess fat on his body. A body that Trish could not, for the life of her, keep her eyes off. She had recently admitted it to herself. She had fallen for him.
Damn it, Trish, she cursed herself. Forget it, there is no way. She had reached the bench and Dante looked up at her.
"Hey, babe. What's with the frown?" he smiled at her for a second and then the smiled fell. He knotted his brow and reached out to stroke a finger across her cheek. It came back smeared with blood.
"Did you have any trouble in there?" He looked towards the rest room and his eyes grew dark as a trucker exited. Trish followed his gaze and quickly put a hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing I couldn't handle. A mirror…broke. I just cut myself." She let out a relieved sigh as Dante seemed to relax a little. He was a tad overprotective at times. I remind him of her.
She sat down beside him and took a leftover napkin to clean the blood from her cheek. As she idly gazed out over the street she saw someone approaching from a distance. It was a woman and as she came closer Trish recognised her. It was the waitress that had stood behind the counter in the diner. She stopped in front of them, holding a package in her hands.
"Hi, Dante. You probably don't remember me, Mary Grogan. We went to school together." She gave him a charming smile and gazed into his eyes.
"Hello…Mary." Dante smiled back and let his eyes drift over her. Trish could see how Mary's smile turned into a complacent grin.
"I brought you some apple pie. I made it myself." She handed the package to Dante, paying no attention to Trish who had to suppress a sudden urge to electrocute something. Or someone.
"I'll go and…buy something." Trish got up and stalked away. She heard Dante mumble something in reply as she passed behind Mary's back. She crossed the street but instead of going into a store she went into a nearby alley. She stepped into the shadows and put her back against the cold stone wall. If she turned her head she could still see the bench. She clenched her fists as small golden sparkles started to creep along her arms. That's it. When this mission is over I'm gone. I can't take this any more. I Hate This Face!
She slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the pavement. She put her arms protectively around her head as images started to invade her brain.
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Aarrgghhh, please, stop! Nooo- she felt blood spilling from her side, dripping from her naked feet. The claw withdrew and the hope that it was over sparkled in her mind. She tried to inhale but her lungs were not cooperating, one of them was punctured from the feel of it. A sudden sting across her back shattered her hope of rest. The claws gripped her throat and drew blood.
"Watch her face. That you may not scare." The deep terrible voice of her master echoed through the cave. He watched her torture with a smile on his face. The light from his three eyes illuminated his grim features.
"Now, my dear. Repeat your orders."
"I'm bait. I'll try to lure the son of Sparda to Mallet Island," Trish stuttered. The effort of speaking made her jaw hurt and she could feel the taste of blood in her mouth. The award for her efforts was a blow to her already broken arm. She gasped and could not stop the instinctive charge of energy that flashed from her hand. One of her assailants yelped and Mundus laughed.
"There's some spark in you yet, my dear clone." He waved at another goblin to take its wounded comrade's place. "But you did not repeat your orders correctly, you will not try, you will succeed." With a gesture he ordered the goblins to punish her for her mistake and insolence. The screams lasted for hours.
Trish woke up with her cheek pressed against a smooth stone surface. The dried blood itched and she could feel the pieces of her broken bones grind against each other as she took a breath. If I could only die. She was repeatedly put to the brink of death during these sessions, but they always stopped before she could slip into the blessed nothingness.
Not having the strength or ability to move she lay on the cold floor, staring into the dark and letting her body heal itself. A glimpse of light caught her eye. With a grimace she tilted her head, hearing the vertebrae in her neck crackle. There it was. The vessel that held her origin. Blonde tresses floated in the liquid that enveloped the body of a female. Her slender form seemed to shine with an iridescent light in the gloom of the chamber. Trish cursed her existence. She was the reason for Trish's pain and suffering.
Trish felt her mind slipping. Eva Sparda. If I could I would have killed you before you reached puberty. Who in their right mind falls in love with a demon? Not knowing why, she started laughing to herself, a laugh which culminated in a cough that made her throw up some blood. A current in the large transparent tube made a lock of hair drifted to the side and reveal the floating woman's face. For an instance Trish thought Eva was looking at her. But the pale eyelids were closed and no emotions crossed the serene face. Her face…my face…our face.
By gripping the edges of the flag stones Trish crawled closer to the large tube. Pausing for a minute to catch her breath she rolled over on her back, stifling a cry as her broken ribs cut into her lungs. She lay there staring up at Eva and felt deep hate welling up inside her. There will be no others. It stops here. She struggled up on her knees, thankful that the bones in her legs had healed. Blood dripped from her mouth onto the floor and her hands slipped in it as she tried to get up.
Gripping the twisted pillars of cold lava that enveloped the base and top of the tube Trish managed to stand. Her hands smeared blood over the slick surface as she stood face to face with her physical twin. It stops here.
Ignoring the pain Trish started to power up. She knew that her gathering of power would alert the guards, but they were far away and would not be there in time to stop her. When her limit was reached she let the energy go in a burst of sparks. The tube exploded in a shower of fragments, liquid gurgled between the stones and the limp body washed over the floor and rolled to a halt against her feet. Trish fell more than kneeled beside Eva. She gasped as the pain ravaged her body. Closing her eyes for a precious moment she tried to gather enough strength to finish what she had set out to do.
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Someone touched her shoulder and a startled Trish struggled to her feet. Expecting to see a demon guard standing over her she had difficulty focusing her gaze on the elderly lady that looked up at her.
"Are you alright, dear?" Bright grey eyes surrounded by small wrinkles looked at her with concern.
Trish tried to speak but could only nod. The memories still lingered and made her flinch as a soft hand reached out to stroke her hair. It changed aim and gripped her shaking hand instead. The woman patted her soothingly on the hand as Trish tried to compose herself.
"Sure? You don't seem alright. What's your name, dear?"
"Trish." She managed to find her voice at last. Her sense of reality was returning. She was not in the Underworld. She was in Meadows Creek and Dante was sitting on a bench across the street, flirting with some slut waitress.
"I'm Mabel. Nice to make your acquaintance, Trish. Now let's get you out if this alley and have you checked out." Mabel grabbed her elbow and started to lead her to the sunlit street.
"No!" Trish froze in place. Dante would see her and wonder what had happened. He could never know. "Really, I'm fine. I just…have a head ache. The sunlight…" She tried to look like she really had a head ache. Not that she knew what it felt like, she had never had one. Her skull had been cracked at occasions but 'head ache' was probably not the proper term for labelling that pain.
"Oh, you have a head ache? Wait, I know I have some…" the elderly lady started to dig through the giant purse that was hanging from her arm and with a triumphant cry pulled out a packet of pills.
"Here, take two of these and call me in the morning." Mabel smiled and nudged Trish in the ribs. "A joke. Get it? Call me in the morning. Like I'm the doctor." She giggled to herself. Trish felt a smile tug at her lips as Mabel put the pills in her hand and patted it.
"You'll be right as rain in an hour. Now, if you really don't need any help, I'll go find my husband, Tim. He's stocking up on supplies. We're driving to our daughter in the morning, she lives a few days trip from here." She gave Trish a final pat on the cheek and walked out of the shadowy alley.
Trish stared at the pills in her hand. Friendliness. How rare. She felt an unfamiliar emotion welling up inside. Her eyes stared to sting and something wet rolled down her cheek. She wiped at it and saw a tear rest on the edge of her hand. Embarrassed, she wiped the moisture from her eye and hand. A devil crying, that must be a first. She looked across the street. The waitress had left and Dante seemed restless. It was hunting time.
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"Man, I'm tired. We've been traipsing through those woods for hours. Time to get some sleep." Dante threw his coat on the bed and walked over to the window. They had had no luck hunting. There was no sign of the demon where they had been told he should be. And even though they had widened their search they had drawn a blank. They had decided to give it another go in the morning and returned to town. Not far from the police station they had found a hotel that was cheap but clean.
"Maybe there is no demon. Maybe someone saw a bear or something." Trish yawned and stretched her arms over her head, unaware that Dante was watching her reflection in the darkened window.
"Yeah, I'll do an aerial tomorrow and if I don't find anything, we're gone." Dante watched as Trish bent slightly to loosen the straps that held the holsters to her thighs. Her long hair slipped forward and became a golden curtain that hid her face from his view. He turned from the window and when she straightened he was standing right in front of her. He raised his hand and brushed her hair behind her ear, not seeing the sudden pain in her eyes.
"You should braid it. It must get in the way sometimes."
Did your mother braid her hair, Dante?
"Like yours, you mean?" Trish tugged playfully at the platinum tresses that hung in front of the ice-blue eyes. They grinned at each other.
"Yeah. Now, time to go to bed. We have a demon to hunt in the morning. Sweet dreams." Dante started to remove his arsenal and Trish turned and walked out the door to get to her own room across the hall. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. When she had closed the door behind her, she looked at the bed. Devils don't dream. They only remember. She started to undress and then crept under the covers. Closing her eyes she hoped that this would be a night without memories.
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The burning bike came hurling through the air. With a cry Trish threw herself out of the way. She had not planned to die that way; it seemed to be too painful. She had had enough of pain. The wreck passed over her head and burning fuel created a wall of fire behind her. When she looked up from where she was lying, she saw Dante walking towards her. The large sword was protruding from his chest but he acted as if it was nothing.
"Even as a child I had powers. There's demonic blood in me."
"That strength…" Trish muttered under her breath. She instinctively tried to crawl away from him as he stepped closer. He pulled out the sword and tossed it aside, ignoring the blood that spurted from the wound. The sight stunned her and she only registered his closing remark.
"Looks like I'm getting closer." He aimed his gun at her and she could do nothing but stare up at him. Thoughts were spinning in her head. He may be able to do it. He may have the strength to defeat Mundus. Trish changed her own initial plan. Getting this man to kill her was becoming plan B. Instead she would follow Mundus' orders. But not because he had told her too, but because leading this man to the gate could prove to be her only chance of escaping Mundus' leash alive. She returned to the plan that had been drilled into her during painful hours. To lure the son of Sparda to Mallet Island.
"It may seem that way, but I am not your enemy. My name is Trish. I came here to seek your help. To put an end to the Underworld." She used the doorframe as support as she got to her feet.
"What?"
Trish turned her head towards him and removed her dark glasses. She heard Dante's sharp inhale and when he looked away from her face her eyes followed his. A small frame had fallen to the floor when she had kicked him into the desk. The glass was broken and shards were scattered around it. The photo inside was still intact and it was the picture of a woman. Trish recognised the face. Eva. The eyes seemed to meet hers with an undecipherable look in them. They pulled her closer and soon she was lost in their grey depths.
The grey turned to black, and ice was rising through her bones. Opening her eyes she felt the pain of hundred wounds and the smell of blood. At first she could not focus but soon her surroundings became clear. The Underworld. She felt something wet and slimy brush over her hand as she moved it. She looked down on a golden mass of seaweed. No, it's hair. My hair. No, HER hair. Lying in front of her was the unmoving body of Eva Sparda. Trish scooped her up in her arms and managed to stand up. Staggering under the weight, and occasionally slipping on the wet stones, she walked towards the pulsing membrane that covered the opening. The membrane tore itself apart with a sickening noise and she stepped through. Don't worry, Eva. I will give you what you deserve.
The thick liquid that covered her burden's skin dried up and fell of in crusts as Trish staggered through the tunnels, occasionally bumping into the fleshy walls. She soon saw the end of her journey ahead of her. The membrane of this larger opening would not let her through, so she kneeled down and seated Eva on the floor to free one arm. She released a spear of energy that ripped open the thin veil of skin. Blood poured from the walls as she resumed her walk, now on steadier feet.
The hot lava bubbled and sent up clouds of sulphurous gas. Trish kneeled by the edge of the lava lake and looked down at the face that would always haunt her. As the air in this chamber warmed her, Eva started to get a rosy tone to her skin. Her lips lost their blue colour as Trish brushed the crusted slime from her hair. Staring down at her, Trish expected the grey eyes to flutter open at any second. I'll give you what you deserve.
With her strength returning, it was an easy task to push the limp body down the small slope and watch it roll into the lava. The blonde hair started burning immediately, giving of a sickening smell. As Eva slid into the bubbling melted stone, Trish sat back on her heels. Rest in peace. The body disappeared under the surface and Trish closed her eyes.
A sudden grip around her wrist pulled her forward and her eyes flew open. Grinning at her was the melting skull of a skeleton. Its bony hands scratched in the gravel around the edge of the lava lake, trying to pull out the rest of the body. As Trish tried to back paddle with her hands and feet the grip returned and pulled her down on the ground. The hands reached for her face and clawed at her skin. A cracked voice slipped through the melting lips of the skull.
"MyYy FfaACcEEeE…"
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That didn't happen. Eva didn't crawl from the lake. She had been dead for years before I did that. Trish sat up in the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She shook her head. That had not happened. I must have been dreaming…Dreaming? So much for sweet dreams.
Trish climbed out of bed and wrapped the covers around her shivering body. There was no point in trying to go to sleep again. There's no rest for the wicked, isn't that what they say? She sat down in the wooden chair that stood in a corner of the room and stared into the darkness, waiting for the sun to rise.
Hours later, she walked down the hall to Dante's room. As she raised her hand to knock on the door it swung open, revealing a sleepy Dante. With a yawn, he motioned for her to come inside. Scratching his bare chest with one hand he tried to button his pants with the other.
"What a lovely morning," Trish chirped, knowing perfectly well how Dante loathed early mornings.
"Mpfh," he replied. "The damn windows have no blinds. The freaking sun woke me up." Yawning once more, he stretched, flexing the muscular back that was Trish's current view. She looked away and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. The demon.
"Ready to go out there again? Maybe the demon was out on business yesterday?" Trish stared out the window, looking at the street below. She saw Mabel standing outside on the curb, apparently waiting for her husband. She had a grocery bag in her hand. Probably some last minute shopping. As if sensing her gaze, Mabel looked up and saw her standing in the window. With a smile she waved and Trish gave her a cautious wave back. A car pulled up and Mabel got in. Trish watched as the old station wagon rolled down the street and disappeared round a corner.
"Yeah, we'll do a final sweep of the woods." Dante put Ivory and Ebony in their holsters. He flung the coat over his shoulder and headed for the door. "But first, some breakfast. Coming?"
"Yes, I'll just get my weapons." Trish followed him out the door and walked into her own room across the hall. Dante leaned against the doorframe and watched as Trish strapped Sparda to her back. The large sword seemed too big for her to handle, heck, it even seem too big when Dante used it. But despite its size it was light, not being made of any metal Dante ever seen before.
They walked out on the street, heading for the diner. It was the only place in town that serves decent food. When they entered everyone hushed, remembering the showdown that had occurred yesterday. Trish and Dante sat down in a booth after laying their swords across one end of the table. A waitress came to take their order and after a nervous look at the gleaming metal she scampered off to get their breakfast.
They had finished eating and sat discussing strategies when a commotion outside was heard. Dante looked up and cursed. Outside was the demon, tearing a car apart as if it had been made of papier-mâché. Dante grabbed Alastor and ran outside, closely followed by Trish.
"DEVIL HUNTER!" The demon's voice shook the shop windows along the street. It tossed the car aside and turned to face them. It was huge. Its legs was shaped like the hind legs of a goat and ended in hooves. Its green skin was marred by scares and tribal markings. Instead of fingers it had three sharp claws, one working as a thumb. Its head was crowned by horns that stretching toward the sky. Wings were folded against its back and they shivered with anticipation as Dante stepped out on the street.
Trish hesitated when she looked at the large monstrosity that towered over the red clad hunter. It can't be. Not him. Not here. She masked her sudden fear and walked over to stand by Dante's side. She could see a content smirk swiftly cross the demon's face. It is.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Dante looked up at the large figure standing in front of him, unshaken. "You just saved us a lot of trouble. Now we don't have to waste time hunting you. We'll just skip to the killing part."
"You have my permission to try, Devil Hunter!" The demon laughed and released a bolt of energy at the cocky half breed. Dante and Trish simultaneously flipped backward and drew their guns. Bullets tore into flesh but seemed to have no effect.
Circling their enemy the hunters used both swords and guns to try to take him down but they only managed to cause minor damage. It seemed he had some kind of shield protecting him. Dante locked eyes with Trish and shook his head. This was not going to work. It took too long. Some innocent bystander could get hurt.
"Time for some damage control." Dante triggered and jumped up in the air. Trish could hear shrieks from the crowd inside the diner. Despite the danger there were several people inside whose faces were almost flat against the large windowpane.
Keeping out of Dante's line of fire Trish holstered her guns and released flash after flash of her own electrical energy. The combined bombardment of lightning bolts and raw energy seemed to break through the demon's invisible shield. He let out a roar as one of Dante's bolts struck him in the shoulder. Unfolding his wings he took to the sky, his huge wingspan giving him an advantage against Dante.
Dante touched down beside Trish as she reached the bikes. The engines roared to life and they were off. Speeding through the streets, they kept one eye on the quickly disappearing shape in the sky. Soon they had left the town behind them and were travelling down a road that wound through the forest. The bikes skidded through the curves at break neck speed, balancing on the edge of control.
The chase led deep into the forest, they were leaving every sign of civilisation behind. Finally they saw the demon slow down. It seemed to hover for a second and then it descended, disappearing behind the trees. Taking note on where it had landed, the two hunters continued down the road. Soon they could glimpse an opening between the trees. They pulled over and cautiously moved through the undergrowth.
Reaching a clearing in the forest, they spotted the demon standing with its back against them. Silently Dante signalled to Trish that they should split up, positioning themselves on opposite sides. They sneaked along the edge of the clearing, taking care not to step on any twigs. Suddenly the demon turned and fired an energy bolt at Dante. Dante instinctively threw himself to the side and rolled. When he came to his feet he was near the middle of the open space and he abandoned the game of sneak-him-up. Better to go in with guns blazing. He saw that Trish had made it to the back of the glade unnoticed. She could still make a surprise attack from behind.
Dante unsheathed Alastor with a flourish and triggered. The demon stepped back, its large hooves sinking into the soft soil. Slightly cowering, it continued to walk backwards and Dante matched its retreat with his own advancement. He could see Trish powering up as the distance between her and the enemy shrunk. When she was at full power Dante prepared to launch his attack but suddenly the demon straightened up with a triumphant look in its ugly face.
"Rha'gwayl Mehgia!" A flash of light surrounded Dante and he suddenly realised that it was a trap. A circle of strange writings had appeared around him on the ground, shining with a greenish light. He lost control of his demon form and Alastor's blade was no longer surrounded by the static sparkles that manifested when evil was present. It was merely a sword. And he was merely a man.
The next thing he knew he was impaled. The demon had run him through with one of his horns and was flinging him up into the air like a toy. Trish released her energy bolts with a cry, trying to stop the massacre. Dante's limp body hit the ground several feet from the centre of the opening and the circle of light. Running, Trish tried to reach him while sending flash after flash at the approaching monstrosity. Her efforts were in vain as a giant clawed hand lashed out and sent her flying across the clearing, crashing into a large tree. The demon turned and walked over to the patch of grass where Dante lay.
"You have been stripped of your powers, spawn of Sparda! Even your Devil Arms are powerless! Now we have skipped to the killing part!" the demon raised its foot and prepared to crush Dante under its weight.
Trish came out of the unconsciousness that had momentarily swallowed her as she hit the tree. She could feel that she had broken her left arm, and at least four ribs. Cradling her injured limb she looked up, searching for Dante. The first thing she saw was the hulking shape of the demon leaning over his bleeding body. No! Dante! She got up and limped towards the scene. She saw that she would not reach him in time, so as a last desperate measure she drew Sparda and charged the sword with all her power. Then, with a cry of rage and despair, she sent the sword spinning through the air.
Sparda sparkled with energy as it unfolded and cut into the tough green skin. It orbited its surprised prey in tight circles, both electrocuting and slashing it. The demon staggered back and missed Dante with a mere inch as he put his hoof down.
Trish ran forward and grabbed the nap of Dante's coat with her good arm. Backing away from the flailing demon she pulled Dante into the woods. When she was halfway through the line of trees that separated the clearing from the road, she felt Sparda returning to its place on her back. She looked up, expecting to see the demon charging through the trees but there was no sign of him. The forest was dead quiet and she continued her task. As she reached the road she looked around. How in the world was she supposed to get out of here? There was no way that she could get Dante's unconscious body up on a bike and drive away. A distant rumble cut into her thoughts and her saviour came around the curve. An old station wagon. It stopped by the side of the road and the door opened.
"Trish?" Mabel got out and walked towards the pair. She gasped as she saw Dante's blood covered body. "Oh, dear! What's happened?"
"I don't have time to explain. Could you give us a ride back to town?"
"Of course, we can. We need to get him to a doctor." Mabel gestured to her husband to get out of the car and help Trish carry Dante. She opened the door to the backseat and Trish climbed in, pulling Dante with her. Trish leaned her back against the opposite door and pulled the limp body closer against her chest until the head was resting on her shoulder. There's so much blood! Tim moved Dante's feet so he could close the door and then hurried to the driver side. The tires screeched as the large vehicle made a U-turn and raced back to town.
Trish cradled Dante, trying not to look at the large hole that was gaping in his chest. She thought that at least one leg must be broken and he had lost a lot of blood. You can't die! Please! I'll do anything! Before the demon attacked something had happened, she had seen how Dante lost his power and she hoped that it had not affected his ability to heal.
"We're here!" Mabel turned in her seat. Trish looked up and saw the outskirts of town quickly approaching.
"Take us to the hotel."
"What! But he needs a doctor."
"No doctor can help him. If he can't get through this on his own, there is nothing any doctor can do. His injuries are too grave. Get us to the hotel!"
"Okay, no doctor. But I'm not letting you deal with this on you own. Tim, take us home." The car skidded around a corner and soon they pulled up outside a small yellow house. Tim parked in front of the porch and hurried to the other side of the car. Mabel unlocked the front door while Trish and Tim carried Dante up the stairs of the porch. Mabel led the way through the house to a bedroom in the back.
"This used to be Robin's room. You can put him in here. I'll get something to clean the wounds." She left the room in search of medical supplies. Meanwhile they had put Dante's unconscious body on the bed. Trish ripped apart the sleeves of his leather coat and his shirt. His vest soon met the same fate as she was in a hurry to see how bad the damage really was. She swallowed hard before she could bring herself to look at his chest. The jagged edges of the hole still seeped blood but she could see that the tissue had started to regenerate. He would live.
Relieved, she started to look at his other injuries. He was a mess, several bones were broken and he had multiple abrasions. Just like she had thought, his left leg was broken and as she started to remove the rest of his clothes she was careful not to disturb it too much. It would take some time before the healing would be able to take care of it. It often dealt with the most serious wounds first.
Mabel returned with antiseptics, cloths and bowls of water, so they started to clean him up before they pulled the covers up to his chin. Trish sat on the edge of the bed for a while, gently brushing the platinum locks from his forehead. She looked down at his face, surprised at how peaceful he looked. She felt Mabel stop beside her and looked up.
"I'll have to leave. There's something I must finish. Will you look after him? I don't know when I'm coming back."
"Well, yes. Of course we'll look after him. But what could be so important that you must leave right now? Don't you want to stay a while to see how he's doing?"
"He'll live. I have to see an old…acquaintance." Trish rose from the bed and walked towards the door. "Tell him…Tell him not to worry."
She walked out of the house and down the street. She figured it would take her a couple of hours, walking back to where she had come from.