Time continued to slug by, painfully so. Though I was still filled with a constant feeling of paranoia, as Ivan continued to care for me, bringing me bread and cold tea, I eventually grew numb to my senses. He would come over for what seemed like every other hour to check on me, only sharing a few words and a nod. I felt a crushing pain slowly begin to crawl through my body like a great beast, flopping on top of me and filling me with its burning heat. My mind was fogged over as well, any effort to focus on anything but breathing in and out resulting in a headache. Another pain kept constant above the rest, throbbing with red-hot pain in my leg. I though I remembered what it was, but any effort to remember it made my mind swim and dip. My breathing shifted, coming in heavy gusts, I felt like a panting dog. The burning was unbearable.
"Madeline?" A faint whisper inquired. "Are you resting?" Ivan's rather large form shifted above me. A hand was placed on my shoulder as carefully as a perching butterfly.
I couldn't bring myself to even utter a word. A small whine reverberated in my throat instead.
He came closer. "Are you alright?" There was a trill of worry in his voice. A hand was rested on my forehead, cool on my burning skin.
He quickly pulled it away, letting out a small gasp. "You're burning up!"
I moaned as a shiver ran down my spine.
"Oh, this is... this isn't good at all!" Ivan stood up and quickly disappeared from my presence. A few minutes passed before his footsteps came rushing back to me. I opened my eyes a sliver to see what he was doing. He set down a bucket by his side with a clunk, producing a scrap of cloth from his other hand. Ivan dipped it in the bucket and strained the water from it, leaning in closer to my face. He whisked a stray hair from my forehead and replaced it with the cloth, forcing another chill down my spine. I winced and shut my eyes tight.
"This might help." He flattened the cloth on my forehead carefully and smoothed the creases in my blanketing.
I swallowed, glancing over to him. "M-my leg..."
He turned his head, his eyes large with concern. "Hmm?"
"My leg hurts. C-can you please check it? I-I think it might be infected." The pain was almost unbearable.
He glanced towards my face and nodded, removing the covers from my injured leg. His cool hands wrapped around it as he inspected it. He slowly unwrapped the bandages, allowing air to touch my wound. I bit my lip and shut my eyes tight. It stung when the fabric separated from the dried blood.
"It's having trouble healing." I heard him say. "I um... I may have to help it close. Do you have enough energy to pass me the box by your side?"
I glanced all around the space beside me, furrowing my eyebrows. "Hmm?"
Ivan gently set my leg down and stretched his arm over. "Never mind, please keep still, this may hurt a bit."
A confused look crossed my features. "W-what?" I moved my head, my eyes traveling down towards him. "What do you mean?"
He fished around the medical box, setting a few rolls of bandages and several other helpful items down. At last, he seemed to find what he was looking for as he pulled out another item. A pang of fear thundered in my chest with the flash of thin metal between his slender fingers. "S-stitches?!"
Ivan looked over with an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. Your wound isn't closing, you could become more ill if I do not fix it now." He turned his head and focused on the spool of thread and needle he had taken from the box. "There's nothing to fear, I will be as gentle as I can be. Please do not move, I'd hate to have to stitch up any more than needed." He said after finally threading the needle.
"B-but what about... uhm..."
Ivan glanced over, raising a questioning brow. "Hmm?"
I eyed his face stitches for a long moment before biting my lip and shaking my head. "Nothing, never mind." The burning was much worse than any dreadful scar he could produce; I mine as well forget having perfectly smooth legs now.
He shrugged. "Alright, are you ready?"
Not really, but I guess I never will be then...
"Mmhmm." I bit down harder, shutting my eyes tight to brace myself.
I felt his hand rest beside the wound, my anxiety beginning rise. A moment of agonizing silence passed before I felt the needle begin. I let out a pained whine and bit into my lip. Blood welled up beneath my teeth, though I ignored the dull pain for now. The metal slid from my skin as Ivan pulled the thread all the way out, leaving the first knot.
"Sorry." He murmured.
Again he sewed the next stitch, this time however, I was prepared. After every stitch he would apologize then continue until finished. I did not enjoy the alien feeling of the needle and the sharp stab, but I was relieved that it wasn't as painful as previously imagined. He didn't seem to be butchering it. Although the infection only burned worse.
"Okay, I'm finished." He rubbed his thumb gently over the stitchwork to make sure it wasn't loose, and put away his supplies.
I let out a long breath I hadn't remembered holding.
Ivan took one of the rolls of bandages and ripped a piece off. "You may relax now, I'm just going to clean the blood."
I lifted my head for a moment, eager to see what the wound looked like. I hoped it didn't look too bad. My eyebrows popped up in surprise as I saw the thin, clean stitches in the otherwise gruesome cut. Ivan wet the bandage in the bucket and began to wipe away at the oozing black blood bleeding through the crisscross pattern of thread. I sucked in a sharp breath between my teeth from the sudden cold. Ivan set the ripped cloth to the side and picked up the roll of bandages.
"Is that better?" He asked, glancing up.
I gave a half-hearted smile that said: "It's better than nothing, but it hurts like hell."
Ivan smiled back, looking rather relieved that I was okay. "Lie back down, I'll be done with this in a moment. Now that you are ill, you must rest as much as you can."
I opened my mouth to say something before shutting it again. There was no reason to argue when he was right. I leaned my head back down and took a large calming breath. "Th-thank you." I murmured as my eyes shut again.
He paused in his work of wrapping my wound up. There was a second or two of silence before he responded. "You're welcome."
Ivan pinned the bandages and put everything else away with a clunk from the box. He carefully covered my leg again and gathered the dirtied cloth to throw away.
"Are you comfortable?" Ivan whispered, setting the cool rag back on my forehead after re-wetting it.
I nodded slightly in response, feeling the dizzying darkness haze my mind. "Y-yea."
There was a cool sensation on my lower lip as something rubbed the blood away. Ivan grabbed his bucket and stood up again. "Sleep well, and let me know if you need anything."
"Mmhmm."
His footsteps receded again, returning a minute later to his spot across from me. From there he was most likely watching over me as he usually did.
I felt my mind slowly begin to enter the mists of sleep once again, pulling me into its warm embrace.
I awoke again to the clap of thunder booming overhead. My eyes snapped open as I sat up. I was in a candle-lit room in a luxurious bed unlike any I had slept in before. There was a window pane to me far left, it was open, bordered with long drapes flowing like water in the cool night breeze. I glanced around in confusion. A strange feeling of dread filled the air.
"Madeline? Madeline, are you awake?!" A harsh whisper came from my right. I glanced over wearily.
A face was alight in the candle light, their deep blue eyes wide with fear.
"A-Alfred!" I gasped.
He quickly thrust his finger to my lips. "Shh! It might here us. Get up, we're leaving."
I gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? What's wrong, Al?"
There was a low growl from the darkness behind the bedroom door. Alfred clasped his hand over my mouth, leaning closer. "Be completely silent, it's coming this way!"
I was still confused.
The loud thunk of footsteps drummed outside the door, sounding closer and closer. A low groan sent chills down my spine. The footsteps slowed as it neared the door, coming to a stop. I glanced over to Alfred fearfully. He just shook his head, pressing a finger too his lips.
A squeak of fear came from my throat as the handle turned loudly. There was a click as it could not turn. A small trill of relief flooded my body. It was locked.
The turning stopped a moment later, followed by more groaning and receding footsteps. We waited in the silenced that opened up, making sure the "thing" was out of earshot.
Alfred released his grip on my mouth and grabbed my wrist. "C'mon, we have to go. Now."
"Al, what's going on?" I stopped him, pulling my wrist away. "What was that?"
He stopped, turning towards me as I hung my feet over the side of the bed.
"The monster found us, if we stay here any longer then it's going to kill us too. If we can make it out of here without getting caught, we may be able to go home."
I shook my head fearfully. "A-Al, you're not making sense. It couldn't have possibly found-"
There was a sudden thunk on the other side of the door, followed by a low terrifying groan.
Alfred pulled me up to my feet. "It found us! Hurry! There is no time! I'll hold it back, escape behind it and don't look back!"
My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to argue. "B-but-"
Another loud rap, followed by angered stomping and chilling groans. The door bent, splintering in the center.
"Quickly Madeline! Get ready!" Alfred pulled out a knife from his hip, holding it out readily.
I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as the door gave one more shuttering crash.
An angered roar thundered above the sound of splintering wood, the monster throwing the door open. I screamed as it came inside, barely fitting through the small door frame. Its face came into the candlelight, causing me to freeze in fear. My heart stopped for a moment.
"Madeline, Go!" Alfred screamed, charging towards the beast.
I stood frozen in fear, staring at the creature before me. My throat was closed up but words still fought desperately to tear free.
The monster quickly overpowered Alfred as he charged forward, throwing him to the side in a single swipe of its massive arm. Alfred's knife clattered to the floor, followed by a sickening thud as he hit the wall.
I screamed again, watching as he fell into a crumpled heap. The monster turned its attention to me, its violet eyes burning with animalistic fury. I backed up, shaking like mad.
"P-please, d-don't..."
It came closer, a chilling moan escaping its throat. I saw its horrific features lit faintly by the candlelight. Its teeth were gritted angrily as it came very close. I turned my head, shutting my eyes tight and letting out another fearful scream.
Its footsteps stopped right before me. I felt tears pricking my eyes.
"W-what do you want from m-me?" I begged.
Its large hand touched my chin, forcing me to turn my head. I opened my eyes.
"You're blood." It rumbled in a deep rugged voice.
I was wracked with a bloodcurdling scream as its crooked smile was lit by another clap of thunder.
"Madeline." It murmured. "Madeline." A bit louder than before. "Madeline!"
I felt my senses come back to me all at once, flooding my mind like a tidal wave. Something gripped my shoulders, shaking me roughly back and forth. My throat felt rough and dry from screaming, tears spilling down my cheeks and pooling on my chin.
"Madeline, wake up!" Ivan's voice commanded.
I snapped my eyes open, whimpering.
All I could see was his face... his horrifying face alight with candle light, almost too real to separate from dream and reality. A crooked smile flashed on his face for a second, enough to make me scream again in terror.
"Please stop screaming! It's okay, everything is okay!" He urged, holding my shoulders tight.
I fought to stop my shaking and say anything coherent, but the lump in my throat only allowed silent pleas. Ivan set his hands on either side of my head, forcing me to look into his face.
"You are safe, please calm down. There is nothing to be afraid of." He cooed.
I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat, taking a deep, shaky breath. It was just a dream, just a horrible, horrible dream. I kept repeating to myself in an effort to calm down.
My heart slowly returned back to normal pace and my shaking had come to a minimum, although I still felt woozy and ill. Ivan released his grip after a minute, returning his hands to his lap. I opened my eyes again.
"Are you alright now?" He asked.
I shook my head. "I-I'm not sure." His appearance was still a tad unsettling. "But I-I think it's over now."
Ivan nodded, sighing deeply. "Good, for a second, I thought something had gotten a hold of you."
"Sorry..." I murmured, glancing downward. It must be nighttime, everything was dark aside from the lantern set down on the ground beside us. I looked back up towards Ivan with a apologetic frown. His eyes were cloudy with dissolving sleep. "Did I wake you?"
He shook his head. "That's fine, I am a light sleeper anyway." Ivan was silent for a moment before furrowing his brows. "What had scared you so much anyway? I-If you do not mind me asking." He asked, while still trying to allow me my privacy.
I felt a pang of worry at his question and glanced away a little too quickly. I can't possibly tell him, he might get upset... or worse. A chill ran down my spine and a shook my head in an effort to clear it. I didn't even want to know what he'd do if he knew. "Never mind, it... it was nothing."
He nodded respectfully, closing his eyes. "Then that is your business." Ivan rested a gentle gaze on me, one that looked comforting and understanding. "Usually when I am plagued with nightmares I clutch to a thought, or something of sentimental value." He frowned. "But I do not remember you holding anything when I found you..."
I sighed heavily. "That's okay, I'm fine now."
He stared down at the blanketing covering me for a long moment, seemingly in wonder. I tilted my head in confusion, what might be on his mind now?
Ivan slowly leaned over, peeling the top layer of blanketing off of the side. A beige coat lay as a sort of sheet for me, which he dug through until he located the pocket. I watched in bewilderment as he reached inside, taking a moment before producing a small doll from it. My eyebrows raised when I saw it. The hair was frizzled and dirtied with mud, though still ginger. Its dress was also torn and battered, but its stitched on smile, however, was still undamaged.
"You can borrow my item. It seems very fitting for a girl such as yourself." He flattened the blanket back on top and offered the doll.
I gave an awkward smile, shaking my head. "No, no, you don't have to, really."
He glanced back down at the doll, frowning gently. "She gets lonely too, no?" His eyes flicked back up at me expectantly.
"Oh... okay." I murmured.
Ivan set it down beside me with care, a smile again forming on his face. "There, now she does not need to be lonely, and neither do you."
I felt a warmth in my cheeks. "I-I guess so..."
He nodded with a little hum. "She will keep you happy, if you ever feel frightened you can just hug her close." There was a certain happiness in his voice that felt quite human, it was reassuring and somehow endearing.
Ivan stood up and blew out the lantern.
"Goodnight Madeline, and may sweeter dreams follow." He whispered.
"Goodnight." I answered, awkwardly taking the doll into my hands.
His footsteps led a short distance before stopping as he plopped back down onto his pile of hay. I heard him take a deep breath and sigh.
I too sighed, closing my eyes for rest again. Although, I felt anything but tired at the time. A lingering question hung on my mind, one that may produce an answer that perhaps would put my mind at ease -or it could also induce more night terrors.
"Ivan?" I murmured in the darkness.
"..." A small stretch of silence followed.
"Ivan?" I repeated.
"Yes? Is everything okay, Madeline?" Came his eventual response. I heard him rustle around.
"Could you... em... tell me everything from the beginning?"
"..." Another period of dark silence.
He took a deep breath. "E-ehm... do you mean...?" Ivan sounded a bit caught off guard.
I swallowed before hugging the doll close. "Yes, you clearly are not of the human womb. W-what happened?"
The next period of silence had more friction, like the quiet before a storm. I wondered if the fever had messed with my judgement, until he hesitantly answered again.
"No, I am not human born... well... somewhat, in a way-"
Notes:
Sorry about some inaccuracy in information regarding frostbite/fever)
