Twenty-Five

The Magic that binds

There had to have been a stampede trying to break down her door. It was so loud that Sookie believed the walls were shaking. Sookie wrapped herself with a blanket, and sleepily dragged her feet to the door.

Jason barged in as soon as she opened the door. "Jesus, Sook! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Sookie turned around and wanted to go back to bed but Jason caught her hand.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The one who was with you last night."

"Since when do you care about my date, Jason?"

"I wouldn't, if Andy didn't tell me that you were with a very dangerous looking fellow."

That was a good joke. Eric? A dangerous looking fellow? Put him on the square garden in the middle of Bon Temps, she believed a bunch of screaming girls would come in a second.

"I am tired, Jason." She pulled her hand. "Close the door when you leave."

"This is a serious situation, Sis. You can't simply ignore it. Didn't you hear that some people got killed the other day?"

"So I heard." Sookie said.

"Not just your boss' driver. Do you know Carter Lewis?"

"Who?"

"One of the men who works for your boss. He was found heavily wounded in the woods."

Carter Lew…Carter, one of Alcide's men. Her sleepiness was immediately gone. "Somebody attacked Carter?"

"That's what I am saying, Sis. You are working for a dangerous family. So when Andy told me that you were with a very dangerous looking fellow, I ran here. Especially when yesterday you didn't pick up your phone!"

Sookie sat down. Oh, she needed coffee.

"Besides," Jason touched his hair. "You have a foreign guest here. We need to give a good impression to her that our city…."

Jason continued talking like an officer from Social Service Office. Aha, that was the real reason why he worried about her. Her foreign guest.

Sookie laid down her head on the back of the sofa. What had she done last night that made her feel as if she hadn't have any bones? The better question would be what had Eric done to her? She was so tired and there were pains everywhere, especially on her back and her thigh. Jeez, that man could go on and on! Five, ten minutes break and then started again. She wondered where his energy came from. Couldn't vampires get tired?

"You ain't listening." Said Jason.

"No, I ain't." Sookie answered. "I am tired, and I need some coffee."She got up. She was dragging her feet back to her bedroom to put something on, when she heard somebody open the door.

"Can't you pick up your call?!" Arlene's voice was thunderous. "I was like an idiot thinking and thinking, worrying if something might have happened to you and you….you had the time of your life...boinking somebody!"

Wow…her hair is like the duds that are emerging from the cluster. Wow, that's beautiful. Terry's head told her. He was standing behind Arlene with mouth open and he looked at her with a strange look in his eyes, as if he was starstruck.

What is happening to my house? Sookie thought. Is it becoming a Bon Temps' Grand Station or something?!

Sookie turned around, "Look…" but before she managed to continue, something hit her chest, so hard that she gasped.

"Sookie, are you alright?"

Sookie grabbed her sofa. She tried to breathe but couldn't get any air.

"Sookie?!"

Sookie fell on her knees. "I..I.." then she felt like something grabbed her stomach and squeezed it, as if there had been invisible hands that took her intestines and twisted them…God, it's painful. She wanted to scream but no sound came out from her mouth. She felt warm tears ran down on her cheek. She wanted to touch her stomach to make it stop hurting, when she felt like something stabbed her heart...God...it's like the same invisible hands that took her intestine...now they were stabbing and twisting her heart. Her heart was burning...her chest was burning...she's trying to move her hand but she couldn't. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"Sookie…darling…" she heard Arlene's voice. "You hang in there, my girl…doctor is coming…"

Faces…faces emerged out of nowhere. Faces of people she knew had died long time ago. Gran reached out her hand. She smiled at her. "Come, Dear. We make ginger cookies today…wanna help?" her voice had an echo…there was white fog around her…where's the jasmine scent she always smelt when Gran was around…why there was no scent….

Bum…that feeling came again. Now it was her head that felt like being squashed…like somebody stood on her head with high heels. God forgive me for I have sinned…Sookie heard the voice of her mother praying in the small chapel. I don't think I can love my daughter the way I should be…she is not normal…Susi…what are you doing here…Oh no she can hear me…

"We're losing her…" she heard strangers' voices. "People move faster…we're losing her…."

Dum. Dum. Dum.

Sookie heard deep sound repeatedly. Then…beep…beep…beep…

"Move…move….move…."

She heard noises..noises of people screaming, small wheel rolling and blurred white figures running around were flashing in front of her eyes. The room was turning...

"Stackhouse…" she heard Eric calling her. "You don't want to have wolves to climb onto your bed…you'd better close the door and the window…."

"What's going on here….move….I need…."

Bum! Two hands grabbed her neck and squeezed it. Sookie tried to take that hand off her neck, she kicked, screamed, and moved her body to the right and left but those hands were there, stuck like a stamp on an envelope….she couldn't breathe...she couldn't breathe...help...

"Doctor…her blood pressure is dropping…"

"What do you really want, Hon?" Lafayette's face emerged.

She wanted to see Eric again…she wanted to ask Bill if he could arrange the meeting with Godric…she wanted to stop Eric from doing his insane plan…

"Then fight for it, Girl. You can't expect them to hand it to you…Nothing is free, Baby Doll…"

Beep…beep…beeeeeeeeep…

"Again!!"

"Doctor…."

"Again, I said! She's strong, she can make it!"

"I want you to take care of Aude and me…" Eric's face emerged from the darkness. There was a tempting look in his eyes. "I want you to live with me…"

"Again! Don't give up on me, Sookie. Don't you dare…! Again!!"

"I have to get away from here…blood….there are so much blood here…" Ginger's voice was heard…and then she screamed.

Bum! Again, her heart felt as if it's going to explode, but Sookie didn't have the power to fight it back. She wanted to stop the fight. She wanted the pain to stop. She couldn't hold it anymore…suddenly she felt so light, that she believed she could fly…the pain was gone…everything was calm and peaceful…she looked around and she saw her mother and father…even Granddad Stackhouse was there, sitting on his chair, smoking…and now he was standing and approaching her. I can teach you cooking, Button...Granddad Stackhouse said. Only Granddad Stackhouse called her 'Button'. I can teach you fishing too.

"Your life depends on her strength. Keep her safe, Eric…" Sookie heard Godric speaking softly, almost whispering.

Eric.

"Goodnight, my future lover…"

Eric…yes, she would. She would live with him…she had to tell him that…she had to talk to him about breaking his bond with Aude. "Sorry, Granddad. I've got to go now…" Sookie turned around to leave Granddad Stackhouse. She had to go to Northman Mansion and tell Eric that she accepted his invitation, but suddenly those invisible hands came again and this time they grabbed her feet, dragged her. Sookie cried for help, but nothing came out of her mouth. She moved her feet as quick and as strong as she could and at the same time tried to grab something…but everything dark there and she didn't see anything…then suddenly she heard a dog barking. Somewhere out there….Dean! Dean! She tried to call him…I am here, Dean! Dean! But even Dean was nowhere to be seen…darkness fell over her…

"Shall we call the time of Death?"

Sookie heard a voice…no…no….I am here…I am here....beep…beep…beep

"Doctor…there's a pulse…"

"Start again! You hang in there pretty girl…"

Godric's face emerged out of nowhere. I am here, Sookie. Don't worry…take my hand…His fangs were out…his eyes changed from pale gray into red….he looked like he was in great pain too but he still managed to smile…

I am afraid, Godric…Eric…he has to stop this….

He just needs it to get out of his system…

Dum. Dum. Dum.

She heard that sound again. What was it? It was very low and very close…but why she couldn't see it?

Sookie heard a sound of small wheels being dragged…she heard a cry too…but she couldn't tell from where and who was crying…she's tired…she was going to sleep now…only a little bit….before those hands came again and hurt her…

Yes, only a little while…

Do you miss me that much so that you can't wait for ten days, Stackhouse? Eric's face was so close and like usual, he was all smiling and smirking.

Stackhouse…he called her Stackhouse…he loved her…

Your blood tastes so sweet and brings memory of the human life in me that I just have to have it again…he reached out his hand. I just have to have it again, Stackhouse…

Sookie accepted that hand. Yes, Eric you can have it.

Thank you, Lover.

Then she felt his fangs bored into her flesh. God, it's painful. "Aaarrrgh…" she screamed. Strange, this time she heard her own voice. "Aarrrgh," again she screamed and continued screaming until she heard Jason's voice, "Sis? Sookie…?" Slowly but surely the darkness disappeared. White light came and covered the place. Sookie saw faces…at first they were blurred…but then it's getting clearer and clearer…

"You're awake!" Jason said. "Nurse! Nurse!"

Jason...? Nurse…? Where was she?

A woman in blue uniform came. She checked the tube that hanged over her. "We have to wait for the doctor." She smiled.

Then a man in doctor uniform came. He checked her eyes with a little flashlight and said, "Sookie, I am Dr. Daniel Wilson. You were brought to the hospital three days ago and fell into coma for two days…"

She had been in coma? She looked at him.

Dr. Wilson smiled at her. "Good news for you, everything seems to be fine."

"What happened?"

"You were collapsed. Your vital organs weren't functioning and you didn't give any sign of reaction. Your blood pressure dropped and you were almost declared dead. Your heart stopped beating…we thought we have lost you…But you are such a strong girl." He gave a sign to the nurse and then turned around, saying to whomever in the room. "It would be better if Sookie has some rest now."

Sookie heard some people protesting.

"Okay, but not too long. And Arlene, you owe me one." Dr. Wilson touched her hand and then he and the nurse left.

"Sookie…Girl, you are really something!" Lafayette came first. His cheeks were purple from his eyeliner. He must have been crying a lot. "I've been never so scared like this."

Arlene was also there. Terry stood a bit far, holding the curtain. Sam was sitting on the chair, looking worried and disheveled. Jason sat on the edge of the bed.

Sookie looked at them one by one. Why couldn't she hear what their heads were saying? They all looked worried…they must have said something in their heads?

"Sookie?" Jason looked at her. His eyes were wider. He looked definitely worried. If there's somebody who couldn't hide his feeling in front of her, then it would be Jason. But why she couldn't hear anything from his head?

"Laffy?"

"I'm here, Hon." Lafayette held her hand.

"Think of something."

"What?"

"Think of something and look into my eyes."

"About what?"

"Anything."

Lafayette looked at her. His big black eyes had confusion and panic in them.

Still, Sookie couldn't hear anything. Her ability to hear somebody else's thoughts was gone. She knew, she should've felt happy. After all these years it was what she always wanted. Strangely, she felt so alone. "Oh, Sookie Honey…" Lafayette held her tight as she started crying. "Oh Honey…"

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