| Chapter 22 |
| Tired. Exhausted. Worn out. Seven slugs slithered into
the dark house at around 11:05. April entered the house first, switching on the
closest lamp to her. Each of the turtles, Casey and Splinter took in a minute or two
of what was left of the living room after the wolves had a big party and didn't bother to
clean up. "Jeez, we should send them our cleaning bill." Michaelangelo moped, hearing his boots crackle on broken glass from the windows. Donatello crossed the phone on the end table, his eye catching the answering machine flashing. One message. "April? There's a message on here. Do you want me to play it?" "Sure, Don." April flopped down on the rocking chair, hand pressed to her forehead. The others walked around the room in grim. Leo turned to them. "I saw him walking out of the police headquarters when we arrived so he must have just arrested Lark and put her away." April pointed to him. "Oh, gosh! That's right! Tom and I met Jesse as we were leaving the hospital! All I saw was two squad cars pulling away and...well, I thought nothing of it. God, that means he must have arrested her right on the sidewalk and took her straight to headquarters!" "Jeez, it's almost like, 'Hello, dear! You're under arrest!' Wow. I can't believe her own boyfriend would do that." Mike's eyes blinked. "And Lark never mentioned she was seeing anyone." Don exclaimed. "Let alone a COP!" "The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Raphael smirked. "But, I don't get it!" Don started to pace. "If she was working for a convict in a secluded area, wouldn't Jesse, being an officer, have known of her occupation?" Leonardo snapped his head up. "Good point, Don. If they're dating, why wouldn't he be aware of where she worked?" "Maybe he didn't know. Hence, the secluded area?" Raphael suggested. Leo shook his head. "No, that's impossible. Something doesn't sound right. It seems with him finding out this way, it leads to suspicions that it could have very well been a....um...well, maybe not. This is his own girlfriend. He wouldn't do that to her." "Do what?" Donatello frowned. "I could be wrong, Don, but I'm guessing that, if he did know all along, that's if....then it could have been...a planned arrest?" "You mean...entrapment?" Donatello uttered. Leo nodded quietly. The others heaved equal sighs. Don started to re-apply his coat, heading for the door. "I'm going to get her out-" "Don, no. Stop." April stood up to block his path. "It's far too late. There's nothing we can do-" "April, she's going to be stuck in a jail cell all night long! We have to bail her out, now!" "Don, I'm sorry! We can't do anything for her. I'd have to go to an ATM to withdraw the money before doing anything." Donatello let out a huff, lowering his head and shaking it slowly. "It's not fair. She doesn't deserve being locked up like that." "I'm sorry, Don." April repeated more quietly. "I promise I will call the station the first thing in the morning and get her out, regardless of how much the bail money will cost me." Morning would take forever to arrive. April and Casey went straight to bed for a long-deserved rest. Before Leonardo turned in, he sat down with Donatello and the two had a long talk about the events of the day, from the start of the morning encounter with Bob and Jesse, up until he suddenly got the pieces to match up with the scattered jigsaw puzzle. It seemed to make some sense but it still didn't help Lark in anyway unless they had, as the wonderful chief said, proof. "So, once we get Lark out of the slammer, she's going to have to confront her boyfriend with the information we give her." It sounded so easy yet also another pain in the rear. Don just wanted it all to end. Couldn't they have a simple holiday without any problems? Head bowed and eyes blurry with the agony of wanting to close them, he nodded to his closing words. "Thanks, Leo. I needed to be more aggravated than before." The Turtles and Splinter went to bed next, one volunteer remaining to stay awake and play guard patrol. Donatello, now over-tired, took the role of wandering aimlessly around the exterior and interior of the farmhouse. His head was filled with helping Lark out of jail, praying for Shadow's speedy recovery, and hoping Kate survives to see another day or several days following. Jack was both a jerk and someone who needed slight pity upon for his dying wife and small child. Shadow was almost without a father when Casey was kidnapped right under Don's and his brother's noses. If Jack hadn't shown up, and Kate dies, their son would have no parents to raise him except for his Aunt Nicole and Uncle Tom. Don somehow ended up on the front porch, puffing out smoke breaths. He didn't feel like going to bed at all. Knowing he should to be awake later on, it was better to- "Can't sleep, either?" "Jesus!" Don spun around to see Raphael standing there, puffing smoke breaths as well. Nicotine smoke breaths. "No, not Jesus. Just me." Raph paused to take a long drag. "Been thinking a lot lately." He pulled the cigarette out, looking at it. "Of quitting." "Why the sudden change?" Don gripped to find the rocking chair to sit in before falling to the ground. "It's gettin' too expensive to buy them, my clothes reek of tobacco smell, my loagies have turned brown-" "Okay!" Donatello pushed his hand flat to him, squinting his eyes. "Expensive to buy and clothes smelling bad. That's ALL I needed to know!" "And I thought Mike was the squeamish type." He smirked. "I sadly share half his traits." Donatello crossed a leg, looking elsewhere. "No, I can't sleep either. I can't stop thinking of everything that's happened to us in the past couple of days. Casey's becomes a werewolf and gets kidnapped, Shadow get injured and hospitalized, Kate gets shot just when Jack shows up to continue his job as husband and father..." "Damn. That's a lot of crap you've got on your shoulders. Maybe you should take up smoking..." Raph flicked the ash on the cigarette, glancing to it. "Shit, you know, I lost my damn lighter and had to rely on friggin' matches to light this thing. Must have dropped it somewhere; God only knows with the places we've been to." "You mean, this lighter?" Donatello rose and dug into his pocket to pull out the lighter he snatched from Harris. Raph looked up, his eyes widening as he grabbed it from his fingers. "Where the hell'd you get this?" "Harris was going to use it to light the dynamite back at the warehouse. I managed to stop him but somehow, the explosions were still ignited-" "This is Kate's lighter." He interrupted, not interested in hearing a second repeat of their experience. "This is the same one she gave me before her and the other girls left for town." He swallowed, gawking at it like it was priceless antique. "Hmm, that would explain what Harris meant when he said, 'your brother was kind enough to loan me this.'" "Loan nothing! The fuckin' asshole stole it from me!" Raph bellowed at him. "I'm glad that place exploded with him in it. Let him rest in fucking peace for all I care!" "You mean, rest in fucking pieces." Don corrected with a smile. Raph looked to him at a side glance, snorting at him. "Well, what do you know? The geek has a sense of humor." "I'll accept that as a compliment. Barely." "I wish I could have seen her tonight. Five minutes is better than no time at all." "Yeah...that sucked. But I didn't even know Lark was arrested till we got home. If I could see her now, I'd tell her exactly what she deserves to know. Only if...." "Hmmm..." "Hmmm...." Raphael rested against the porch railing, staring to the lighter in deep thought. He missed his chances of seeing her when all of them went to the hospital but was promised he could see her the next morning. What if morning couldn't wait for her? What if she died in her sleep and he never got to see her ever again? The lighter felt warm in his palm from being in Don's pocket, but he knew, deep down, it was once held by someone he was just starting to know on a more personal level. He flicked it on, watching the little flame blowing softly in the moderate winds. Such a short life that lighters had. Once they were empty, it's time to throw it out and get a new one. Clicking it off, he glanced to Donatello. "How would you feel taking a little walk?" The walk started down the driveway, then along the woods, and finally, the main road. Their feet kept going on and on until they reached a dead and lifeless town. "We're going to get so busted if we're caught." Don mumbled to him. "Ask me if I fucking care?" Nope, didn't have to ask with that usual attitude. Raph lifted his coat collar higher when someone passed them. He glanced up to the orange light of the lamp post. "Meet back here in an hour." Nodding to one another and synchronizing their watches, the two separated upon their own paths, both having the same urge of a quick and even, denied, 'visit.' The weather decided to become a frightfully cold breeze with whipping winds and snow falling down in harsh sheets. Doors locked, windows shut tightly. No one can get in, or get out. That doesn't stop the ninja at work. He walked the streets in solo, passing by the front entrance. Never go that way, he was taught well to find other ways in. Circling the building and using a grappling hook, he recalled which window to hop into with ease. Lifting the glass gently after unlocking it with a special tool, he was in a dark room. Not hers. Damn. So, no one's perfect. He crept out into the hall and tip-toed with silent steps to the right room. Inside, she slept in deep slumber, eyes shut tightly. A hand brushed the outline of her figure as he gazed down to her face, taking it all in. "Kate." He whispered. "Hey...." Kate breathed out and stirred to feel someone clasping her hand resting on her rising and falling chest. Squinting up, she blinked to him tiredly. "H....ow'd...you....get-" "Ssshh..." Raph looked around, caressing her cheek. "It's after hours, they wouldn't let me in earlier. I'm not supposed to be here now." "So...like...you..." She chuckled, coughing next and gasping at the pain it released. There was a hint of a wheeze in her breathing pattern, possibly when the doctors had to operate and to get the bullet out near one of her lungs, it caused a disruption in the air flow passage. His brow dropped in concern. "Raph...I...I'm not going to make it, I'm afraid-" "No, no don't say that. You'll be just fine. Don't talk like that!" Raph hissed. "...Hurts so....to breathe...am so weak...." "You need to rest, that's all." He assured her. "You will make it, damn it, you will!" Kate gulped and looked around with glazed eyes. He felt her squeeze his hand a little. "...So...sweet...." Raphael glanced around. Was someone else in the room that she was referring to? "You think so?" "Mmm...." The two sat still for a few, precious, minutes. Ten minutes almost. She started to drift to sleep. Mostly, Raphael was in shock by what she thought of him and he tried to let what she said sink into his skull. He was never sweet to anyone, let alone being called that. April may have said it once or twice when he really did something that wasn't like him. "I should go so you can get some rest." He sighed, glancing to the clock on the wall that ticked onto 1 a.m. in the morning. "I just wanted to see you and hope that you get up and out of that bed soon." And maybe into my own if I'm damn lucky! "Thank you...." Kate whispered. "mmm...glad you came..." Raphael reached over and kissed her forehead, then leaned back to watch her face. Nothing changed over it; she continued to wheeze and stare at him, blinking slowly. He leaned forward again to kiss her cheek next, also getting no response except a very small smirk. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward again, this time planting his lips onto hers. Kate opened her mouth wider, deliciously wanting to use every strength she had left in her to make this kiss an everlasting one. One that'd he always remember for quite awhile. Raph bent lower so that she didn't have to rise up and strain herself. He was practically on top of the bed alongside her, the frame creaking with his extra weight pushing down on it. Just like the lighter safe in his coat pocket, a tiny flame ignited between his lips and hers, sending explosive charges all throughout his body and rendering him just as weak as she was. "Mm..." Her lips pulled away with a smack sound as she looked to him, the smirk raising higher. "...very glad you came!" Raphael left the room back to where he made his Spiderman-like entrance. It wasn't intentional, but he couldn't really hide the huge smile that crossed over his nearly-numb lips. This meeting was a lot better than it would have been with her family members standing by. He couldn't get away with smooching her like that, especially with Jack in the room. Kate said she was glad he came. So did he. Glad to have taken that long walk out here after all. He got to see her all by himself. The way it should have been. Kate sat back in her bed as a little part of a song started to go through her head. Oh what I'd give for a hundred years! The farmhouse was quiet for the most part. Michaelangelo slept buried deep in his bed with the blanket covering his entire body. With his and Leo's room closest to Casey's and April's, they could hear everything that went on, even the sounds they didn't want to hear! It would start up, then get quiet. Then start up again and the walls sounded like they were coming down from all the noises. And then there was the glorious sounds of the weak bed springs. The errky errky errky were enough to make one convinced that Shadow would either be getting a new brother or sister fairly soon! Leonardo snored softly in a chair with a paperback left opened upon his chest. The talismans book rose and fell on the top and middle plates of his plastron. It might have been the second chance he got to read the damn thing since the car ride from New York. With all that's happened, he never had time to pick it up to look through it again. For one thing, it was a good book to put someone to sleep. "The Ankh, a cross having a loop for it's upper vertical arm, is known as the ancient Egyptian emblem of life, bringing the bearer good luck when-" Zzzz...zzzz....zzzz.... Splinter tossed in his own bed, obviously dreaming about something. Good or bad? Or both? He was never sure what to expect and was suprised that he hasn't been able to control his dreams like he could always do. He thought he saw a child flash across his head. He was there once more, starting where he last left off, minus the physical contact with her. "Shadow? Where are you?" The grass below Splinter's feet felt light as a feather, almost as if he were floating on a cloud than solid ground. He smiled when he saw her cartwheeling in the distance. The sunlight once again played upon her bouncy, golden curls. "Shadow- eh?" Each step closer to her seemed to send him further away. In a last twirl, she started to dance off toward a wide cliff at the edge of the hillside. He gasped and started to run in slow-motion. "No, Shadow! Wait!" Shadow giggled and skipped lightly to the edge, her mind focused on nothing but the beautiful surroundings. She suddenly stopped giggling and looked around her. The sun disappeared into several dark clouds, followed by purplish lightning streaks skewering across the blackened sky. "Shadow!" A new voice from somewhere else emerged. "Huh..." Shadow turned to face four green creatures slowly emerging up the hill with large weapons in hand. She glared and backed away from them. "Nooo..." "What is it?" One asked. "What's wrong?" "Go away!" She whined. "Don't hurt me! Leave me alone!" The four stared with quizzical expressions as Splinter's words were shouted slowly. "My sons! Behind you! Look out!" All in slow motion, the four turned to see an army of skeletons wearing battle gear rush towards them to start an unprepared battle. They were remarkably fast; nothing could prevent their speed from slowing down. Their ghoulish smiles and glowing-red eyes were transfixed on doing much intended damage to these strange beings. Shadow watched them fighting a bloody war, the blood only escaping from the green beings. Splinter helplessly watched the outnumbered fight, four to nearly four dozen. "Leonardo...noooo-" He turned to him at the wrong moment; his brown eyes looking like he were pleading for mercy. A skeleton's sword made it's fatal blow, slicing his head clean off at the neckline! It took the body seconds to react and then crumble to the blood-stained grass; the swords limply falling to his sides. Splinter almost collapsed at the grueling sight. "NOOOOO!!!!!" After the mortal attack of one, the others became lost in concentration on what to do next. One looked to her sadly. "Shadow...help us...get help..." He reached out to her but a skeleton pounced, slicing his arm at the elbow clean off. All this caused her to freak and only back at the last slippery step. "SHADOW!!!" Splinter screamed and bounded ahead, ignoring his slow running speed. Her shrieks faded as she slid and plummeted to her death. One of the skeletons caught this and turned to leap after her like a bird of prey. Covered in blood from head to toe, she sat choking and crawling around before the last minutes of her life were almost gone. A bony hand reached down and turned her to face it. "Pretty thing. Gives me life...." The death head growled happily. Shadow blinked, shaking her head wearily. The twisted grin opened it's massive jaws and an eerie blue light started to pull from her body into it's own. Splinter climbed down and stared with horror of what was happening to her and what was transforming the skeleton. Splinter twitched and grasped the covers. "Stop...stop it now! Stop this at once...." "Mmm?" Leonardo mumbled softly. The skeleton's body started to glow and appear fuller with flesh and muscle. The liquid of life also known as blood began pumping into visible veins and traveling in spider web-like patterns all over its arms, legs, and torso. Shadow's eyes rolled up and closed as she was violently thrown down on the sandy beach. In place of the skeleton now stood a tall man gazing down at the dead child in a heap. He was courteous enough to blow a kiss and then chuckle to himself. Splinter reached and spun the man around to confront him. "How dare you-" Splinter gasped, flailing backwards. "No....noooo!" "You're too late, you disgusting rat!" Splinter stared at the familiar face and huffed very loudly. Harris! He continued to laugh maniacally at him non-stop. "No...Harris....no!!" "Master?" Leonardo woke up fully and glance around. He heard his faint shouts from next door. The book dropped to the floor as he rushed off to Splinter's room, catching him jerking from side to side, sweat pouring down his face. "Master!!" "Auugh!" Splinter's eyes popped open wide. "Noooo!" Leo flew to the bed and placed his hands upon his shoulders. "Oh...nooo!" "Master! Wake up!" "Oh! Oh...Leonardo..." Splinter wheezed to him with tears in his eyes as Leo stared at him. Next, he did something Leo would never, ever expect him to do. He fell into his chest and wrapped his thin arms around his shoulders, squeezing him tightly. "You are here...I did not lose you....you are here..." "....Master...I....it...ah...uh..." Leo was stunned, unsure of what to say by this act. Splinter, suddenly realizing what he was doing, pulled back and looked to him sheepishly. "Oh. Forgive my actions, Leonardo." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "When I saw you there....and now here...." "There?" Leo looked down, then up. "Was...it....ah... dream?" "Oh...my goodness...it was more than a dream. It was the worst nightmare I could ever....oh...dear....oh!!" "Master, it's okay. Whatever it was, it's over now." Leo's eyes were wide with concern. "I...I cannot believe what I saw. The horrors....were so real....before my...eyes..oh..." "Was it a vision you saw? A premonition?" Splinter sighed. "Uh...ah...I...do not... no, I do not feel this could be a vision...that could happen at all...not possible." He placed a hand to his forehead, then gazed at him. "What I saw was an unexpected and horrible death happening to you. A death by this..." He extend a finger to trace a line where he saw the sword cut into his neck. "Uh...um..." Leo swallowed to the finger pointed at his throat and eyed him closely. "Let's hope then, for my sake, that it wasn't a premonition." "Yes, I hope so too, Leonardo." Splinter removed his finger with a nod. "I am sure, and I pray, it was just a very bad dream and nothing more." "Do you want to talk about it?" "Mmm..." He inhaled and closed his eyes briefly. The vision started to happen again but he quickly reopened his eyes. "Yes, perhaps that would be best." "I'll go make you some tea. Then, you can tell me what happened." Leonardo stepped out to meet a yawning Michaelangelo in the hallway. "Hey, Leo. What's up...besides us?" "Splinter is. He just had a bad dream. I'm going to make him some tea. You can go back to sleep." "Yeah, that's if I can go back to sleep. They're at it again, this time I thought it was a 6.0 hitting the house! I tried banging on their wall but they're too busy banging each other!" "Oh, Mike!" Leonardo groaned as he headed for the stairs with Michaelangelo following. "Can you be anymore vulgar?!" They reached the kitchen where Leo flipped the light on with a harsh smack to the switch. "I swear, you can be just as bad as Raph sometimes." "Humph!" Michaelangelo crossed his arms and rested against the door frame. Glancing around, he realized he was going to be in this area of the house at 6 a.m. which wasn't too long away. He promised he'd help April start cooking the Thanksgiving feast at the crack of dawn! Pulling himself away from that big event, he watched Leo pace himself rather quickly, filling the kettle with water, placing it on a stove burner with a click to the 'on' switch, then heading to the cupboard to find the tea bags and grateful they and a bunch of paper products were spared from the wolf invasion. He pulled out Splinter's favorite mug of Japanese writing and flowers scribbled upon it and set it down briefly on the table, finally pausing to look over at Michaelangelo whom hadn't moved a muscle except for his head turning in every direction that Leo moved. "You're still here?" "I'm thinking of taking residency on the couch. If it doesn't collapse under me first-" "Mike! Bed! Now!" Big brother orders younger brother. Michaelangelo hated it when he acted like that. "Fine. See you in the morning." Michaelangelo headed up the stairs, hearing no further noise coming from the loving couple's bedroom. End of round 20. Time for a short commercial break with these messages. He looked to the room Don and Raph occupied together, noticing it to be quieter than usual. What was more strange was that there was no monitor light from the computer. Either they were both extremely tired or- "They're gone!" He stood in the empty room, glancing around wide-eyed. "Mike, I thought I told you- Mike? Mike, what's wrong?" Leo stood up from the table and ran over to his brother whom gripped the door frame. "Mike?" "It's Don and Raph." He whispered. "They're gone! They're not here!" Lark attempted to close her eyes and sleep bundled up on the tiny cot. She was beyond tears and anger over everything, moving on to utter exhaustion. Her parents were coming in that morning to expect a joyous and wonderful feast around the dining table of hers and Jesse's apartment. Not this time, she feared. Her mother was planning on stopping at a bakery in town to buy a pumpkin pie. Maybe she should put a file in it like Jesse teased! Lark smiled, then frowned. That was an awful joke, not even funny to start with. It would be her better guess that her mother would throw the pie at her through the bars instead! "Please, forgive me, Dad." She whispered, recalling her father, like all fathers, was the one put in charge of punishments. It was true she was too old for spankings now, but he could still yell just the same. The tiniest tap on her window woke her up with a turn. A shadow hovered between the bars of the sill. Standing up on the cot, the face looking in startled her to yelp and fall backwards with a thud to the floor. "Lark?" The voice muffled through the glass pane. "Huh..." Lark shook her head. "Don?" She hopped onto the cot again and unlocked the window. The pane pushed out with ease and she could feel the cold winds whipping into the small hole. He was crazy to be out in that kind of weather! Lark gripped the bars and felt him brush her fingers with his own. "What the hell are you doing here?" "I came to see you." Don said simply. "Oh. Duh!" She laughed a little and noticed he was sprawled out on his stomach at eye level with her. This put her to mind of when Rose and Jack were stranded out in the Atlantic after Titanic sunk. While she was slightly warmer (like Rose was on a door), he was freezing cold (like Jack was in the frigid waters). His words jittered from the snow falling down upon him. "I'd invite you in but, I'm afraid that's out of the question." "I can't stay long." He jittered. "I just came to tell you something very important that you need to know." You can't marry me. My parents would never agree to interracial species. "What is it, Don? Talk fast before you freeze to death out there." "Okay..." He puffed out a smoke of breath. "First off....Jesse's a fraud." Great way to start the conversation. Lark's eyes widened. "Now, you've got my full attention." "Let me elaborate a bit." She nodded to him and waited. "Believe it or not, he was a member of that F.U.C. organization, the place you worked at with Harris-" "What?" She interrupted. "Are you sure?" Lark glared to Don whom nodded slowly. "How do you know this?" "From my brother, Leo. He was accused of stealing a horse from Jesse. Keep in mind it was only borrowed in order to get Shadow to the hospital...that's already been over-looked now...um, just thought I'd let you know that." Slight nod to that. "Um, anyway, as Bob was talking to him, Leo noticed there was another shirt under Jesse's uniform with the words F.U.C. sewn in on the breast pocket. We've strongly guessed that he's one of them but is passing as an officer for a cover-up." "That's crazy! Jesse has been a cop for as long as I've lived with him. That's not a cover-up." She lives with the guy? I now bestow pity on her as well. Donatello puffed a breath, still jittering. "Well, whatever the deal is with him, he's one of them and he needs to be in that cell and not you! We have no idea what kind of dirty work he's been doing for Harris because he's been posing as an officer all along." "This is too much." Lark threw her hands down, placing one to her head. "Let me get this straight. I'm in here because I was working illegally for Harris without knowing it, yet Jesse's out there working secretly for Harris AND knowing it?" Don nodded. Lark turned to the cell door. "I'm gonna kill him-" "No, no. You're in enough trouble already." Lark paused, knowing he was right. "That's our job. Let us kill him, instead-" "Don!" "Kidding! Only kidding!" Not, really, however. "Well, I can't do much in here, Don. My parents are flying in for Thanksgiving and will throw a fit when they discover I'm having my turkey dinner behind BARS!!" "We'll get you out before they come. Don't worry." April already offered to pay the bail money. "What about Jesse?" Donatello smiled. "Being the girlfriend of an officer, you've probably got friends in this place." She shrugged to him and was already thinking everyone was against her now. "Once you get out, round up some of your friends, not his friends, YOUR friends, and try to get a search warrant on your apartment. Jesse's bound to have one or two shirts with the F.U.C. logo lying around, just waiting to be found and used against him." "But, what if they find nothing at our apartment? What if he threw the shirts away after everything came out about that place?" Donatello remained smiling as he knew he got to use a famous expression. "We'll cross that bridge once we get to it, Lark. Meaning, don't worry. We'll think of something." He watched her own smile finally lift up as her vote of confidence in him was soon accepted. "I have to go before I'm frozen solid to this ground and they'll have to pry me off with a crowbar." Lark giggled to that. "All right, Don. I'll see you later. And tell April I said thank you for what she's doing for me." However, he had a feeling she'd repeat that line over and over once April stops by to get her out. Donatello bent and kissed her fingers before pulling back to sit up, bones crackling all over his legs and arms. Raphael turned several corners to take a peek in at how his niece was doing. It was only fair to see her, too. He found the room number and stopped in the doorway to catch her stirring in her sleep, her little fingers gripping and relaxing on the top bed cover. She was dreaming, he could tell. But of what, he wasn't sure. Her bare feet walked along the cool, flat grass plains, the giggles echoing all around the area. Smiling and running, she began to do one, two, three, and then four cartwheels in a row...yelping to something making a snap sound as she fell on a soft landing but a harsh one upon her wrist, breaking the little bones within. "Owww..." She lifted her wrist that dangled lifelessly on her arm. "Shadow?" Shadow looked everywhere, blinking to the voices repeating her name over and over. Then she saw them, the vision almost scaring her to death. The five walked slowly over to her, one of them looking like a fierce rat creature on it's hind legs. Her name sounded calm at first, then demanding as they got closer. "No...noo..." "Huh?" Raph looked up, frowning. Shadow backed further and further, nursing her broken wrist. Their faces looked abnormal to her, unknown and very frightening. Her feet suddenly started to feel very hot beneath her. Gazing down, the grass started to smolder, becoming an glob of green ooze. The results began to boil her tiny feet, making her hop at the gooey substance stuck upon her soles. "Ow...ow!" "Shadow? Hey...." He inched toward the bed, his eyes widening. Shadow puffed a breath as he sat down, taking her small hand into his large one. It appeared she was finally waking up after being unconscious the whole day yesterday. 24 hours is a long damn time for a six year-old to be snoozing non-stop. Raph wondered if she was feeling any pain sleeping there. He rubbed the soft skin on her fingers just to make sure. Something triggered a low gasp from her lips. She started to slowly run away, her hands flat to them as she tried to escape. Their faces were incredibly evil-looking, full of deep horror. "Shaaaadow?!" "Shadow?" "Huuuuh...." Shadow's eyes slowly blinked up to him. Then closed again. Then opened more widely. "Uuuh?" "Hey, it's me! You know, um, Uncle Raph?" Shadow lifted her head and looked at what appeared to be a huge, green monster staring down at her. The sight started to make her heart gallop with a rapid pitter patter. "No.. huuuuuh....." Shadow's lips trembled. "No!" "What? What is it?" Next, she started gasping, pulling her hand free from his and sitting up in the bed. Her eyes were now wide as saucers as she tried to find the strength to scream, finding her throat scratchy and dry. Little yelps came out instead at him. "Shadow, what's wrong-" "Aaaa....aaaahh...!" A flat shrill that broke in places came out. Shadow flew out of the bed, the I.V. ripping from her wrist, and fell to the hard floor with the thump. She crawled away and cowered in the corner with her hands shielding her eyes. "Shadow!" Raph bellowed, his eyes as wide as hers. He started to walk over to help her up but that only made things worse. She screamed louder with a higher pitch. "Go....away..." She coughed and cried. "Leave me alone!!" It was time to get out before a guard came in. Raphael ran without a backward glance toward the window, climbing onto the hook to slide down and practically burn his hands off from the rope's fabric. He unlocked his hook and caught it with one hand easily. Confusion went through his head. Why the hell did she scream like that? It could only mean one thing. "Yo, Don!" Raph reached his brother right where they decided to meet. Under a single lamp post at a dimly-lit corner of town. Don shushed him as he approached. "You like to draw attention to your-" "Something's wrong with Shadow!" Immediately, Don's eyes flew up wide. Raph caught his breath as he explained what all that happened with just Shadow, not needing to get into his visit with Kate. Besides, Don was more concerned with the first words he blurted out. "I went to see her and all I did was say her name and she woke up! When she saw me sitting there, she started screaming at me!" He gasped with a groan. "Dunno where she got the fuckin' strength but next thing I know, she jumps out of the bed and cowers to me in a corner....all the while...kept doing it... those blood-fucking-curdling screams!" "What? Why, WHY?" "How the fuck should I know?!! I barely got out before being seen by a goddamn security guard! I was like some kind of monster to her. To HER! Someone who knows us! I don't get it! What the fuck is her problem? God, what the hell is going on?" "I don't know, Raph." Don shrugged, looking incredibly worried. "It might have been she didn't recognize you- oh...oh...damn....oh, damn this is not good. Not good at all." He gripped the lamp post pole, shaking his head. The orange pale light washed out their green skin and colorful articles of clothing. No matter. The color on Don's face already washed away from what just struck him. "God, don't let this be...oh, please God...." "Don..." Raph raised an eyebrow and growled, "WHAT?" "Think about it! Leo said she fell down a hill, banging up various parts of her body, including her skull. The blow to the head might of affected her brain and cause her to have a slight memory loss of not remembering anything or anyone. Raph...I hate to say it, but she might have amnesia." "Amnesia! Holy shit! So, what are we supposed to do, now? Tell Casey? They'd know for sure we went out here!" "They're going to find out sooner or later! But, we don't have to tell them we were out here tonight. Let's go home, come on...let's go...now..." Raphael watched him wander off, mumbling to himself. Typical geek-conversation, one on none. "Don, does this mean Shadow will be afraid of-" "Damnit! Yes! Yes, it does! If she was scared of just seeing you, I can guarantee she'll fear us all!" He turned to him, tears streaking his face. "If there was one child in the world that could accept us for what we are, it was that child!" Raphael groaned and started to follow him. "Maybe she'll snap to before she sees us again." "It's not as easy as that. She's has to phyiscally see us in order to remember us. April can explain to her who we are again...after, of course, explaining who she is first..." Don sighed at the thought of April going through that experience. "....but, still. Amnesia can go for a few hours or days. But, it can also last for years." "Well, shit, Don! Casey and April won't let it go that far. And she will be treated right away." "It won't go away with the snap of a finger, Raph. Not in one day." "I know that! So?" "She's awake now. She'll be coming home to see a bunch of freaks!" "Then, we'll just stay away from her. There's no other choice. Right?" "Exactly, Raph." Don droned. "Looks as though you, me, Leo, Mike and Splinter we'll be spending Thanksgiving in separate rooms this year!" Ouch. Now that Donatello put it that way, a damper on one of their favorite (food) holidays, it made Raphael feel even more worse than ever. Silent prayers and very few silent words passed between them on the way back home. Both reached the top of the driveway by 3:45 but paused to see someone pacing the front porch. No, two were pacing. Donatello shook his head, glancing to his brother. "Busted." Leonardo, with arms crossed, looked up to watch them head towards the steps. Splinter also stood close by, bundled up and having the biggest pair of bags under his eyes to fit a whole weeks worth of clothes. Michaelangelo decided to take up residency...on the front porch's rocking chair where he too was bundled up with added teeth chattering. "Where were you guys?" Leo asked as Don reached him first. "Let me guess, you-" "Good guess." Don answered. "But you don't have to really guess, do you?" No, he didn't, and Don could see that plainly on Leo's face. "Shit, we didn't expect to come back to find we practically woke up the whole household!" Raph glanced to the three, then to Don. "It was his idea, anyway." "Ut! No, it wasn't!" Don looked to Splinter. I swear it, sensei! He wanted to go!" "Only because you said you were going!" "I didn't!" "Yeah, you know it-" "I did not!" "ENOUGH!!!" Splinter hissed in a deep low voice, followed by a small cough. "It appears you both wanted to go, therefore, you are BOTH at fault!" Two sets of eyes had a nerve to look surprise at the rat standing there. "I am very disppointed in you two. There was no need for either of you to go out alone after you have been told not to." "But, sensei..." Donatello mumbled, head bowed. "There's something important we have to tell you." "And what is that, Donatello?" Splinter looked up to him with a squint. Don looked to Raph, then to the others. "Hmm?" "Um, maybe you should sit down for this one, sensei." Donatello gestured him to take the seat across from Mike. "We have good news and bad news." "Don, it's freezing..." Leo complained. "Yeah." Mike agreed. "Can't we go inside instead?" Splinter turned to Don again. "Can we not discuss this indoors and perhaps, in the morning?" "No, they might hear us." The three blinked to him. "I mean, Casey and April should be kept away from this until they hear the news themselves and know for sure from Shadow's doctor. But we need to tell you guys now-" "Shadow?!" Michaelangelo piped up. "What about her?! Is she okay?! What's wrong with her?" "Uh, we're not sure." Raphael shrugged. "But, we're taking a hint on what it could be." "What?!" "Don, what is it?" Leonardo now asked, his eyebrows slanting all the way down. "Yes, please." Splinter urged, "What is it, Donatello?" Don looked to Raph and heaved a long sigh. "Okay. The good news is, Shadow woke up when Raph was there with her." Pausing, he looked to each of them. "And...the bad news is...with the way her reaction was to him...." He bit his lip. "...we think she may have amnesia." Michaelangelo's teeth stopped chattering and Leonardo swung fully around to face them, showing wide-eyed concern. Splinter took Don's advice of plopping down in the chair to chours along with the similar gasps of the others. "WHAT??" "Oh, no-" "Are you sure?" "No way!" "I can't believe I'm hearing this!" "Say it can't be possible-" "Wait, wait, wait. Master? Are you okay?" The four looked to Splinter, waiting for an answer. He almost looked like he stopped breathing but in the end, turned to look at each of their faces. "Yes." He nodded his head solemly. Then, shook it quietly. "And no." |
Nocturnal Creatures
By: Brinatello
Casey Jones, a friend of the Turtles, has been bitten by a werewolf during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Rated: Fiction M - English - Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Chapters: 26 - Words: 162,800 - Reviews: 11 - Favs: 13 - Follows: 1 - Published: Jun 22, 2001 - id: 326268
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Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten
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