Chapter Two: Shattered Spirit
Audrey woke in stages from her deep sleep. At first she was distantly aware of soft sounds that gradually grew louder. The smell of bacteria-killing soap and latex almost gagged her as she entered the stage of alertness where the sense of smell kicked in. She could feel a dull ache in her ribs and a slight burning sensation in her arms. Not pain really, just enough to make her uncomfortable.
She blinked groggily as she opened her eyes, so doped up on pain killers that she wasn't really sure where she was at first. The solid white walls eventually triggered a distant memory of being wheeled into the ER after being found by a neighbor. She giggled in a drunk-like manner as she remembered the big spotted kitty waiting patiently for her at the bottom of the steps before she blacked out back at the house. The drugs where making her a little giddy at the moment.
Audrey noted with mute fascination that she could feel the two pieces of her broken rib rubbing against each other with every breath she took. She could count the stitches in her arms if she concentrated long enough. The drug-high girl passed the time this way until someone walked into her room. She meeped softly and looked over at the two girls standing in the doorway; one almost the same age as her and the other at least two years older then herself.
Audrey stared solemnly at the other girls as they exchanged glances with each other. Audrey knew them alright; they had been her friends three years ago before she had been taken out of school. The taller and older one was Beth. She was two years ahead of Audrey in school, though now she was probably five years ahead as far as school courses were concerned. The other girl was Emily. Emily had been in the same grade as Audrey but it was debatable whether or not that was still the case. It was Beth who was first to break the heavy silence that had fallen on the room like a thick blanket, startling Audrey and making her jump.
"Oh Audrey are you ok!? We saw what happened on the news; your story is on every news channel and in every newspaper!" the blond exclaimed as Emily rolled her eyes behind Beth's back. Audrey shrugged mutely, eyeing the two in uncertainty. She had lost her ability to trust people in the past three years and didn't know whether to believe Beth's concern or not. Three years was a very long time to be away from one's friends. Beth and Emily were strangers to her, as was everyone else she had known. The Audrey that they knew was dead, now and forever.
"Beth, maybe we should come back later. I don't think that she is going to talk and the nurses told us that we could only see her for a moment." Emily said softly when the only sound in the room was the steady drip-drip of the IV and the tick-tock of the wall clock. Beth sighed and nodded, waving a short goodbye to Audrey and leaving with Emily. Audrey watched them leave then went back to counting the stitches in her arms.
~
"Gah! I can't believe that she wouldn't say anything to us!" Beth exclaimed once they had exited the hospital.
"Well Beth, she has been traumatized and probably doesn't know what to think of everyone suddenly wanting to be kind to her. " Emily said while trying to calm her friend. Beth snorted and stormed off, leaving Emily behind. Emily growled in annoyance and stalked off in another direction; neither girl knew how to accept the way their friend was now. It was simply unthinkable. Emily had known Audrey for most of her life and to see Audrey a bandaged nervous wreak had shaken her up pretty bad. Beth hadn't known Audrey for as long, but to see her in that state was still disturbing. No one should have to live like that but as long as there are humans in the world then it will continue.
~
Meanwhile, halfway across town, a trail of bloody paw prints left a path that circled Audrey's house once before disappearing into the small wooded area behind the house. Lying in the shade of an old tree rested the leopard, the pads on her paws stained lightly with the man's blood. With an almost rueful sigh the leopard began to clean her paws, her ears turning this way and that to alert her if anyone was trying to sneak up on her. She highly doubted that anyone could sneak up on her, not with her excellent sense of smell and hearing.
T'Kai got to her feet after a while, climbing into the largest of the trees and resting on one of the stronger branches. She felt as if she deserved a rest after successfully freeing the girl from her living hell. The shape shifting spirit felt only a mild sense of sympathy for the girl and, while she was bonded to the girl as some sick trick of the Fates, felt rather detached from the girl. There was no reason to get herself involved with the girl's life anymore. Audrey could fend for herself; she didn't need T'Kai.
After roaming around the planet for 5,000 years, T'Kai's attitude wasn't a real surprise to anyone if they had known her. She had wasn't the motherly type and wasn't exactly all that cuddly. Once she had been these things but 5000 years had taken their toll on her. She had seen many people die and in the last thousand years had been the reason for many deaths. Since she was a shape shifter she could change her appearance to be any creature she desired except for one. T'Kai could not become human.
Originally hailing from Egypt, T'Kai had been on every continent on the planet and had seen many new countries take their start including America, the one she lived in now. She was no stranger to a hard life and normally she wouldn't involve herself in the lives of humans, but Audrey had sparked a small ember of interest deep within her, enough to make her want to save the girl. Now that the step father was dead T'Kai felt as if Audrey wasn't her problem anymore. Oh if only she knew the changes that would be taking place in the next few months she would have known better, but at the moment all she concerned herself with was sleeping and relaxing. There was no reason for her not to...right?
A/N: Ok,ok. This one isn't much better then the chapter I had up originally but it was the best I could do. Hopefully it isn't as confusing and I hope to have chapter 3 ready by the end of this week.
Audrey woke in stages from her deep sleep. At first she was distantly aware of soft sounds that gradually grew louder. The smell of bacteria-killing soap and latex almost gagged her as she entered the stage of alertness where the sense of smell kicked in. She could feel a dull ache in her ribs and a slight burning sensation in her arms. Not pain really, just enough to make her uncomfortable.
She blinked groggily as she opened her eyes, so doped up on pain killers that she wasn't really sure where she was at first. The solid white walls eventually triggered a distant memory of being wheeled into the ER after being found by a neighbor. She giggled in a drunk-like manner as she remembered the big spotted kitty waiting patiently for her at the bottom of the steps before she blacked out back at the house. The drugs where making her a little giddy at the moment.
Audrey noted with mute fascination that she could feel the two pieces of her broken rib rubbing against each other with every breath she took. She could count the stitches in her arms if she concentrated long enough. The drug-high girl passed the time this way until someone walked into her room. She meeped softly and looked over at the two girls standing in the doorway; one almost the same age as her and the other at least two years older then herself.
Audrey stared solemnly at the other girls as they exchanged glances with each other. Audrey knew them alright; they had been her friends three years ago before she had been taken out of school. The taller and older one was Beth. She was two years ahead of Audrey in school, though now she was probably five years ahead as far as school courses were concerned. The other girl was Emily. Emily had been in the same grade as Audrey but it was debatable whether or not that was still the case. It was Beth who was first to break the heavy silence that had fallen on the room like a thick blanket, startling Audrey and making her jump.
"Oh Audrey are you ok!? We saw what happened on the news; your story is on every news channel and in every newspaper!" the blond exclaimed as Emily rolled her eyes behind Beth's back. Audrey shrugged mutely, eyeing the two in uncertainty. She had lost her ability to trust people in the past three years and didn't know whether to believe Beth's concern or not. Three years was a very long time to be away from one's friends. Beth and Emily were strangers to her, as was everyone else she had known. The Audrey that they knew was dead, now and forever.
"Beth, maybe we should come back later. I don't think that she is going to talk and the nurses told us that we could only see her for a moment." Emily said softly when the only sound in the room was the steady drip-drip of the IV and the tick-tock of the wall clock. Beth sighed and nodded, waving a short goodbye to Audrey and leaving with Emily. Audrey watched them leave then went back to counting the stitches in her arms.
~
"Gah! I can't believe that she wouldn't say anything to us!" Beth exclaimed once they had exited the hospital.
"Well Beth, she has been traumatized and probably doesn't know what to think of everyone suddenly wanting to be kind to her. " Emily said while trying to calm her friend. Beth snorted and stormed off, leaving Emily behind. Emily growled in annoyance and stalked off in another direction; neither girl knew how to accept the way their friend was now. It was simply unthinkable. Emily had known Audrey for most of her life and to see Audrey a bandaged nervous wreak had shaken her up pretty bad. Beth hadn't known Audrey for as long, but to see her in that state was still disturbing. No one should have to live like that but as long as there are humans in the world then it will continue.
~
Meanwhile, halfway across town, a trail of bloody paw prints left a path that circled Audrey's house once before disappearing into the small wooded area behind the house. Lying in the shade of an old tree rested the leopard, the pads on her paws stained lightly with the man's blood. With an almost rueful sigh the leopard began to clean her paws, her ears turning this way and that to alert her if anyone was trying to sneak up on her. She highly doubted that anyone could sneak up on her, not with her excellent sense of smell and hearing.
T'Kai got to her feet after a while, climbing into the largest of the trees and resting on one of the stronger branches. She felt as if she deserved a rest after successfully freeing the girl from her living hell. The shape shifting spirit felt only a mild sense of sympathy for the girl and, while she was bonded to the girl as some sick trick of the Fates, felt rather detached from the girl. There was no reason to get herself involved with the girl's life anymore. Audrey could fend for herself; she didn't need T'Kai.
After roaming around the planet for 5,000 years, T'Kai's attitude wasn't a real surprise to anyone if they had known her. She had wasn't the motherly type and wasn't exactly all that cuddly. Once she had been these things but 5000 years had taken their toll on her. She had seen many people die and in the last thousand years had been the reason for many deaths. Since she was a shape shifter she could change her appearance to be any creature she desired except for one. T'Kai could not become human.
Originally hailing from Egypt, T'Kai had been on every continent on the planet and had seen many new countries take their start including America, the one she lived in now. She was no stranger to a hard life and normally she wouldn't involve herself in the lives of humans, but Audrey had sparked a small ember of interest deep within her, enough to make her want to save the girl. Now that the step father was dead T'Kai felt as if Audrey wasn't her problem anymore. Oh if only she knew the changes that would be taking place in the next few months she would have known better, but at the moment all she concerned herself with was sleeping and relaxing. There was no reason for her not to...right?
A/N: Ok,ok. This one isn't much better then the chapter I had up originally but it was the best I could do. Hopefully it isn't as confusing and I hope to have chapter 3 ready by the end of this week.
