David's heavy eyelids slowly fluttered open and at first everything seemed to bright it made his eyes snap shut again, the cool darkness smoothed them and he floated off back into darkness.
Then...there was light.
But this time it was gray light, he found himself looking up at the gray cloud covered skies that he laid eyes on back at the moors. He found himself standing in the middle of a thick forest, lush pine trees lined the soft cool dirt and made the scent of fresh spring water and soil even stronger.
He had no idea how he got there, and what had happened.
A cool breeze brushed up against him and he looked down at himself, he was stalk naked.
At any other point in his life his eyes would have widened and he would have ran for cover, but something about the mid morning cool air made his lungs fill with fresh oxygen and make every muscle in his body feel outstanding.
Then without even a second thought he started running, his barefoot pounded the soft ground as he dodged trees and let the cold wind try and catch up, he ran faster and faster, letting his jet black hair blow out of his dark eyes.
Then he stopped, right near a soft slope that looked down at some moss covered ground, he kneeled down and waited for something.
He breathing became low and then he saw it...a deer.
It was as beautiful as it was peaceful, just standing there.
He watched it with set eyes...then sprang.
The deer tried to escape from his hold, but he was stronger, and his mouth watered as he tore his throat out and let the warmth and steam of it's blood seep through his teeth.
"David?"
The voice seemed faint, then came again louder and David snapped his eyes open.
He was laying in bed.
At first he eyes had to adjust to the light, then settled and fixed up at the two men standing above him.
One was a doctor, mid fifties and a strong face, the other was shorter, bald and goofy looking, holding a briefcase and hat.
He was in the hospital, An IV was linked to his arm and he was dressed in dark colored pajamas, the shirt was opened a bit...showing two healed over claw marks.
David blinked, his throat felt dry.
"David?" The doctor tried again.
He looked up them and the doctor smiled
"Hello David, I am Dr. Hirsch and this is a countryman of yours, Mr. Collins."
David raised an eyebrow.
"Where am I?"
"You're in a hospital in London."
"London? Where's Jack? I had a strange dream."
"I should think so after your recent traumatic experiences."
"The guy I was with, is he all right?" "How did I get to London?"
The doctor fixed his eyes on David and spoke in a softer voice.
"Now, David, I want you to prepare yourself; your friend is dead."
David froze.
He was dreaming...he had to be, Jack dead?
"What?"
The men just looked at him.
David's stomach rolled and he felt his heart start to speed up, every emotion ever known to man came rushing inside him, he never knew anyone who died...most of all his best friend who was just laughing beside him and talking...Jack dead? No, it wasn't true.
"Mr. Kessler, I am Mr. Collins of the American Embassy here in Grosvenor Square." "Both Mr. Goodman's parents and your parents have been notified of your injuries and everything's in order."
This was all to much for David, he couldn't take it in, he sat up with wide eyes looking at the two men who didn't even seem to flinch.
"Everything's in order?" "What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Goodman's body has been air-freighted back to New York for burial and your parents have wired funds for your stay in the hospital until you are well enough to fly home."
Panic then set in, David couldn't control the tears any longer.
"Who the hell are you people?" "What's going on here?" "Where is Jack, I wanna see Jack!"
"I realize how upsetting this must be for you, Mr. Kessler, but please try to refrain from hysterics."
The man with the hat said, fixing his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
He started to struggle, as the doctor held him down and called for the nurse, he fought with all the strength he had, his mind going blank as the other man stepped aside.
The doctor then yelled out...
"Miss Price! Miss Price, please!"
David fought and swore at the doctor until he heard footsteps and saw the nurse enter.
"Prepare a hypodermic, please,"
She was the most beautiful thing he ever saw in a white uniform. Her hair was chestnut brown and was tied up in a tight bun, her skin was snow white and her eyes seemed to cut through him as she laid her gentle hands on his and stuck him with a needle and tried to smooth him.
"It's all right, calm down..."
David was gently pushed back to his soft bed as she held him down, her eyes fixed with his and slowly the panic started to fade and his breathing became normal.
The man with the glasses spoke again.
"Now, Mr. Kessler, try not to excite yourself." "Everything has been arranged." "I shall come back to check on your progress and send a report to your parents." "The police have requested to interview you and I have given them permission to do so."
The doctor then walked the man to the door.
"I'm sure he's gonna be just fine, just in shock."
The man rolled his eyes.
"These dumb-ass kids never appreciate anything you do for them."
He then left.
The doctor sighed and then walked back to the bed, looking down at David with the nurse.
David's tears were still fresh and he just laid there looking up at them.
"How long have I been here?"
"Three weeks."
"Three weeks!"
He heart jumped.
"You've suffered some rather severe cuts and bruises, lost a bit of blood, but nothing too serious; black and blue for a while." "You'll have some dueling scars to boast of, That lunatic must have been a very fierce fellow, They say a mad man has the strength of men."
"Lunatic?"
David's voice became softer as the drugs took hold, his eyelids became heavy again.
"Now we've just given you a pretty strong sedative, so try to get some rest now." "Miss Price will see to your needs, rest now."
The doctor had a kind smile and he patted David on the hand.
"It wasn't a lunatic" David's eyes started to slowly close.
The nurse looked puzzled.
"I beg your pardon?"
"It was a wolf..." David then fell asleep.
A day later the police men came to see David, he was still in shock but after hearing the report of a man attacking him he wanted to clear things out, the police men leaned against the wall as David sat up in bed and told them his story.
"I'm sorry if I conflict with your report, but Jack and I were not attacked by a man."
Lt. Villiers, the first police officer crossed his arms.
"So you said."
David could see a mile away that he didn't believe him, on the other hand Sgt. McMauns, the younger officer spoke up.
"He may have a point, Lieutenant." "Two strong boys would be able to defend themselves against one man."
Villiers shot him a look.
"Sgt. McManus, are you suggesting that David and Jack were, in fact, attacked by some animal and that the officialdom of East Proctor has conspired to keep it a secret?" "We have an autopsy report on the murderer who was shot in the act by the local police." "We have two witnesses to the crime, You'll forgive me, Mr. Kessler, if I consider your testimony as coming from someone who has gone through a terrible shock." "As far as the police are concerned this case is closed."
The officer eyed David and then nodded, he then walked out the door before Sgt. McMauns gave a weak smile at David and walked out behind him, leaving the doctor, nurse, and David all alone in the hospital room.
"There were witnesses?"
"So they said." The doctor checked his charts.
"How could there have been witnesses?" "It was so dark, We were running and I fell and Jack went to help me up and this thing came from nowhere...I don't understand what they're talking about."
The doctor gave him a weak smile.
"I'm sure in time it will all come back to you."
"Doctor, my memory is fine It's my sanity I'm beginning worry about."
The doctor gave a weak laugh and told David to get some rest.
That night David had the same dream as before, but this time it was just him running through the forest, through the ice old streams and up the moss covered hills, letting the fresh mountain air go through him.
It felt great.
Around that time Alex was at the nurses station talking with the other girls, the new topic was the cute American man in room twenty-one.
Alex couldn't help it through the giggles and laughs, he was awfully handsome in a strange sad way.
Today she had done her runs to the children's ward, and served Benjamin his morning pills, Benjamin was a cute little eight year old boy who had fallen off some cart ride at the fair and cracked his ribs less then a week ago, so far he had been staying there and was such a cute little sight to see since the only word he muttered to the nurses was "No!" Alex couldn't wait to have children one day...but at the same time she prayed they would say more then just "No!"
She was glad to start rounds again, she was going to check in on room twenty-one and see if he had eaten his meal and taken his pills.
On her way there she felt nervous, she checked her hair twice and then entered the room calm and smooth, the blinds were drawn making the room darker, she looked and saw David sitting up in bed with a pair of headphones on, asleep.
His food tray was on his lap...untouched.
She smiled and closed the door behind her.
"Mr. Kessler?"
David cracked open an eye and saw it was her, for the past week the only good thing about this awful dead place was her.
He had been crying a lot...but not in front of anyone, he felt so scared and alone, his family was across the world, and he was around strangers, his best friend had been killed and no one believed him about the wolf...the wolf he saw every time he had shut his eyes.
He smiled and took the headphones off.
"Hello Miss Price."
"Please call me Alex."
He smiled
"Then you can call me David."
She returned the smile and walked towards his bed and looked at his untouched meal, sure hospital food wasn't good...but he didn't seem to be in the mood or anything, maybe it was the drugs, or maybe he just wasn't in the mood.
"David, your causing a problem for me."
"What's that Miss...I mean Alex?"
"You haven't touched your food, and I was ordered to give you these food after you ate...what shall I do?"
"I'm really not hungry, I'm sorry."
She gave him a sly look and lifted the tray off the food.
"Shall I be forced to feed you David?"
David lifted an eyebrow and smiled.
Alex then crossed the room and opens the curtains, daylight fills the room, and David squinted and groaned.
"Come on Alex!"
Alex smiled and came back to him, sitting on the edge of the bed and he sat closer up beside he.
She cut his food into neat tiny squares with ease as David watched, trying to hold back from laughing and then she turned towards him, a piece of meat stuck to the end of the fork.
"Let's give it a try?"
David crossed his arms and smiled.
"Nope, I'm not hungry."
Before he could react she reached out and pinched his nose shut, causing his mouth to open and a piece of meat shoved into it.
David chewed and pulled back.
Alex gave another look, she sure was sexy.
"Will I be forced to do this again?"
This time David opened his mouth with a smile behind his eyes as she fed him.
Later on when David took his nap, he dreamed he was running through the forest again, he darted up and down the steep hills that were covered in moss and lush dew covered grass. His barefoot pounded as he ran faster and faster, the cold air passing him and his lungs filling up with fresh oxygen...it was the best feeling in the world.
He then stopped and saw in a small clearing of the trees there laid his hospital bed with him sleeping in it, I. V and all.
Sitting beside him was Alex, dressed in her uniform and looking like an angel. She lifted her head as he watched from the trees and she reached for to his sleeping self and rested her hand on his arm.
Just then his sleeping self snapped open it's eyes and two cat glowing eyes shinned down at her, the monster opened it's mouth and wet dripping fangs hissed.
The next day David spent most of his day laying in his bed, he past time watching TV...which really wasn't that good since they were in Europe, listening to music on his headphones, and counting down the hours until Alex's shift started.
He knew he shouldn't have been feeling this way, here he was in a London hospital, his best friend murdered from God knows what...and he had a school boy crush on some nurse.
But Alex was different, she treated him like a friend, always checking up on him, always staying with him and talking...sure it might of been just a small handful of weeks, but something about those two beautiful brown eyes made him forget.
The doctor was in to check him over, in fact David was being discharged the next morning, half of him was relieved he could return home to see his friends and family and start feeling normal again...but then another part of him felt sick and nervous, aside from the nightmares he felt safe here...and his flight wasn't in another week or so...which meant he was going to have to check into some motel and get struck with the same shock that he felt when he first woke up...Jack was dead.
The kind doctor was looking over David's charts as he sat on the edge of his bed biting his nails, feeling uneasy and sick at the same time.
"Have you ever had nightmares like this before?" The doctor asked as he turned towards David.
"Well, yeah, back when I was a kid...but nothing this bad."
"Did you get a good look at the man who attacked you?"
"I've told you, it wasn't a man. It was an animal. A big wolf or something. A rabid dog."
The doctor tapped his pen against the stack of papers he held in his hands.
"Look, Dr. Hirsch, I know I've been traumatized, but Jack was torn apart. I saw him. A man can't do that to someone with his bare hands," " Did you see Jack?"
"No. In fact, your wounds were cleaned and dressed before you arrived here."
"Did you talk to the police in East Proctor? Did the cops go to The Slaughtered Lamb?"
"I really don't know."
"Then why the hell are you so quick to disbelieve me? You yourself said it must have taken incredible strength to tear apart a person like that."
The doctor then rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"David, please. The police are satisfied. I'm certain that if a monster were out roaming northern England we'd have seen it on the tell."
"You really think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"Now really, David. You're far too intelligent to go on this way. When you return to America I want you to seek out a competent psychiatrist or psychologist or something and stop this nonsense. You'll be leaving this hospital in three or four days, please remain sane. At least until you are no longer our responsibility."
The doctor then patted David on the leg and started for the door when David called out...
"Doctor?"
"Yes,"
"I rather not be alone tonight."
The doctor smiled again.
"No problem, I'll send in Miss Price."
David thanked him and then laid back into his bed and took a long deep sigh.
Later that night Alex came to stay with him, she sat beside his bed buried in some novel as he hiked himself up on one elbow and watched her with a sly look in his eyes. The thin light from the darkness of the hospital lights up their faces just enough.
"You're a very beautiful girl."
Alex put her book on her lap and smiled in a slight embarrassed way.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was, what are you reading?"
"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' by Mark Twain."
She held up the book.
"Do you like it?"
"I've just started it, my friend gave it to my since I've been working off shifts."
"Do you like to read?"
"Yes, very much."
"About what?"
"Pretty much anything I can get my hands on, relaxes me."
"The only things I read about is whatever my school makes me read, and sports novels."
She smiled.
"Do you like school?"
"It's all right."
"What are studying?"
"Law."
"Oh, that sounds nice."
"Well, my father is a lawyer, and his father was a lawyer...so I thought it was the next best thing to do."
"Well, I'm sure your'll be great at it."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"You like being a nurse?"
She smiled
"Yes, very much...I like to help people."
"Like me?"
Her cheeks became a shade darker.
"Yes, like you."
He smiled back.
Alex then gazed into his eyes, almost trying to see into him.
"What do you dream about?"
"I dream of death mostly."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you."
"No, it's okay...I like talking to you."
They sit and look at each other for a while longer.
"How old are you?"
Alex smiled
"That's not really a very proper question."
David smiled back and slid further down in the bed.
"How old?"
"Twenty-eight."
"I'm twenty-four."
She smiled.
"Yes, I know."
Alex then looked down at her book and then back at David.
"Was Jack Goodman your good friend?"
David gave a serious look, almost sad as he remembered the past.
"He was my best friend...we knew each other since we were little, we had been planning on his trip since we got into high school..."
His voice became softer.
"Shall I read to you?" Alex asked, knowing that this might escape his pain and loss.
He looked at her and smiled again.
"Yes, please."
She smiled as he yanked up his covers and started to relax.
"A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
She cleared her throat and went on...as the smooth words came from her lips, David dirtied into a deep sleep.
Soon Alex's voice faded and David opened his eyes again...but this time he wasn't in the hospital, or the woods...he was back at his house in New York.
Everything looked the same, middle class, good furniture, his mother's plants in the living room. The warm scent of baking from the kitchen...his father sitting in his chair with a glass of brandy in his hand, as his younger brother and sister sat on the carpet watching TV.
He eyed and saw his mother, looking as pretty as he last remembered, standing beside the kitchen counter making cookies.
David was in his school sweater, sitting at his desk at sat outside of the living room doing his homework, right before finals.
Everything seemed safe and calm...until their was a loud cracking knock on the front door.
"I'll get it," his father called out as he sat his glass on the side table and started up.
The knocking then became loud pounding, which made everyone get up as his father walked to the front door.
"I said I'm coming!"
His father reached for the door and...
It happened in shocking speed.
The door exploded, sending chunks of wood flying.
Everyone jumped up, and David felt his heart leap into his throat.
There stood four six feet demons dressed as Storm Troopers, their faces were rotten and green, their eyes like wild cats and large fangs hissing out of their mouths.
They had machine guns...there was a loud firing, and blasts of lights, then his father laid lifeless on the carpet in a bloody mess and the four demons ran into their home.
One ran into the kitchen, two ran for his brother and sister...and the other for David.
He heard a loud cry from his mother, then the sound of her being blown away.
The two demons soldiers that ran into the livin groom, kicked in the TV, and fired their guns at them...they laid there like his father in a bloody torn up mess, they then took logs from the fire place and started to light everything on fire.
David jumped up to stop them when one of the demons shoved him back into his seat and put a large buck knife blade to his throat, pressing in hard as David's eyes became as big as sauces and sweat poured off his face.
He reached out for the remains of his family...when the soldier pulled the blade and warmth poured down the front of David's sweater.
"NO!"
David snapped awake, sweat dripping down his face, his heart pounding hard.
Alex put down her book, a deep look on concern in her face as she rested her hand on him.
"David, what's wrong?"
David turned towards her, scared to death.
"I just had a nightmare."
Alex gave a warm smile.
"Don't worry...I have just the thing."
She then stood up and walked across the room, she came to the window and reached to pull the curtain away to show the blazing sunlight of London, when...
One of the demons jumped out from behind the curtain and stabbed Alex straight throat the heart.
Blood squirted up in the air and Alex fell to the ground like a rag doll.
"ALEX!"
David screamed as he reached out, then...
David woke up again.
Another nightmare, onto of another nightmare.
He couldn't handle this.
His heart pounded as he tried to control his breathing as he sat there in the brightness of his room.
It was morning, Alex must have left a few hours ago.
"Holy shit." David said as he rubbed his face.
Just then the orderly came bursting through the room with his cart, almost scaring David again.
"Good morning!" He called as he put his cart beside David's bed and started to unload the tray.
David took a second to try and get himself back to normal...but everything seemed to real now.
The orderly started to set up his breakfast onto his tray, looking happier then usual...maybe it was because David was leaving today.
"What time is it?"
"A little after eight...dam boy you look as if you've seen a ghost."
David took a deep breath.
"Yeah...I guess."
The orderly smiled anyway and showed David what he had to eat.
"Two eggs, pancakes...crispy bacon, toast, and some fruit...with our world famous milk, enjoy and ring me when your done."
With that he took his tray and was out before David could say thank you.
He sat there for a while, looking from the room, then sighed and sat up looking at his food.
He wasn't hungry.
With then again he had to eat...so he was just about to bite into his front when he looked up and almost choked.
"Can I have some toast?"
Jack stood there behaving relaxed and normal, sits in the chair last occupied by Alex. However, Jack's appearance makes his casual all the more surreal. He is as David left him butchered on the moors. He is covered with dried mud and open wounds. Huge glistening gashes abound on his body. His face is scratched, his throat is badly torn, and his hair is matted with blood. In several spots he has already begun to rot. He is a remarkably gruesome sight, but his physical state seems not to affect him at all.
He smiles at David.
"Nice to see you."
David drops his spoon on his disk and sits there, drained of color and his jaw wide open.
Unbelieving he shakes his head.
"Get the fuck out of here Jack."
Jack smirks.
"Thanks a lot David."
David presses himself against his headboard, he's horrified.
"I'm aware that I don't look so great, but I thought you'd be glad to see me."
Jack gets up and takes a piece of toast from David's tray as David watches amazed. Jack returns to his seat and takes a bite out of his toast. David stares at him and shakes his head.
"This is too much...I can't take this."
Jack made a face.
"David, your really hurting my feelings!"
David looked at him astounded.
"Hurting your feelings? Has it occurred to you that it may be unsettling to have you rise from your grave to visit me? Listen to me, I'm talking to a hamburger!"
"I'm sorry to be upsetting you, David, but I had to come."
"Aren't you supposed to be buried in New York someplace?"
"Yeah. Your parents came to my funeral. I was surprised at how many people came."
David raised an eyebrow.
"Why should you be surprised? You were a very well-liked person."
Jack laughs.
"Debbie Klein cried a lot."
"I can't stand this." David starts to shake his head as his blood soaked friends eats more toast.
"So you know what she does? She's so grief stricken she runs to find solace in Rudy Levine's bed."
David looks
"Rudy Levine the shmuck?"
Jack rolls his eyes
"Life mocks me even in death."
Jack starts to work on the eggs.
David's eyes become wider as he watches Jack eat.
"I'm going completely crazy."
Jack locks eyes with him.
"David, now I know this may be hard for you, but I have to warn you."
"Warn me?" David eyes Jack's torn bloody throat and sees flesh hanging off it.
"I'm a grisly sight, it's true; but I love you and that's why I'm here. You've got to know."
"If you love me so much, Jack, you'll realize how disconcerting it is to share one's breakfast with the living dead!"
Jack looks at him, his eyes set...his voice stern.
"We were attacked by a werewolf."
David covers his ears and starts to shout...
"I'm not listening!"
"On the moors, we were attacked by a lycanthrope, a werewolf."
"Shut up!"
"I was murdered, an unnatural death, and now I walk the earth in limbo until the werewolf's curse is lifted."
David becomes angry, he screams in his dead friend's face.
"The wolf's bloodline must be severed. The last remaining werewolf must be destroyed"
"Go away Jack!"
Jack looks at him, sad and set.
"It's you David."
David stops dead.
"What?"
"You survived and now you shall continue the curse."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember what that guy at The Slaughtered Lamb said? Beware the moon.'
David starts to shake all over, tears form in his eyes.
"Please Jack...just leave."
"Beware the moon. The full moon, David. You've got two days."
"Please Jack...stop."
"David, please believe me. You will kill people, David. You've got to stop the bloodshed before it begins."
David then screams out...
"NURSE!"
Jack leans in closer, sadness in his blood stained face.
"Listen to me! Take your own life, David. It's our only chance."
"NURSE!"
"The supernatural! The powers of darkness! It's all true. Take your own life! Suicide, David. Join me."
David spun around in his head, he face resting against the wall above his bed, sitting up and ringing the bell over and over again crying.
"Nurse, Alex...please come!"
Jack stands up a bit and leans in, he touches his friends' shoulder.
"It's cold, David, and I'm so alone. The undead surround me. Have you ever talked to a corpse? It's boring! I'm lonely! Kill yourself, David, before you kill others."
The sound of footsteps running comes closer and closer, Jack eyes them and then looks at David.
"Beware the moon, David."
Just then Alex came running into the room, to find David rocking back and forth weeping.
She ran over to his bedside and put her hands on him.
"David, what's wrong?"
She removes the tray and places it to the side and goes back to him. She tries to hold him when he turns and smiles and kisses her, a real kiss. Tears still fresh in his eyes.
"I'm a werewolf!"
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"A werewolf?"
"Yeah...Jack was just here and told me that next full moon I'll change into a monster."
Alex looked at him, then a slight confused look came over her face...the same look you give to a crazy person.
"Jack...your dead friend jack was here?"
David shakes his head.
Alex them gives a slight smile and brushes some of his fallen jet black hair out of his brown eyes.
"Feeling better now?"
"I'll tell you in two days."
"Two days?"
"That's the next full moon."
"Oh...I see."
Alex tries to hold back from laughing.
David doesn't becomes angry, he's more shocked and happy to see her right now.
"I know you think I'm crazy."
"What...from you claming to be a werewolf, your getting visits from dead friends?"
David looked at her and then relaxes.
"I was dreaming again huh?"
Alex smiles.
"Yes, I believe so."
David lays back and breaths and Alex looks at him, a small cute smile spread across her face.
"Do you have a place to stay in London?"
David looked at her...they locked eyes and both smiled.