The smell of blood wakes me. My head is pounding and I rub my scalp vigorously to rid myself of the pain. I pull my hand away and stare, horrified at the pools of crimson dripping from my fingertips. I tenderly touch my throbbing cheek; a bruise is forming. The dark voice echoes in my mind, "Soon you will see things my way."
It's pitch black and terribly cold. I try to rise from the floor and take a step. Iron shackles bite into my ankles, anchoring me. I pull and pull, trying to free myself. I bang my fists against the fortress.
"Release me!" I scream out to my unknown enemy.
A door creaks open, letting in a certain slant of light that hits my face. Hanging torches suddenly ignite themselves around the room. I analyze my surroundings. Stone walls are everywhere with iron bars that form a barrier between me and the door. The chains that clasp my feet are rusty with stains of crusted blood from past victims.
A cloud of purple smoke forms behind the bars. The smoke clears and reveals an attractive man who smiles menacingly; his eye are like dark pools brimming with evil. This must've been the man who attacked me I gather.
"Welcome, guest!" He voice booms and echoes in the dungeon. "We don't have much time."
"Time for what?" I ask with a slight quiver to my voice. His dark energy envelops me causing me to fear the worst.
"You'll see, fool boy. You'll see…"
Kate
"Kate Warren, please come to the counselor," the ceiling speaker of the classroom sounds.
Choruses of "Oooh" and whispers follow me to the door. I walk briskly down the hallway, staring at my saddle shoes which carry me to the counselor's office. A plump woman with grey curls invites me in with a warm smile.
"Come in, come in. Have a seat," She says, gesturing to a small wooden chair in front of her desk.
"Am I in trouble?" I squeak meekly still staring at my shoes.
"Not with the school, but…" She heaves a sigh.
I take this moment to look into her bright eyes. The temptation of going into her mind is overwhelming. I want to sift through her thought energies and read her complex emotions. What is she holding back?
"First of all, I need confirmation from you. Are you…" she flicks her hand in the air towards my stomach, "You know…"
"Yes," I whisper, hugging my purse close to my chest.
"What are you going to do, my dear?" She asks gently.
I feel the tears welling into my eyes. "I, I don't know," I say brokenly, choking back a sob.
"Here," she grabs a few tufts of tissues and hands them to me.
She clears her throat and carries on, "It must be tough having everyone knowing. I heard the rumors around the school and I wanted to check with you to make sure." She gives me a pointed look with a sad smile.
"You know there are options out there. Adoption is really the best thing for your predicament, but that's just my opinion. You may also want to look into…" She pauses, weighing her words carefully, "You know… having it terminated."
I crumple the tissue in my hand, trying to think of something to say.
She heaves another sigh. "The third option, of course, would be to keep it. Now, I know you experienced having a mother that may have had you too young and she basically abandoned you, too. So you might want to think about what kind of mother you'll be in the future."
Her words sting. Obviously she pays attention to rumors. My mother getting pregnant at my age and running off was the talk of the town for a while. I understand that the counselor, Mrs. Sharp, is only trying to help, but she seems to make it worse…making it real.
She pats my hand and sends me back to class. She told me she wants to see me once a week from now 'til school ends. Oh, joy.
My fingers sweep across Jared's face: over his eyelids, down the bridge of his nose, and over his sweet lips. I'm murmuring a spell to speed his recovery and sending healing energies through my hands. Jillian is behind me, laying energy crystals on his chest. I move down to his feet and rub healing oil against the balls of his feet and his arches. I'm glad we're alone to conduct our doctoring. I'm sure Jarrod's parents would think we were fruitcakes. I wish the world was more accepting of witches like Jillian and I. We're harmless people, really. We only perform white magic and try to help others as much as we can. And now, I'm focusing on helping the love of my life.
Jared lets out a quiet moan. He sounds like he's in trouble. I hold his hand to my chest. What could he be thinking about… if anything at all? What if he's brain dead, I think horrifyingly.
"Calm down, child," Jillian soothes.
At first, I think she's talking to me, but I watch her patting Jarrod's shoulder. She softly hums a lullaby. His moans become silent as he breathes deeply.
The doctors don't know how long he will be in a coma. This fact drives me absolutely crazy. I can barely get any sleep at night as I lie awake and wonder what will happen to us. What if he dies? How am I going to live without him… my soulmate. And meanwhile, I have to figure out another excruciating part of my life. The baby. Rhauk's baby, I think with a twinge. With tears slipping quietly down my face, I give Jarrod the gentlest of kisses across his cheeks and lips.
"Visiting hours are over," orders a stern nurse behind me.
I let him go unwillingly and straighten the pillow behind his neck. I squeeze his hand one last time then file out of the door behind Jillian. I just want this to be over.