See. I told you there'd be more ^_^ A rather short chapter this time but a longer one is to follow shortly.
Survival Instinct
Chapter 4
Longing/The Return
The days turned to weeks and I struggled to come to terms with what had happened and even more with regaining a sense of normality. I made my way eagerly to the well every morning in the hope that Kain would be there, I started going even earlier remembering that he had to avoid the daylight hours and maybe he was waiting just before dawn. He was never there though. I would rush home after collecting the water, maybe he would at my cottage, seeking shelter from the impending sun. The cottage was always as empty as I had left it.
My days dragged like this in an endless cycle. I ate only a bare minimum for my appetite had left me. I spent my days only waiting for the next day. When the sun set I looked out of my window into the starry night, wondering if he would ever come back.
As the days progressed, I began to lose hope and gave in to my destiny.
He will either come back one day or he will not. I cannot simply wish him into existence. Besides, he has the whole of time on his side. Even if he does return, it may not be for years from now. The idea of me being an old woman by the time he came back made me shudder. I cannot wait forever. I have my life to live. I remembered what Kain had said about why he had spared my life.
"There was something about your determination to survive that I could not ignore." His beautifully deep voice still echoed in my ears. I refused to let him think I was weak without him. I would still be determined to live. I would still fight the wolves with shoes and spoons. I would keep living.
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It had been seven months since my encounter with Kain. In that time I had acquired a new hobby, I was becoming a dressmaker. I had measured myself and was making a delightful blue dress made from materials that I could only just afford but it was starting to gain shape at last. My plan was to take this dress to the market once it was finished, I would wear it proudly and tell people of how I had made it myself and maybe other ladies would like to own one. I would make a nice profit from this venture if I could only finish this dress in time.
The night was drawing in and I'd lit a candle by my window. I worked by its light, trying to work with the needle and thread delicately. There was a chill in the air although it was not windy. I was working so intently on my project that I did not notice how cold it was getting, I barely even noticed the swarm of bats fly past my window, although their sounds were unmistakable.
Suddenly there was a noise at my door. A thudding sound as if something large had been thrown against it. The sound startled me. I laid my dress slowly on my bed and placed the needle in my little cushion I kept by my bed stand. I walked to the door.
Another crash against the wood, although this was not as forceful as the first it still made me jump back. I swallowed my fear, took a deep breath and stepped forward again. I reached the wood and put my hands against it, followed by my ear as I tried to listen to what was outside.
"Hello?" I asked softly. There was no answer, there was only the sound of something scratching faintly on the other side of the door.
I gulped back my horror and prepared myself for the worst. I unlocked the door and creaked it open ever so slightly, only a few inches at the most; there was nothing on the other side. I looked to the left and right but could see nothing. Satisfied with my quick search I started to close the door and that was when the white arm fell through the gap.
I cried out and went to kick the ghastly thing out of sight when I noticed the long black fingernails. I leant down slowly for a closer look, It cannot be, I reached out my hand to touch it's fingers and they closed reflexively around my wrist.
I cried again at the cold and unexpected touch and fell to my knees "Oh my God!" I yelled. I flung the door open and lying out there in the moonlight, still holding firm to my wrist was Kain.
"Kain?" I asked, not quite believing it was him, "Kain," I said louder, I tried to crawl closer to his lifeless looking body and noticed his chest was bloody and the bones exposed. "Oh, sweet Jesus" his hand relinquished my wrist and fell to his side. I threw my hair back and placed my ear next to his face. He was still breathing, but just barely. I started to panic, I could not tend to him out here, and if anyone were to see me there would be no question that the same fate would await us both. I had to get him into the cottage somehow.
I stepped over him and I squirmed as the cold grass went between my toes. I leant down and tried to lift him under his shoulders. My God, he's heavy! His impressive build was going against him now, for my pathetic arms struggled to lift him off the ground.
"Damn you, vampire!" I cursed under my breath. I let his body fall back again and instead worked on removing his body armour, maybe that was creating the weight. I unbuckled the metal plates from his arms, shoulders and sides of his torso which were heavy enough on their own. I had to use both hands to lift the great things from his flesh and throw them into the cottage. Once I'd removed all I could I tried once more to lift him. Although he was still heavy, it was now so much easier without his armour. I dragged him over the threshold and over to my bed. It took me all my effort to lift him onto it. I did not care that my dress would be ruined by his blood, right now his welfare was all that mattered. When his body was upon my mattress I inspected him, I opened his eyelids but instead of the mesmerising yellow, there was only white as his pupils had rolled too far back. I moved my attention to his wound which was so grotesque I nearly vomited. His ribcage was exposed under the torn flesh which was also charred in some places. Under his ribs I could see his vital organs, his heart pumped slowly and his lungs rose and fell. This did not look good, for as far as I could tell, the wounds were not healing themselves.
I went to get a wet cloth in the hope of clearing the wounds but then remembered what Kain had said about his species vulnerability to water. I cursed silently and returned to him. I knelt by the bed, unable to think of what I could do.
"Blast you, Kain! How can I help you? You never told me how to do that!" I checked his breathing and was relieved to find that he was still doing that but I could not bring myself to look at his chest. Seeing his organs trying to work was more than I could stomach right now.
I rose from the floor and began pacing the cottage back and forth. "What can I do?" I asked myself, "What can I do?" I was starting to become angry that I had been left so helpless like this. I looked at his still body, "What do you need, Kain? What do you need from me, vampire?" The word vampire echoed through my head. I remembered how scared I had been when he'd lunged at me, reminding me of his very nature. Of course, he's a vampire! I had almost humanised him in my mind too much, I had forgotten his true nature, what exactly he needed from me. I started to wonder if this was why he had come to me, he had saved me once, was this now my turn to save his life?
How am I supposed to do this? I wondered as I searched my cupboards for something I could use, I found a small clay cup and examined it, Do I just cut myself? Do I put it in something? Oh damn this! I nearly said the last part out loud.
I opened a last cupboard and inside I found what I was looking for, a knife, with a serrated edge, one that had only just been sharpened. I looked at it for some time, still questioning what I was about to attempt. I shook my doubts away and reached for the cup again, I held the cup and the knife in my hands and looked at my wounded companion. I could've laughed thinking about what I must have looked like but right now there was no time for laughter.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
