Disclaimer: Truthfully, I'm considering paying for the medication that will take care of your short term memory loss problem.
Stella mentally sighed. I can't stay here forever. I know that but… it feels so nice. Warm and safe. So why does it look so awful?
Clouds of gray blue mist surrounded her, and sitting on a black desert floor. Dead skeletons of bushes and trees surrounded her, and a sense of dread pervaded her body. Still, her body was as warm and comfortable as if she was under a heavy comforter, in a bed.
If I close my eyes and forget the looks of this place, I will surely go to sleep and stay here for the rest of my life. She suddenly felt something in her wrist, and she dully looked at it. The mist seemed to shrink back a bit. This thing… this feeling was unknown to this land. Her shoulder began to hurt and she put her opposite hand on it, squeezing to relieve the pressure.
Why… why does my arm feel so? I know I got hurt in some way, but I can't remember how. I also know that I should feel hurt, but this is nothing more than a tingle, a ghost of what should be there.
Suddenly she remembered. Everything. Every detail of the fight. Killing her sister and all those Methuselahs. The two small warts on the man's severed hand. The crunch of her sister's cornea. Every sickening detail.
Her breath shortened and her abdomen hurt. Please… stop the pain… it hurts! Her throat was being torn apart by the scream she could not utter in that world. So she uttered it in the next.
"Abel!"
Abel's head snapped up from the book he was pretending to read. Ever since Sister Noelle died, everyone had watched him carefully for bouts of depression. When his dear Esther died, his depression was so deep that it took many good whacks from Leon Sr.'s cane to get him to pretend to be happy. The thing was, he just wasn't strong enough to go through another death, and so soon after Esther's. If Stella were to die, it would kill him. And everyone knew it.
So he busied himself and hid behind his gossamer curtain of fake optimism. Leon stood in the center of the small library, panting and looking harried. "Yes, what is it, Leon?"
"Don't give me that crap! Stella's awake!"
"What?" As a reflex, Abel stood up, allowing the book to drop to the floor.
"Come on, I haven't seen her yet!" Leon bolted out of the room.
Abel followed him quickly, barely taking in breath. He followed him upstairs and into a room a couple of doors away from his own. He had not realized she was so close. As soon as the door opened, he realized only one thing, though this room was so much different from any other.
No, all he had sense for right now was the screaming. He knew where it came from, but he had never heard someone so terrified. He couldn't get to the bed without running Leon over; still he came close enough to tell Leon to move.
Demetry was at his sister's bedside, his hand on her temple and omitting a strange light, for all the little good it did. Though she was still unconscious, Stella's hands were clasped tightly over her mouth, muffling the screams. She was sweating slightly and she was so pale that her dark hair looked like a stain on the white bed. It was… more than disconcerting to see such a strong woman in such a vulnerable state.
A few minutes later, Seth, Ion and Vanessa had joined them. She stopped screaming and Demetry moved her hands back to her sides. He sat in a small wooden chair and with a sad sigh, leaned his elbows on his long legs. He placed his forehead on his clasped hands and did not move when Vanessa made a small motion of encouragement by putting her hand on his shoulder.
Now that all was silent, Abel looked around the room. The windows were high up, and circles, trying hard to give the room a hapier look. The room had never been painted or even used, so there was no furniture besides the bed and many pieces of equipment, currently trying to pump life back into the small woman on the bed. Had Stella not needed so many machines, including a breathing mask, she probably would have been in a much more lavish room. As it was, the room seemed something of a cross between a prison cell and a hospital bedroom.
Abel was the first to notice. A small groan or a sigh, he could not remember which, not that it mattered. His attention moved from her brother back to Stella. Her eyelids were twitching, as if the eye underneath was moving rapidly. He wanted to bring this to the attention of the others, but his voice died in his throat as a bright blue eye opened.
Stella slowly got up, and as slowly as she moved, so too was the attention of everyone in the room drawn to her. She leaned on her right elbow and left hand, using them to push herself up, and then put both hand behind her, so she was leaning on them. She slowly took the breathing mask off and set it on a bedside table. She looked around the room and made eye contact with each of them. Abel's heart jumped into his throat as she looked at him, and his mouth opened slightly.
She smirked. "Have you all taken to eating flies while I've been gone?"
"STELLA!" There were three yells as three joy-overcome men jumped on her. Vanessa and Seth gave them their moment by quickly and quietly slipping out of the room.
Stella hugged her friends back. "You guys have no idea how much I missed you… but you're kind of hurting me…"
She was immediately released. A moment later, Leon slapped her upside the head. "You missed us? Why the hell did you leave us in the first place you psycho b…"
Abel clapped a hand over his friend's mouth. "Stella, how are you doing? Are you all right? Do you nee…"
Stella smiled quietly. "Fine. No. No." She started to pull at the IV and many other cords attached to her and keeping her alive.
"Stella, don't do that." Demetry chided gently, putting his hand over her own.
"Yes, you're not strong enough to heal by yourself yet." Abel added. He cocked his head to the side, as if contemplating her answers. "Wait! What do you mean you're not all right…" he trailed off as Demetry glared at him.
"Stella, do you need us do to anything?" He asked quietly.
Stella turned to her brother. "Um… you can start by getting those out of the room." She pointed.
Abel looked behind him and saw that some careless doctor or another had left an entire tray of needles, sharp, pointy needles in the room and they were directly in her line of view. Stella was wincing slightly at the sight of them.
"I hate needles."
A/N: Aww, that should have made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe. No? Well, then tell me and I'll fi… you know what, that's a lie. I'm not fixing anything. Mwhahahah! Review!