Zoe's POV
Chapter 13 – Day One
Part One
Warmth.
So warm.
A gentle force lowering her to a soft surface.
Zoe's eyes flickered open but a dark blue light was all she could see; although it was bright, it radiated compassion and sincerity.
She felt a cover being pulled up over her trembling body and after a few seconds the sound of shifting metal.
Darkness swirled before her eyes and she knew no more.
Zoe was jolted awake by the shrill ring of her home phone. The loud bring-bring echoed through her tired mind and her weary bones. Her eyes shuttered open and a lung stretching yawn made Zoe arch her back and roll over slowly. Her body ached - she wasn't tired, not physically. Her mind was frazzled by what she had seen, but she couldn't remember why.
Zoe rolled over again and buried her face into the pillow. A soft lavender fragrance filled her senses as she breathed in the homely smell of Claire's and Daniel's house. She cuddled into the mattress and sighed; it was good to be in her own bed. Camping had been fun, but now she was home...
Realization dawned on her like a lightning bolt and she shrieked in alarm. She was in her bed, covered in her duvet, in her room, in her own house. Giving small ragged screams of bewilderment, Zoe sat up and placed her ringing heads in her hands before darting her eyes around her room. Everything was normal, nothing had been moved; only sparkling clean and smelling of dust polish. Was this a really weird dream?
Swinging her legs over the edge of her four-poster she jumped up and... proceeded to fall over. With a strangled cry, Zoe toppled the ground and lay there for a few seconds before raising herself from the carpet, bemused and annoyed.
"What the hell?"
Staring down at her legs she gasped with shock; mud smeared skin erupted out of tattered pyjama bottoms, dried blood was cracking out of open wounds that were dotted all over her limbs. Her gaze was drawn to the window as the old fashioned styled shutters banged; it was open wide, the afternoon breeze waving the curtains and blowing gently in her face. Had she looked out of it then she would have seen a Peterbilt pull slowly out of the drive and be replaced by Topkick, each looking almost anxious.
Reaching out, Zoe gripped the bed and with both hands, proceeded to haul herself up. Her legs shaking, Zoe managed to hobble over to the door and with sweating hands turned the handle. Stumbling into the hall, she made her down to the bathroom.
Feeling refreshed and her stinging cuts fresh and clean, Zoe pulled on clean underwear and jeans, threw on a baggy purple top and pulled her drying hair into a rough ponytail; un-straightened strands curling over her ears and flushed cheeks.
With no warning, sudden images flashed across her pupils and over her thoughts, drowning out her senses; making her stumble and land on the floor. She had no choice but lie there on her back whilst memories swarmed into her head like hornets. Confused and terrified, Zoe desperately tried to focus on one. Grabbing one at random, Zoe waited for her brain to shift them into chronological order. It didn't take long. Her breathing coming out raggedly, Zoe relived everything;
Staring into the camp fire before being startled by a heavy thud that shook the ground.
Turning and facing a glowing red orb of light caked in silver metal – followed by the realization of it being an eye.
Snarling serrated fangs dripping out of metalized gums.
Running over uneven ground as she tried to escape the raining shells of bullets screaming towards her.
Staring up into caring protective blue eyes, reassuring her she was safe.
Her running once more, but this time into the hands of another.
Falling asleep to a soothing rumble of something not of this world.
One word echoing through her dreams – Ironhide.
Gasping in much needed oxygen she crawled to feet and clutched her burning forehead, tears of fear pouring down her cheeks.
"No, no it can't be!"
But logic wasn't on her side, no matter how much she begged it to be. That, metal cat thing had called the humanoid that had protected her; Ironhide. Zoe casted her mind back to the metal giant that saved her. It had been massive and frightening but thinking back on what it did, she shouldn't have been afraid at all.
"Run Zoe! Don't look back!"
Zoe jumped in alarm at the panic filled voice that shouted across her room and then fell onto her bed. Zoe, it had known her name, it had called her Zoe!
"My Ironhide? My..."
Another blast of her home phone brought Zoe back to Earth with an unpleasant bump and she scrambled over to her dresser, pressed the accept button and placed the receiver close to her ear.
"ZOE!" Apparently too close, Zoe could hear Samantha's hysteric screams even at full arms length away. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU? OH MY GOD YOU SCARED THE LIFE OUT OF US!"
"Uh, Sammy? Can I speak here?"
"NO YOU CANNOT SPEAK! YOU TERRIFY ME WITHIN AN INCH OF MY LIFE AND JUST LEAVE? YOU TAKE YOUR EFFING TRUCK AND JUST GO? NO GOODBYE, NO WARNING NO NOTHING. DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME ZOE; I'LL LET YOU HAVE IT PERSONALLY AND YOUR STUFF WHEN WE COME HOME IN FIVE DAYS. NO WAY ARE WE STOPPING OUR CAMPING TRIP BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK!"
Sounding beyond furious and completely out of breath, Samantha hung up. Standing stunned and partially deaf, Zoe gingerly placed the phone back in its holder and backed towards the bedroom door slowly. Barefoot, Zoe ran down the stairs three at a time towards the garage. She fell over on the newly polished tiled flooring in the kitchen but sprang back to her feet and raced down to where she assumed her Topkick was.
Taking a deep breath and rubbing two trembling hands over her face, Zoe opened the door slowly. Although she was unsure why, Zoe kept her eyes tight shut as she entered the garage and shut the door behind her. Zoe edged forward cautiously and hands spread in front of her, begging mentally that her truck be there but also far away. The feel of soft leather made her eyes shoot open in confusion. Her truck was there, driver's door ajar invitingly. Shaking her head at the impossible Zoe jumped about ten foot in the air when a calm yet slightly hesitant voice met her ears.
"Are you ok Zoe?"
Her breath caught in her throat as she shook her head furiously.
"Do you think I'm alright? I woke up in bed whilst knowing full well that in my last memory I was in a forest."
When her truck gave no response she continued slowly, thinking over every work twice before daring to utter them.
"There was this... thing. A horrible thing that attacked me and then something that for some reason reminds me of you stopped it. It was even called Ironhide! And now you're talking, so I want an answer and I want one now, please?"
Silence blared loudly in Zoe's ears and she threw her arms up in frustration.
"I have just seen two weird things fight each other. One tried to kill me, it even talked! All I want is an answer." Pausing to catch breath Zoe added softly. "Please Ironhide?"
"Do you trust me?"
Zoe closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded.
"Come with me and I will show you what I really am."