Yay!! I have legs, they are still here! I wouldn’t say they look their best, covered in brown goo with sticky patches of old bandage everywhere! ‘Can I use the bathroom?’ Three of them have rushed off, probably to get a bedpan for me. That qualifies for another ‘Ugghh.’ What a performance trying to use one of those, and keep your sheets clean!
‘No, not one of those things, I meant, can I walk to the bathroom and clean myself up?’
‘You wait minute.’ It’s like watching a baby speak friend, mesmerizing!
Listen, I have just written down every thought on this page as I was thinking it, and recorded every reply from the people I’ve spoken to. My brain is getting confused so I’m going to sign off from the writing (you’ll still be with me in my thoughts) and see if they bring Uncle to me. I presume that is where they have run off to; after all, he is the Doctor. XX
They have been gone ages, and I’m sitting here like a half-eaten chocolate bar. My legs are beginning to stick to the sheets; it’s so warm in here. That’s it! Enough is enough! I’m getting up, my feet are dry, and my legs look the shape they have always been, so there should be no problems whatsoever. Oooh, I can feel my toes again, even the rock floor is warm, if I can just stand carefully. ‘Oh no! OW!’ I’m on the floor; my stupid legs don’t work. Oh my god, what if I’m paralysed for the rest of my life? No, that won’t happen, I have some vamp healing powers in my blood! I think I cracked my skull again though, where’s Uncle? Someone’s coming, I can hear them padding along with longer strides and heavier feet, so it must be Uncle. That’s odd, he’s running, maybe he heard me fall and he’s panicking. Here he ISNT!! It’s a Sanguis!! It’s just run past the entrance of the room. Oh My God! What do I do? I have to walk; I have to! Help me Amica and give me your strength!
‘HELP, WATCHERS, PEOPLE, THERE’S A SANGUIS!!!’
I’m up; I managed to get on my feet, thank you friend. I don’t understand; everyone is looking at me like I’m a lunatic! The other patients saw the red blur of that monster go past us; why aren’t they scared, and where did all the little people go? I’m going after it, I can stand so I can walk, and that thing could be biting chunks out of all the little Watchers as it goes. It wasn’t very fast, it was kind of limping, or hopping or something, I wasn’t even sure it had legs, because I only saw the top half when we were in the half light of the tunnels. I’m going to see where it went, or at least tell someone it is in here. The Clones don’t seem bothered by it at all. I hate to say it, but maybe some of them were grown without their full set of marbles, because the sight of that thing should have had them climbing the walls.
This place is crazy, I’ve never been out of the bedroom before, and it’s like walking inside an intricately designed sandcastle. You know, the ones sometimes seen on the beach, which some kid has taken hours to design, with windows and towers and stairs. The same one that some other kid decides is his absolute duty to destroy. The stone in here is moulded in the same amateurish way, shaped with hands, not machines, and yet the structure is just as sound and strong. It’s a hollowed out, hidden world! The reason I even have time to take any of this in, is because my legs are working, yes, but they’re doing things in their own time, no matter what my brain is urging them to do. My head has already attacked the Sanguis, knocked it out, bound its arms and legs with thick rope (this has appeared from thin air) and I am dragging it in full view of everyone, being praised unreservedly by all concerned. I wish!
Now I can hear a hundred other feet running closer, behind me. It sounds like a stampede of squirrels chasing after a nut. It must be the Watchers, and if they’re not careful they’ll stampede all over me! There must be thirty or more of them racing in the same direction as the Sanguis. There’s a faint rumbling sound in the distance, and I can only presume it’s coming from the mountain itself, unless the Watchers have pinned down the Sanguis and are pummelling the living daylights out of it.
Panic is an infectious disease, and it’s spreading throughout the mountain. More and more Watchers are pouring out of every orifice to join the herd, and I am pinned to the side of the wall trying to remain on my wobbly legs. The crazy speed at which they are able to move is creating a wind as they go past, and is helping my cause. Whatever is happening has the whole fire mountain quivering in its solid, lava boots. Granted, the Watchers are small, but does it really take that many to capture one Sanguis? This is a slight case of ‘overkill’, on their part.
The Clones from my room are tentatively peeking out into the uneven hallway. Linda, my neighbour, has had the nerve to venture out and squeeze through the melee, to be at my side. She is as disorientated, and as baffled as I am. There is no need for words when the language is written all over her face. What on earth is going on? Are there more Sanguis invading the whole of the mountain?
There are many more pillars, stairs and alcoves in this red village, reaching far into the distance, on either side of us. I recognise some of the Clones peering out from the other dwellings, as those we released from the farm. The poor things are trembling in their doorways at this next bewildering crisis.
‘Aecia.’ Thank the lord, it’s Orianna! She’s ok! I was beginning to think that Uncle had purposely not told me of my three friends’ true condition, because they were dead.
‘Has it stopped?’
‘Has what stopped? Do you mean have they caught the Sanguis, Orianna?
‘Sanguis? No, no, the cave in at the entrance of the mountain.’
‘THE CAVE IN!!! This gets worse! Are we all going to be buried in a mountain of rubble?’
‘It’s ok Aecia, there’s no more noise, no more rumbling, it must have ceased crumbling. There was a storm last night, and it weakened the outside of the mountain.’
Even though I’m scared, some part of me is registering the fact that Orianna’s communication skills have come on in leaps and bounds.
‘Look Aecia, they are coming back!’
The little ones are trooping back at a much more acceptable pace, and they are covered in a film of fine, rusty red coloured dust. They look like a band of toddlers retrieved from a coloured sandpit. I can see you Amica, sitting on their shoulders, punching the air and laughing your head off. They do look hilarious, but I’m too bemused to laugh out loud. I want to know what has happened to that bloodthirsty Sanguis.
The Watchers are ushering us all back into our respective rooms, when really we should be ushering them into a shower! There’s no way in hell I’m going back into that bed until I’ve found Uncle and told him about the Sanguis. It looks like Linda’s coming with me, as she’s attached herself to my hand.
‘Orianna, where are Sebastian, Lupe and Uncle? Have you any idea?’
‘Yes, follow me. Your Uncle wouldn’t leave Sebastian at the moment, as he is still very ill. Lupe is with them.’
Orianna’s face is a rainbow of green, blue and yellow bruises around her right eye and chin. ‘Your face Orianna, did you get those bruises in the accident, when we were escaping from the farm?’
‘Yes, but they are nearly gone now aren’t they? I don’t like Sebastian seeing me ugly.’
‘You could never be ugly Orianna, but, hang on, what did you just say about Sebastian? You two aren’t… Are you?’ She’s beaming with a multi-coloured, bruised grin Amica. This is superb news! Who can I tell?
‘He is my mate!’
‘What! Not already Orianna, you have to be paired and blessed. Uncle has to instruct you in certain things, and you’ll have children, if you don’t do stuff to not have children. It’s like this…. well you’re not supposed … I’m not prepared to discuss this now, and you better speak to Uncle, sharpish!’ Am I bright red Amica? Shut up laughing! They are bloody clever these Clones, and not just about the English language! Well, it’s enough to make anyone swear!
Walking inside this exquisitely hollowed out village is an experience I never thought possible Amica. It is like travelling back through time, but so far back, that this civilisation was nev
er heard of or documented as part of history. Little individuals are passing us up and down the stairs, obviously content, and obviously with a specific purpose to their journey. Some have custom sized pick axes and shovels, and some have sewing materials, wool and pins in a basket and so on. The place must have taken many years to create with this amount of detail, so they must have lived here for a long time. Where did they come from? Are they related to the Vampire virus, or from the original Humans that initially ruled the Earth? It’s all so fascinating that, as usual I’m drifting off from my own purpose, which is to warn Uncle about the marauding Sanguis, that’s probably eaten half the population already! ‘Are we nearly there Orianna?’
‘Aecia!’ It’s Uncle’s voice coming from the dwelling on the right. It has a large round hole as its entrance, but has no door. The Watchers don’t seem too bothered about privacy. He’s coming out to greet me, bless him.
‘What on earth are you doing wandering around? Your bandages weren’t due off till tomorrow, and even then, you shouldn’t be walking around straightaway after having them removed. You could fall Aecia, or you could easily get lost; you haven’t been guided through the village yet.’
‘Uncle! You’re not giving me time to speak! There’s a Sanguis in the mountain! God knows where it is now, but it was running towards the area that caved in at the entrance. I don’t know how the Watchers didn’t see it, and sound an alarm or something. Do they have alarms? Did I even tell you what the Sanguis looks like, and how it killed Garok? It’s a red snake like thing, but with legs and red eyes and…..’
‘Aecia Sshh, I didn’t want you to see all of this until you were stronger and completely recovered.’
‘See what? What do you mean? Why are you barring me from that room? Is Sebastian ok? He’s not worse is he?’
‘Questions, always questions from you child. Slow down.’
‘I am slowed down, I’m standing still Uncle, and I’d stop asking questions if you would give me some answers.’
‘You can come into the room if you will promise not to be afraid of anything in there. You must trust me when I say that all is well, and then I will explain.’
Enough said! Let me get in there as quick as my unsteady legs will take me! You must come in with me though Amica. Sebastian is directly in front of me, still lying down, but with his head propped up a little with pillows. He is so terribly thin and has the pallor of a dead man. The shock of seeing him this way is enough to distract me from whatever else is in the room that my Uncle is has been so anxious about me seeing. I want to hug Sebastian but I’m scared he might break! From the corner of my eye, I can see there are three other people in the room. Lupe, of course, is one of them but the others are…..
‘OH MY GOD UNCLE! The Sanguis is in the room! Get it out! Why aren’t you moving? Are you blind? It’s there in the corner with….GAROK!! But I thought you were dead! What’s going on! Am I still asleep and dreaming? Somebody get the Sanguis before it sucks the life out of us!’
The whole world has gone mental again friend. No one is moving, not even the timid Linda, and the red monster is standing in the corner of the room with its back to us. If I’m not mistaken, the thing sounds like its crying! I am frozen in a capsule of disbelief as I am watching Garok go over to it and put his arm around its shoulders. For once, my body is in full agreement with my mind as it is telling me to faint!
I’m afraid to open my eyes friend, in case reality delivers another cartload of hallucinations to them. You check first and when you tell me there are just Uncle, Sebastian, Orianna, Lupe and Linda in the room, I will consider resurfacing. One eye is slightly open and... Nope! The Sanguis and Garok are still there. Clearly I am on drugs and not one of those bog eyed little imps had the decency to tell me! I have no memory of taking them either so I’m also in denial!
‘Aecia! Wake up! It is okay, I am alive; it is me, Garok. This isn’t the Sanguis that bit me. She is frightened Aecia, you are frightening her.’
‘Her is frightened of me! I can’t even speak correctly I’m so upset!’
‘Well at least that got your eyes open. Stop being a baby and get up.’
‘Garok, you have just risen from the dead and you are already annoying the hell out of me!’
‘Great! Everything is back to normal then!’
He is sooo infuriating but he really is alive! He survived Amica, can you believe it! I’ll tell you this much though, if he is dating that fiend in the corner, he won’t be surviving for much longer!
‘Ok, I am listening. Tell me what happened in the tunnel with that other monstrosity. How did you escape from it and how did you escape becoming one of them. I was scared for you Garok; in fact, the thought of you dying was easier to deal with than the thought of you as some kind of evil, deformed beast.’
‘Aecia don’t be so harsh! This here is the lady that saved my life!’ Clearly friend, Garok is on drugs as well! ‘How do you know it is female, much less, a lady? It’s a Sanguis Garok!’
‘Do you even know what ‘Sanguis’ means? It is Latin for blood and do you know why they were called that name? Because they were the first bloods that the Vampires ever Cloned for food, that’s why. This woman here Aecia, is one of the first human Clones.’
I am absolutely speechless! If he is telling the truth and there is no reason to think that he isn’t, then I am a bitch. I know it’s ridiculous but I feel like a mother figure towards the Clones and I only want to free and protect them. I don’t understand, this thing, person, has fangs, and skin the colour of hell’s carpet.
‘Uncle, why are you so quiet? Is she human?’
‘Garok seemed to have everything in hand so I was sparing myself from your multitude of questions Aecia. Yes, she is a human Clone but has some Vampire within her D.N.A. After The Great War, pure humankind was very thin on the ground. The Vampires failed to realise this when they began cloning some Humans who had been tainted by the virus, but had not yet had time to manifest their metamorphosis. The results were people like Eve, her mate, who we have yet to name and the multitude of pygmies that inhabit this mountain.’
‘The Watchers are human, of course they are, just miniature Humans. Now that you say it, I don’t know why I haven’t realised it for myself. They are kind and have some kind of bond with us. That is why they saved us Uncle.’
‘Yes, but Aecia, the ones that live here were expecting us to arrive in the trucks from the farm as we had agreed. They have always been part of the Rebellion.’
‘You pretended you didn’t know they existed or what they were!’
‘You didn’t need to know at that time.’
‘You Uncle, are a politician of the highest calibre!’
‘This is not the time for insults child! Now I must leave Garok to explain the rest as I have to join the scouts who think there is something afoot around the perimeter of the mountain.’ I hadn’t even noticed that the room is now filled with Watchers!
‘Rauul, I will talk to her later, I am coming with you.’
‘Her? My name is Aecia and if you two are going anywhere, don’t for one second think you are leaving me behind!’
‘You just fainted and you can barely walk Aecia!’
‘You are a sexist pig Garok, and I swear I could run to the peak of this mountain and back down again before you left the room!’
‘Is there any point in arguing?’
‘No! Sebastian can I borrow your pants seeing as you’re not using them? My legs are still a bit sticky so I’ll make you a new pair I promise.’ He’s smiling and he looks a bit brighter. Adrenalin from all this activity might help him get better.
‘Orianna, you’re not mated yet so behave yourself while you are in here.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I’ll tell you later Uncle. What did the scouts see and where?’ There is a buzzing in my head that is strangely familiar. It has nothing to do with the fainting episode, I am sure of it. Could it possibly be my friend disembodied voice? I
haven’t heard from him in ages. The last time was in the tunnels, when Garok was being attacked by the Sanguis. Uncle is looking at me because I have stopped short, and didn’t hear his answer.
‘Aecia, I don’t think you should come outside. You are not ready; after all you have only just got out of bed.’
‘I am fine! Which way are we going?’
‘Right Mr Disembodied voice! Whatever it is you are going to say, had better be pertinent to this present situation I am in with Uncle and Garok. They already think I am wobbling, and would love any excuse to send me back to that undersized bed. I am right aren’t I? It is you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh it’s worth the inevitable post, mind merging conversation headache, just to hear your voice.’
Only Human Page 15