Marker of Hope

by Nely Cab

  “I…I’m happy for you.” I tried my best to sound sincere. “I wish you the best.” I stood up. “I should probably leave,” I said, my voice broken. “I haven’t told my mom, and I don’t think I should wait any longer. I…I…” I didn’t know what else to tell him. I couldn’t bear to look at him knowing he belonged to someone else. “Good bye.”

  The floor felt unsteady under my feet as I fled across the room into the foyer and out the front door. I didn’t realize I was running until I reached the car, winded and shaking. I searched my pockets for the car keys, desperate to get away from this house, from this moment, as fast as I could. At last, I found the keys in my back pocket, and I unlocked the car. I slid into the driver’s seat, broken sobs escaping me as I turned the key. I shifted the car into gear and turned onto the vegetated path, leading out to the exit. I couldn’t see through the curtain of tears and diluted mascara in my eyes.

  As I drove, I twisted the rearview mirror to glance at myself. My face was a mess. I wiped the streams of black water from my cheeks with the hem of my shirt. I readjusted the mirror and caught a glimpse of a blurry object approaching in the distance. I blinked, tried to focus, and then made out the silhouette of a person—a person running behind my car. I slammed on the brake.

  I twisted my neck to look out the back window and blinked again. My eyes fixed on the person moving at warp speed. I squinted to focus better.

  “David?” I said aloud. No. Demon.

  I dug my foot into the gas pedal so far down it reached the floor. The car tires screeched and the car flew forward. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the Turpis—the demon—fast on my tail. When I focused on the narrow road in front of me, I saw two Turpis blocking my way. I tried to dodge them, but not accustomed to driving at high speed, I lost control of the wheel. The car slid off the path and landed in a ditch where the engine stammered and died. The air bags ejected. I dug my fingers into the inflated bag in front of me, and it exploded. A cloud of white powder burst out of the bag and landed on me. I coughed.

  I heard the back door open, and my nose honed in on the smell of sulfur and ammonia. Demons smelled worse now with my refined senses. I opened the passenger door and stumbled out. I was ready to run; only, three charred-skinned demons were blocking my way, surrounding me. I took a step back.

  The demons sniffed at me from where they stood, a few feet away. All of a sudden, their heads cocked, and then they turned glanced at each other, as if confused. The one on the left stepped forward. It reached for me, and I took a step back, trapping myself between it and the car. It lowered its head to my face, its red serpent eyes studying me. Its voice was deep and made a gurgling sound.

  “Yooourrrr, frruuuit…will not be borrrrn.” It snapped its yellow teeth. I jerked my head back and slammed it against the car.

  As it reached for my throat, something strange came over me—survival and fear and rage all condensed into one. Before I knew what I was doing, my fist flashed forward and impacted with the side of the demon’s head. It lost balance and toppled back. My sudden action caught the other Turpis by surprise. In the seconds they took to gauge the scene, I tore past them in the direction of the woods. I could hear their heavy, clawed feet racing behind me. My lungs began to burn and ache as I pushed and forced out every ounce of energy I had in my body to gain speed. The muscles in my legs began to warm. Soon after, they were on fire. I was running in slow motion, though I knew the adrenaline pumping through me was racing at the speed of light, and I along with it. After what seemed like eternities of breaking branches and leaves and struggling to inhale air, I saw the white plantation house.

  I glanced back at the demons. They were gaining on me faster than I was on the house. I felt myself hyperventilating, my legs loosening under me. The house was in clear view, but my body couldn’t take anymore. At the edge of the clearing, where the lake began, I ran over the large rocks surrounding it. One of my ankles twisted as my foot landed between two uneven stones. I slipped and fell face down into the lake’s murky green water. I lost my orientation for a second—a second in the demons’ advantage. I jumped up and took off, running along the lake’s shallow edge. The rotten-egg stench closed in on me, which meant the Turpis weren’t far behind. I pedaled harder, but it felt like I was running against the wind and invisible forces that wouldn’t let me advance. My throat burned, dry from the wheezing I’d only now become aware of. I coughed. Coughed some more. My eyes watered, and the bout of coughing worsened. I couldn’t see where I was running. My feet were drenched, and water was splashing around me. I wiped my eyes, still moving along the edge of the lake, but with much less speed. The house’s lawn was meters away.

  I reached the edge of the lakeside at last. No sooner had my foot touched dry ground, than I felt a harsh jerk on my hair. The next thing I knew, the world turned upside down as I soared through the air. My back hit a tree stump, and I bounced to the ground. Something hard hit my face and my entire head vibrated. I threw myself against the brown scorched body of the Turpis attacking me and pushed him to the ground. Despite the sweltering pain in my throat, I let out a deafening scream, scaring birds out of the forest trees. I grabbed the demon by its horns and slammed its head against a rock. It let out a thunderous growl and yanked me off, throwing me clear across the way. I landed in the clearing, but this time, I didn’t lose my bearings. I dashed for the house, screaming David’s name as loud as my tired lungs allowed me.

  I saw a curtain on the ground floor pulled aside. A few seconds later, the front door opened. David jumped off the porch and ran in my direction.

  My feet dragged, unstable from exertion. Seeing David close the wide space between his house and me was what willed me to keep me going. I knew with him, I might have a chance against the hellish creatures.

  Seeing David approach, I noted something sparkling in his hand. His brows were creased and his face hard, the ferocious expression of an experienced warrior in the battlefield.

  At last, I reached him. I paused, holding out my hand to him. He didn’t stop. He ran past me, lunging forward into combat with the three Turpis.

  David drew his right hand back, a gold dagger held tight in his fist. He sliced the air with the blade, burrowing it into one of the Turpis’ eyes. Its screams resembled a swine’s final squeals in a slaughterhouse. David withdrew the blade and dug it into the demon’s forehead. It fell to the ground, jerking, black liquid and dark bugs escaping form the wound. As David turned his attention to the other two Turpis, I saw the ground crack open, and the dead demon’s body turn into a dark powder that sifted into the earth.

  The remaining two demons went at David at the same time. One of them struck him in the stomach, and David fell to his knees. But he quickly recuperated from the blow and flung himself against the creature, which dug its claws into David’s face. David writhed beneath its grasp. The other Turpis glanced at me. I tensed. My sight bounced from the Turpis coming at me, to David who was fighting the other demon. I didn’t know what to do. Run away or help David?

  I gathered my strength and my courage, and I ran—ran hard and fast toward the dagger clasped in David’s hand. The demon targeting me intercepted my route to the dagger. I faked to the left, and then kicked it in its carbonized demon balls. The demon fell to the ground, buying me enough time to reach David, who continued struggling with the other demon. David stabbed the Turpis on the side of its head with the dagger.

  I reached for the weapon, but the Turpis jerked, and I caught its horn instead. I pulled on it with all my might, trying to hoist the creature off David. I heard a crack, and, all of a sudden, I was holding the demon’s horn. Distracted, I didn’t see the other demon approaching from behind. Its claw dug into my arm and yanked me back, pinning me to the ground. The Turpis bared its sharp yellow teeth at me, its snake tongue rattling.

  I screamed and slammed the demon horn in my hand against its companion’s jaw. I heard David calling my name. Then, with a loud snap, the demon’s head twisted and w
ent limp. Its body dropped to the side, quivering like a fish out of water. Using the pointed side of the horn, I stabbed the Turpis in the head over and over again as I screamed, horrified, distraught screams; screams that even scared me.

  The horn disintegrated in my hand into black powder, leaving me without a weapon. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Alarmed, I whirled around, ready to strike.

  I expected to find another demon, but it was David who stood there. His blue eyes were wide, his hair disheveled, his face covered in dirt. Red claw marks marred his perfect cheek and forehead. Any part of him not covered in soil and blood was coated in black demon goo.

  Inside my head, the world grew quiet. It seemed almost unrealistic that life could be this peaceful when I’d just lived an infinity in the company of hell’s spawn. I could hear no sound. David’s lips moved, but no words reached my ears. I inhaled, exhaled, inhaled.

  David’s voice faded in and out. “Are you all right? Isis…”

  I nodded and lowered myself to the ground. Hugging my stomach, I sucked in tattered breaths. It felt so good to breathe. To let my body relax. My eyes closed.

  I felt David’s hands on my face. His thumbs wiped away the moisture on my cheeks. Was I crying? I opened my eyes, and he helped me to my feet. We stared at each other, neither of us speaking. Which was a good thing, because in that instant, I didn’t care for talking. I was perfectly fine with the silence. With looking at him again, even though he wasn’t mine. I crumbled inside all over again.

  “You’re bleeding,” David said, touching my forearm arm.

  I glanced at the bright crimson gashes on my upper arm.

  “You’re bleeding, too,” I said. “I can see bone peeking out from under your eyebrow. How do you feel?”

  “Awful.” He leaned forward, idled at my lips, leaving millimeters between us. “Terrible. I’ve tried so hard,” he said. “But I can’t do it. I can’t stop thinking of you.” He stared into my eyes. “I admit I tried. I—I wanted to forget you, to make the pain go away. But no matter what I do, I can’t stop loving you. And I don’t want to be apart from you…ever again.”

  CHAPTER 7

  I touched the side of David’s face and traced the angle of his jaw. Besides the dirt and blood he was covered in, I could smell the sandalwood essence he emitted. For so long, I’d craved to be close to him, to feel his hands caress my skin, to taste his lips, to feel his heart beat against mine, to hear him say “I love you”. Now, all those things I wanted were out of the question.

  “You’re engaged,” I said.

  “Not because I want to be.” He shook his head. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, Isis.”

  “Even after—”

  “I don’t care about that. I just need to know what you feel for me. Right now.”

  I thought for a moment. “There isn’t a word for what I feel,” I said. “But if I were to describe it, I’d say it exceeds love.”

  He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. His blue eyes fixed on me. The tips of his fingers lifted my chin, and his lips pressed against mine. I reveled in the feeling of his arms encasing me. I felt complete, like a whole person. I was no longer remnants and pieces of debris scattered by the wind, waiting to erode. No, not anymore. I was wanted, needed, loved by the person I’d so much wished to reappear in my life. And now that he was here, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. Not ever again.

  While I delighted in having my dream boy’s kisses on my lips once more, it occurred to me I had no desire to rip him open and have him for lunch like I did everyone else.

  David gave me a few final pecks before he stepped back to look at me.

  “I should take you to the emergency room.”

  “You think that’s a good idea? They’re going to want to run tests on me.” The thought of being near so many people with possible open wounds caused my shoulders to tense.

  “Not the best.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But what choice do we have?”

  “Well, Dr. Gunn…”

  “Gunn is here?” he asked, and I nodded.

  “Galilea brought him and his wife, Eileen, with us.”

  “Has he been observing you—the pregnancy, I mean?”

  “No. I barely found out yesterday. But I feel fine…aside from the nausea and headaches.” And the unrelenting hunger for human flesh. “I’m fine.”

  “You may feel fine, but you may not be. We’ll call Dr. Gunn. But first, you should get cleaned up. You can’t go home to your mother looking like this.”

  I glanced down at my muddy clothes. Part of my shirtsleeve was missing. My jeans were torn and drenched in lake water. Then I remembered my wardrobe was the least of my worries.

  “Oh my…” I covered my mouth. “I totaled the car. My mom is going to kill me.”

  “I’ll buy her a new one. We’ll worry about it later.” He took my hand. “Come. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “But, David, what if more demons come?”

  “Don’t worry about them.” He placed a hand on my stomach. “I’m more concerned about this right now and making sure you’re both okay.”

  ***

  When I turned off the water in the shower, I heard David talking. I wrapped myself in the only towel on the rack and cracked the bathroom door open, peeking into the bedroom. David was looking out the window, his cell phone pressed to his ear. He was wearing sweatpants, which sat low on his waist. From the looks of it, he’d showered—in one of the other bathrooms, I guessed. Beads of water dripped from his hair down the toned muscles on his back and arms.

  “Right. I’ll see you then,” he said, ending the call.

  I stepped out of the bathroom. David dropped the phone on the bed-less mattress. It sat on the floor in the middle of the room, one of three pieces of furnishings left—the other two, a chair and a side table. He stepped toward me and surveyed the scratches left by the demon on my arm. He leaned down and laid a kiss on my bare shoulder. I shivered.

  “Does it hurt?” he asked.

  “No.” I touched the side of his head. “Your face looks a lot worse than my arm.”

  “It’s nothing.” He put his hand over mine. “It’ll heal.”

  “Were you talking to Dr. Gunn?” I asked.

  “No. I tried calling him, but his phone is out of service. He must’ve changed his number. Do you have a working number for him?”

  “No, and Galilea isn’t taking my calls. I think she blocked me, so I can’t ask her,” I said. David looked at me with a question on his face. “She’s upset because I suck at being a good friend,” I explained. “I don’t even know where she lives. We’ll have to wait until she decides to answer my calls again.” I tightened the towel around me. “So who was that on the phone?”

  “I called my parents.”

  “Your parents?” I winced. “You told them?”

  “No. I don’t feel it’s right to deliver this sort of news over the phone,” David said. “But I told them it was urgent they come as soon as possible. They’ll arrive tomorrow.”

  I didn’t know who I was more afraid of telling I was pregnant—Claire or Alezzander, David’s father. I trembled.

  “Are you cold?” David asked.

  “No. Just dreading telling our parents.”

  “It’ll be fine.” He rubbed my arms and kissed the top of my head. “They’ll be upset—possibly enraged—but they’ll get over it.”

  “David,” I said. “Are you scared?”

  “Not scared, but nervous. I don’t know how they’ll react.”

  “No, I meant, are you scared of becoming a father?”

  “Oh. Well,” he shrugged, “I haven’t had a lot of time to let it sink in. But I do know I’m happy.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Aren’t you?”

  “Maybe?” I twisted a strand of my wet hair. “I don’t know how to feel except terrified. How am I supposed to keep a baby alive? I don’t even know how to change a diaper.” I looked u
p at him. “Do you?”

  “I don’t. But it’ll be something we’ll learn to do together, isn’t it?”

  “Together sounds good,” I said. “Better than alone.”

  Together. The word was like a symphony to my ears. It entailed union and commitment—things I’d been frightened of a few months earlier, even though deep down I knew I wanted it as much as David. But what I wasn’t clear on was why, if he claimed to love me still, would he get engaged?

  I skimmed the room briefly and saw a suitcase in the corner, the flap open and clothes folded inside. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow?”

  David dug through the suitcase and brought back a plain white T-shirt. It was a few sizes too big, but it’d have to do. I went into the bathroom to change and returned to the bedroom, where I sat on the mattress.

  “I’ve got to get something off my chest,” I said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I wonder,” I smoothed out imaginary wrinkles on the bed sheets, “why did you get engaged? It’s been a month and a half since we last saw each other. Why were you in such a hurry to marry someone else? You say you love me, but… I don’t understand.”

  “It’s complicated,” he said. “Wait. Are you asking me this because you doubt my feelings for you?”

  “You’ve doubted mine,” I said, and I immediately regretted it. I didn’t want to start a fight. “Tell me about this engagement.”

  “There’s nothing much to tell.” He sat next to me. “It was arranged by my father…to appease the Council. To convince them I hadn’t strayed from the laws and counter rumors of me being romantically involved with a human.”

  “And you agreed. So easily?”

  “It wasn’t easy. I told you, it’s complicated. I couldn’t deal with the thought of you…” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “…and my best friend.”

  “David, nothing happened between Eros and me. I thought I made that clear.”