I would have to create a poultice to help draw the infection out. I chopped up Eucalyptus leaf and garlic, added a little hot water until it had the consistency of a paste. I kneeled down beside him, took some of the paste between my fingers and pressed it onto his skin. He whipped around and scratched my arm.
I fell backwards onto the floor, held my arm and stared at him, but he was still again. I looked down at my arm. The scratch marks were pronounced red lines, but he had not drawn blood. He hadn’t moved so I got back on my knees and came slowly closer. The wound was on the other side of his body now and I would have to try and move him to get to it. I pulled his arm and pushed with my hip to pull him onto his back. He groaned, but did not try and scratch me again.
I bent over him and applied the poultice carefully, looking up at his face every few seconds. He did not open his eyes. I managed to apply the herb mixture to his whole wound and quickly pasted a large bandage over it, taping it around the sides. His hand moved and I jumped backward, but he reached up and rubbed his nose.
I sat down on the sofa to keep an eye on him and eventually fell asleep.
“Water,” a voice woke me.
Daylight cast steaks of light across his bare chest. I looked into his eyes and nodded.
~*~
I heard voices coming from the cottage. It had a small window and door which were open. A strange herb smell drifted up the path. I looked down and noticed an amulet around my neck. The pendant stone was familiar to me. I grabbed hold of it and stared. It was an Azurite! I was wearing a dark heavy dress which reached down to my ankles. I had to lift it to move easily down the rocky section of the path. The voices grew louder and I recognized them as female. I thought I could hear three separate voices.
“There you are,” one of the voices said.
The voice was accompanied by the figure of a woman who had stepped outside the cottage and waved over to me. She also had a long, simple dress on and held a candle lamp in her hand.
All of a sudden words came out of my mouth.
“The vision was right!”
Then a sound permeated and disturbed my dream state. My body jerked as I woke up. I slapped my hands down on the bed covers on either side of me. Why did I keep having that strange dream, I wondered. I suddenly realized the sound I’d heard was the sound of the balcony door opening. I swung my feet down to the floor and stood up.
As the balcony came into view, I saw him standing there holding onto the rail. The picture of the hawk flashed into my mind, its majestic brown and white wings reaching the edges of the balcony.
“Yes,” the voice in my head confirmed.
My jaw slackened and hung open for a second. Then another picture flashed into my mind. I saw an open field with hazy mountains in the background. The sky was clear except for a few wispy clouds streaking the blue. I looked down and saw small, dirty feet, with a metal ring around the left big toe. The arm extended outward and I felt the muscles were strong. The forearm was covered in a scratched leather covering. I looked up as I heard a flapping sound and felt a rush of air by neck. Then the arm stiffened and my eyes met the beautiful creature’s eyes, perched on the end of my arm.
I blinked and he was staring at me as the bird had. I felt dizzy and took a step backward. He grabbed hold of my wrist gently and steadied me. A rush of energy traveled up my arm where his skin touched mine. I barely felt the cold out on the balcony as he continued to look at me.
“You’re beginning to remember?” he asked.
Chapter Four
“I can’t stay, Layla,” he said.
I stared at him. His voice was not in my head. The melodic words had emanated from his shapely lips. It was the first time he had spoken out loud. His voice did not sound like any other voice I had heard before. It had a tone I felt I could listen to forever. Then he took hold of my hand in his and looked down at me.
“I’m sorry,” he continued out loud.
I watched his lips moving.
“It’s not safe if I stay here.”
I took hold of his other hand.
“Please, I don’t want you to go -”
I couldn’t stand the thought of being alone again.
“Teseen,” he said, “My name is Teseen.”
“Teseen,” I finished.
His hands engulfed mine and made me feel safe.
“I can feel he’s nearby,” he continued, “and I must keep you safe, Layla.”
I looked down at the antique ring on my finger. It had a tree and five-pointed star design which should offer protection if I needed it.
“Who?” I asked.
His brow furrowed. “Someone that wants to destroy my kind.”
I nodded slowly and could sense him perceiving my thoughts again. It was easy for him to answer my next question. He let go of my hand and took a step backward. I took a step backward too, suspecting what might happen next. It wasn’t until it did, that I truly believed my suspicions about the naked, olive-skinned stranger.
The gray sweatpants dropped to the floor as his limbs and torso shrunk to the size of a small child. His skin became a feathered mantle and wings replaced his arms. The man was gone and I looked instead at the bird of prey in front of me. Its dark eyes were mesmerizing. Thick yellow claws clung to the metal bar of the balcony railing. Its strong legs supported its majestic white and brown-feathered chest and its dark brown wings were folded at its sides.
“Te-” I began and closed my slackened jaw.
“Layla,” the voice in my head replied, “I will see you again.”
~*~
My living room was empty and suddenly seemed too big as I ambled around it. I picked up the book I was reading, read a line and looked up as I rubbed my finger over my ring. When would I see him again, I wondered. And who had he gone to fight? I prayed he would be okay.
The downstairs buzzer chimed. I put my book down on the sofa. I was not expecting any visitors. Could it be him? But why would he ring the doorbell? His face and the image of the bird took over my mind and I rushed to the door.
The image in the viewer crushed my hopes. It wasn’t him, but it was another man. He was handsome too. The buzzer chimed again.
I pressed the button.
“Yes,” I replied, “can I help you?”
“Miss Bradshaw?” his deep voice replied.
“Err – yes. Can I help you?”
“I have to talk to you,” he continued, “it’s about the man you recently met.”
“Wha- what?”
“You must let me in,” he said, “There’s something you need to know about him.”
His head was partially concealed in the hood of his dark gray coat, but strands of bright red hair still fluttered out. His eyebrows were pulled close together.
“I – err,” I hesitated.
I didn’t know this man at all, but then again, how well did I really know Teseen. Then I noticed his hand and buzzed the door open.
“Thank you,” he said, stepping inside my apartment and rubbing his hands together.
I stared at his tattoo as he tucked his bob-length hair behind his ear.
“Who are you?” I asked looking up. “And why do you know my name?”
He shifted his weight to his other foot. He had on a fitted white shirt under his coat, tucked into a pair of snug fitting jeans.
“I am Nesu,” he said.
I saw him glance at my ring.
“Has a man come to see you recently?” he asked, “A stranger.”
“Like you?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
“He is tall and has brown hair,” he added, “and his name is Teseen.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Teseen-” I repeated.
He nodded.
“He’s a dangerous man, Miss Bradshaw,” he said, “very dangerous.”
“I don’t know anybody by that name,” I responded.
My hand wrapped around the Azurite crystal in my pocket as I took a small step backward.<
br />
He frowned.
“Are you sure he hasn’t been here?”
The crystal was warm in my hand.
“No,” I replied, “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Nesu looked down at his hand and promptly hid the three intersecting triangle design in his pocket.
“Well, if he does come to see you,” he added. “You should know, he’s not who he says he is.”
But he wasn’t the only one, I thought.
“You must let me know if he contacts you,” he continued.
The crystal boosted my confidence too. I nodded at him and moved closer to the door.
“And how will I get in contact with you?” I asked.
He stepped backward. “I’ll be around,” he replied.
He turned around and left. I watched his long, gray coat disappear across the road and between two cars, from my kitchen window.
Chapter Five
The library had asked me to help out at one of the kid’s events, as one of their staff was off sick. The children were going to be making turkeys out of all kinds of materials. I didn’t mind working with children, but wouldn’t have wanted to be in the kid’s section permanently.
The room filled with moms and dads and kids. Some of the kids seemed to be there without parents. I noticed a little dark-haired girl in the back of the room. There was no adult with her or any other kids. I walked up to her and knelt down beside her.
“I love your picture,” I told her.
She nodded shyly at me and didn’t say anything.
“Do you want to join a table with other children?” I asked her.
She shook her head and kept looking down. “They don’t like me,” she turned her head slightly and whispered to me.
Then I recalled seeing her mother drop her off. She had been wearing a hijab. Was that perhaps why she was sitting by herself, I wondered. I knew what it was like to be alone and feel like everyone resented you.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Seven,” she said.
Her name was Abida she told me. I looked around the room and spotted another young girl sitting by herself. I walked over to her. She was supposed to be joined by her friend, but then her friend had gotten ill and couldn’t make it. I took her over to Abida’s table and knelt down next to them.
“Abida, this is Kirsten,” I said, “she was also sitting by herself.”
Abida looked up at me.
“Hello, Abida,” Kirsten said and smiled at her.
Abida smiled back and pushed a few coloring pens over to Kirsten’s side of the table. I stood up and walked over to a group of kids who were being very noisy, to see if they needed any help. I glanced back at Abida later and saw her laughing.
At the end of the afternoon, Abida’s mom came up to me.
“Thank you!” she said.
Abida came forward and gave me a hug. They both waved goodbye as I watched them disappear with the rest of the kids, parents, and turkey paraphernalia, quickly wiping a stray tear that snuck down my cheek. If I ever had children, I thought, I hoped they wouldn’t be ostracized.
~*~
I heard the flutter of wings and jumped up. Was it him? I hadn’t seen him for more than a week and had begun to fear he might be dead. As I reached the glass door, he landed elegantly on the balcony floor. He tucked his wings in and the feathers were replaced by his olive skin. His form shot upward and his tall naked body adorned my balcony. I handed him the sweatpants quickly, casting my gaze aside. My body was buzzing with energy now that he was back. I followed him inside and began to babble non-stop with the news of the strange man’s visit.
“And he had a Triquetra symbol on his hand,” I said.
Teseen sat quietly and listened on the sofa. Then he leaned forward and placed his hands on my shoulders when I stopped and took a breath.
“He said his name was Nesu?”
His lips were drawn tightly.
“Yes,” I replied, “and he said I shouldn’t trust you!”
Teseen shook his head, stood up and paced around the living room. I looked up at his bare back. The cuts were still healing, but were less red around the edges. I could see the poultice had worked on the infected wound on his side. It may not even scar. The first time I had made one, I had read the instructions in a book, naturally. It wasn’t a book I loaned, but rather one a close friend had bought for me. My mother had frowned when she read the title one day when they were visiting me.
“The art of Wiccan healing,” she said and looked at me with raised eyebrows.
Teseen slapped the kitchen counter, drawing my attention back. My gaze travelled down to the line of the sweatpants below his waist and the top of his pelvic muscles.
“I can’t believe he came here!” he said. “Nesu.”
“But it’s okay,” I replied, “I didn’t believe him.”
I stood up and grabbed hold of his hand. He let my hand go.
“It’s not safe for you if I stay,” he replied, “He may come back!”
He took a step closer, leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. Warmth travelled down my body.
“I have to go.”
“Wait!” I cried, “Please don’t go!”
He had barely been there a minute and he was now back at the balcony door.
“Teseen!”
He shifted into his hawk form and disappeared into the night. I stared at the door, but he didn’t return. How could he just leave again like that, I thought. I prayed Nesu wouldn’t come back. When he had been there the last time, I had held the crystal in my hand and an image had come into my mind. I saw Nesu drawing a bow and releasing the arrow. The arrow sailed through the air and sunk into the flesh of a bird in a tree. The bird crashed to the ground and Nesu laughed cruelly. The bird’s blood spread out like a red velvet river over the snowy bank. I could see the bird was a hawk.
The vision had not surprised me at the time. When I thought about it afterwards, I wondered why I had started having strange dreams and visions. I had never had them before, just small premonitions or déjà vu experiences which seemed natural. It all started just before I saw the hawk for the first time.
Now Teseen was gone. I was alone again and confused. When would I see him again? Was Nesu coming back? Could I really trust either of them? My mind and body felt heavy and occluded. My emotions were pressing through my resolve.
There was only one thing I felt like at that point. I had a standalone bath with clawed feet in my bathroom. It was my favorite thing in the apartment. I filled it with steaming hot water and added a few drops of lavender oil. I stripped off my clothes, threw them on the ground and climbed in. I sunk lower into the water until my shoulders were covered. Then I couldn’t keep my emotions under control any longer and succumbed to the flood of tears. I rested my head against the bath and sighed between the cascades. Why was all of this happening, I asked myself. I felt like I was being punished, like I was back at school again. I would never forget the incident.
“Here comes the weirdo!” one of the bitch club had called out, as I walked out of the school gym.
I had survived having people stare at my skinny legs for an hour and thought I was safe again, back in my uniform and pantyhose. I carried on walking towards my locker, clutching my gym bag in front of my chest.
Then I tripped.
The passageway erupted with cruel laughter and jeers.
“She’s so spastic!”
“Ha weirdo!”
I wished I could have just disappeared at that point, from the passageway, from the school, from the planet.
Chapter Six
A week passed and then another and still no Teseen. No hawk. I even resorted to visiting my parents to spend some time out of my deathly quiet apartment. But they were just more concerned about me when they saw how down I looked. My mother naturally invited me to come with her to church, which I politely declined. In the home of guilt and judgement, called the Catholic Church, I would eith
er have harmed myself or many others at that point, I fantasized.
Five minutes after I’d returned from visiting them the buzzer rang. Had someone been watching me, I wondered. I hopped over to the viewer next to the door.
“Miss Bradshaw, I know it’s late -”
It was him again. Teseen said he was dangerous and I shouldn’t let him in, but I liked to make up my own mind about things. I knew what I had seen in my mind the last time he was there, but I had questions that Teseen wasn’t around to answer. In the weeks of his absence I had been having my strange dreams more frequently.
After the last one I had woken up with sweat dripping off my body. I had seen some kind of war that took place a long time ago. The sound of stamping feet surrounded me. Even my feet could not refrain from stamping on the clay ground in time to the beat of a drum which resonated through our bodies and the whole valley. I was dressed in leather, was bare foot and had an amulet around my wrist. The stone set in the center of the bracelet was an Agate. I was surrounded by other men and women dressed the same as I was. We had streaks of red and white painted on our faces and dark-skinned limbs. I could feel the group I was with were more than human. And I was too. Energy waves pulses between us and gave us great power as a collective. It was a war of magic, and magic our opponents possessed too, just different from ours. Theirs was dark and ours was light.
There was another major difference between them and us. While our feet stamped on the ground, they hovered above it. They did not have a corporeal form. They looked like a white, gray mist which changed constantly. There were distinguishable individual forms, if you stared long enough at the hazy mass, but staring at them too long was dangerous and brought a madness to the mind.
I could smell the strong scent of perspiration and herbs as the energy began to pulse stronger through our group of about one hundred men and women. The energy began to draw together and focus. Some of our people began to change, to channel more power in their natural form. I saw a bear, a tiger, a hawk, and a fox among the human forms.
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