Immortal Decisions: Immortal Transformation Book 1

by K J Carr

  Hearing the crash, I figured that Kaitie’s car was now sporting a large dent in its side. Certainly not in its typical pristine condition! I wasn’t at all sure if my car would survive tonight either.

  Focus, Nica. I told myself. Kaitie is more important than that…wonderful…beautiful… dream car… I cringed but kept moving.

  I am not sure if I pulled her into it, or if she stumbled because of her ankle, but Kaitie ran right into the tree, her head hitting first. I grabbed her and pulled her to the far side of it, just as the car hit it. She wobbled and then went down.

  “Kaitie, get up, we have to keep moving!” I urged.

  She said nothing, her eyes barely open, not focusing on anything. A big red mark was on her forehead, where she had collided with the tree, and it looked like a knot was growing there as I watched.

  Glancing down, I could see her face grimace in pain. Shit! Shit! Shit! I looked around.

  I could hear sirens in the distance, but I didn’t think they would get here in time. I knelt to try to pull her up.

  The car’s wheels squealed, again. Fearing it was backing up to come around the tree, I peeked out to see where it was. The car was slowly going backward, its wheels squealing as if it was… being pulled! “What the…?”

  I caught a glance of Malak behind it, his body straining as he slowly pulled the car backward. I could see, again, the impression of wings, helping to balance him. Step by very slow step, he pulled the car back away from the tree – and us. Muscles straining, he dug in and pulled until he reached the middle of the lot.

  He stopped there. The car, which I expected to start forward, just sat there, still. Pulling a huge, glowing sword out of thin air, he stepped around the car, reaching into the driver side window. Pulling something or someone out, he held them in front of him. I couldn’t hear anything he was saying, nor see in detail the other person, but the air felt expectant as if it was waiting for something to happen. I saw the thing slip out of his hand, turn and start to run towards us. It looked like Candace, except it had black eyes, sharp teeth in a large mouth, and claws for hands. It moved fast too.

  What the hell was she?

  I wrapped my arms around Kaitie, who was still crying, shielding her. I think I heard Marcus yelling, but my focus was on that thing that Was-Not-Candace.

  Malak took a couple of steps, covering a lot of ground. He swung the sword and took off her head in one swift pass. The head bounced off to the side, while the body continued towards us, falling just a few feet from the tree. Malak picked up the head and then walked over to me.

  “You okay?” I stared at him, my eyes wide and focused on his face. I so did not want to look at what was in his hand. I nodded.

  “Good. I will see you later.” He flung the body over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and disappeared.

  Shit! People don’t disappear! Okay, hyperventilating now.

  “Nica! Are you okay?” Marcus ran up to us, his eyes wide. He slid to a stop and looked at us both.

  “Ummm….” I was unable to get another word out. I glanced around wondering how he hadn’t seen Malak, who had just been right here. Darn Tennins!

  He knelt beside us. “Kaitie?”

  “My ankle.” Kaitie opened her eyes and raised her head, looking at him, her face a grimace of pain. Marcus looked at her ankle, examining it. Even I could see that it was swollen.

  “Ambulance is on its way, Kaitie, girl,” Marcus said gently. “What about you, Nica?”

  “F-f-f-fine.” I stuttered out. Okay, breathe.

  Marcus studied me for a minute. “Sit here until the authorities arrive.”

  He got up and went to the evil car. I wanted to tell him that there would be no one there. I also wanted to say that it was Candace and that she didn’t have a head anymore because Malak took it. But I couldn’t. No breath, still hyperventilating, at least a little bit.

  Marcus looked in the open window, his hand rubbing his mouth. He shook his head and came back over.

  “It was Candace. She is dead, though.”

  “Candace?” I squeaked. Wait! I thought I had seen Malak take her away. How was she still in the car? “Dead?” I started to get up to go look myself, but Marcus pushed me back down.

  “You don’t want to see this, Nica. Believe me.” He said quietly.

  The police squealed into the lot, followed by an ambulance and fire truck. Marcus watched them move towards the car.

  “I have to...” He stood, looking down at us.

  “Go.” I waved towards the car, still feeling very shaky. My breathing slowed slightly, my heart rate just a little bit behind it.

  He stood for a moment staring down at us and then nodded, moving towards the police. I watched him, still holding Kaitie, who had quieted down a little. I could see Marcus stop at the ambulance first, and gestured towards us before moving over to the officers.

  The two emergency technicians came over. “Anyone hurt?”

  “Kaitie,” I said, my voice wispy from the lack of air. I was still watching Marcus, as I moved out of the way so that they could take care of her.

  They quickly assessed her, and got a stretcher, moving her to the ambulance. Once she was in, one of the EMTs came back and looked at me.

  “Want to ride with her?”

  I looked up startled. I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, I was just watching the police work the crime scene. A small part of my mind realized that I was probably in shock. From their standpoint, this was probably the best way they knew to move me to the hospital, so they could check me out as well, but I didn’t care. Kaitie was my sister, in all ways that counted. Of course, I was going with her.

  “Yes, please. I just need to let Marcus...” My voice trailed off.

  “He told me he thought you would want to go and he said he will follow as soon as he can.” The guy helped me to stand, holding my arm as we moved back towards the ambulance.

  “He did?” My brain just wasn’t working right now.

  “Yes, he did. But you can check – look, there he is.” The EMT waved at Marcus and he broke off from the conversation he was having and came over.

  “How are you?”

  “Okay, I guess. I am going with Kaitie.”

  “Please. You have all her medical information which they will need. I will be there as soon as I can.” Marcus reached out and hugged me, kissing my forehead. I held him for a moment, feeling a little safe in a world gone crazy.

  When he gently unwrapped my arms from around his waist, the EMT led me to the ambulance. “See you soon, Marcus.”

  “You will.”

  I got into the back beside Kaitie, taking her hand.

  Chapter 7

  Hours had passed before Marcus arrived at the hospital. I would have felt sorry for him, but I was a wreck myself. After following the technicians into the ER with Kaitie, I then had to fill out the multiple forms with all her insurance information. Once that was done, I then had to fill out many of the same forms for myself, and then wait until they could give me a quick check over. Mostly shock, for me, luckily. Nothing a long soaking in a warm tub and a good night’s sleep couldn’t solve.

  I was now sitting in a waiting room, waiting. Because that is what one does in this type of bland, boring room. Staring at those puke green walls that everyone sees in such a place. I hated hospitals. And waiting rooms. And waiting.

  One of the nurses had told me that Kaitie had twisted her ankle and had a possible concussion, but they had also found something that they wanted to check out in more detail. They wouldn't tell me anything more than that, except that the doctor would be here soon. So, I waited for both him and my brother.

  Marcus arrived first.

  "How are you, Nica?"

  I jumped up and into his arms. Marcus was my rock, my safe harbor. He was home. He had always been the calm one, quietly making the decision to go into the military. He never said anything, just waited until he had been old enough to sign up, and then did what he needed t
o do, ignoring my parent’s protests.

  He had done his time, so he left and came home to become a chef. The military helped to pay for the Le Cordon Bleu program. He only returned to our house for the major holidays – you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes the Fourth of July. Cards appeared for birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day – along with little tokens that couldn't have cost much. He knew to do just enough so that they couldn’t really be upset because he could point to the evidence of his caring.

  Unlike me. I had ranted and raved at them, yelling and storming out of the house time and time again. Sometimes I reappeared within days. Sometimes not for weeks or months. It had taken some time for me to realize that they just were who they were, and to stop caring so much. Kaitie was more family to me than my parents ever were. I had been with my parents the day before they had died in a car accident, leaving Marcus and me orphans – adult orphans – but still orphans. I had been happy that we had talked kindly to each other, and hadn’t fought about anything, but I didn't cry at their funeral.

  Well, to be exact, I didn’t cry because I don’t cry at funerals. I can’t. I could fake it, but death really wasn't something that I cried about. I am not sure why. It could be I am just a psychopath. Wait, or is that sociopath? I forget. In any case, I cried when animals died but not people. Maybe Malak could explain why I do this, but seriously? I really don’t care to know. Death just is, for me.

  I shook my head, detaching from Marcus's arms.

  "So, how are you?" Marcus bent down a little to look me in the eyes, his own face worried.

  "I am okay. A little bruising and scraping, but no concussion."

  We moved over to sit in the old, dull, brown chairs that I swore were in every puke green waiting room, cloning themselves so that we always knew we were in such a room just by the chairs alone.

  "Kaitie?"

  I paused, looking down at my hands that I clasped in front of me.

  "I don't know."

  "You don't know?" Marcus was a little startled.

  I shook my head, glancing up at him, my expression worried.

  "I don't. They said her ankle was sprained, so they wrapped it. They said that she might have a concussion. So, they took her for an MRI just to confirm. That was about two hours ago."

  Marcus stared at me, a hand rubbing across his mouth.

  "Every time I try to get more information, they tell me to wait for the doctor. And here I am."

  He frowned. "That’s not good."

  "Nope." I paused again. "I’m scared, Marcus."

  He reached over and took my hand, smoothing the back of it with his thumb.

  "It will be okay, Nica."

  "It has to be.” I murmured.

  It was another hour before the doctor appeared. I probably would have tackled him, if Marcus hadn't grabbed my arm to slow me down.

  "Kaitie?"

  The doctor was a shorter man, his hair receding back from his forehead. His dull brown eyes studied me and then Marcus, returning to me again.

  "Ms.?" He started.

  "Nica. And this is my brother, Marcus. Kaitie is basically our sister."

  He overlooked the fact I didn't want this to be a formal talk by not giving him my last name. The last time we had one of those in a hospital, our parents had died. I hated hospitals and this formal crap just worried me more.

  "Nica." He hesitated, looking as if he was going to suggest us to sit down, but changed his mind. I would have ignored him in any case. "You know about her ankle?"

  I nodded, not able to answer.

  "Kaitie obviously had a concussion. Because of some anomalies, we took her for an MRI to make sure there wasn't something else going on." His eyes flicked to Marcus and then back to me. "The test was inconclusive. We would like to hold her another night until we can get a specialist to review her films."

  “What type of specialist?” I whispered, dread filling me.

  He paused. “A neurosurgeon.”

  My knees gave out, Marcus catching me. He moved me over to the chairs and helped me to sit.

  "Breathe, Nica." His voice was a quiet mumble amongst the blood rushing to my head.

  "Put her head down between her knees." That had to be the doctor.

  Marcus pushed on my back, another hand on my head. He pushed me down, repeating the mantra, "Breathe. Breathe."

  Finally, the world stopped spinning, and I was able to sit up. Slowly.

  I sat for a moment, trying to get my equilibrium.

  I took a deep breath. "Okay, tell me what you think is wrong." I turned to the doctor, my voice just a tad above a whisper.

  ∞∞∞

  “Hey, Kaitie,” I said softly moving into the room to take her hand. She looked small and almost childlike laying in the hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, but I just knew she was awake. Her eyes twitched a little.

  “Nica.” She breathed out, her eyes slowly opening to look at me.

  I took her hand, patting it awkwardly. “How are you doing?”

  She snorted, a slight smile crossing her face. “Obviously better than you right now. You look like crap.”

  I smiled back at her. This is how she wanted to play it? I could do indifferent.

  “Hey, biache! What are you talking about? Have they given you a mirror yet?”

  “They tried, but I refused it. I mean, how long can I stare at this perfection?”

  I pulled a chair up one-handed, refusing to let go of hers. “What have they told you?”

  She grimaced. “The usual. Sprained ankle -- damn thing always was weak. Concussion – but this is a hard head. And something they are not sure about inside said head, I guess.”

  My heart clenched. “Kaitie!” I said quietly, reaching out to hug her.

  The hug extended for longer than it should because I needed to get myself under control. She soothed my curls down, her hand gentle. Was she comforting me? Realizing that she was more concerned about me than her own condition, I just wanted to cry.

  When I could, I sat back down, leaning towards her. “What’s next?”

  Kaitie exhaled, looking tired. “They need the concussion to heal a little first. I guess I will probably go home tomorrow. Unless the specialist finds something that needs to be taken care of right now. Then I may be here much longer.” Her shrug was slight.

  “Did you feel bad before this? Have any headaches or pains or anything?” I was kicking myself for not noticing anything different. She might have seemed a little more tired lately, but I thought that was because she was working hard at the store.

  She looked at me sharply, pulling her hand away to swat at my shoulder.

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Nica.” Her glare was intense. “We have both been working hard the last few months. We have been tired. We don’t even know if there is anything wrong yet.”

  I sat back, rubbing my eyes. “Perhaps not, but I feel like I should have known something was off.”

  She shrugged again, closing her eyes. “The cards…” Her voice trailed off.

  I waited.

  She opened her eyes a little. “I keep getting the death and the ten of swords card, with the hermit in a number of the readings. I thought it was talking about you or Marcus.”

  I looked at her confused.

  “Death and the ten of swords together mean real death or ending. The hermit with them indicates an illness. Marcus is pretty healthy, but you… with this thing going on…”

  “Vertigo is not a fatal illness, though.” I gently reminded her.

  “No, but you could get dizzy while driving or fall in the middle of a busy street or…”

  “Yes, but the chances of those happening right now are minimal. You know the doctor says this is only a mild case. That it hasn’t gotten that bad yet.”

  She shrugged, closing her eyes again. “I just didn’t think it would be me.” Her voice trailed off and her breathing deepened.

  I sat for a minute more, realizing she had fallen asleep on me. I f
rowned. That was unusual. Getting up, I kissed her forehead and left the room.

  Marcus stood as I came back.

  I put up a hand to head him off. “She’s asleep right now.”

  He stepped over to me and hugged me tightly. “Everything will be okay, Nica.”

  I nodded my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. This used to make me feel so safe. But I hadn’t hugged him like this in years. I needed to hug him more often.

  Then again, it was a bit sappy. Pushing away after a minute, I shoved my hands into my back pockets.

  “I am going to go home, Marcus. I need some sleep.”

  “Go. I am going to stay for a while, to see if Kaitie wakes up again. I will call you if needed.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, but he made the attempt in any case.

  “Okay. Bye.” I turned and shuffled towards the elevators. Pushing the button, I looked back towards the waiting room, watching him stand there, dazed, before turning and sitting down in one of the chairs.

  The elevator doors opened and I moved in, turning around towards the front without really registering anything.

  “Hey, Nica!” Marcus ran towards me, lunging for the doors. I put my hand out to stop them from closing, cocking my head tiredly at him.

  “Take tomorrow off from work. You have sufficient reason to do so.”

  I nodded. He was right. I felt I could sleep for the next twelve hours, easily. I let the doors close, slumping against the back wall.

  A hand gently landed on my shoulder. “She is doing what she needs to do.” Malak’s voice was quiet.

  I would have jumped — should have jumped — but I was too tired. I stared at the floor, not saying anything. I knew, though, that he was talking about Kaitie. And I agreed with him.

  We rode down in silence and left the hospital. I could feel him beside me, a large and, in a way, comforting presence.