by Wilson, Tia
The boy sat up and looked smaller than usual with the thin cotton sheet draped over his shoulders. “Do we have to move again,” he said in his thin reedy voice.
The father looked at the boy and then the Mother and said in a hushed tone, “They will be coming after us. I think I did some real damage to a couple of fella’s back in that dive of a bar. They came at me first, I promise you that, he said reaching out for the Mothers hand.
She hesitated and then let him envelope her small hands in his massive one. “We better get moving,” she said and the boy recognised the cold hard look in her eyes. She was the real centre of the family and even at a young age the boy knew it. The mother and father began to stuff their few tawdry belongings into an old leather bag they had found in a dump.
Something in the under growth moved up ahead and the man stopped in his tracks, his past memories pushed away as he refocused on the environment around him. He sniffed the air and he could smell the hot blood beating of a small animal nearby, a rabbit or a house cat maybe. He looked in the direction of the sound and then turned away from it, he couldn't get distracted now, he had to get back to his family.
The three people lay in the dirt their bodies stiff and unmoving as the man approached. He needed to be be as far away from their hibernation place when the settled people arrived, in his weakened state he wasn't sure if he would be able to take on more than one grown man. He knelt beside the woman and stroked her cheek. “Melissa we have to go. Danger is fast approaching and we need to get to safety,” he said and repeated her name again. She began to stir almost immediately at the sound of her name and he gently kissed her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open and she focused on the mans face and smiled. “Nathaniel, are the children safe,” she asked.
“They are safe and still asleep beside you. I am so happy to see you my love,” Nathaniel said and kissed his wife gently on the lips. She smelt of the forest and the rich aroma of damp woodland soil. He smoothed her hair as some colour started to come into her cheeks and she started flexing her fingers, “We are not in immediate danger but the settled people will come soon,” he said rubbing the pale stiff skin of her limbs as the circulation slowly started to come back into them.
“How long have we been gone,” she asked as she propped herself up and leaned into Nathaniel's arms and gazed into his eyes.
“I don’t know yet,” he said.
Melissa sat up further and started to wiggle her feet. She glanced over at the two children still deep in hibernation. “Is the war over?” she asked and Nathaniel could see the naked hope in her expression.
“I don’t know it’s all too soon to know. I didn’t smell any of our kind in the area,” he said as his strong hands started to knead the tight muscles of her neck and shoulders.
“Feels like we have been out for a hundred years,” she said rubbing her thighs and then moving down her legs. “What woke you from hibernation?” she asked.
Nathaniel stopped massaging her shoulder and said, “Do you remember that time in Paris right after the war?”
“Which one?” She asked.
“Two,” he said and continued, “It was right after the ceasefire and we were walking along the Seine hand in hand, a palpable electricity in the air. Everyone was feeling it. Do you remember the scent we caught as we got close to the Notre Dame?”
Melissa spun around and grabbed him by the hand and said, “How could I forget. Did you pick it up again?” and she flicked a dry tongue across her cracked lips.
“Thats what pulled me out of hibernation. The damn scent yanked me out of the dark embrace and when the world returned to me I had already clawed my way out of the earth,” he said.
Melissa ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed it back against her skull and said, “Did you see who it was that woke you?”
“I tracked him back to his house. He lives close by, it was a young boy maybe ten years old,” Nathaniel said.
She lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently and said, “When do we go and get him?”
“Tonight my darling. We put the children back into the earth and we strike tonight. I will not let it escape us again this time. It nearly destroyed us before, never again,” he said and kissed the back of her hands. “Can you walk?” he asked.
She got up slowly and flexed her legs and then twirled, flecks of muck flinging off her rotten and tattered dress. She took a few steps and looked back at her husband and said, “My strength is coming back. We better move the children.”
Nathaniel looked down at his two dirt encrusted kids, a young boy and girl with only a year between them. Their faces looked marble hard and as pale as fresh milk, he scooped the boy up in his arms and his child automatically wrapped his arms around him and lay his cold face against his fathers neck. Even in deep hibernation the children could sense the presence of their mothers and fathers. Melissa picked up the little girl and she also wrapped herself around her mother in a loving embrace.
The two parents set off into the woods. They moved without making a sound as they searched for another resting place. Nathaniel stumbled and went down on one knee and stood back up on shaky legs. His wife looked at him with concern and said, “Can you go on?”
“I must,” he said through gritted teeth. Blood vessels had burst in his eyes and the skin of his lips had started to crack and ooze blood. “I need to hunt and feed as soon as we find a safe place for the children.”
Long term hibernation could ravage a shifters body and they had both heard the tales of people walking up and then dying before they fed. The stories told of a death that was long and painful and once the process started no amount of feeding could save you.
“Spread out,” Nathaniel said.
They moved apart and kept each other in their eye line. The two figures moved with speed through the forest as they looked for a suitable location. After ten minutes of searching Melissa let out a low whistle and Nathaniel headed in her direction. She was standing in front of a large oak tree, part of the earth had collapsed around its roots exposing a large cavity.
“This is perfect,” he said. The space between the roots was big enough for the two children to fit. They lowered each child into the hole and kissed their white cheeks. The two young children lay in the dirt and then drew close to each other and embraced in an iron grip. Nathaniel looked at his wife as she gazed down at the children. Melissa’s right eye was crossed with broken blood vessels making her eye look like it had turned completely red. “We have to hunt,” he said trying to hide any fear from his voice.
They gathered up some fallen branches and covered the hole and then scooped up handfuls of earth and covered as much as possible. Melissa threw a bunch of moss she had collected on top and arranged it over the makeshift closing. They stood back and looked at it. It would have to do, it wouldn’t stand up to intense scrutiny, in the moment they had no choice. They needed to feed.
Nathaniel squeezed his wife's hand. Both her eyes were now bloodshot and her lips had stared to bleed. He imagined he was starting to look a lot worse. The hearing in his left ear had stopped a couple of minutes ago and he could hear a low whistle. The joints of his fingers were starting to stiffen and his whole body was beginning to feel to like it was covered in a layer of ice.
The couple had hunted together countless times and they moved through the forest without any need for verbal communication. Melissa headed away from her husband to flush prey in his direction. They moved with fluid speed though the woods, their senses in overdrive as they perceived the tangled mesh of the forest system and searched for signs of a prey. The hunt had begun and the two shifters could feel the cold hand of death reaching out to them if they did not succeed.
6
Grace & Anne
The Doctor took a flat plastic packet out of his bag and ripped the seam open. He unfolded the paper smock and put it on. He opened a second packet and then snapped on a pair of surgical gloves. He turned and faced Grace and did a small bow in her direction
. “What we have here is a fine example of a female from the black bear clan. A women of her age is at her peak.I think you will enjoy what she has to offer,” The Doctor said and walked to the other side of the table. He picked up a scalpel and held it up to the light. He bent forward and made an incision in Annes side. Grace felt the colour drain from her face and her hands and fingers began to tingle as she watched the flesh separate easily under the blade.
Tulimak put his hand on Graces shoulder and she feel the strength in his fingertips. “See we learned from the humans. What if in their crazy ideas they had hit on something, they just had the wrong species. Bear bile does nothing, shifter bile, now that is a completely different thing. Its effects on the right type of person are, how should I put this,” he said and squeezed her shoulder tighter, “exotic and varied makes the most sense. Someone like you Grace, I think you are going to be in for a wild ride.”
Grace could feel the bones in her shoulder creak under the pressure Tulimak was exerting on her, he’s going to crush my shoulder she thought as she gritted her teeth in pain. He wants me to look away and through gritted teeth she said, “You’re hurting me. I can’t take it much longer.” He let go of her and a dull throb of pain emanated from her shoulder. She blinked tears from her eyes and looked at the Doctor at work, trying to shut out what she was seeing without looking away.
Blood oozed from the open wound on Annes side. The Doctors hands were inside her as he worked with a small device that Grace couldn’t make out. He picked up an instrument that looked like a thick black pen and a thin wisp of smoke rose from the wound. A sickening smell of cauterised flesh filled the room and Grace used all her will power not to look away and vomit onto the floor. I can’t look at this anymore she thought all fears of losing a finger fading away as her mind reeled at what she was seeing. The doctor moved to the other side of the table and Graces view was blocked. She clenched her jaw and her teeth creaked at the intensity of the pressure. She didn’t know how much longer she could last before she passed out.
“The Doctor is a genius. He’ll have your friend patched up in no time. She’ll be back on her feet in a day or two like nothing happened to her,” Tulimak said sounding excited as the Doctor finished up his job.
The Doctor snapped off his blood soaked gloves and ripped off his paper gown and threw them under the table. He stepped away from the table giving Grace a clear view.
A tube was inserted into the side of Annes body. The wound had been patched up and was covered in a layer of gauze. The tube hung over the edge of the table and was connected to a soft plastic pouch with a blue tap where the tube entered the pouch. The pouch hung off a metal hook hanging from the edge of the table.
The Doctor stood and smiled at Grace and said, “How is our star patient doing? I hope that wasn’t too graphic for you,” and he chuckled. The doctor pointed to the tube sticking into Annes body and pointed at a plastic lever where the tube entered the skin and said, “We open this here,” and he twisted it and a yellow green liquid began to flow into the tube. He then reached down to the tap on the pouch and said, “And this one here. Just like extracting maple syrup,” he said and chuckled again.
The bile began to drip into the plastic pouch and gather in the corner of it. Grace looked on in horror and all she wanted to do was scream. She couldn't even open her mouth as she felt numb to what she was seeing. The Doctor allowed the bile to drip in for a couple of seconds and then he closed both taps and stopped the flow. He unclipped the plastic pouch and held it up to the light and said, “There is maybe a tablespoon of bile here. The things so little of this wondrous liquid will do to you Grace. If it doesn’t kill you it can only make you stronger. I don’t actually believe that myself,” he said walking over to Grace and Tulimak.
“How long to prepare the dose?” Tulimak asked the Doctor.
“Thirty minutes tops. She’s not going anywhere,” he said and trailed a clammy finger along her cheek.
Grace jerked her head away from his touch and he simply laughed at her. “You have fight in you. That’s good, you’re going to need it where you’re going,” Tulimak said stepping back from her. “Rest your pretty little head, you have quite a ride ahead of you,” he said and snapped his fingers. Slattery looked up from his notebook and then left the room. “You know if you ever wanted to change sides we would welcome a strong woman such as yourself. My people were looking for you as long as the black bear clan. Maybe if we had of found you first you would be with me instead of Tom?” He said running his fingers through her hair.
Graces skin crawled under his touch. “I would never be with someone like you, I’m repulsed by you,” Grace said, the words coming out filled with white hot rage. “Nobody in the black bear clan would do something like this to me. They are good people. Everything I heard about you and your type is true,” she said and was interrupted as Tulimak grabbed her by the shoulders and squeezed. His face was inches from Graces face and she could see a web of burst blood vessels in the corner of each eye.
“They know nothing about my family. They have fed you propaganda and you’ve fell for it completely. This whole peace loving vibe they are trying on. It’s nothing but show, those bears are worse than anybody from my side. Bloodlust runs in their veins, you have been duped by them,” he said sneering at her. His lips were pulled back and Grace could see his lower incisor sharp and elongated extending over his top lip.
“I’ve no reason to believe anything you say. Release me if you want to prove your honour,” Grace said looking him dead in the eyes. She could picture herself jerking forward and biting a chunk out of his cheek, but where would that get me she thought. I’d still be strapped to this chair and who knows how many other members there were of this clan waiting in the shadows to to hurt me.
“Where would the fun be in that. You and I we are going to become fast friends. I think you might come around to my side after you see what the black bears are truly capable of,” Tulimak said as he moved out of striking distance. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I want ring side seats,” he said and then turned and left the tiled room.
Grace twisted and turned her wrist in the leather bounds and felt her skin shred as she tried to free herself. The leather cuffs strapping her to the chair didn’t seem to be loosening anymore. Her wrist throbbed with a dull ache and she gave up her struggles. “Anne. Can you hear me?” she called out to her unconscious friend. Anne lay perfectly still on the cold metal table. Grace looked around at the cold sterile room and felt all the fight go out of her body. There was no way to escape and she was at the mercy of the shifter called Tulimak. Is this part of the prophecy she wondered as she looked over at Anne and the surgical tubing snaking out from the side of her body. Am I about to lose a friend to these animals as part of the painful trials I have to go through? I can’t be the one that the black bears have stories about she thought her head slumping on her chest with exhaustion. I’m nothing but an ordinary woman who up until a short time ago lead a very ordinary life. I can’t be who they think I am she thought as she could feel tears roll down her cheeks. Grace wanted to throw back her head and shout at the world, “Why me?”
“Grace,” Anne said in a dry croaky voice, startling her.
“Anne try not to move too much you are injured,” Grace said.
Annes head slowly rolled to the side and her eyes fluttered open as she looked across at Grace. “We are in serious trouble,” she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
Grace didn't know what to say to her friend, she felt beat down and beyond frightened as the desperation of their situation sank in with every passing minute. “It’s not looking too good. I don’t know what to do. I’m real scared Anne,” Grace said.
Annes eyelids closed and she spoke barely above a whisper, “The clan will come and find us. We have to hold onto that. They can track us, try not to give up hope.” She lifted her arm up and it jerked about as if she had very little control over it. Her fingers grazed against the area with the tu
bing and she winced in pain. “What have they don't to me,” she said trying and failing to lift her head to look at her wound.
Grace locked eyes with Anne and she could fell her fear rise as she told her about the doctor and the procedure for removing her bile. “Why did they do that to you?” Grace asked.
Anne groaned in pain, an elongated brittle sounding moan as she squeezed her eyes tight and bit down on her bottom lip. “It’s like a drug to those who can handle it. Our clan banned the extraction and use of it hundreds of years ago,” Anne said and then paused as another wave of pain immobilised her.
“Don’t Anne, save your strength” Grace said as she looked at her friend writhing in pain. She looked away, couldn’t take it anymore to see Anne going through so much.
Annes eyes fluttered open again, her skin was parchment white, her lips looked almost blue. “It’s unreliable. One person can take a dose of it and drop dead from heart failure, another can do it and have the high of their lives. It’s the other effects that are the most shrouded in mystery. If the right person takes it they can,” and she was cut short as Tulimak entered the room.
“Now now, we cant have you ruining the surprise for Grace,” Tulimak said as he walked over to the operating table. Slattery and the doctor joined him beside the table. “If she says another word, shoot her,” Tulimak said and Slattery withdrew a pistol from a holster.
He pressed the barrel of the gun against Annes temple and leaned in close and said, “Shhhhhh.”
Anne let out a moan of pain and fear as she looked over at Grace.
“Don’t hurt her,” Grace shouted and it echoed loudly off the white tile walls.
“That’s up to her now,” Tulimak said. “What your friend told you is partly true. People have been known to drop dead when they first taste bile. I’ve seen grown men keel over with one drop administered to the tongue. Massive heart failure, brain aneurisms, organ failure, what was it that happened to the truck driver a few months ago?” Tulimak said turning to the Doctor.