by Namita Singh
painfully howling Julian, my heart constricting with guilt and empathy. After all, I know what a bone being broken feels like. The escalating throbbing ache in my right arm is a proof.
I turn around and run after Aakir. We stumble into people, some gasping, others cursing at us. I have the decency to give apologetic looks but Aakir continues to sprint. That’s understandable, considering that I can already hear a commotion from the end where we left Julian. Obviously there is no doubt that that nurse must be spewing to anyone in sight that we have just caused another bed in their hospital to be occupied.
We pass the reception, people automatically getting out of way as they see us crazily running around. When we are near enough the waiting room, I sense four therian auras from the inside. I mentally curse as Aakir continues to sprint in the direction. Aakir doesn’t pause when we enter, not even to spare a glance at the therians. I follow suit, only ephemerally looking towards the therians. Four men, part of the guard of the mansion from what I remember. They see us running towards the exit, their mouths agape. But their shock ends quickly as they launch into action. I watch in horror as they start running towards us, jumping over seats that are there in the waiting room.
Alarmed at the sudden movements, chaos ensues. Women screech when one of the therians collides with them in haste to reach to us, somebody falls when they are pushed out of the way, more alarmed voices, somebody shouting for the guards and we are halfway through when a therian grabs holds of a mindless running Aakir. As if in a frenzy, Aakir immediately swings his fluxed fist, causing the claws of whatever animal to make the therian yelp in pain. I am so thankful that people cannot see Aakir’s animal hand, thanks to the illusionary image for the ignorant humans.
My gratitude dwindles downwards when two therians corner me. I jerk to a stop, my momentum making me jolt forwards. I use my inertia in my favor and jam my left elbow in one of the therian’s ribs. My distraction gives an upper hand to the other therian who catches me off guard by holding my neck around his elbow, pressuring my head into a headlock. My jacket falls from my hand. I curse, bending down and making the therian flip over, falling on his back. More grunts, more horrified yelps and even more screaming ensues. The force of making the therian fall takes a toll on my right arm and I soundlessly whimper in pain as I balance on my knees and left hand. But I ignore it and make a run through the freeway.
A hand clasps around my ankle, making me stumble. I prevent my near falling, kicking back at the therian holding my feet. The one who had been hit first by me gets up and grasps me across my torso, probably to contain my movements. The adrenaline is pumping so viciously inside me that I violently thrash about, trying to get rid of his hold. Another therian steps forward, punching me mercilessly across my left cheek. Pain explodes as I realize that he had fluxed his arm and my cheek is probably adorned with scratchesnow.
That pisses me off so much that I push against him forcefully, violently, taking both the therians, the one holding across my torso and the one punching, by surprise. Appalled, the therian in the front staggers, almost falling but catches himself at the right moment by taking support from the nearby sofa. The one behind me stumbles and he apparently doesn’t like that, as he pushes me forcefully. This time I fail to attain balance and collide harshly with the wall. I jerk, grunt and fall in a heap on the floor.
My right arm viciously protests against the shocking jerks and force, but the adrenaline makes me get up incredibly fast. I punch, as best as I can, the therian that approaches me; distractedly noticing that working with a left hand is not a walk in the park.Violently, I push the therian against another therian that is behind him. In the next second, two more therians collide with the therians I have pushed and all of them fall unceremoniously on the floor.
“Run!” Aakir shouts at me. He doesn’t spare me a glance though, his wild hair and eyes in absolute frenzy as he starts throwing punches and kicks at the therians who are struggling to get to their feet.
I turn on my heel and run. Aakir can teleport himself once he has created enough diversion for me to escape. People have gathered at the borders of the room, to avoid being entangled in the chaos. There is more shouting, more terrified yelps, some women even crying. Exiting the waiting room, I am greeted by exit gates at the other end. Two guards with rifles are already marching towards this end. They see my disheveled state and start running. But these are only human, so even with my broken arm, it takes minimum dodging to get past them and make them stumble on their feet.
And I am out of the gates.
I do not pause, running barbarically. There are some startled gasps as people immediately move out of the way. I run and keep running, avoiding the alarmed looks of people. I must be a sight. Arm in a sling, bloody cheek, disheveled hair and running viciously as if ghosts are on my trail. But I don’t stop. I do not know how fast and far I have run, but feel relief that I am absolutely away from the hospital premises.
I continue to run and run, till my right arm starts protesting, this time much louder than the past times. I see a bus turning a corner from on the road which I am at. Letting the adrenaline fuel me, I increase my speed and run after the bus. Once I am running exactly side by side with bus do I realize that I am running at my full speed. No wonder people’s hazy faces are a blur of shock as I pass them by. The knowledge makes me jerk a little, my speed decreasing. I immediately grasp hold of the handle on the door of the bus which is already open.With a jump, I climb in. There are some yelps and astonished noises as I tumble in.
I straighten up, my paused feet shocking my rest of the body. But I refrain from trembling as I casually run my hand through my blonde locks, hoping to tame down my hair. I avoid the appalled looks of the travellers and move to sit at a window seat.
Gasping for air, I cradle my arm as I focus on the extensive pain. Biting my lip to not cringe in pain, I let my head fall sideways on the window pane. The ticket collector comes, giving me a stern look. I grimace as I move to take out money from my back pocket. I am given a ticket and finally left alone to wallow in my pains. I assure myself that there are only humans around as I sense their auras. Finally, I attempt at relaxing my body as I slump against the seat. My heart is pumping so fiercely that I can feel the beats in my ear.
I am reminded that I should be getting off the bus and go back towards the hospital and find a newspaper shop somewhere nearby. Neal must be waiting at the hotel we have decided. But I don’t know how much a good idea it is to move towards the hospital again. I let myself a break, refusing to think about this for just a moment. It may just reprieve the throbbing ache in my temple if not my arm. I close my eyes, trying to calm my thoughts. As the adrenaline rush starts to wear off, I am painfully reminded of the shocks my body has faced.
A scream and several startled yelps and gasps jolt me out of my ‘relaxing’ time. Immediately going on high alert, I look around.
“Come on, get up.” Aakir says, seemingly have appeared out of thin air inside the bus. He ignores the scared passengers and impatiently motions for me to get up. I immediately comply. There are scared yelps and cries, as people move out of the way as we walk down the aisle. Passengers force themselves against the windows, to avoid whatever Aakir is. Aakir ignores them and with no qualms, jumps out of the door while the bus is still moving. It causes even more yells and screams from the passengers. Hoping a scene is not created, I follow suit.
I grimace as various pains explode in different parts of my body at the sudden movements, but nothing matches the agonizing pain throbbing in my arm and head. I keep my complaints at bay and turn towards Aakir. He has started crossing the road, making me sigh and follow him.
“We need to go back.” I say, matching his pace. “Neal is waiting-”
“I’ll get Neal. Don’t worry about it.” Aakir says, “We need to keep switching roads. We’ll find some hotel in the outskirts.”
I follow his lead. And so, throughexcruciating pain, I continue to follow Aakir as we move from one bus to
another, once in a while grabbing a taxi. I don’t even know which part of the city we are moving to. For all I know, we are just randomly hitting roads. My headache doesn’t allow me to interpret the Russian signs with ease. But the movement acts as a distraction from my pains, so I feel glad to be in motion. I know that when I end up resting, letting all the adrenaline flush out, my body will become much more difficult to deal with.
So, after mindless routes and a couple of hours we reach a dingy part of the city, probably an area which doesn’t come under the core city. My legs start shaking terribly as we walk down the alley, my vision blurring. I force my eyes open, refusing to let my weakened state empower me. Thankfully, Aakir decides on a hotel. A small lone hotel, with grubby walls and an equally unattractive sign board in Russian, ‘Guest house’. Original, I know.
We enter the ‘reception’ of the hotel. The floor and walls are covered in soot and there is lingering odor of tobacco in the air. It burns my nose, my already protesting eyes watering. A desk is there, with a pudgy man sitting behind it and watching some show in the small television set perched on one of the corners. Disinterestedly, the man turns towards the