The Myth that Became Real

Chapter 57

"Soon, I'll have you, but not yet. First I need you to bring a little package for me. Once you have it," the voice leaned down to whisper in my ear, "then you'll be mine. And I can bring down this place once and for all."

I heard shuffling happen around me and then they were gone. This definitely had to be a dream. Why was this one here though? Why was I dreaming of someone wanting to harm me? Where was the one that I felt safe around? Why weren't they next to me so that this one couldn't come near me? I was starting to panic but then I blackness pulled me under and I welcomed it gladly.

-

My eyes fluttered open and I groaned. "Can someone please shut the light off," I rasped covering my arm over my eyes, "it's so bright in here." My mouth felt so dry. I really needed water. 

"Skylar?" Two voices said at the same time, although it wasn't so much as speaking but more like shouting in my ear. I winced and my hands flew to cover my ears on reflex.

"Oops, sorry," Bailey whispered coming in front of me. "We are just so happy you're awake, and surprised." I let my hands fall back down to my side.

A hand grabbed my left one which sent shivers up my arm and I smiled, they felt so good. My gaze met my mates and his other hand came up to rest against the side of my head and I nuzzled into it. I closed my eyes briefly, just enjoying the feel of it and taking in his scent.

It darkened behind my eyelids and I knew the lights were shut off then. I slowly opened them to reveal a lightbulb that wasn't blinding me on sight so my eyes adjusted quicker to my surroundings. However, it wasn't the sight I was use to. Everything was just so... dull, maybe not as sharp? Maybe that was just because of the lighting and the hospital room. Yeah, that was it.

Then I noticed how parch my throat was. "Water?" I asked scratchily. My voice rumbled in protest and I tried sitting up but my arms wobbled. Jeez, I felt weak, what happened?

A cup of water appeared before me and Liam stopped me from sitting up. "No, don't try to sit up, just wait. Here's some water honey." He gently helped me up into a sitting position and also pushed a button on the hospital bed to lift it up. Bailey helped by putting a pillow behind me so I was more comfortable and I thanked her. Then Liam brought the water up to my mouth and tipped it inside. I would have protested but it felt like I could barely lift my arms. The sweet liquid dripped down the back of my throat and I eagerly gulped more. "Hey, hey, hey, not so fast." He took the cup away and I whimpered in protest. "You'll get some more, just not all at once."

I whined in protest but I knew he was right; I shouldn't drink anymore water right now. Besides, my throat felt better and when I spoke again it wasn't as scratchy. "What happened?"

Liam cupped my cheek and asked, "what's the last thing you remember?"

I racked my brain for the answer. Honestly, I couldn't remember. Everything has hazy so I closed my eyes to concentrate on the events that happened. "I...... I remember Carson was missing aaaannnd I went..... to go...... and find him." My words drew out as I thought of what might have happened. Liam's hand left my face while this occured. "I found him and then...." I furrowed my brows in concentration. "Then all I remember was burning. Nothing else." I sighed defeated. But my eyes shot open and I stared at both Bailey and Liam glancing between the two. "Carson's okay, right? He's not hurt?"

Bailey nodded,  "yeah sweetie, he's all good. A bit scared, but happy to be home. He's been asking about you too. He's been very worried about you."

My eyes closed again and I slumped against the pillow in relief. "Good, I'm glad to hear it."

A few breaths past before I heard Bailey on my right ask me, "so you don't remember anything else?"

I shook my head, "no." I opened my eyes again. "What stands out the most was I was burning on the inside. Does that make sense? I don't know why but...." I searched around trying to find the correct words, "something doesn't feel right."

Bailey and Liam shared a look between them and I felt really left out, also irritated that I wasn't in on this big secret. When they didn't respond right away, I snapped, "what is it? What's wrong?"

Bailey looked like she was a deer caught in headlights and she once again exchanged another look with Liam. I tapped my fingers against my leg waiting for an answer from one of them.

"Honey," Liam said quietly, "do you feel your owatt at all?"

I looked at him in confusion. Why wouldn't I? She's always there. But the look of concern on both of their faces had me searching for my animal. I reached out to where I usually did and brushed against, nothing. What? That's not right. This time, I stretched my imaginary hand out farther from where she usually was and there was nothing again. What? Now I was starting to hyperventilate. Where was she? She's a part of me, she can't be gone.  I would know if she was. I shook my head frantically. "N-nno, I can't feel h-her." She just can't be gone. Tears started pouring down my face uncontrollably. Who was I with her? "I- I think I've lost her," I hiccupped. But how? Was it the burning that caused this?

Liam grabbed my hand. "You haven't lost her, okay?" He said with conviction and I almost believed him but she wasn't there. He didn't know what it felt like.

"How do you know?" I asked wondering how he could be so certain in a time like this.

Bailey answered this time. "Because you've been poisoned by tanzanite. It was a small enough dose to not kill you, but enough to make your owatt go to sleep for awhile. She's still there, she just needs to heal. We don't know how long it'll take for her to heal, everyone is different. Usually though, people's owatts don't tend to come back until after at least a month with how much you had received. It's a long healing process."

"You should still be able to find her," Liam added, "but it will most likely be faint and hard to find. But you should heal just fine, so should she. Our animals will never truly die inside of us, it's impossible. Not without completely killing us."

I shook my head, glad that I would be able to get my owatt back, at least she wasn't truly gone. "So what does that mean for me?"

It was Bailey who delivered the final blow. "It means that until she comes back, you're pretty much a human once more. I'm sorry."

My eyes closed in pain as what the implications meant. I'm a human once again. I couldn't believe it. Not to long ago, that's what I had known all my life and that's who I was, now I couldn't fathom being a human again. Being an owatt was who I was. It felt like a piece of my soul was ripped out and stomped on and I couldn't pick up the pieces because there was nothing big enough to pick up and put back together. Taking deep breaths, I asked, "is there anything else?" Somehow I was going to need to pull myself together and not show how badly this affected me.

"You also got a few cuts and scratches," Bailey answered again. "They shouldn't affect you, but you were shot in the shoulder by an arrow when Liam and some more of us arrived. That's going to take a bit longer to heal."

It was as if Bailey unlocked a damn and I felt the pain erupt in the back of my shoulder. Fuck, that hurt. Granted, it didn't hurt as much as the burning did, I don't think anything will, but it was still horrible.

"Let me guess, I will also heal at the speed of a human too," I grumbled.

"Hopefully your owatt recovers quickly so she can heal you," Liam muttered, "but yes, you'll heal the normal rate of a human. We have done the best we can do to try and speed up the process by bringing some healers in but they can also only do so much." 

I nodded coming to terms with the unfortunate turn or events even if I didn't want to accept them. I was human for a long time, how hard could it be to be human again for just another month again? Shouldn't be that hard, right?

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Hey y'all! Here's the next chapter! Let me know what you think!

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