Chapter 29: Resonance
"Emilee!" I yelled chasing after the silhouette of my older sister.
She laughed and continued to race through the hallway. Our own faces flashed past on the wall of our childhood. The pale yellow walls were scuffed and chipped at the corners from time.
"This isn't funny!" I shouted as she retreated.
My feet caught the edge of the rug and I stumbled. I regained my footing and resumed the chase. I was going to get her and... I was mad? Yes, she had done something, something she knew she shouldn't have. She was laughing at my anger and embarrassment. I struggled to recall what it was. I just needed to get to her before she got away.
Her giggling traveled farther and farther from me. The hallway of the house stretched, strange and scary. This was not my house. I ran faster. I need to get her...
"Natalie, Natalie, honey, I need you to open your eyes for me." A soft voice commanded.
I groaned. I blinked up at the hazy shape of the women above me. I strained my brain and just barely remembered I was in the sickbay. Pierre had made me stay here under observation when I had begun to deteriorate.
My hand throbbed. There in the thick vein was an IV tube that connected to a bag somewhere just out of my sight. Pillows were fluffed so I was partially siting up, had they not, I don't believe that I would have the energy to keep up myself.
My head lolled to the side and I released a sigh. Hands roamed over my machines and tubes. My conscience was bringing to drift again with the drooping of my eyelids.
"Ah, ah, Natalie, I need you to stay awake just a bit longer honey," She said. "I promise, you can sleep after I'm done."
All I did was slip between dreams and awaken sessions. Sometimes there were blank dreams, sometimes they were extremely vivid...
It was extremely crowed in the school hallways. Lockers of dark blue loomed tall against the walls darkening the artificially lite linoleum. I was jammed shoulder to shoulder against much taller students. A backpack was shoved into my face just ahead of me.
I really didn't want to be here. I knew it was late without needing a window or a clock, it was a strong feeling of intuition.
No one was moving. I shifted between faces, their features were too dark too focus on. I itched to move backwards as a pull forced the surrounding bodies into action. I fought the tide but still found myself approaching forward.
"No! I don't want to go there!" I shouted. "Let go of me! Let go!"
I had to get away. I couldn't be here, not like this. I needed to be somewhere else...
"Hey there, Natalie." It was Pierre. He came to visit a lot, well that was to say every time I was awake he was here more often then not.
He was a doctor as well but I knew that even he didn't know what to make of me. Vampires made their bindings to their covens or to another and always stayed, and then, only then did they leave at times when it was mature. Binding with a human, Pierre would know about but not like this.
"Any word?" I croaked.
Though most of the colony wasn't thrilled with the vampire's presence, a few were willing to track what they could to find Manu, so that another human wouldn't perish. I had lost track of time a long time ago but I knew that time had past with each awakening. Each time, Pierre looked less and less hopeful, but he was a good actor.
"Not yet, but it should any day now."
He was sure that Manu had survived the raid of the coven. He said that I couldn't have survived so long without him still being alive. I was being to think that me falling ill was only the effect of withdrawal from the Beta and that Manu had been dead this entire time.
"Any day," he repeated.
I wasn't a doctor but I knew if they didn't get back soon, I would only have a few days left...
"Mom?" I asked. She was frozen mid-sentence, though I couldn't recall what she was telling me. I was seated at the dinner table, morning sun came in through the window above the sink. Something was being cooked behind her, but I paid no mind to it. I think it had cinnamon in it.
The wooden table had always been in this position, I always sat in this seat. The distance from the wall seemed farther, everything seemed bigger than it always was.
I need to do something, I barely remembered. I was going to tell mom something, a good bye maybe? I had to be somewhere. Was it a school day? No, mom only made breakfast on the weekends. No, this was all wrong!
I scrambled off the chair but found it hard to move, my movements were slow and heavy.
I need to go...
I hated this waiting. Being fully conscience had begun to become unbearable. It had started with a need to move, to do something even though I had no strength to even support myself. It manifested into spreading pain that took root in every inch of my being.
I was kept sedated as much as possible and awoken less and less frequently. I couldn't talk but Pierre knew exactly how I felt and saved me from the pain during those times through heavy pain medications. They caused me to lose focus to the point the only difference was wither or not my eyes were open.
Someone at some point brought me flowers. That was nice. Everyone here was just so nice...
I was scared, they were just behind me. I knew if I turned around they would be gaining on me. I was running up a steep green hill that I didn't recognize, the dark night obscured my view.
I opened my mouth to call for help, to yell, to scream. Nothing came out but my gasp for breath. I had no time for my lungs to catch up with me, I had to keep going.
They were so close behind me.
I needed to get away...
"Natalie." The soft voice.
No, it hurt too much. Don't bring me back. There was a loud beeping too close to me that wasn't there before. I didn't like it and as if it wanted to irate me more, it grew faster and louder.
"Natalie, please!" Pierre. He sounded worked up. "Can we get some help in here!"
My eyelids were pinched back. My eyes swiveled about the room, Pierre and a woman.
"No, no, Natalie, they found him," Pierre cried out. "The team freed him and he is coming."
A soft hand ran down the length of my face.
"Honey, I know it hurt but you need to hang on, Manu is running." The woman's face was in mine but oddly it didn't bother me. It seemed all my anger was focused on the beeping.
Manu, a warm feeling filled me. He was alive and coming back to me. He was running. Hm, he does run fast. But the thoughts quickly returned to wanting to go back under, I was so tired and I hurt.
"Hey," she shouted. "Don't you dare!"
I didn't have the will as strong as her. I wasn't ever one for fighting, most the time I hid or let Emilee fight my battles. I didn't have the strength needed, required to be a fierce spirit. I was fading back and I folded quickly under its pressure...
"I love you," the beast said through sharp teeth. "I won't let go. I will always chase."
I ran but only ended in his embrace. My body didn't move.
"I love you," he whispered and bit down.
I couldn't, I needed...
It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a nightmare, it was real.
Someone was biting me.
A dark head pulled back from my neck. Dark eyes stared down into mine. A tug at my wrist directed my attention to the IV tube. It was no longer the clear saline and medications but a dark blue. Vampire blood was being pumped into me.
I didn't understand but I didn't need to, Manu was here. A smile stretched itself acrossed my face. He replicated it.
"You can sleep blissfully now, I will remain here." I had missed his voice.
His dark hand stayed in mine and I was very much sure that it keep there even after I fell asleep. As I did, I felt a peace that had been missing since the coven. I had truly missed him.
I may even have told him so but it was all very unclear.