CHAPTER THREE

-EMILY-

The sound of the beeping monitor next to me got my eyes rolling, the blurry image of the ceiling looking down on me. I took a sitting position, resting my back on the soft pillow behind me. The scent of antiseptics and the cream-colored walls gave a pretty first impression of where I was.

A lady In a white uniform walked in. She didn’t speak, nor did she let out a smile when she saw me. I couldn’t remember how I got here or why I was here, but I was sure she knew the answers.

“Miss…” I paused as she tilted her head. A deadly glare could be seen on her face as she observed every inch of my body down to my limbs.

“What are you?” She asked, clenching her fist as she tried not to grab my clothing. I didn’t speak; there was no reasonable response to her question.

She flushed, grabbing a pack of syringes from the drawer next to me. She hesitated, staring at a bottle of medicine that I believed possessed a great threat to my system. A smile danced on her lips as the injection pierced through the lid, withdrawing the content slowly.

“Where shall we begin?” she giggled.

My hand fumbled on the bed as I staggered backwards. Even if it was a nightmare, I didn’t think I’d be fighting a nurse in a hospital.

“Emily…” Mom’s voice echoed in the room. I jumped off the bed, running towards her open arms. She couldn’t raise me up, so she let her hands dwindle on my back.

“There’s no need for the injection. We’ve decided to keep her.” Mom said.

Keep her? Had I become a pet that was to be kept. What were they insinuating? How had I gotten to this hospital in the first place? I needed answers.

Mom held my hand as we walked towards the counter. She had kept mute, trying not to look me in the eye. As we reached the reception, the receptionist staggered back on seeing me, clutching onto her ledger like she had seen a ghost.

“She’s been discharged. I’m taking her home.” Mom grabbed a pen, holding her hand out for the ledger.

The nurse trembled, slowly dropping her hands in her plight to release the ledger. I watched her curse underneath her breath as she avoided eye contact with me.

It looked like I had done something to them. I could sense the fear in her tongue, her blood sizzling like she had been twirled by a rollercoaster.

“Thanks for taking care of my daughter. I really appreciate the dignity and diversity your hospital shows; you guys are the best.” The woman held up a faint smile at the compliment. Usually they’d be trying to advertise their hospital, but she was busy clutching onto her chest.

The drive to the house was as awkward as it could be. Mom couldn’t stop staring at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and anxiety. She was curious about something, about me.

“Can you step on the gas? It will soon be sundown. We both know what happens then.” She let out. The driver gulped, accelerating the vehicle like never before. They were scared of something… a lot bigger than the average mind.

As we passed through the neighborhood, I could only hold my head down. Images of people getting slaughtered appeared in my head, their cries and wails resonating in my ears. “We’re coming for you.”

“What’s wrong, Emily?” Mom asked.

I tried to communicate, but the words stuck to my throat like a lump, choking me into silence.

Make it stop! Make it stop!

The pain in my head was getting more aggressive as the minutes passed. My eyes were heavy, hot tears gathering on the lid.

“Mom?” I gazed at her.

“It’s okay, Emily. Her trembling hands wrapping themselves around me. The sound of her rapid heartbeat cuddling me like a lullaby.

“Arghhh!”

The car began to tumbled to the side, our head hitting the vehicles roof as we spun before it came to a sudden halt. I brought my head up, blood cascading downwards as I searched for the source of the sound.

As I stared at Mom, I clasped my mouth, tears streaming down my cheeks.

All I could see behind her was blood, red with a mixture of moisturized dirt. I leaned towards her, bringing her head down to my lap.

She was still breathing; the sound of her beating heart was enough to prove that. The blood on the window wasn’t hers; her blood had a different scent… the driver?

“Ahhhhh!” I cried upon getting a glimpse of him.

His body was sitting pretty behind the steering wheel, but his head was nowhere to be found. With his life cut short, we were in a bit of a mess.

I stared out the window, horrified by the sight before me. The roads were littered with bodies, all cold and lifeless, bite marks on their necks.

In the shadow stood several men, grinning at the sight of a young lady whose child had suddenly begun to cry. They licked their lips, their eyebrows arched as they walked towards her.

“Let her go.” I groaned, running towards her. They didn’t stop moving, increasing their pace towards her.

The thought of the lady dying with her child crowded my mind. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Blood!” They chorused, walking towards her.

Suddenly, someone ran towards them, lifting them from the ground and rushing them away at lightning speed. I could barely see his face, but he was darker than the rest, a red crest glowing in his chest.

“Guardian!” groans came into play as numerous souls began vanishing before me.

Behind them stood a young child, numerous badges on his vest. He walked up to me, blood on his hands. “Sister Emily…”

“Momo!” I went on my knees, wrapping him in my arms.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you your normal life back. There was no way I could keep your soul without a shard… You’ll have to embrace mine. That’s the only way you can keep on living.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, watching him disintegrate slowly with the wind.

“Close the gates, Sister Emily.”