The Guest & The Change

chapter 9





Sarah watched as the sky lightened. It had been a long night and she felt awful. Her fingers were in agony from the cold and restriction by the ropes.

She could see puffs of steam with every exhaled breath. She felt delirious, like she had been strapped high in the tree for days - her sense of time had completely abandoned her. Weakness pervaded her limbs. She was beyond shivering, beyond hoping. She fell in and out of sleep, seeing images of her children, playing happily at their Grandparents. She saw Megan teaching Bea to sing. Bea pushing her little doll around in a toy pushchair.

Tears descended down her cheeks. She wanted so much to be with them, tucked up in the warm and surrounded by love.

Daniel hadn’t come to rescue her.

Sebastian had abandoned her.

She was dying.

Sarah closed her eyes and let in the fitful dreams.

***

Daniel tucked the bag inside his jacket, where it made an unsightly bulge.

He couldn’t believe it, he had done it. Sebastian was dead.

He let himself enjoy the moment, just for a second, before concentrating on his next problem: How was he going to find Sarah?

Unfortunately killing Sebastian hadn’t shed any light on Sarah’s location. He had known this was a danger, but didn’t see how he could have done things differently. Had he kept Sebastian alive, he never would have told him anyway, and he would probably have lost his chance to kill him at all. In fact, he himself would probably be dead instead. He’d seen it in Sebastian’s eyes, he had definitely meant business when confronting him this evening.

There was only one thing for it, he smoothly and effortlessly transformed back into his buzzard form. It enabled him fast access to the woods, and didn’t diminish his senses. If Sarah was there, as seemed likely, he would find her. He would sense her heart beating, smell blood from her earlier injuries.

He just hoped, against hope, that she would be ok.

As he reached the forest, soaring through the air - past early morning mists, he saw the sun crest over the tree lined horizon. He ignored it and focused his efforts on life on the ground and in the trees. The forest was thrumming with life. His new power enabled him to sense everything, the trees, water trickling, animals breathing. He soared broadly, covering as much ground as he could, not stopping to rest. He didn’t need to rest, he felt vibrant with fresh energy, the energy of Sebastian’s victims.

The sun had fully risen and the sky was blue by the time he smelt the first trace of human blood. He flew forwards, fear rising at what he would find. He was picking up a weak heartbeat, high in a tree. He soared down and spotted her, unconscious and bloody, tied there alone.

He transformed back into himself and ripped off the ropes, freeing her arms, and did the only thing he could think to do. He bit into the veins in his wrist, and pushed his wrist into her mouth.

Her mouth was already coated in dried blood, he suspected he wasn’t the first to try this technique on her since she’d been taken from him.

As his blood dripped into her mouth she didn’t awaken, and Daniel felt panic, he pulled his wrist away and slit at his neck with a spare stake. Blood flowed fast and he pushed her head against it, desperate for her to start drinking. He felt a little movement and pulled her to him as she started to drink, then gulp the energy filled elixir his blood had become.

Relief swelled inside him, she was going to be ok.

She pulled back, gasping for air, then lay back her head and fell into slumber.

Daniel picked her up and held her tightly in his arms, watching her wounds heal. His heart ached as he thought of what she must have been through.

Holding her secure, he climbed down the tree and sat at its base, tears rolling down his cheeks as he held her sleeping form.





THE END