Hunted by Darkness

Trouble

Sarah

The man said Gabriel was next door, but he hadn’t said on which side. Left or right were her options as she stood alone in the deserted corridor, toes deep into the velvety blue carpet.

The night was already falling when she woke up. The lights in her room were dim, and she could have comfortably gone back to sleep, except that she was starving. Breakfast felt as if it had been ten days ago, and she needed to eat something. There was nothing in her room, though. No phone, no buzzer to call on a nurse, like in actual hospitals, not even a glass of water. She decided to look around and see if she found the nurses’ desk. As she carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pain shot across her whole body. She had lifted the pyjama-like top she was wearing, expecting to see a bandage or deep bruising, at the very least, but only found smooth, pale skin, as it had always been.

Once outside the room, she remembered about Gabriel. She felt a bit guilty as if she should have thought about him first thing. He had saved her life. It felt so banal, to say it like that, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, that he should get stabbed to protect her.

She shook her head. She had to pick a door.

Left.

The doorknob was smooth under her hand and slipped slightly as she tried to turn it. Careful not to make any noise, in case Gabriel was sleeping, or it wasn’t him at all, she opened the door.

No creaking. Good.

The room was in the same semi-darkness she had woken up to. A figure lied on the bed, his back turned towards her. From there, she couldn’t tell whether that was Gabriel or not. Only as she stepped right next to the bed, she saw it was a man with dirty blond hair.

She should have left right then, but something compelled her to walk around and look at his face. The blind was pulled up, and silver light shone through, casting a soft glow over the man.

The sight of his face froze the air in her lungs.

His left eye was hollow, and his cheekbone was sunken and black, as if burnt. She knew that sort of mark. She had seen something similar on Gabriel when they had escaped the Old Ones in the park.

Lucy and her cousin had the same marks.

It took her several minutes to recover in which she didn’t remember if she had even blinked. Air burst into her lungs, and she rushed out as quietly as panic allowed her. She closed the door behind her, a mixture of fear and will not to make noise. She didn’t want to get caught.

Outside she couldn’t move. Her heart beat so hard it threatened to break her ribs.

‘Sarah?’ a soft, deep voice asked.

As she turned around, she found the man, Mr Vogel, looking down on a clipboard, a pen in his hand, still wearing that pristine white suit. His eyes lifted slowly from the paper, a frown over his tropical waters-blue eyes. His expression changed as he saw her, his face morphing into a genuine smile.

Her breath caught in her chest, for entirely different reasons this time.

But the moment passed as he cleared his voice and his expression became serious once more.

‘Did you need help? Are you in pain?’ he asked.

‘N… No, no, I am… I was looking for Gabriel.’

Something flashed across the man’s eyes, a shadow, but it was gone as fast as it came.

‘Of course. I’m sure you are concerned but rest assured he is recovering, albeit slowly. He will need to rest for a few days before he’s able to have visitors. You should do the same,’ he rested a light hand on the small of her back and guided her towards her room’s door. Walking in behind her, his eyes didn’t leave her as she climbed into bed, and he carefully pulled the blankets over her. ‘You are safe here,’ his voice poured over her like syrup, soft and comforting, ‘there is nothing to fear. You can sleep.’

Sarah looked around as if to make sure, and the man imitated her.

‘It,s safe, don’t concern yourself about that, although…’ he looked again, ‘maybe a bit boring. Is there something we can provide you with that would make you feel more comfortable.’

There were only four things in the world she needed right now. Gabriel couldn’t have visitors yet, so the other three would have to suffice.

‘Food, I’m starving. A book would be good. And Samson.’

‘Samson?’

‘My dog… well, I’m sure you don’t allow dogs in here, but somebody needs to look after him…’ the tears that filled her eyes took her by surprise, but they were too strong to keep at bay. She was so tired. Mr Vogel handed her the handkerchief, made of soft linen. ‘Thank you, Mr Vogel.’

‘Damian, please.’

‘Thank you, Damian,’ she smiled feebly.

‘We will arrange for somebody to take care of… Samson and I’ll make sure you get some books. Any preference?’

‘Anything with words on it will do,’ she smiled leaning back into her pillow.

‘Indeed?’ he smiled back, ‘I’ll send somebody in the morning with some books. I’ll make sure somebody brings you tea and toast shortly. In the meantime, please do rest.’

Damian reached out to the lamp on the chest of drawers to switch it off. Sarah gasped without knowing quite why. The man smiled softly once again and left the light on.

‘Good night, Miss Morgan.’

He closed the door behind him, and she was left alone in the empty room, with the soft yellow light on and a lingering scent of cinnamon and roses that enveloped her like a warm blanket. It basked her into a deep sleep, free of dreams, let alone nightmares.

It was the knock on the door that woke her up. She noticed the untouched tray with tea and toast on the bedside table. She didn’t even wake up then.

Karen came in with a new tray and a canvas bag. The smell of bacon and French toast made her mouth water. There were maple syrup and a bowl of fruit salad, tea, a glass of orange juice, which looked freshly squeezed. After asking briefly about her state, Karen proceeded to take five books out of the bag. It was an eclectic selection. There was a supernatural romance, she was sure there was a vampire somewhere in there, a biography, another two fiction books and a classic, War and Peace. She was pleased with them, knowing full well she would read them all if she had the chance, except that five books were quite a few books and War and Peace was a sizable one. How long did they think she needed to stay in the hospital?

Well, if all the food was going to be like this, she didn’t mind spending a few days here. This was the best hospital food she had ever had.

Still, she had just left one hospital after months of recovery, and she had no intention of staying too long in this one. She was about to ask Karen when she realized she had already left. She had been so engrossed in checking the books she hadn’t noticed. She sighed, making a mental note to ask somebody later, before proceeding to devour her breakfast.

She took a few minutes in the bathroom to get washed, annoyed she didn’t have a change of clothes and combing her hair with her fingers. It was getting tangled, and she was unsure how or when she would have a chance for proper personal hygiene. After taking the larger tangles out, though, she was well aware she couldn’t do any better without a proper hairbrush.

She went back to her room and picked up one of the novels. Opening the hardback volume, she opened the cover onto the title page. The name Damian Vogel was inscribed in the off white page with a perfect cursive hand. She picked up the other volumes, which all had his name on it, even the supernatural romance, which made her smile.

She read until Karen came back with her lunch. Roast chicken and sweet potato mash was yet a fancier lunch than any of the meals she ever had at the hospital.

‘Do you know if I can see Gabriel today?’ she asked the woman.

‘You’ll have to ask Mr Vogel about that, he would be more aware of his progress.’

‘Don’t you bring in his lunch as well?’

‘Mr Flannagan has his own attendant.’

Did they have a nurse per patient? Who funded this thing? If he was next door, wouldn’t that mean they should share nurses or doctors, at least?

‘Do you know how long I’ll need to stay here?’

She felt tired, she noticed, but the pain was minor, and she felt well, overall. It seemed unnecessary to be in all this luxury care when she was fine.

‘Mr Vogel will be able to talk to you about that.’

‘Well, when will Mr Vogel do all that then?’ her tone came out far more impatient than she intended it to.

The door opened and, as if responding to her question, Damian walked in. His blond hair neatly combed to the side, he smiled. He whispered with Karen near the door for a few seconds before she left. He found himself at the other side of her bed in a couple of strides. Close us, the cinnamon scent she had noticed before was much stronger and made her think of hot chocolate and fireplaces

Flipping pages on his clipboard, he occasionally looked up with a soft smile. He eventually put the thing down and reached a hand to her forehead. Cold fingers rested delicately on her temple while he reached for her wrist with his right hand. A current, soft and warm like summer, ran along the length of her neck and arm, framed by his gentle touch. He then did the same with his left hand on her wrist and his right hand lightly resting on her ankle. The same feeling of moving energy ran along her torso and legs. He repeated the operation between several points of her body, slowly and silently. Enveloped in the warmth of that energy and the protective cocoon of the room, she didn’t dare say anything, afraid she would break the sense of safety she was feeling.

‘Can I see your wound, please?’ he asked, his voice low.

Sarah lifted her shirt, knowing full well there was nothing there and suspecting strongly he had had a hand into that. He gently pressed around the area where the cut must have been.

‘Do you feel any pain? Itchiness?’

Sarah shook her head, and Damian frowned, but soon he pulled her shirt down and smiled.

‘You are recovering wonderfully, Miss Morgan.’

‘Sarah,’ she corrected, making him smile. ‘How long do I need to stay here?’

‘Well, that’s difficult to say at this stage. We would like to know what happened with the Old beasts, why where they there, to begin with. We don’t want to pressure you while you are recovering, though. Once you’re feeling strong, we can talk about that. We need to make sure you’re safe.’

‘Right.’

Her eyes dropped to her hands. It was easy to forget, in the warmth of the room, the cold and the finality of that night. She could remember clearly thinking, as Gabriel pulled her down, that that was how it all ended. Her throat became a lump, and a chill ran up her back. 

‘I’d like to see Gabriel,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Damian’s eyes were on her, she could feel them, a strange intensity touching her skin. She didn’t meet them, though, preferring to stare at her fingertips instead.

‘I’ll talk to his… doctor.’

Damian used terminology that she knew was for her benefit. They weren’t doctors, and this was no hospital. She had spent enough time in one to know that. Karen had referred to them as Healers which, she could only associate with the women in long flowery skirts holding crystals over her head. It might be a cliché, but she couldn’t shake the mental picture. Damian’s attempts to make this place and her treatment more orthodox seemed well-intentioned, but his insistence in doing so also made her feel as if they were trying to hide something from her.

‘Meanwhile, have some rest. You are probably feeling fine, right now, but that is down to the treatment. Your energy lines feel as if you haven’t had a proper night sleep in months.’

She gave one single sad chuckle, her eyes looking up for the first time.

‘Were you scared?’ concern took shape on the man’s face, his eyebrows frowning softly, as his head dropped to meet her eyes better.

Her breath caught in her chest, remembering the cold, the pressure, her heart pounding and the dark. Just the dark. Her eyes filled with tears, and although she tried to keep them in, one escaped, making its way down her cheek. She caught it with the back of her hand.

‘You are safe here. They won’t come for you here.’

She smiled, trying to look reassured, but all she heard was that they would come for her once she was out. Was this the time to ask questions? Better find out.

‘Why are they coming for me at all?’

‘We are unsure about that. There have been some… changes, in their activity recently and we are not aware of what is causing those changes.’

‘What sort of changes?’

‘Their ability to make physical contact, for example. But do not trouble yourself with this for now. You need to rest and recover.’

He took his clipboard again and stood next to the bed for a few seconds, looking at her. He seemed about to go, yet didn’t move.

‘I hope you liked the books,’ he said, looking down.

‘Yes! Yes, of course! Thank you!’ she had forgotten about them in her anxiety to get answers and to see her friend.

‘I’m glad to hear that. Let me know if you need more.’

With a pat on his clipboard, he started leaving. He must have felt her eyes on the back of his head because he looked back. With a soft smile, he closed the door behind him.

An image came to her mind, unbidden. There was a man that looked a lot like Damian. His hair was longer, strands falling over his face. His lips formed a sweet smile as he looked at her across a field. A voice she didn’t know spoke from somewhere nearby.

‘Don’t! Pretty boys are trouble!’ the voice said.

There was giggling, and it was distant and rang like water.

And then it was gone. Did she imagine it? Was it just a fantasy? The sun shining off his blond hair felt so real, though.

But one thing might be true. Damian Vogel looked like trouble.