Feather 3 Raven

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comfortable. It was then that I saw a long straight log jut from behind a tree up ahead. I felt Jack s
pace pick up in time with Sugar s, Heather tugging at both their manes.
Heather said nothing as I watched the log, now growing into more logs, lined in rows near the river.
My excitement grew, now seeing smoke and hearing the echo of voices off the hillside.
Are we here? I asked, rather shakily.
Heidi nodded beside me, looking at me with a grave expression. We are. You can rest now.
Heather looked up at me then. Yes, time to get you something real to eat. Introduce you to the
world!
Heidi hushed her, seeing that I was too weak and tired to handle the excitement.
I blinked a few times, finding my eyes had a hard time staying focused. My stomach ached with
starvation and I had already lost weight, my arms thin and frail and my ribs showing.
I heard a cry of happiness echo from a distance away. I squinted as I saw a small figure burst
through an opening in the log wall. Its miniature legs beat the earth with such fervor, that I knew
this small being must have thought Heather was rather important.
Aunt Heather! The being got closer now and I saw it was a boy of about four. I couldn t help but
smile as he ran into Heather s arms with the trust of a mother.
Another figure emerged from the opening in the log surrounding, walking toward us slowly at first,
then very fast. He was stumbling over the ground as he came, his red hair bouncing on his head. He
grew close enough for our eyes to meet, and I saw him nearly topple over in shock and happiness.
Elle! Elle! He yelled, now running, his arms flailing at his sides for balance. I never thought
his voice trailed off as he reached us, reaching up to hoist me from the horse and into his arms.
Scott, I murmured. He seemed stronger now.
What s wrong with her? I ve never seen her in such a grim state. I heard him ask Heidi and
Heather.
She s weak. She can t seem to keep any food down. I just hope she didn t eat anything before I
found her that was poisonous.
I felt Scott s arms wrap around me even tighter, inspecting my face closely. We need to get her in-
side. We ll see what we can do. Heather, take the horses to the barn.
I had never heard Scott respond with such direction, and I knew he had found his calling.
Elle, darling, you ll be alright. I felt him begin to walk, jostling me as he went. Though I was too
sick to talk, I prayed he wouldn t trip.
SAM
I felt warm wool against my cheek as my eyelids fluttered open. My body felt relaxed, the warm
light of a fire flickering across my vision. I moved slightly in my attempt to see if anyone was near-
by to notice. I heard nothing. Slowly, I sat up, feeling as my greasy hair stuck to my brow, coated
with a thin layer of sweat.
I looked down at my clothes, seeing that someone had changed me into something that resembled a
potato bag and I cringed. I swallowed some spit down my swollen throat, mucus slicing its way
down my esophagus like knives.
Hel I tried to say something but the words came out like a croak. I cleared my throat and tried
again. Hello?
No one answered. I was alone.
The fire crackled as I pushed the blanket that covered me to the side. I twisted and sat up, pulling
my legs around and placing them on the floor. I felt the soft dirt under my feet, and the warmth of
the earth. I inspected the space, seeing it was a built into a perfect square. It had respectable con-
struction, each beam placed perfectly atop the other. The fire was set into a crude pile of stone that
stacked up and out the top of the cabin, guiding the smoke out and away from the room. The space
was no more than a couple hundred square feet. It was windowless, the doorway covered by an old
green door that didn t quite seal the entire opening.
The bed on which I had been laying was set up on large chunks of wood and then covered with dead
grasses and a blanket. I slowly stood, wavering for a moment before catching my balance. I shuffled
to a basin that sat on a coil of rusted steel cable in the corner. I looked down into it, bracing my
body on it. The water there looked fresh and cold. I cupped my hands inside it, splashing it on my
face as I let it drip down my neck and into my potato sack gown.
I wiped away the water as my vision began to clear. Next to the basin sat a broken brush, a razor,
and a gritty looking toothbrush. I felt nauseated at the sight, looking away and back to the fire as I
breathed through my mouth. Why did I feel so weak? Why wasn t I like Scott? I looked down at my
injured leg, seeing it was just beginning to heal, a salve of some kind sparkling in the light of the
fire.
I looked back at the basin, grabbing the razor with a shaky hand and making my way back to the
bed where I sat down. A bowl of boiled grains and oats sat on a small table beside the bed that I
hadn t noticed before. I did not feel like eating it. I looked at my bare knees as they protruded be-
fore me, thinner now than I had ever seen before. I swallowed and continued to breathe through my
mouth, hoping to avoid smelling anything that could make me nauseous.
I lifted the razor in my hand, looking at it and allowing the thought on my mind to manifest. I lifted
my other hand, turning it and exposing the veins on my wrist. I held my two hands before me, a few
inches apart, looking from my wrist to the razor and then back again.
Slowly, I brought my hand with the razor to my other, pressing the sharp tip against the soft skin
and pressing lightly. I held my breath, judging the sensation and finding it didn t hurt as much as I
had expected. Pressing harder, I then felt as the razor broke the skin, a small bead of warm blood
oozing from the cut and staining the razor s tip.
I took a deep breath and dragged the razor back, blood oozing faster now as it trailed from the cut
down and over my skin. I felt it pool on the underside of my wrist where it released from my skin
and dripped to the dirt. I watched it, seeing as the brown dirt coated the small pool of crimson. I
licked my lips, pulling back once more as the dripping became more frequent, and then a steady
stream. I dropped the razor to the ground, watching as the warm crimson stained my pale wrist. I
blinked slowly, the blood dripping into my palm and through my fingers. It was warm and thick,
like the way I would imagine honey would feel.
I began to feel weak as my eyes fluttered. I lay back against the straw bedding, closing my eyes to
wait. My breath dragged in and out of my mouth, becoming more laborious with each drip of blood.
I listened to the sound, like a ticking clock.
I felt myself slipping away. Where are you? I grew frightened then, wondering if he would ever
come, wondering if
You think a little cut is going kill you? If you know anything about medicine, than you know that
eventually the blood will clot.
I wanted to smile but I couldn t. My body felt paralyzed by weakness.
What are you doing, Elle? No wait, don t answer that. I get it. You missed me.
That time I managed a laugh. Opening my eyes ever so slowly, I saw the whole cabin spin around
one central figure. Sam s wings were at his sides, yellowed from the light of the fire.
You ll get better, Elle. And I m not referring to the cut. You, the way you feel, it will pass. Unfor-
tunate side effect, I m afraid. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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