I didn't leave the basement.
After several minutes of agony, I fell into a restless slumber. It kept moving. That thing. It was never still, its wings flapped nonstop, and it felt like it was growing. At this rate my stomach would explode within hours. I groaned and gripped the sheets, uselessly trying to make the pain stop. I raised up but fell back down when the feathers moved roughly.
Sheryll stroked my face with a damp washrag. She had been with me for a while—maybe an hour? —talking softly and helping me in any way she could.
"It's okay. We're going to get that thing out of you as soon as the boys get back with the supplies." She laid the towel across my forehead and started upstairs.
"No. I'll die. My baby will die, too. It's mine!" I shouted, though she'd already closed the door behind her. I didn't care that I could die if the baby stayed inside me much longer. None of that mattered to me. It was my baby, and if the only way I could protect it was by keeping it inside of me then I'd endure every bit of pain that came along with it.
The ache slowly faded, and I was relieved. This was the first time in over an hour that I'd had a break from the misery. I stretched my limbs out and smiled, thankful that I was finally able to move. The relaxation was short-lived. As soon as I was comfortable, the throbbing continued.
"He's only happy when I'm in pain," I whispered.
A door slammed, and the floor shook. I glanced upstairs as a concoction of voices floated through the floorboards. The guys must be back.
"Mason's going to be furious when he finds me."
I pushed myself off the bed and almost tripped over my feet as I ran upstairs. There were a few sacks on the kitchen counter. Some of the items were scattered around: a gallon of milk, bread, and cereal. The surgical supplies must be in the bags. I didn't hang around long enough to find out.
Felix stepped over the threshold, carrying more bags. How much equipment did they need? He sat them down and asked, "Are you feeling better?"
I saw a box of latex gloves and shuddered.
"No, but I will be." I shoved him to the side and ignored his muffled cry.
I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care that there were outcasts chasing after me. I didn't care that my bare feet were oozing blood from running over rocks and sticks, or that I left a trail of blood covering my path. I had to keep my baby safe.
***
"Avril, wait!" Trent yelled, but to no avail. She disappeared into the woods across from the house with no hesitation. He could have caught her before she got too far ahead but was too dumbfounded by the past events. Things had been going well until the new conundrum erupted and blew everything out of proportion. For the first time in his life, he felt as confused as the ones he degraded.
Felix appeared by his side, rubbing his arm. When he fell, his arm twisted unnaturally, and his elbow popped out of place. He didn't feel any pain, just discomfort. He easily pushed the bone back in place.
"Why did she run away?" he asked.
Trent faced him. "She doesn't understand the power that the thing inside her possesses. To be honest, I don't understand what is inside of her." He took advantage of the moment of silence and thought over everything that had happened since he'd met Avril. He had hated her, at first. Someone dear to him was taken away and it was her fault. He never imagined that, after just a short period of time together, he would have feelings for her. It was only then that he realized why Dawn had wanted to save her. Avril wasn't ordinary. Her love was unconditional. Despite being captured by people who wanted nothing more than to retaliate, she made them see things from a different perspective that caused them to love her anyway.
