Fire & Flood

Chapter 19

She felt blood soak into her clothing and a warm trickle cascade down her arm. Somehow she found herself lying on the ground. There was no pain, just numbness and disconnect. Emily felt like she wasn't truly a part of herself, but as if she was watching herself on TV. A loud "No!" resonated all around her. She saw Sam knock Laura off the pine tree and viciously attack her with his massive mountain lion paws. Laura snarled in pain but held her own. She bit into him and blood bloomed where she tore away a chunk of Sam's flesh. Sam roared in pain but continued to fight.

Emily felt fuzzy as she watched the two mountain lions go head-to-head, it felt like she was watching them from behind a thick pane of glass. Everything felt muffled and distorted. She knew she was hurt, but she didn't know how bad. She knew that Morgan was hurt too but she couldn't bring herself to think about that. Now Sam was fighting alone and it looks like he was injured also, but again, Emily pushed her feelings about that down, unable to process what's been happening. She closed her eyes.

She knew she was dreaming as she found herself in the forest again.  Even in her sleep she could not escape these woods. As Emily stumbled through the dense forest, her vision blurred by pain, she felt a creeping haze enveloping her mind. Disembodied voices whispered from the fog, echoing eerily around her. She strained to make out the words, but they seemed to swirl and dance just out of reach, like ghosts taunting her from the shadows.

Suddenly, the mist parted, revealing Morgan standing before her, transformed into a wolf with eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light. The wolf growled menacingly, its fur bristling as it circled Emily, trapping her in a ring of shadows. She could hear Sam's low, guttural growl in the distance, the sound sending shivers down her spine. She was surrounded, alone and defenseless.

A woman's laughter echoed through the trees, cold and mocking. Emily's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to escape, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. The forest seemed to close in around her, the trees twisting and contorting like malevolent spirits. She cried out for help, but her voice was lost in the darkness, swallowed by the haunting laughter that seemed to follow her even as she woke, trembling and drenched in sweat.

It was dark outside. A fire flickered beside her sending out embers into the purple sky. Something smelled good, but Emily wasn't hungry. A sharp pain shot from her left shoulder. She winced.

"Don't move," she heard a voice say gently. It was Sam. She could see him now. His golden hair coloured orange by the light of the fire. His eyes kind and concerned. "You have a pretty bad injury. She almost tore your arm off," he said through gritted teeth.

"Laura... where is she? How's Morgan? And you? You were hurt too?" Emily wanted to spring up in a flurry of concern, but her arm reminded her of her utter humanity. She winced again.

"You need to stay still, I can't heal your arm if you are moving," said Morgan. Emily registered that he was sitting by her head and a warmth was coming from his hands into her shoulder. It felt nice, but also kind of prickly as if a thousand little needles were dancing on her skin.

"You are okay," she sighed in relief.

"Well, okay is debatable seeing how my psycho ex just about murdered as all, but I guess I am better than you. Druid powers," he said and grinned.

"And Sam?" She asked.

"Not a scratch on him, dryads are not like you and I," said Morgan and Emily could hear resentment in his tone.

"What about Lexie... the real Lexie, I mean," Emily corrected herself.

"I don't know," said Morgan. "Laura, on the other hand, ran off. Your dryad got her pretty good. She is off licking her wounds some place. I am sure we'll see her again," said Morgan angrily.
Emily looked over at Sam. He sat quietly next to her holding her other hand.

"I am sorry," he murmured. "I left you and you got hurt."

"You saved me... you saved us," said Emily gently stroking his hand with her thumb.

"Morgan is right," Sam continued. "I am not like you, I am not good for you. It's because of me that you are in this mess."

"Well... he is not wrong," said Morgan while concentrating on Emily's shoulder.

"I promise to get you out of this safely," said Sam in a resolute tone. "But after that I'll leave. I don't want to get you hurt again or make you unhappy."

"No!" Said Emily while trying to move closer to Sam. Her shoulder cried out in pain. "You can't leave!"

"Emily, you can't move!" Morgan said in an annoyed tone. "I am used to healing squirrels, not people. You need to be still!"

"I will stay with you for as long as you need me," said Sam as he leaned in to kiss Emily on the cheek.

"I'll always need you," she replied and closed her eyes.

The tone of Sam's voice hid some unexplained intention, but his resolution to stay, at least for now, would have to do. Emily had bigger things to think about. It was now dark and her family would be worried, she was completely lost in the woods with a psychopathic dryad close on their heals. She didn't ask for this adventure, but now she was fully in it. How long could it possibly last?