Remains Of An Age: The Age Of Darkness

Awakenings

"Kara?" Jeriel said softly as he entered the room, carrying a tray with food on it. It had been days since he had seen her. She had neither ate nor drank anything. She just laid there, on her side, in a near catatonic state, staring at the wall.

"Kara. How are you feeling today?" He tried to get a response, but none came. Jeriel put the tray down on the nightstand, near her, and sat on the bed next to her.

"You gotta eat. You'll never get better if you don't." he paused, placing his hand on her arm. She moved her eyes, slowly, looked at him for a second, then looked back at the wall.

He sighed a bit, in frustration.

"Come on, Kara. You're stronger than this. I know you're upset and you feel lost but you gotta..."

Kara suddenly filled with anger, sat up in bed and looked him straight in the eye, rolling her shoulder to remove his arm."You don't know me!" she seethed. "You don't know how I feel! I lost my child. My fiancee, the only man I ever trusted in my entire life, tried to kill me, and I ended up in a world that, up until a few days ago, only existed in my nightmares. To top it all off, you...You've been involved in all of that! How do I know you didn't cause all of it?"

"I saved your life!" Jeriel shot back, but, regaining his composure, reached out his arms toward her to calm her.

"Kara. I'm sorry, please...."

"Don't touch me!" she yelled as she swung her hand toward him. A feeling of energy passed through her body and radiated out at him, through her arm, knocking him across the room.

'What the hell?' she thought as she looked at her hand.

Jeriel shook his head, stunned a bit, and sat up.

Kara's eyes darted back to him."You! You took it all away from me!" With an unearthly growl, she dove out of the bed at him, trying to recreate the energy flow. Again, it began in her chest, flowing down her arm. She swung her arm to the side and the wave of energy tossed Jeriel aside and into the wall, like a rag doll.

Aridane hurried in, alarmed by the commotion, to see Jeriel slam into the wall.

"Kara! Stop!" she rushed to the furious girl's side and grabbed her by both arms."Stop, it's okay."

Kara looked at Aridane and immediately burst into tears. She buried her face in the woman's arm."I'm sorry."

Jeriel got to his feet, slowly, and wiped a trickle of blood from his lip.

"Kara.." he started, but stopped when Aridane motioned for him to leave the room.

Feeling defeated, he obliged, and started out the door, but paused and looked back at Kara.

"You know...you trusted me, once." He looked down a bit then walked out.

Kara looked up from Aridane's arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was shaking terribly and scared to death.  Aridane reached into the satchel on her side, and retrieved a small vial of blue liquid.

"Here, dear, drink this." she said handing it over to Kara.

She trusted her caregiver so she took the vial and swallowed it's contents.

In moments, her eyes began to feel heavy and her head nodded forward, onto the woman's shoulder.

"Jer, I know you're still out there, can you come in here and help me?" Aridane called out.

Jeriel opened the door with a guilty look on his face."You know me too well, Ari."

Kara leaned against Aridane  unconscious in her arms."Put her in bed please."