Crimson

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cresting upon the horizon, azure blended upon magenta folds, the sun began to emerge. Resting in the atmosphere, they danced as the yellowing of the sun bloomed, carrying with it, the promise of new experiences, the extinguishing of the past day's events.

Isabella breathed deeply as her body nestled against her body pillow. Her body melted against it, her mind taking her to moments embraced by a warm presence in her dreams. As the light intensified outside, her eyes tensed as her body shifted.

Before her alarm, her eyes opened. Taking in the bright light, an involuntary panic ran through her body as she suspected her lateness to work. As her eyes passed over the alarm clock on her nightstand, her body soothed, her nerves easing. She thought of the day before her, as she stretched. Feeling the tenseness around her, gave herself to the stretch, allowing her body to take in the promise of a new day. Gaging her body, Isabella noticed the fire lingering in her vagina during the previous day abate. Normalized now, she felt nothing abnormal.

Getting up to test this, Isabella made way towards her bathroom. Purging her body's waste, she noticed nothing followed, save a sweet release. Smiling, she thought of Doug, of meeting him and kissing him. His stubble prickling her face as she pressed harder, their lips massing each other's, their tongues investigating the latter's.

Isabella's body spiked in heat as she thought of his touch, his kiss. Closing her eyes, she saw something else waiting for her. Lights, hazy and foggy, they formed a circle of something she witnessed before. The plane of existence with Pligal. Pligal, the creature awaiting her as she slumbered. The one she felt so close to, closer than Doug, closer than her sons. This creature, feeling familiar and comforting, like a long lost brother, or a twin, always seemed to provide her some comfort, some peace.

Taken away from her sexual awakening, Isabella shook her head to regain normalcy. As the lights faded within her mind, her body cooled, the fires of passion smothered with reality taking hold of her. Finalizing her readiness for her day, Isabella made her way towards the hospital.

As she entered her floor, sullen faces within the employees met her. As the patients slumbered, a heavy cloud lingered over the area. Eyeing those around her, she noticed Hank, her workmate with his eyes pointed downward. As she approached, he quickly glanced toward her before nodding, waving her toward him. Lucy, with her head down, continued to scribble into her notes, the energy completely off from previous times with the duo. Cheryl, sashayed in with phone directly in front of her, typing furiously, her eyes passed over the quietness with an unnerved glance. Quickly, she passed her eyes back toward her phone, tapping it, quickly, with her fingertips.

Rolling her eyes at Cheryl's, apparent, inability to experience empathy, Isabella moved toward Hank with inquisitive eyes. Unfocused upon her approach, Hank remained transfixed upon an object he beheld. A simple blue pen labeled with the hospital's name, Hank worked vigorously scraping each letter off the writing utensil. His eyes unfocused, his mouth slight agape, Hank continued to work despite Isabella's greetings.

Sensing something was amiss, approaching Lucy gingerly, tenderly as one reaching the bedside of an injured loved one; she waited until her presence was made known. Still heavily enthralled by the paperwork before her, Isabella noticed what Lucy quickly worked to finish. On the top of the paperwork, she saw the title:

Incident Report

With the named etched in sloppy cursive, Isabella's eyes grew wide as she saw Henry's name. A thundering in her head mirrored the pounding in her chest. Light perspiration grew as she shot glances towards Lucy and Hank, alike as they continued to avoid her gaze, completely dedicated towards their work, his pen and her paperwork.