Haunted and Holy

Clawmarks

Zac's world spun. His room faded into a blur. Everything went dark, and the only thing he could see was a faint light above him.

He felt something squeeze his hand and realized it was Amber. He let her warmth anchor him, trying to keep his fast heartbeat down.

Suddenly, he felt as if he was falling. The light above him seemed to be getting closer though, growing brighter and bigger, until he had to close his eyes because it became too bright.

He then felt his body hit the ground hard, making him grunt in pain as he hit his head.

He slowly opened his eyes, the world a blur. Zac blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. He was lying on his side, his arm outstretched towards Amber.

He sat up slowly, wincing in pain as he rubbed the side of his head, where a knot was already forming.

He glanced over at Amber. She wasn't moving, which worried him.

He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder, panic making his heart beat hitch when she didn't move. She was laying on her side, her back facing him, so Zac turned her on her back.

His heart stopped cold.

Her left side had three jagged claw marks, cutting deep into her flesh. Her skin had a sickeningly green tint to it, beads of sweat forming on her brow. Her features were twisted in a grimace, her eyes shut.

"Shit!" Zac gasped, desperately trying to wake her up.

He shook her shoulders and felt her pulse, relieved that he could feel it, though her breathing was getting more shallow and her pulse weak. Much to his relief, he heard Amber groan in pain, meaning she was alive. Her eyes fluttered open, a gasp of pain escaping her lips.

Her frantic eyes darted over at Zac, her hand gripping his arm and staring at him intently, though her eyes were half lidded.

"G-get... the satchel," She croaked, her voice strained.  Zac did as he was told, scrambling to remove it from her with his fumbling fingers.

He opened to satchel, surprised to see it was surprisingly organized despite the fact that it was packed to the brim.

"What now?" He asked.

"Get... th-the green... bottle, the one labeled 'Genezing'.P-pour it on the.. the wound."

Upon finding said bottle, Zac did as he was told. Amber clenched her teeth and gripped his arm so tight, he was pretty sure it'd leave a bruise. She squeezed her eyes closed, but Zac kept pouring until the bottle became empty.

Much to his dismay, the wound started to bubble. Dark, black ooze secreted from the wound, making Zac's stomach churn. Soon, what looked like a web formed over the wound, an unsteady stitching keeping Amber together.

Amber opened her eyes, her breathing slowing from the rapid pace it once was. She sighed, releasing Zac from her death grip.

"What was that?" Zac asked, sitting back.

They were in a forest, the only thing lighting their way being the moon. The ground was littered with leaves, but the only thing unusual was the temperature. It wasn't cold like fall is, instead it was a warm, like spring.

"Well," Amber said, slowly trying to get up. Zac reached over and helped her, sitting her with her back against a tree.

"Thank you," she mumbled before continuing. "I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm going to take a safe bet you mean what was in the house?"

He nodded his head. He hadn't seen the thing, but he could almost feel the menace coming off of it. He could hear it growling, still. The low, hungry growl that had now engraved itself to his memory, and probably his nightmares as well.

After a while, she finally said," I'm not exactly sure what was in the house. All I remember was it's eyes, and then the searing pain that came afterwards." She glanced at Zac, her face suddenly torn with guilt. "I'm sorry about your family, Zac. I truly am. I-I just panicked and..."

Zac held up his hand, a reassuring smile plastered on his lips. His stomach had dropped at the mention of his family, but he would have to deal with it later.

"It's fine," he lied. "You did what you thought was right at the time."

She looked as if she knew he was lying, but nodded her head, wincing at the movement. She was looking less green, but she was still unnaturally pale, and beads of sweat still glimmered on her skin.

"We need to get you some help," he said, standing up and walking over to her. He held out a hand to help her up, and she obliged, whimpering in pain as he slung her arm over his shoulder.

"Do you know where we need to go?" He asked.

Amber nodded and pointed right in front of them, her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. "That way, I think. Just keep going straight."

He didn't question her and started walking, hoping they'd find some civilization soon. He wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

***

"Amber! Look!" Zac exclaimed in excitement, pointing at the two–story house up ahead.

He tried to walk towards it, but Amber stumbled, almost falling over. Filled with a new determination, he scooped her up, princess carrying her towards the house and running as fast as he could. She was surprisingly light, almost like she had hollowed bones, like a birds.

As he got closer, he noticed Amber was going limp in his arms, making him go even faster. He barely knew the girl, but felt attached to her already, as if he'd known her all his life.

They finally reached the door, and Zac nocked frantically, yelling," please help! My friend's injured and needs help!"

The door finally opened, revealing a girl about his age who wore a white top and plain, grey pajama pants. She had auburn red hair that came down to her elbows, her jade green eyes shining against her tan skin. She glanced down at Amber, and her expression becoming serious.

"Come inside," she instructed, opening the door wider to let them in. She walked into the living room and pointed to the sofa. "Put her there."

Zac did as he was told, standing back as the girl rushed into the kitchen, coming back seconds later with her arms full of bottles and bandages.

"What's your name?" She asked, pulling her long auburn hair back in a pony-tail.

"I'm Zac," he replied, watching the girl work.

"Well, Zac, do you know what did this to your friend?"

"Uh, no. But Amber said it had glowing green eyes and, uh, it had this... like, evil energy to it."

The girl glanced at him, her bright green eyes flashing. She pointed at a bookshelf across the room and instructed," get the book with the red cover and flip to page 235. I need to see something."

Doing as he was told, he retrieved the book and brought it to the girl, standing back patiently and waiting for her to finish whatever reading she was doing.

"What's your name?" Zac asked, glancing nervously at the girl.

"Tess," she replied, not looking up from her book. "My name's Tess."