Wings of an Angel

Chapter Three

I began the walk back to the makeshift campsite after returning to my human form. I wonder where Walter was as I didn't see him when I woke up. He might have been the man who gave me energy but I don't know his character well enough to decide if he would even do that in the first place.

My entire body was aching from sleeping on the ground and I had no energy left to soothe the tight muscles. I could feel blisters forming on my heels the longer I walked. After a few minutes passed I ducked to avoid a branch that was hanging precariously off the leaning column that was a massive oak tree.

Even with just that one simple movement I managed to trip over a sharp rock under said oak tree and fall directly onto the cold, muddy ground. Some of the slime oozed up between my fingers and slithered into a cut I didn't even know I had. Quickly bringing my knee down that hadn't hit the ground with jarring force I felt the tearing of skin on my left knee, I had managed to bring my left knee down directly on the sharp rock I tripped over.

I brought that knee up as fast as possible and fell to the side. The muck off the ground seeped through my shirt and onto my ribs, it was so cold I had to bite my lip to avoid cursing and bringing the entire population of the forest to me. As the freezing mud attached itself all over my body the already tight muscles cramped and I let my head drop to the ground, effectively covering it in mud.

After God knows how long I lifted my head wearily to examine my bloodied knee. Seeing the rocks embedded in my knee made me wipe the blood off my chin from my bleeding lip and shove myself into a sitting position. Reaching out a shaking hand I cleared out some of the pebbles. The waves of pain lapped at me like the calming salty waves at the beach.

Since I didn't have enough power left to heal myself I felt the waves lulling me to sleep. Darkness crept up along the edge of my vision and I slumped, collapsing onto the swamp below me. Being injured so badly was draining my power rapidly.

"Fucking hell" Was the last thing that came out of my mouth before I slipped under the waves.

*****

The first thing I noticed was the goo.

It coated every surface of my body and clung like plastic wrap to my hair. It had crept into my wounded knee and the large gash on my forehead, presumably from a tree branch. Every muscle in my body was cramped and frozen. I wanted to lay there, to wallow in my agony until it went away but I thought back to my military training.

"Never give in to pain, mind over matter" I could still hear the previous commanders voice ringing in my ears, even after all those years.

So I got up.

One harrowing movement at a time I pushed myself off the ground. My chest rose and fell unsteadily as my breathing grew shallower. With each motion a violent crack ricocheted through my body with a noise like a firecracker. My tendons stretched and my bones realigned as I lengthened out my spine with a delicate precision. Each crack echoed around the forest and I began to walk.

One foot in front of the other. Each step sent sparks of pain through my body and several times I nearly collapsed from the effort.

It wasn't until 3 hours later that I reached the edge of the forest.

I stood under the last tree before the road and stepped out into the sunlight. The rays branded my eyes and their brilliance made me wince.

It was about then that I realized I had no way to get home and I proceeded to slap myself in the face. Immediately regretting it I sat down and pondered. It took several minutes of the cold breeze hitting my skin and chilling me to the bone even more before I finally remembered the mind link I had with Drew.

'Drew, are you there?' I called softly into her mind.

'Ava!?' Her response came in seconds and it pierced my brain, deepening my headache.

'That's me. Look, I need your help.'

'Ava you've been missing for days!'

'I've been- what?'

'You've been missing for nearly a week.'

'That's not important right now, I need a ride home.'

'Where are you?' Her voice quivered with emotion as she spoke.

'Near the east edge of the forest.'

'How the hell did you end up on the east edge of the forest?'

'I have no idea' I was growing weaker and might not be able to communicate with her in a few moments 'but can you please hurry?'

'Already out the door'

'Good'

I don't remember how long I sat there, the world swimming in front of me, before Drew got to my secluded spot on the edge of the forest. I was shaking like a leaf and probably looked about as threatening as one too.

The crunching the tires of the SUV made when they drove onto the rocky ground of the woods woke me from my trance and I looked up to see Drew running towards me with a blanket in hand. As she reached me she tossed the blanket over me and began checking me for injuries.

I could visibly see her wince when she saw my knee and watched the disapproval wash over her face from the bite marks on my lip. She examined the gash on my face in anguish before looking up towards the now dark sky and swearing.

"Ava what happened? These wounds don't fit together in any way." She declared.

"I may or may not have tripped trying to duck under a branch on a tree, got smacked by the tree anyways," I gesture to my forehead "then slammed my knee on a rock trying to get up before falling to the side into the mud. I then possibly bit my lip to avoid screaming because the mud was really, really cold. I then might have passed out because I lost so much energy." I gave her a half cheeky grin because my lip still throbbed.

She dug her palms into her eyes and sighed. "So after those things maybe happened you were out for 6 days?"

"No, 5. Walter and I had an impromptu camping trip the first night."

"Walter hasn't come back either Ava."

"Of course he hasn't." I wrapped the soft blanket around me and bathed in its warmth. I was too tired to contemplate anything right now, much less wonder where he was.

Drew looked at me with a mix of emotions on her face and I sighed, resigning myself to the fact that I was about to get the mother treatment. Looking away she muttered something under her breath before her eyes were once again focused on me. With purpose I was in the car within seconds and we were going home. Each bump in the road caused me even more pain, my butt was definitely going to be bruised tomorrow. 

Everywhere I looked as we drove back to our house all I could see was Alena Aspen's face from the news on the most recent murder. I knew her. I could feel those few words resonate within me but I didn't know why, I most definitely did not know her. Her features seemed so familiar, it was one of the oddest feelings I'd ever felt. 

My head blossomed with shivers as I placed it gingerly on the window. Maybe I should go to the Aspen's house as soon as possible. I nodded my head to myself as an answer.