The Time Before Home

Chapter Seventeen

I couldn't have been awake more than a few minutes before the weight of the world hit me like a freight train. One minute I was staring bleary-eyed into a shiny room without a care in the world, and the next I was clutching at my throat, sucking in any breaths I could manage, which wasn't many. Theron's eyes pierced through my soul, and it felt as though a claw was still attached to my throat, cutting me in two.

People ran in to tend to what I later realised was likely my spiking heart rate setting off alarms, grabbing at my limbs and pinning my thrashing body to the bed. I only struggled more, desperately trying to free myself from the feeling of being trapped. Because I was trapped. Demons stood in each corner of the room, watching me with empty eyes, showing me all the way into the void.

"Allison, if you don't calm down, we're going to have to sedate you," somebody said through my tirade, and it was only that which grounded me a little, causing my jerks to become a little less forceful. A male nurse soothed me as I took in the bleak hospital room, finally succumbing to reality. 

"Theron?" I whispered, terrified. The nurse paused for several heartbreaking moments before realisation dawned on her face.

"Oh!" she beamed, "The Russian priest! You came in with him, didn't you? He's quite the character. Yes, he's fine, mostly bumps and bruises."

I laughed in relief, lifting my bruised hands to my face. It was hard not to cry out at the stabs of pain virtually everywhere, pricking at every inch of my body. The nurse held my hands, gently putting them back down to my sides.

"Try and stay as still as possible, hm? You did a number on yourself in that car."

"Please..." I asked, wincing, "What happened?"

The male nurse left the room as the woman perched on the edge of my bed with kind eyes and steady hands. "Well, that'll be for you to answer," she shrugged apologetically, "Because of the nature of the crash, we have to bring the police in just to verify Theron's story. He was quite insistent the collision wasn't your fault."

"I wasn't-" I caught myself as I thought back, remembering I was in fact in the driver's seat, "Right, yeah. Course."

"You're a popular girl as well," she smiled wryly, "Mum and Dad have been, your sister, some very eager friends."

"Oh, wow," I murmured, "How... how long has it been since the crash?"

"Only a couple of days," she waved me off, causing me to gasp quietly. Jesus, days. How much had I missed? Were my friends okay? Had my mum worried herself into a coma?
"Don't worry," she reassured me with a smile, noting my expression, "We couldn't have everyone here at once, but I believe one of your friends is still downstairs if you'd like me to check?"

I nodded dumbly, leaning my head back to stare at the ceiling. When I thought of Theron's face pressed to mine, grinning and bloody, I watched the monitors next to me spike awfully. I wasn't sure if the demon had tried to kill me and I'd simply prevailed or if he was still toying with me. If it was the latter, I didn't want to know how he was going to finally finish me. Even his games had me in the hospital.

"Allison," Seb's voice startled me, and in a second I was staring at a boy in the doorway I barely recognised. With ruffled hair and red-rimmed eyes, he shook his head in disbelief, striding to the bed and gathering me into his arms with purpose. When I squeaked, he loosened up, aghast.

"God, I'm so s-"

But I didn't give him the chance as I wrapped my arms around him too tightly, yanking him in with a choked sob. He breathed quietly into the crook of my neck, uneven and shallow, smelling the way I always remembered. I only knew he was crying because of the tears running down onto my collarbone, landing on the sheets. He refused to let go as I pulled back, finally turning his head away as he wiped his face discreetly with his hoodie. When he sat down in the seat next to the bed, he looked wrecked.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to sit up. He simply laughed with a shake of the head, wiping away an escaping tear.

"Jesus, Allison. You're... you're like this and you're asking if I'm okay."

"I just care," I whispered, watching as he visibly tried to hold himself together. He looked so sad, so affected.

"Trust me, I know," he murmured after a moment, "I've been such a fucking idiot. Allison, you... you could have died." He clenched his jaw so tightly I figured he must have been in pain, looking away from the bed with clenched fists. When I reached out and grazed his hand with mine, his expression softened. "I've been such an idiot," he finished in a whisper, eyes trained on mine. I could hardly look away, murmuring my next words.

"I wouldn't have let myself go and die," I joked limply, "I pretty much thrive on not biting the dust when I should."

He didn't laugh, shoulders tensing as he leaned forward. "Al'... what happened? They said neither of you were wearing a seatbelt, that Theron was in the backseat already covered in blood..." he trailed off, eyes closed, "I should never have left."

I shook my head, clutching onto his hand, "No... you should. We can't cling to each other twenty-four seven-"

"We are from now on," he promised, "I'm not leaving, Al'. I don't care who it upsets or... or what any of it means. When I thought I was going to lose you for good..." he trailed off, voice cracking, "Fuck, I just - I just can't."

"So you're not using that plane ticket, then?" I asked quietly. His head dropped, looking surprised.

"No, no - I never was. I wouldn't have."

"Y'sure?" I teased, "I hear ghosts can't travel across the Atlantic."

He rolled his eyes, relaxing a little as he smirked. I couldn't help but notice the dark rings under his eyes, a stark contrast to his creamy skin. "At the risk of sounding conceited..." I started warily, "Have you slept?"

He laughed to himself, shrugging. "If you want me to give you the answer you want, then sure, like a baby. If you want the truth, then no. I haven't left this hospital since you got here."

I felt my shoulders drop at the gesture, feeling overwhelmed. He spoke before I could, holding a hand up. "Nope," he said, "Categorically not a big deal. I just... I didn't wanna leave you alone. Not with... not with this thing after you."

"Ah," I grimaced, "So everyone does think I'm the 'chosen one,'" I held my fingers in quotation marks, not missing the surprise on Seb's face.

"Are you not?"

"Don't have a mark," I shrugged, "Nor does Michael... we figured it was one of you."

"Nobody's owned up to it," Seb sighed, tilting his head as he looked at me. I saw him wince as he took in the bruises on my arms, staring into his lap as he did. When he looked back at me, there was too much emotion to decipher, so I simply didn't try. My heart pounded at the things we weren't saying, and though Seb kept tensing as if to speak, nothing came out of his mouth. "I'm glad you're okay," he finally settled for, eyes burning a hole in my heart.

The day was spent receiving painful hugs from people - first my family, and Michael who clutched at me, apologising profusely when my parents were out of earshot. 'I shouldn't have left you,' he kept insisting tearfully, telling me he thought I was safer with Theron than with him. I simply batted away at him, telling him not to be dumb. There were no rules to this, after all. My sister cried, clutching at my bruised arms as she begged me not to leave again. My friends rallied round, climbing onto my bed and refusing to leave, even when nurses tried to shoo them. They all brought me drinks, magazines and laughter and for the first time in a while, I felt nothing but loved.

It was when Theron came in that I fell apart, feeling the sobs threatening to bubble the surface. When he looked at me, his face trembled slightly. "I can go-" he started but I shook my head in a hurry, gesturing for him to come closer. He did reluctantly. "I know... I know it must be hard to look at me," he said simply, pushing his masses of hair back. I shook my head, trying to banish thoughts of demons.

"You remember?" I asked, not missing the pain in his eyes.

"Ah- yes. I was watching demon torture you from inside of me but... I could do nothing, child. I am sorry."

He looked away guiltily but I reached for him, baffled. "No, I'm sorry," I pleaded, "We... we dragged you into this. Please, I'm so sorry you got hurt, Theron."

"Me? I am tough as donkey!" he flexed muscles which weren't there, leaving a small smile on my face, "I considered running, I cannot lie," he frowned, "But you kids... you are more important than me. I will help you, okay?"

"No-" I started, ready to protest, but he was louder.

"I will help!" he boomed, "But you must bake me pie, like you promised, yes? I... I know where to look, you do not. Everything has weaknesses, even demon. I will try, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, nodding through silent tears, "Okay. Theron... thank you. So much."

"It is nothing," he waved my thank you away, "I am boring old man, you are doing me favour."

I spent a full week in the hospital, managing to come away without so much as a broken bone. I'd apparently needed surgery while I was out to remove shards of glass from inside of me, but slamming into the windshield had apparently done less damage than it should've. 'An angel must be looking over you,' a nurse told me, which would have been lovely to believe if I hadn't felt the breath of a demon on my back as she spoke.

Michael and I stayed with our parents for a few days after that, and I couldn't help but bask in the love being thrown at me. We played board games and argued over who was and wasn't cheating, and it was blissfully normal. Nobody knew Michael snuck into my room to sleep on the floor at night, and nobody heard us breathing into the silence of 3am as we lay awake, staring at the same spot in the corner of the room with a tall, spindly creature simply stood watching us. I thought I'd get braver as time went on, but every yank of my hair or glance at a monster simply weakened me.

My friends came to visit every day, and though they were probably experiencing hell too, they didn't tell me. Violet brushed my hair and Kira updated my nail colour, and it was only Seb who sat quietly, sending me a small smile from across the room. My stomach fluttered pleasantly, really praying we weren't going to meet a grisly end anytime soon. As time went on, I realised just how much I had to lose. How much I needed to fight for.

That was why a full two weeks later when my friends and I moved back into my house and my body had slowly healed itself, a call from Theron left us all startled. As we lay around the living room watching a comedy which wasn't funny, my phone buzzed, causing me to jump about a mile from my seat.

"Theron," I mumbled to the group, "Sec."

"Tell him I bought him a new hat!" Finn called, "Ask if he likes blue! It's blue!"

"Theron," I chuckled into the phone as I picked up, "Hi, Finn wants me to tell you he got you a hat-"

"Child!" he called breathlessly, "You need... you all need to come here, okay? I have found something. I can help you!"

What-" I cut off, breathless, "Seriously? Are you alright, where are you?"

"Church," he said, excitement in his voice, "Yes, yes- you will ask question. Ask question later! Drive down here now, unless you are drunk. Are you drunk-"

"No, no," I laughed, taken aback, "No! We're coming, alright? Stay safe, Theron!"

So we headed off to the house of God, hearts in our mouths.and hoping that once and for all, good could prevail over evil. If it was going to happen anywhere, it was there.