Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep...
What the heck?
Can someone silence my alarm clock? Oh, wait that's my duty, stupid thing can't shut up for a second.
I try to move my arm to reach over my bedside table when I find it impossible, my arm is heavy for some reason, and I discover that I can't also move my other arm when trying it out. I can feel a pounding in my head, but I can't move it from side to side.
What is going on?
Whoever I end up engulf in darkness before having an answer.
***
"Any news?"
"Unfortunately, no, she remains on the same state."
"But if the venom is out of her body and everything else is fine, she should've been awake by now. What's taking so long?"
Venom?
"She suffered a trauma, a panic attack in large proportions if you prefer, so her body closed down. She'll come back when ready."
"We can't do anything else Doctor?"
"I'm sorry to say this... but no."
I can feel myself getting tired all over again and my head getting heavier, I try to fight it and hear the conversation that for an unknown reason seems to be important, but I end up losing consciousness.
***
I feel a warm hand touching mine, making tiny circles on my knuckles, the slow motion calms me down and I feel restless.
The touch is so familiar to me, which is hood.
"I'm here waiting for you", someone says.
***
I'm awake again, I can't hear a single thing except for the sound of many 'beeps', which now I guess aren't from my alarm. My head is a mess of thoughts and I can't comprehend what is happening, where I am, and what this is all about...
Am I dreaming? No, wait that doesn't make sense, because I'm 100% sure that I'm awake... right?
I hear a door close not far away from me, and seconds later someone sitting close to me, right next to the place I'm laying.
I feel a stroke on my cheek, and I want to open my eyes and see who is doing that, but my eyelids refuse to obey me, so I stop fighting it and enjoy the feel of the touch.
"I missed you." A soft voice says, I can almost put my finger on who is talking yet at the same time I can't.
"I can't believe you're in front of me, after so long. I really thought I lost you." You can hear the sadness and the restrain in that voice and it breaks my heart, I want to hug the person and say that everything is going to be fine. That I'm here and I'm not going anywhere.
"Now that I found you, you can't leave me. You have to fight through this and come back to me, you have to." The voice is like a lost memory, I know that I have heard it before, I just can't tell when and who it belongs too.
But it seems like I won't discover now.
***
Slowly but surely, I open my eyes. Everything is white and the light that comes to the window by my left is making it hard for me to open my eyes wider. When I manage to adjust to the sun, I look around me only to see that I'm on a white room, with lots of machines by my side while laying on a bed with white sheets...
I try to move my neck, but a pain pierces me, immediately my hand flies to cover the spot on the left side of it and I feel a bandage.
Okay... According to my surroundings I'm in a hospital, but how did I get here?
I mean last time I remember I was getting for a trip to Irel--
And then, it comes to me. Everything flash through my brain as if a movie, the trip, visiting Ireland, checking in, sharing the hotel room with someone that I didn't know, group conference, getting in the woods, getting lost, losing people... Nathan.
My eyes go wide at the thought of him, as my brain continues its assault. The last time I saw him we were running away from him. From Daniel.
But what happened to him? Where is Nathan? Why am I here? More important, how did I get here? We were completely lost.
I think of every possible solution, maybe I saw the reason why I ended here but don't remember. But after what seems like an hour I give up, knowing that I have no clue to how I got here.
So, I wait... I patiently wait for someone to come in and check on me, to see that I'm awake and tell me what happened so I can get all my answers.
The wait isn't long, when I hear the doorknob move. I'm expecting to see a nurse even a doctor, but the vision before me brings me tears to my eyes.
He freezes when he sees me awake, mouth slightly apart and eyes wide open, and I can't stop myself from admiring him.
He is wearing a blue hospital gown, his curls are in the bun that I ended up loving so much, his green eyes look livelier, and he just looks... good. Most people would look shitty in the hospital, me included, but he manages to be an exception. He has a cut on his bottom lip, and a larger one on his forehead, I can see some bruises all over his body but all in all he seems okay.
"Kate." He whispers my name so slowly that if I wasn't already focusing my attention on him I wouldn't have caught it. His voice sounds raspier than normal, he looks taller, healthier...
"Nathan..." I whisper back to him, he takes a careful step towards me, and then another, till he reaches my side. He looks me over, up and down and stops when he locks eyes with mine. We don't move for a minute or two, both analyzing the other as if expecting for something to happen or trying to see something that isn't there but can pop out any moment.
When nothing appear Nathan surprises me by hugging me close to him, I'm half laying, half sitting on the bed, so this isn't the best position for hugging, but it's the best and more needed hug I'll ever have.
I hug him tight, wrapping my arms around his neck and burring my face on his chest while he wraps his around my torso. The hug ends much sooner than I wanted but he remains the contact with me by taking my hand.
"How are you?" It's the first thing that comes out of his mouth.
"I'm fine, what about you?" I check him out one more time, just to make sure that I didn't miss anything, and he is in fact just as fine as he seems.
"I'm fine. I can already leave, they said that everything was good, and I was stable, so I was ready to go. In fact, I was about to come here just to check on you before going to dress myself and go, but now, I think that I'll stay for more than a few minutes." He gives me a radiant smile and I can't help myself and giving him one of mine, but a thought crosses my mind and the smile fades away to a frown.
He detects my mood change and he knows what I'm about to ask even before saying anything.
"What happened?" I looking in the eye, but he breaks the contact and focuses on our hands entwined. I see his Adam apple moving up and down and I'm starting to regret asking that question, but my curiosity won over.
"I'm going to tell you the short version, the police is probably going t--"
"Police?" I ask surprised.
"Yes, police. Don't interrupt me, I'll get there and explain everything the best that I can. As I was saying they'll explain it to you better than I'll." I give him a nod and wait for his next words.
He takes a deep breath, as if it was painful for him to talk about it, but he does anyway, "You remember everything till you blacked out?" I nod again, "You were shot by a poisoned stick, sort of the stuff the natives used to haunt, yah, it was supposed to knock you unconscious and slowly kill you. When I saw you falling right in front of me I thought that I had lost you, you were so pale, and you weren't responding. I was so filled up with worry for you and anger for that man, that I didn't even hear the helicopter coming."
I send him a confused look... Helicopter?
"The Irish police have been going crazy since we got lost, our case got so talked about that we ended up being a worldwide new. Every channel was talking about the group that disappeared, at the beginning it was only the police from the local station looking for us but with the passing time they got so worried that even FBI and CIA were in, also they figured it out that it couldn't be a coincidence for the serial killer to have disappeared and a week or so after a group of students also went missing."
"What?" I say to him wide eyed, he just nods.
"The helicopter was from the FBI, for what they told me, they searched everywhere, and that was only one of the many routes that the helicopter had that day, we just ended up being at right place at the right time. They saw us at the meadow and immediately got down to help us. Daniel is in jail and believe me when I say that he won't leave."
The thought of knowing that the man that caused so much pain to me, to us, and to so much people is finally going to have what he deserves calms my heart and mind.
"The police talked with you?"
"Yes, and they'll probably be here when it's visitors time so they can talk with you."
"So why are you here?" I inquire, lost.
He gives me a grin and looks down at his blue gown, "For now, I'm still a patient, I can wander this hospital halls." I can't help but laugh at that and his smiles gets wider, his pimples showing.
"You'll probably have another visit today beside the police."
"Who?" I wonder who it can be, since I can't think of anyone that would want to see me.
"You're brother." Nathan speaks up, looking at me with a soft smile
"James? James is here?" I can't help being stunned. My big bro is here.
"He comes here every day, since he lost contact with you and our teacher informed him of our situation he got in the first flight and moved here, with hopes to find you... Oh and we're still in Ireland if you haven't noticed yet."
"I'm in a hospital room, this one seems like all the other ones around the world, and excuse me if my window view doesn't give me much of an information about my whereabouts", he turns around at the mention of my window and laughs when he sees the gray building that only lets a few rays of sun pass.
"How long have we been here?"
"A week and a few days." Nathan says and my eyes go wide.
"I've been out for that long?" Nathan nods before replying that the doctor said it was perfectly normal to have that type of reaction to a poison.
"And for how long were we at the forest?"
"For more than three months." The realization of his words seem surreal, yet it makes sense after everything we have been through. To think that I almost died, multiple times, but the last one could have been it makes a chill run through my body. A thought passes me when I think of death.
"What about the others?" Nathan seems confused at first but soon catches what I'm asking.
"They found Ed right away, he was only a kilometer or so from the meadow. Dylan was found by the end of the river in between a few rocks, his body with a few missing pieces from the fish that feed from it. They are still trying to find Lucy's body and locate where we buried Sarah. They also found all the human's members and bones we did through our journey there, but that was all thanks to Daniel, he confessed it all, he was actually really proud of his killings..." He pauses for a while before saying, "The FBI will want to talk to us as well."
I nod as I assimilate what I was told, my eyes are fix on the window yet I'm not seeing anything. I'm just thinking. I feel some warm hands on my face and turn me away from my focus only to see Nathan again.
"We're okay now." He assures me.
"Oh my God, where's Beth?" I remember her, last time I saw her she was unconscious. Nathan opens his mouth to reply when my door suddenly opens, and she appears.
Once again I'm frozen on my spot, but while I was surprised with Nathan in a good way, here, with her I'm completely shocked.
My Blondie, my friend is in a wheelchair.
I look at her terrified, my mouth agape not believing what my eyes are showing me.
"I see you already noticed the new me." She tells me with a soft smile, but it doesn't reach her ears. I don't know what to say so I remain quiet and decide to close my mouth.
"Hello Beth." Nathan says.
"Hey buddy." She giggles, "How are you?" She turns from Nathan to me.
"Good. You?"
"Well, I won't have to say that I'm tired of walking ever again..." She laughs but you can see that it isn't funny for her at all.
"How did this happen?" I gesture to her wheelchair.
"When I tried to stop Danny, he slammed me against the tree and I fell unconscious, it seems like when hitting the tree, I broke my spine. So, if Nathan hadn't lift me up, and bring me with him to the meadow, I would still be there. Thank you." She addresses the last part to Nathan.
"How many times will I have to say that it's fine. It was nothing, really."
"I own you my life, so I'll spend my life saying it to you if it comes to that." She says with a shrug.
A knock comes from the door and a handsome guy with blond hair, and baby blue eyes steps in, he looks cute and handsome all at once.
"Oh, here you're. I was looking for you." He says to Beth.
"You know that I don't like to stay locked in my room." She fires back, I look at Nathan and see him with a smirk on his face, causing me to frown.
"Look who's awake." I change my eyes from Nathan to this nurse, "I'll call the doctor asap to see you. And you miss Beth are coming with me." I can see a blush tint her cheeks and I immediately understand Nathan's smirk.
It seems like someone's got herself a crush.
"Sure, thing Sir. Blake." He carefully moves behind her and push her out the door, but before the door closes I hear, "I'll talk with you soon Kate." causing me to laugh.
"Who would say right?" He wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I laugh again, with him joining me.
"She found love in a hospital."
"We found love in a haunted wood, while being hunted by a psycho man. I think we win." The room fills with our laughs once again, and I can't help but notice that I haven't laughed this hard in so long. It's like a ton of height is off my shoulders and I'm suddenly free.
"Oh Nathan! I forgot to tell you something in the woods." I say quickly, before I forget. He ceases his laugh and looks at me, whatever amusement was in his eyes is left when he sees how serious I am.
"I love you." At the end of my words I see his mouth go open, his chin almost hitting the floor, and I smile at that, "At the woods you told me you loved me, before going to stop Danny to get close to me, but I never had the chance to say it back to you. So, there you go."
He stays quiet for a long time as if digesting, processing it.
"Also, don't you dare tell me those words again as a goodbye, like you did at the woods. You were afraid you wouldn't tell them again to me, so you used them as a farewell."
I let it sink on him, but it doesn't seem to take him long because next thing I know his lips are on mine, and the feeling of having him, with me, on me, and so damn close and simply safe and sound is just perfect.
He is perfect. We are perfect in our own messed up way.
The kiss goes on, as we share between kisses how much we love each other, without having enough words to describe it. You can feel the pain we have been through, yet the promises of what is to come.
When his lips leave mine, he rests his forehead against my shoulder taking a deep breath.
"Jesus..." He mutters causing me to breathy laugh.
"So, what now?" I question him.
"Now?"
"I won't be able to forget this, I mean this left scars on me, scars that won't fade away." I say slowly realizing how true this is.
"Scars aren't signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance" He says to me, and you can hear the determination in his voice and the intensity in his look. "And we can always try and have a fresh start."
"What do you mean?" I look at him confused.
He sits tall on his chair and reaches out his hand for me, "Hi, I'm Nathan Turner. What's your name?"
I look at him, not really believing what he is doing, what we are doing, "You must be kidding me... This is ridiculous." but when I look at him I see the seriousness in his eyes, "Are you actually serious?"
"C'mon, we can at least try."
Maybe, maybe we can try, "I'm Kate.", I say as I reach for his hand and shake it. As soon as I touch it I feel the sparks flying and my heart skips a bit.
Maybe this is useless, because this whole trip traumatized us, and as much as we want it we won't be able to forget it, but at the same time, we can't live on the past because if that happens we won't be able to live the present and future.
I survived, but it's not a happy ending.
Maybe, I just have to close this book, and open a new, start a new chapter, write a new story, and pray that I'll have a happy ending on that one.
THE END
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That's it every one the story is finally over!!!! I hope you loved it, that you had goosebumps, scares, anxiety, and heartbreak. I hope you cried, laughed, and loved. I hope you loved this book as much as I loved writing it and continue to love it as much as I still do.
Please share the book with others as that would mean a lot to me. Also, please leave comments below about your thoughts on the book. I would appreciate it.
Don't forget that you can buy the book on Amazon (let me know if you do)
Last but not least you may notice that there will be more chapters after this one. That is because when I originally wrote the book I had shorter chapters but I now put the chapters together so the story would have more impact on the reader and flow easily. You can still see the next chapters as the photos placed will relate to the book and you can read other people's lovely comments. I didn't want to lose everyone's messages so I left the chapters if they are empty.
I love you all. Thank you for your support, your love, your kindness, and for being committed to my book. I hope to see you very soon with a new book. Kisses xx