Emergence - Karen Jones - Bog

"The mark is gone...""....glamoured it?"I was floating through a sea of emptiness. My bones had been replaced with lead and my muscles were so drained I couldn't open my eyes to see the danger. My mind was too confused to keep me conscious long enough to actually fear the danger anyway."Something is wrong. He did something.""...there. Take this next left, we'll lose them in the slums.""They weren't supposed to arrive until morning. What the hell are they doing here?"I knew I should fear the world outside the emptiness that had settled around me but I couldn't find the strength to. I felt it reaching for me again just as I was beginning to follow their words more coherently. Just as I was beginning to understand I was being pulled under again."...upstairs. We'll board up the windows. It's our only option.""...think I would have those lying around. You'll have to go and get some."Boarded up windows. Like a cage. A terrible cage with iron bars. Panic gave me the adrenaline I needed to make my muscles move and I wanted to shout with excitement because it meant the emptiness was receding and I despised the nothingness.".... twitching like that?""The drugs are wearing off too quickly. Damnit! Get my bag!""Why is she doing that?""I don't know! It shouldn't be filtered through her system for hours..."My fingers. I could feel something soft beneath me. It felt like silk. A blanket?".... back. I don't know how long this will keep her out and I don't have much left.""I'll make sure to grab a stake while I'm out."Something brushed my bare foot and I could faintly sense a presence on my left side though I still didn't have the strength to open my eyes. Fingertips traced my skin. My marked skin."You don't need a stake. She's not a vampyre." The presence snapped, sounding exasperated. "Now hurry and go."There was a pause. I felt the silk move beneath me as I was successful in making my foot move, however slight it was."She's definitely not human." Another voice growled as something sharp jabbed into my arm. Warmth blossomed in my elbow and began to spread like molten lava through my veins.I was slipping back into the emptiness again...Moving through the emptiness was like moving through syrup. It was void of all light so I couldn't see myself drowning. Claw like fingers reached for me from beneath the waves and a strong undertow clawed at my ankles as I treaded the darkness. A part of me knew this wasn't real but I also couldn't find the surface which made this my reality none the less."... did experiments on her? The military does it all the time.""... would have killed her instead of toyed with her. Or at least kept her in a prison cell.""There is nothing else then. No reasoning behind this.""I suppose not."Damn the emptiness. Damn the void that was trying to pull me deeper into it. I could catch glimpses of the surface but just as I was getting close to it I was dragged down again. I was beginning to lose my will power and soon I wouldn't want to struggle anymore. I'd give in and just let the undertow take me where it willed.And I'd die....But I'm too stubborn to die.