Out of the Darkness

136

By this time, we had made it up the stairs, and to my bedroom door. Sam opened it, then helped me to my bed. "Never normal," he replied, pulling my covers back so that I could lie down. I kicked my shoes off, and got in, fully dressed. "Don't die tonight, okay?" he said, smiling, though I could see the worry in his eyes. "I'll be fine. I'll call you if I need anything, or if I feel weird. I promise, Mom," I answered, jokingly. He rolled his eyes, and started to walk out. "Oh, and Sam?" I said, right before he did. "Yeah?" "Thanks, man. Really," I replied. "You know I got you, brother. Always." After he closed my door, I lay there with my mind racing and my arm throbbing. I was glad that it was dark in my room right then, because I didn't really want to see what was going on with it. Seeing the black goo mixed with my own blood was a little too much for me to handle right now. So, I thought of Anna instead. A picture of her lying in that coffin, begging me to help her, popped surfaced in my mind's eye. She was as gorgeous as ever, her hair surrounding her head like a halo. I knew she was a ghost. I knew that, but in that realm, that different reality, she had seemed so alive. Yes, even lying in a coffin. I knew how crazy that sounded, but it was the truth. Something wasn't adding up for me. Who was I kidding? None of this was adding up for me. None of it made any kind of sense. Why did we enter the demon realm through that house? The very house that had started this entire thing. Why was it important? The woman. The witch. Lilith. She had something to do with Anna. She was holding her soul captive for some reason...but why? I looked down to the foot of my bed, to see Anna's doll, to ask her, even if she wasn't in there, what was I supposed to do. I groaned when I realized that the doll wasn't there. She was still outside in the car. Should I chance trying to go get her, with my arm the way it was, or should I wait until morning? I pushed myself to a sitting position with my good arm, and slid my legs off of the bed. My body felt weighed down with lead. Every movement stole my breath, and made my body ache. Something was very wrong with me. The bite was poison. I knew it, and I also knew that the hospital couldn't do anything about it. My only hope of surviving was rested on Ash's salve. If I had to go, then I was going to do what I could help Anna before I joined her in the afterlife. I pushed myself to my feet, swayed there for a minute, then took a deep breath. I felt like I had forgotten how to walk, like my lead filled legs just didn't want to cooperate. I pushed my leg forwards, feeling it scrub across my carpeted floor. Then, everything began to spin, and I fell backwards onto my bed. Tears sprang to my eyes, hopelessness filling my every pore. I could barely stand. How as I supposed to help anyone? 'Now is not the time to wig out, Colby. You're a hella righteous dude! You rest but you don't give up.' This line went through my thoughts, and I almost laughed aloud. Now I was using her voice and her old school slang to pep talk myself?? I really had it hella bad. She was right though. I would take tonight and rest. Tomorrow, I would start making plans to go back to that fucked up house. Lilith would not make me, or anyone else, her bitch. Eventually, the pain in my arm became a low background thrum, allowing me to fall asleep. It wasn't the best sleep in the world, because I kept waking up every time I moved, with pain shooting up my nerves. It was horrible and brought tears to my eyes every time, but I at least got a little sleep. That had to count for something. I woke the next morning with Sam coming into my room. He was creeping, being as quiet as he could, till he reached the side of my bed. I kept my eyes closed, hoping he would just leave and let me try to sleep a little more. Instead, he reached across me, and gingerly picked up my bad arm. I hissed in between my teeth, my eyes popping open to meet his. "Sorry," he whispered, sympathy in his eyes, but he continued to hold my arm. "We need to get this changed, man. The bandages are gross. Can't be healthy to keep that on there. You can lay there while I do it, okay?" I nodded, and waited for the torture to begin. When he pulled on the gauze, I all but screamed in pain. "OH MY GOD, STOP!" Sam looked at me with that same look. Sympathizing but determined. "The gauze stuck, Colby. This isn't going to be fun in any way, but it needs to be done. I'll try to soak it in some warm water first. Maybe that'll help it come unattached." "Do whatever, but don't do that again. It can stay there forever Sam. I don't care, that shit hurt." He nodded, and walked to the bathroom to get a rag damp with hot water to rest on the bandage. We were quiet, just waiting, until he tried again. It wasn't as bad this time, but it still hurt. I clenched my jaw, and started singing in my head. Anything to get my mind off of the most intense pain that I've ever felt in my life. It was a fucking bite, for Christ's sake! It shouldn't be this painful! After a while, Sam said those magic words that helped me breathe again. "Okay, all finished. It's still bleeding and it's still seeping that black stuff out. I'm hoping that the salve makes all of that infected looking stuff disappear." I nodded again, then turned to meet his gaze. "Sam, I need to go back to that house. I have too. It's important." His face turned hard as steel. "No, Colby. We're not doing that."