Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (33 page)

My body hit the floor sideways and I hit my head on one of the rocks that lined a path towards the front door. I closed my eyes as a shooting pain exploded around my skull. I tried to get up but failed a few times as the ringing in my head made it hard to focus. I finally got up to my knees and felt for the damage. My hand went to the cause of the pain and found a sticky liquid. GREAT! I was now bleeding. I looked at my hand covered in deep red blood and tried to remain calm. I wasn't going to die from a little cut and I had overcome my fear of blood years ago.

I made it to my feet, wiping the blood off my hand on the ground. I could now feel it trickling its way down my cheek. I took off one of my gloves, wiped my face and held it to the rest of my cut, hoping it didn't need stitches. That's all I needed for my shift tonight, a big gash on my head and a blue bulge to match it. I just prayed it didn't look that bad as I started to walk back in the direction I had come from. I was also hoping that nobody was home when I got back. Libby would freak out as it was, but if I could a
t
least wash the blood out of my hair, that would be a bonus.

Then I remembered the stream and that I could use that to clean myself up a bit just in case she was there. But where was it? Had I gone wrong somewhere because it was near the cabin wasn't it? I turned in every direction but I couldn't make out anything familiar. How far had I walked away from the path I came? My head was starting to feel real fuzzy and my vision clouded with the pain.

It was then that I heard it. I couldn't understand
where
it came from but I followed it anyway knowing that it led to people. Someone was singing faintly in the
distance or was it music being played. I couldn't tell the difference as it didn't sound like anything I had ever heard before. It was a beautiful hum that changed into words I couldn't understand. Maybe I would come across some hikers that had a map.... and a stereo.

I twisted around branches and foliage following the sound that echoed through the trees. Whenever I would go slightly off in the other direction it would momentarily get louder in the direction I should be going. I was in a daze and couldn't feel the throbbing in my head any more, all I could feel, taste and think was the noise that I followed. For all I knew it was leading me deeper into the forest and I would be lost forever but for some reason I wasn't worried. It was like I was on some sort of mind control drug. I was completely hypnotised and I was mellow and calm as I picked up pace to find this amazing sound.

I wasn't sure how long I walked but it didn't feel like more than mere minutes. It was just getting louder but I still couldn't see anything that would make that noise. I was now on a path and my feet didn't have to work as hard to move along. I broke out into a run as it felt like I was getting closer and closer. I could hear more words now but still it was a language that I had never heard. I was nearly losing my breath as my heart ached with strain. I wasn't the fittest of people at the best of times and I hardly ever ran but there was just something spellbinding about the sound that filled my ears and took over my brain.  I was nearly there now I could feel it. I could see an opening in the trees, as the light got brighter with every step.

Then the sound was gone.

The noise had stopped as though the power had been cut, as I walked out into the front of the house I knew well. I couldn't understand any of what had just happened. I looked around for signs of anyone, maybe a passing car or music that Libby had been playing but that still wouldn't have explained it. I followed music that led me home. I was sure of it. 

I went into the house and walked upstairs dumping my jacket on the bed and kicking my shoes off. I don't know when but I lost the glove I used to soak up the blood so I took off my other one and pulled my top off ready to get in the shower. Leaving just the camisole top I wore underneath with my bra. I knew nobody was in so I walked to the bathroom and grabbed a fresh towel from the cupboard on the way. Once in the bathroom I examined the damage in the mirror.

Thankfully it wasn't as bad as I had dreaded. It looked worse because of the dried blood on my face and hair. The cut wasn't deep enough to need stitches and I knew I could get away without needing to see a doctor.  There was a purplish bruise around it that I could hide with my hair and after a skin coloured plaster I thought I could get away with it without anyone noticing.

After a hot shower and a good wash getting rid of the remaining blood, I felt better and was slowly forgetting the day, putting it down to a weird kind of sixth sense about where I was going. Libby was back when I got out of the bathroom and I didn't have time to hide the evidence of my fall. 

“Oh my God, what happened to you?” She ran over to me and fussed about my
head, tightening her fists and sucking air through her teeth, the way people did when they could imagine the pain.

“It's fine
honestly
,
it's not as bad as it looks.” This was a bit of a
lie,
as soon as the music had stopped I could feel the banging in my head that any good headache brings.

“Tilt your head and let me see, you might need stitches.” I tilted my head in her hands and said

“
It’s
ok, I looked in the mirror and it's not that deep, I will be fine with just a plaster.” She grabbed my hand and started to pull me down to the kitchen, where she kept the first aid box.

“Sit under the light.” I did as instructed and she pulled a box down the size you could have fit a Christmas turkey in!  What did she keep in that thing, spare body parts!

“So are you going to tell me how this happened?”

“It was no big deal.
I just tripped and hit my head on a rock.” She was cutting up little strips of tape into tiny lines and was passing them to me to hold.

“This might sting a bit.” She sprayed some antiseptic on the open wound and I cursed like a pirate.

“Nice, very lady like,” she teased.

“Sorry, next time it feels like my skins melting off I will calmly say “
Oh fiddlesticks, terribly sorry my dear but that did sting a wee bit.”
She laughed at my posh accent and carried on by pulling my skin together before sticking it in place with the little strips she’d cut, acting like make shift stitches. She covered that with a bigger plaster and said, “There, that's better.”

“Thanks mum!” I gave her a kiss on the cheek and left to go back upstairs.

“So do you want me to call work for you?” I turned and looked at her in disbelief.

“Why on earth would I want you to do that?” I laughed at the thought.

“Because you hit your head and could have concussion or something.” I shook my head and smirked at the idea.

“I didn't break my neck Libs, I only bumped my head,
I
think I'll be fine for work.” She shrugged her shoulders and said “Ok, only making sure.”

Once I was ready I studied myself in the mirror and tried to position my hair so it covered the plaster completely, only every time I moved my head, my hair would move with it. I gave up and decided just to keep my head down and hopefully no one would notice.

Just before I was ready for leaving the phone rang with RJ on the other end. She wanted to ask me if I was working tonight and if I needed a lift home as Jack was the designated driver for this evening and seeing as he was going past my way he could drop me off as well. I accepted the offer as I knew Frank couldn't pick me up tonight anyway as he was working late and I didn't like the idea of Libby driving in the dark.

“Tell Jack thanks,” I said as the conversation was coming to an end and I needed to leave now so as not to be late for work.

“It's ok you can tell him yourself later, as I'm sure he would much rather hear it from you anyway.” She finished the sentence with a naughty giggle and hung up. I
put on my jacket and took my bag from Libby as she held it out to me.

“You ready?” I thought about the question for a minute and wondered was I ever ready to be in the same room as Draven?

The answer was always the same...

Never.

Chapter 18 - A drive never to be forgotten.

By the time I had arrived at work my headache went from 0 to 60 in less than five minutes. My head was throbbing with pain and I was regretting not taking Libby's advice. I tried to ignore it but it was persistent so I took a couple of the painkillers that I kept in my bag before I went upstairs.

Once upstairs I pulled the short bits of my hair forward to try and hide the huge bruise and lump that had now fully developed. It was amazing that in one short car ride it had changed so much, it was now different shades of blue and purple and also had crept its way down one cheek along with a little scratch. There was no getting round it, my face looked a mess and no amount of hair across my forehead was going to conceal it.

I walked in front of the tables with my head down, letting my hair flop limply around my face. I didn't look up until I bumped into the bar.

“Hey sweetheart, how are.... WOW now that’s a real shiner. Now that looks painful! What did you do, lose a fight with a bus?” I smiled timidly not wanting to draw any attention to myself.

“I fell,” was all I said before going round to the other side and into the little room in the back. Once inside I lifted my hair again to re-evaluate the damage. Eek! It didn't look pretty. The lump had grown and was making the plaster lift on the side that was near my hairline. I tried to pat it down but it had lost its stickiness and wasn't co-operating. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and inhaled a deep breath before walking out to start my shift.

This was great, only my second night at this job and I already looked like I’d been in the ring with Rocky Balboa! I could tell it was going to be one of those nights. I was just about to walk through the door into the bar when I heard my name, only it wasn't being called it was being said. But I couldn't see who it was without showing myself, so I waited. I didn't recognise the voice as the band had started but I was sure it was male. I waited but didn't hear anything else so I walked out. There was no one there apart from Karmun.

“Are you sure you’re ok to work?” I wanted to tell him no but knew that wouldn't look good so instead I lied.

“Yeah I'm fine, it looks worse than it is.” He didn't look convinced but gave me a tray of drinks anyway and pointed to the table. After about an hour of waiting tables my head was starting to spin slightly so I went into the back and took a couple more tablets, as they didn't seem to be touching it. I knew this wasn't safe but I just wanted the pounding to stop drumming against my skull. The music wasn't helping being a
very heavy Rock band called the “Perfect Nightmares.” Well they didn't disappoint, being as they were at this very moment my perfect nightmare! The drum and bass mirrored the pain in my head and I sat down for a minute holding my head in my hands. I needed to get a grip!

I could do this! I was only doing a short four hour shift tonight anyway so only three more hours to go and I could go home to bed. But then I was forgetting, Jack was taking me home tonight and Frank was working late. Well I would just have to call Libby and ask her to come and get me, because I didn't know how I was going to last another three hours let alone the rest of the night downstairs socializing.

When I went back out I noticed most of my tables had been cleared for me and Karmun's worried face was waiting for me.

“You need to go home, you don't look well.” I was about to agree when I noticed Draven's cold hard eyes staring at me, which made me change my mind. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being right. He didn't want me working up here in the first place and after only one night, being sent home would prove him right. Nope I don't think so. I would rather slog it out.

“I feel better now, I've just taken some pain killers and they should start kicking in soon.” He shook his head a bit but I knew he was caving. He handed me the tray again and added,

“Ok but if you feel dizzy or sick then you are going home and no buts.” I nodded and took the tray trying to hold it as steady as I could.