A Shadowlander’s Dream: Book Three - Rules of the Flesh
Written by Kathryn K Williams
Chapter Thirty-six
Alyson sat in the corner of the clinic upon one of the many hard backed plastic chairs. Her eyes lightly closed as she tried to rest, feeling slightly drained from rushing to the Melissa’s place. Amy had given her more painkillers for her leg was aching and she had been spending the last while quietly sitting and listening to her surroundings. Abruptly a white hot flash shot through her head and she clenched her right eye as images flooded through her head. Suddenly she was seeing through someone else’s eyes. The person was huddled in the shadows of a tree and she could feel rain pelting against her head and face. Through a window she could see Natalie peering out at her, but not seeing her, then Natalie closed the window and turned away, letting the curtain fall over the window, blocking her view. The thing glanced down at their small blood soaked hands and Alyson felt a mix of anger and regret fill her, then the thing dropped from the tree it was perched in and ran off into the Western Woods.
“Alyson?” Amy’s voice drifted through Alyson’s mind as the vision began to clear and the pain slowly subsided, “Alyson? Are you alright?”
Alyson struggled to her feet with Amy’s help, “N… Nate… trouble… dorms…” She muttered incoherently and she pushed out of Amy’s grasp only to stumble to the ground again.
Amy dropped to the girl’s side, “Take it easy, don’t force yourself, you are still healing remember.”
Alyson panted, “T… there is some… something… in… the dorms…”
Melissa approached Alyson, “Something? Which dorms? The Western Dorms?”
Alyson nodded again. She discovered her crutch had fallen beside her and grabbed, pulling herself up to her feet, “I have to get to Natalie.” She stated as she fought back the dizziness that tried to knock her back down again.
“You are in no shape to fight.” Amy firmly reminded the girl, “Let someone else take care of it.” She insisted.
Alyson shook her head, “I have to see her, have to make sure she is alright.”
“I’ll go with you then.” Melissa stated with a nod, “I should check in on the other girls as well.”
Sarah stepped forward, “Is there anyway I can help?” She inquired concernedly.
Amy handed Alyson’s arm to Sarah, “Could you help her to the car and tell Jessica that she is needed at the Dorms?”
Sarah nodded as she let Alyson lean on her, “Alright, Come on then.”
****
Jessica was enjoying holding Amber again, noticing just how much she missed the sensation of her warmth against her skin. Not even the cold of the rain could disturb her enjoyment of that moment. Abruptly the clinic doors banged open and Alyson hobbled down the steps, leaning heavily upon her crotch and nearly slipping upon the wet grass. Amy and Melissa shortly followed her, helping Alyson keep her footing.
“Let me go!” Alyson shouted as she struggled to her feet, “I have to get to Natalie.” She insisted.
Jessica ran over to the girl, “What is wrong?” She inquired.
Alyson clenched at her chest, “I feel something coming from the Dorms, something powerful.”
Jessica started moving towards the car, “Get in.” She insisted as she opened the back door for Alyson and the girl hobbled towards the car.
Amber watched the girl perplex, “What are you going to do?” She asked Jessica worriedly as Sarah suddenly joining her side.
“I’m the Dorm Head.” Jessica stated as she took the keys from her pocket and moved to the driver’s side door, “Those girls need me.”
Melissa ran around the car and lightly moved Jessica away from the door, “I’m driving this time.” She said, as she took the keys from Jessica, her eyes moving to the scratch marks that covered the roof of her car.
“I’m coming with you.” Amber insisted.
Sarah gawked at her sister, “Are you insane? Don’t you remember those creatures outside of the school? They’ll tear you to shreds.” She said frantically.
Amber got into the car and helped pull Alyson’s wounded leg into the car, “I’m not leaving Jessie again.” She stated boldly, “And I want to help.” She smiled to herself and nodded, “I want to help.” She repeated and glanced around, “What about Caitlin?”
“She wanted to stay with April.” Sarah remarked.
Jessica walked around to the passenger side door when she noticed Alyson struggling to get into the car with wide-eyed surprise, “When did you get hurt?” She inquired worriedly.
Amber gentle placed Alyson’s leg on her lap, “Are you in pain?”
Alyson did not return either of the girls’ gazes, “Do not worry about me. I’ll be fine in a day.” She stated as she closed the back door.
Melissa opened the driver side door and got in, as did Jessica, “Don’t try to force yourself too much Alyson. I know you feel you are super girl, but you need to give your body time to heal.” She stated as she turned on the engine.
“Alyson…” Amber mumbled to herself, a hand on her chin and thought lines creasing her forehead as if she were in deep thought.
Sarah lightly set a hand upon Amber’s thigh, “Is something wrong?” She inquired worriedly.
Jessica glanced over her shoulder at Amber, “Amber?”
Amber’s head slowly rose and turned to look at Alyson. Her eyes began to focus as if they had never seen the girl sitting next to her before and studied her features so closely that it made Alyson back into her corner of the car.
“Wha… What is it? Do you know me or something?” She inquired nervously, not really wanting to know the answer.
Abruptly Amber’s eyes widened and her jaw grew slack with surprise, “A-lee-she-on-a…” She said slowly, almost carefully.
Alyson slowly nodded, “How do you know my full name?” She said with a swallow.
Amber blinked a couple of times and jumped in her seat excitedly, hitting her head on the low ceiling and crying out in pain.
“Amber!!” Sarah wrapped her arms protectively around the girl, “Amber are you alright?”
Amber rubbed the top of her head as she turned back to Alyson, “Alyshione? Alyshione is that really you?” She asked through a seethe of pain.
Alyson slowly nodded, “And who may you be?”
Amber quickly turned to face the girl, her express changing from pain to that of excitement, “My god it really is you, isn’t it? Don’t you remember me? We went to the same orphanage together. We were sisters.”
“Sisters?” Alyson mumbled, she did not recall any of the girls at the orphanage ever referring to her that way before.
Sarah placed a hand on Amber’s shoulder as she tried to look over the girl’s shoulder at Alyson, “You sure? I don’t remember her.”
Amber shook her head, “It was before Ma’am. I spent a few months at an orphanage before being sent to the home and I met Alyson in the nurse’s room.” She explained in an excited ramble, “The doctors were always calling her up to the nurse’s ward and she always looked depressed, then one day she simply disappeared. Rumour was that there was something different about her and that she was really a-“
Alyson quickly raised her good hand to cover the girl’s mouth and glared at Amber intensely, “Do not say it. It was all a lie.” She said through bared teeth, “Do me a favour and forget whatever you heard about me, is that clear?”
“Hey!” Sarah protested, “Take your hand off my sister.”
Amber raised a hand to stop Sarah and a smile could be seen in her eyes as she nodded.
Alyson slowly removed her hand, “I… I’m sorry about that.”
Amber shook her head, “I understand.” She continued to smile, not taking her eyes off of Alyson, “Just so you know I never cared what they said about you. You will always be one of my sisters. Remember you promised we would be sisters, didn’t you?”
Alyson suddenly recalled the little curly haired girl and their promise and blinked at Amber, “You really think of me that way?”
Amber nodded firmly and set a hand on Alyson’s, “It’s nice to see you again. I’m glad you are safe and weren’t picked up by some weirdo or something.”
Jessica chuckled under her breath, “Wait till you meet her brother.”
“Jessica!” Melissa shot.
Jessica flinched, “Sorry.”
Melissa parked the car in front of the Western Dorm’s front doors, “We are here girls, welcome to your new home.”
Sarah glanced up at the building leerily, “Just when I thought we were through with living with a million roommates here we are again.” She sighed disapprovingly.
Melissa opened her door, “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” She insisted, “Just know that this place is as much your home as any other.”
“Home…” Amber muttered to herself, “I still don’t really know what that is.”
Jessica exited the car and opened the back door, “Well, I for one am happy to call this place home. It is more like living in a big apartment building and much nicer then those old orphanages or the foster home that is for sure.” She explained as she helped Alyson out of the car, then Amber.
Alyson stared up at the building intensely, rain pelting her upturned face, streaming through her hair and in her eyes, but she did not care, “I don’t know what home is either.” She said, her thoughts turning to her brother and shaking her head.
Jessica grabbed the girl’s bags and started towards the dorm, “Come on and don’t just stand there in the rain.
*****
To be Continued . . .
*****
Note: The world of the Shadowlands, Its stories, Characters and ideas are a copyright of Kathryn K Williams.
This story is based upon my manga of the same name. If you wish to view art from this series please visit my deviant arts site at: http://shinigami-shimai.deviantart.com/
For more of my stories visit my deviant hearts site at: http://www.devianthearts.com/viewuser.php?uid=159
Also if you spot any typos or other errors please contact me at katwilliams @ rogers.com
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