Beyond Her Kiss

Chapter 4- Desert Cave

A few days passed, Julius was pleased to see the silver hair of the doctor. He had a face like some guy he'd ask for directions in the street, non-threatening he reckoned. In a suit, he could be a news anchor, clean-cut but with that loveable smile that was only ever removed from his features when he needed to be serious. Yet, the most valuable thing was he gave them the good news; the doctor gave them the go signal to go home and they hurriedly began to plan for a much faster way out. The Doctor was amazed at Sheila Marie's sudden recovery and announced that maybe miracles were her friend.

“Oh! Thank the god, we're done. We can go home now.” Julius muttered. He sat up a little higher to get a better look at the nurse who was helping Sheila Marie remove her hospital gown. She was Indian-looking with large brown eyes, neatly lined in black. She had the lithe movement of an athlete and the simple smile of one visiting a dear friend.

“I'm so sick of this room, the smell of death was overwhelming and scary.” Sheila complained.

“Seriously? Sheila, you're overreacting, it's just the disinfectant the cleaner's been using.” Julius replied as he stuck his nose in the air. “It smells rather clean.”

“Of course not, I can smell the death itself, churning my stomach like a maggot-infested rotten cheese.”

“Eww! That's disgusting. Shei? Seriously? You know what, something is wrong with you. These past few days you've changed a lot. Like a new person. I mean, not that I'm complaining though. And you look amazing, Shei, ...for someone who almost died, you look rather fabulous." He studied her. The nurse left and closes the door behind them.

“Oh, here we go again, please tell me you're done with your theory. Vampyre doesn't exist and for goodness’ sake Julius, I wasn't bitten by anyone, nor I got rabies.” The corner of her mouth quirked up. He pushed her wheelchair towards the exit and waited for the taxi. "Oh yeah? I don't think so."

The taxi was sleek, running over the black highway so fast that the passing building becomes a hazy blur. The windows were beaded and the rain beats on the roof like some crazy drummer. Inside they were a curious mixture of cozy and bored, both itching for the destination that will come eventually.

Julius has been giving her some stupid theory about her becoming a vampyre. Her sudden changes in appearance were beyond their awareness. Her brown eyes change to green, her raven hair turned into a blond silky smooth one which Shila Marie wasn't complaining about though.

She told him about the changes in her eyesight and hearing, and he ended up having that stupid theory again. “Can you just stop with that Julius, I repeat I wasn't bitten by Edward okay?” Her vision was indeed changing, she could see the raindrops outside, it was like in slow motion, it has lost the ambient temperature of early fall, freezing, and paling on someone's skin on contact with. It was like everything was so clear, so bright.

Her senses were making her head haze. The sounds of the rain and the noise of the taxi were giving her a headache. And everything was on HD. So peculiar. What happens to her? She was confused and overwhelmed by these new ordeals.

“How about Jacob?” He exclaimed.

Her cheek reddened. “Seriously? Now you're into a werewolf?”

“You can't blame me for trying. Worth a try though.” He was beaming with joy which wasn't surprising, then his whole face lit up.“What if... You've been bitten by some unknown creature back in Afghanistan?” He guessed.

Sheila Marie's sudden changes were amusing him. What if she became a creature of the dark? Isn't it wonderful? He thought. Amazement doesn't quite cover it. He feels like someone just took his spark of wonder as he glanced at her in awe.

"My guess is you were bitten by Edward." He said. Taking his phone, he began to search the internet and browse something about vampyre. "See this Shie,? look here, I'm gonna read it aloud okay? 'The Attributes of a Vampyre'. Listen very carefully."

"Oh God, here we go again." She let out a deal long-breathed.

"Listen to this okay? The vampyre was born with the power for empathy, for sentimental connection and love, as are we all... yet they did not develop such things... and this is the source of their attributes." Julius stopped, "Woah! I didn't know that." he continued.

"If one cannot nourish one's love, one sucks the life from others, hence the draining of blood from others. If one avoids self-reflection, if one will not glimpse at one's self honestly and take on judgment for growth, the ego runs wild and becomes overgrown, hence they cannot see their reflection." He paused. "You know what this makes sense, can you see your reflection in the mirror?"

"Jesus! Will you stop that already?" Sheila Marie blurted.

"I'm not done yet okay? Just listen."

Then he continued again.

"It is a lie to say that they have none. Others can see their reflection with ease. They cannot take real certainty for they have come to see crime as integrity, selfishness as reasonable, using others for their selfish gains as strength and intelligence - thus tangibility kills them, and this we exemplify as sunlight. This is why the vampire cannot take the pure sun." He stopped. ".Wait, Shei, have you tried the sun? Did it burn you?"

"Seriously?"

"Never mind," he murmured then proceeded.

"Vampyres must be invited in because their power only stands in circumstances with someone who welcomes them and is blind to their true nature. If they cannot deceive, then they risk vulnerability. They are only fended off by the cross if the one holding it knows real virtue from vice... " Julius stopped and made a sign of the cross with his finger, "So are you scared of this?"

"Dickhead, you're insane. Stop that! Not everything on the internet is true. What are we in the 18th century? Did you believe that?" She replied and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever! What if you were bitten in your sleep inside the cave?"

“Silly, you know, ...that didn't happen.” She replied.

It had been three months to the day that the incident occurred. Three months ago while she was in Afghanistan, she stumbled upon a secluded cave in the cliff of the desert mountain. She went hiding from the enemy when their convoy was brutally ambushed. She runs in panic and ended up in the narrow entrance of the cave. Furthermore, she went inside and hoped for the rescue to come sooner.

The darkness of the cave became her strong protective arms. Yet, it was a different darkness. She has seen darkness before, the kind that makes someone else's street like an old-fashioned painting, everything a shade of gray. However, the cave's darkness wasn't like that. Its dusk robs her of her best senses and mends it with a paralyzing fear. In the dark, she crouches, muscles cramped, and unable to move. She only knew her eyes are still there because she can feel herself blinking, she didn't hear anything either. She was wounded and had broken a leg. She was bleeding, and she knew if rescue wasn't on their way then she was good as dead. The darkness worried her, as her imagination supplied many creatures with fantastical jaws to prowl beyond the range of her vision. But she embraced it. The cave provides cover from the enemy and that was all she needed.

After an hour of relentless fear, the lack of light that had bothered her so much at first just became normal. She began to move as she coughed and spat up blood. She knew she was dying. She began moving her hands when unexpectedly something had fallen from her left side, and she heard a broken jar of clay fall down the cavern floor. The dust-coated her all over, it went through her nose into her lungs and she began gasping for air. She was wrapped by it. She hoped it was just mere dust or sands. Yet, after a moment passed. She felt like it was creeping into her body. Like a spider wiggling its many legs that spike on her skin. Her eyes widened in panic. She kept her frustration in check as fury roared through her mind. Sudden anger went through her heart as she trembled with rage, she shook with fury, and she was quivering with hatred. Then after a minute, it was driven off. She breathed heavily and sweats rolled over her forehead, her throat began to parched as she lost consciousness.

After a week, she woke up in the military hospital. She was rescued after three days of searching for survivors. The rescuer found her outside the cave that was bombed by the militant group. After a thorough checkup, she was diagnosed with an aneurysm. And was discharged from her duty.

However, she never mentioned that she was wounded and had a broken leg. No one will believe her. As there were no traces of blood on her clothes either and no wound could heal so fast especially a broken bone.