Tethered Bonds

Chapter 5

On my early morning drive, I noticed a few more of those glowing strings going across some of the roads. None of them were in my path to get to my destination. They looked beautiful, it reminded me of how pretty a spider’s web looks in the morning dew.

I reached the area that Jasmine recommended and parked the car near a clear area. Having a bulky bag full of camera gear isn't ideal when hiking through the woods; I have a small backpack that has my camera, 1 lens, and a spare battery. I also have a day of emergency food ration, two bottles of water, and a flare gun that I am required to take per work regulations.

I grab my phone and set my tracking app I have to help me navigate back to my car. Then I took a selfie next to the snow for Chris’s request. The snow was more of a cool-toned white while mine was warm-toned white, not sure who won the contest. I made sure to send it to Chris before I forget.

The camera dangles from my neck with a teal leather strap as I start walking towards the deep emerald pine forest.

I lost my breath for a second at seeing how dense and massive the trees are. The average height of the pine trees was sixty feet tall. Dark evergreen shrubs with red berries covered the grounds. Bare branches and twigs indicated that all the other plants were hibernating for winter.

I was enjoying the beauty before me and continued to venture further into the woods. I was grateful that the trees were blocking most of the wind that was piercing my flesh. Even though the clothes Jasmine lent me were warmer, I was still shivering.

I normally take the entire week to get the perfect shots for the assignment, but I'm beginning to wonder if I will last the next four hours. I have stayed out here for about two hours and have captured some birds and a few foxes. When the sun was at its peak, I decided to head back to the car. Grabbing my phone, I had the app route me the fastest way back to my car. After a moment of loading, it popped up a route that would take about eighty-three minutes. I selected it and began heading in the direction it told me.

I still keep an eye out for animals I may see on the way back. I spotted a family of elk and captured some moments with the mom and baby cuddling. I start to get giddy with how perfect that angle was and can't wait to see them on my computer. I trot happily for a while after that. The high sun is now blazing straight down through the trees, letting me feel some warmth on my cheeks. I return to the car safely and head to the local boutique.

I recalled the few tethered strings going across the road this morning. However, the roads are now webbed in them. I had slowed down where the web started because it was worse than a fog to drive in. I'm curious and worried at the same time about walking through one.

Taking a deep breath, I began to drive through them with a sky blue tethered with tiny white feathers was the first one to make contact with my abdomen.

I let out a yelp as electric waves pulsate through my body with the feeling of two people’s presence and hear muffled voices. I didn't have time to register the experience as another tethered glow of deep purple with flamingo pink orbs went to my forehead.

I feel abused; tragedy from one person and twisted lust from the other. The electric pulsing from each tether feels like fire burning my flesh and I feel nauseous. My head is pulsating causing the world to get darker and lighter repeatedly.

Within seconds, I had passed about twenty tethered auras; the electric shock from each one hurt worse than the last. I had enough strength to slam my brakes. My nose was two inches away from a lime green tether with deep purple vines around it as the car stops.

I stare at the tethered with my eyes slightly crossed as I catch my breath. While trying to calm down, I began to realize my face was partially numb. I slowly moved my arm to angle the review-mirror to my face while avoiding the tether.

My nose was bleeding along with each of my eyes producing a single bloody teardrop. I gasp at the sight of my features. Frantically, I try to figure out what I should do next.

I feel caged. Driving forward is not an option. Could I handle going back into the glowing strings I just went through? I begin to hyperventilate as the tether in front of my nose begins to move slowly towards me.

"NO! Nu-Nu-Nu-NOOO!" I scream as I try to pull my head as far back as I can. Just as it was a hair away from me I hear someone outside my car. Before I can turn to ask for help the green tether made contact sending an overwhelm electric shock that caused my body to convulse. I sense two people who feel lost and lonely in the world before I black-out.

----

Beep Beep

"Doctor! Doctor! She is waking up."

Where am I?

"Do you think she will remember?"

Who is that?

"I don...n...may..."

Beep * Beep * Beep

Those beeps sound familiar.

I don't like them.

My eyes shoot wide open as I popped my torso up from the medical bed.

Ouch! Head hurts... car... tethers... make... face... bad.

I rub my temples as I remember the pain and the intense emotions from each encounter. I don't get much of a break as I see a red tether appearing through the hospital wall across from my bed and is coming towards me.

I try to get off the bed, but my foot gets twisted in the IV tube and I almost ripped the needle out of my arm. Seeing the tether is inches away from my other foot I begin to scream.

A woman enters the room and I see that the tether is attached to her.

"Is everything alright, mam?" The nurse was alert since she heard me scream. She is wearing baby blue colored scrubs as she walks into the room and pushes a button near the door.

No...no, everything is not alright. I breathe heavily as she starts to walk towards me. I push myself as far as I can so the tether doesn't touch me. She obviously can see the fear plastered on my face.

I see two other tethers appear through the wall and my breathing begins to speed up again.

"Is she awake?" I hear a male voice speak as the door opens up. A male doctor wearing his white long coat walks in along with two additional female nurses. The doctor was the owner of the cobalt blue tether and the pink scrub nurse claimed the chartreuse color. I like the female nurse in the sunflower yellow scrub, she is the only one that doesn't have a tether projecting out of her third aura.

"Yes Doctor, but she isn't responding to questions and she is terrified while staring around the room." The blue scrub nurse says.

The doctor took a moment between looking at the blue scrub nurse and me. He then motioned for her to walk away from me. I began to relax a bit as her tether was further away. The doctor watches my monitor as my heart rate lowers.

"You feel better?" The doctor asked while making eye contact with me with a soft expression.

I nod slowly.

"When can I leave?" I state as soon as my body allowed me to.

The doctor raised his left brow with confusion, or maybe my request was just absurd.

"I wouldn't suggest you move from that bed for a couple of hours. We are still lo"

I cut him off.

"I like to leave now, please," I state with a bit of frustration slipping out. He then looked at me with that signature doctor look of disapproval.

"Look, I'll give you my contact and my insurance info but I got to get out of here. You can call me with results if need to." The doctor starts to slowly shake his head. I don't care, I need to get out of here before I touch a tether. The doctor lifts his head and is about to say something when a lighting zap enters the room; making direct contact with him. He lets out a sigh before speaking.

"Fine, sign that you left against our medical recommendation. We will get the needed paperwork for you to fill out. Before you go, we do want to get your vitals one last time." He has a look that tells me I can't push this. I look around the room for a moment.

"Only if the lady in yellow scrubs takes them." I mimic his facial expression, not letting him push me. I rather they see me as an arrogant and stubborn brat than the truth. The yellow scrub nurse's eyes got wide when I had requested her.

They all turn to look at her. She was standing next to the door, hugging a clipboard. Her crinkled dark coca hair was bouncing as she looked down to confirm her scrub color.

"Are you trained on vitals yet?" The doctor asks her; guess she is a medical student. She almost looks as frightened as me. The shocked lady nods at the doctor's question. Everyone moved out of the way for the yellow scrub nurse to reach my bedside.

She awkwardly walked towards me. Once she was blocking the others from getting near my body, I began to relax. I wish I could say the same for my yellow scrubbed safety bubble.

I could see the beads of sweat had started forming on her forehead. She attempts to put her clipboard on the little table that holds food for patients, but it ends up falling on the floor. She startled herself and looked at the others then at me as she retrieves it.

Poor kid. Maybe I scared her.

"Hey. I'm Zayla." I say as nicely as I can. She looks up from the floor as she picked up the clipboard. She turned behind her to make sure I wasn't talking to someone else. The nurse in pink scrubs stayed behind to monitor the medical student on taking my vitals, the other two had already left.

The yellow scrub nurse has gotten close enough I can see her name is Ileana.

"Pretty name," I say without thinking. She has started wrapping the blood pressure device around my upper arm and continued to focus on her task. I can feel her cold hands are trembling slightly. Instead of talking to Ileana, I decide to look at the lady in pink scrubs. I stare at her name-plate until I can see it clearly, Josaphine.

"How long have I been here?"

"About three hours," Josaphine replies with a hint of worry and harshness in her voice. Ileana had finished taking my blood pressure and moved on to removing my iv. It hurts and stings as she removes the tape. I'm grateful they left my wraps on my lower arms alone and had the needle in the pit of my elbow. I'm also grateful that I wore baggy sleeves today. They haven't asked about the wraps yet. I'm still expecting that question to come up.

"Who brought me in?" I remember seeing someone near me before I passed out and wondered if that person helped me. Another zap comes through the wall and strikes Josaphine. She stays silent for a moment starring at me while collecting her thoughts.

"Your car was in the middle of the road. The police came to see what was going on. They found you unconscious. Did...someone hurt you?" She points down to my lower arms wrapped up; ah, there it was.

"No, I live in Florida. I'm just freezing up here and wrapped them for warmth." Josaphine nods slowly, clearly not believing me. I don't care. It's not what they think it is anyway. I don't want to admit my arms itch with firey flames of heat, I can't stay here any longer.

Not focusing on Ileana seems to have helped her calm down; she took my vitals with no issues. She was about to leave when I grabbed her attention.

"Ileana, thank you for taking my vitals. Could I ask you to keep me company until I'm out?" Not wanting to sound needy, I say it with a sincere smile. They won't let me go if I have another reaction if I get hit by a tether and that would be hard if she is blocking their bodies. Ileana's expression was hard to understand. Her three auras were all over the place. I gave up trying to read what was going on in her head. Before she could answer, Josephine had spoken up for her.

"I'm sorry, but she has to shadow me. I can't stay here. I have a route that I have to follow." Maybe Josaphine was having a bad day, but I could do without the bitterness in her voice.

"That's alright, Mrs. Wrights. I can stay with her. I'll catch up with you after she is checked-out." Ileana says softly. Josaphine puckered her lips before heading out the door.

Ileana and I sat in awkward silence for a bit. Then another electric zap came through the wall again and made contact with her temple. Then another zap leaves her forehead and goes through the wall. I hate to see what would happen if I got struck by one of those; I shudder slightly from the thought.

"Are you cold?" Ileana breaks our silence competition. I guess she noticed that I had shivered.

"Yes, I've barely felt warm since I've been here." She reaches over a chair nearby and I see Jasmine's coat appear over the backrest.

"Might as well get you warmed up while we wait for the paperwork." She holds the jacket out so I can slip my arms in the sleeves. It's cold at first but it soon feels warm as I got up and moved to one of the chairs. I immediately feel better sitting in the chair instead of a hospital bed. Ileana follows my action and sits across from me in an identical chair.

I see my purse and backpack are on the little end table. I sigh in relief that my camera hasn't been suffering in the cold weather. It appears my wallet had been looked through and was sitting against my purse, guess they wanted my identification info.

"So um, Miss Withergreen"

I cut her off as I scrunch my nose.

"Please, call me Zayla." I've never been a fan of my last name, but that's not something you can easily change. Ileana looks uncomfortable with that request, she looks close to my age. It's weirder that she wanted to address me by last name than to call me by my given name.

"Ok, so Za...Zayla, do you remember anything that happened before you fell unconscious." I look at her reluctantly. She can easily read my face as she starts to talk.

"Not for medical documenting, I just was curious what had happened." She finishes the last half of her sentence in a shy whisper. I relax back into my seat now understanding she wasn't milking me for details to report to the doctors with. Regardless, I can't tell her everything. Maybe talking about some of it would ease my anxiety a bit? Can I risk telling her I felt electric shocks that kept getting worse? No, no then that would just raise more questions for her to ask.

"I remember feeling a lot of emotions all at once. Maybe I had a panic attack from it? The last thing I remember was hearing a person next to my car." That's close to the truth as I feel comfortable getting to. Ileana just nods her head and then a zap connects to her head again.

"Do you normally have panic attacks?" She says with a medical diagnosis expression. Oh boy.

"I do have them occasionally, but not that bad." I'm not going to lie to her about that.

"Would you be interested in something to take to help with those attacks?" She asked with a hopeful look.

No pills.

"No thank you. I just like to leave and eat some food." I say with a smile on my face. Ileana just gives a concerned expression as the door opens up to reveal the blue scrub nurse with paperwork.