Soul Wipe - Chapter 2
Pain. She was in pain. Her vision misty as she realised that she was waking up. The deep sleep let her go, and she realised that she was awake, and still in hospital. 3 days now, 3 long days had passed since her waking from the coma. Cassidy exhaled sharply.
“Fuck me,”
She had been locked in nightmares as she had lain. Distorted images of the heavens, the stars, the moons, the planets, ugly voices that meant harm whispering in her head. It had been burying thoughts, and she would uncover those at some future date, some future time. Of that, she was certain.
She groaned with the grogginess of it all. It was dark outside, yet the curtains remained open. She had come to the decision that she didn’t like the night. Not anymore.
The world was practically hysterical at the idea that something had arrived on Earth. Some space object that had hurtled towards us, and now lay hidden among the population.
Governments from across the globe were hunting and searching for something that might have come through all the sophisticated technology that this world had amassed in a bid to protect itself… A coordinated effort by all, factions putting aside their differences, as they realised that they were all being threatened by something much bigger than their chosen enemy.
She shuddered. The door to her room was closed over, and suddenly she felt so far away from the world. She had been allocated her own room, the doctors unsure of what had caused her trauma chose to keep her segregated from others.
She swivelled out of bed. Joints aching, unlocking, after another long rest. Socked feet touched the floor and she shuffled towards the bathroom.
Locking herself in, she examined herself in mirror, the dim light of the room arching her features into sharp focus. She was thin, gaunt, so unlike herself that she actually hated it. What had happened to her?
She rubbed her eyes, feeling drained and tired all over again despite having napped for so long. But she had admitted to herself that she have been claimed by something other worldly. She was a normal, healthy person… And she knew that she was experiencing something. But what? A possession? The word just made her even more anxious.
Staring at herself in the mirror, Cassidy vowed that she would seek answers and soon. Recalling an earlier conversation with her doctor, she had been given a clean bill of health. She had had test after test to determine the cause of her coma, but nothing, no abnormalities… Nothing had been detected. So they had no reason to keep her. But something was there.
Joel had been the first to meet her bemused gaze upon waking. He had gently whispered the story to her. Reminding her that on the night of the event, he had arrived at her flat to find her collapsed by her front door. Unhurt, but so traumatised that her body had taken over and left her in a stasis that the doctors were unsure if she would ever come out of. But here she was. But she wasn’t alone. And to the core of her body, she knew it.
The brainy bods of the world had decided that something had impacted with Earth Joel had said... World space organisations had followed the path of something, then it had disappeared. It had taken mere hours.
She pushed her own tears away as her stomach suddenly gripped her nerves in a pinch. She blinked. Then again. Blue eyes wide in the dim light…
Cassidy had brown eyes.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs. Twinges, she felt twinges, right the base of her spine.
She looked to the palm of her hands. As sure as she could be, she saw shimmers of silver darting through her veins.
She bit her lip. It was still there. This was real. And this was happening.
“Cassidy?”
She froze. Horrifically aware that the voice was coming from within.
“I am the star, and it’s about time you woke up,”
Cassidy reeled in her courage,
“I’m awake,” She whispered, “I’m awake,”
“Are you really?” The star said, a gentle lilting tone that betrayed nothing, “You’ve been sleeping all your life, waiting for this one moment where you can truly be you,”
Her heart raced as she looked directly into the eyes that she knew were not her own.
“Please leave me,” She whimpered.
She felt the star smile deep inside of her, and she lost it.
Falling in front of the toilet, she vomited the contents of her stomach. Retching over and over, she brought the tears back to her eyes with the power of the expulsions.
The star was laughing. And she was left sobbing.
“It’s time to wake up,”
“I am awake!” She rasped, flopping beside the pan, exhausted.
“Don’t you want to see him again? Don’t you want to wake up and see him?”
Cassidy’s vision sparkled as she realised that she was having trouble catching her breath.
The star chuckled, causing Cassidy’s stomach to heave again.
Leaning over the bowl again, she waited for the nausea to pass.
“Jaxon, your husband,”
Cassidy’s stomach lurched and she was sick again.
“I can show you Jaxon,”
Cassidy realised that it was now or never. To stand up to this ordeal.
Her breath getting stronger, she stood, gripping the sink for support. She turned the tap on, swirling cold water in her mouth. A cold stare locked to her features, she faced the mirror, sweat on her forehead. Blue eyes shining back.
“Jaxon is dead,” Cassidy said as calmly as she could, “He died 2 years ago,”
And repeating it like a mantra to herself, she left the room. Clinging to her the last shred of sanity that she had left.
Wiped out from the encounter, she reached her bed. Suddenly aware that she wasn’t alone, she turned to the figure dozing in a comfy chair in the corner of the room.
It moved, rousing from sleep. As she stood rooted to the spot, the figure got up, aware that she was awake.
“Honey, did you sleep okay?”
The star moved inside her, causing a warming sensation around her heart. She shuddered, catching her breath. Love, she was feeling love.
“Let’s get you back to bed, we want the doctor to release you tomorrow, so you need to rest,”
Cassidy gathered her thoughts as the side lamp was switched on, strong hands guiding her to the bed.
Familiar eyes held concern, features that she had memorised stared her back in her face. His smile moved her to tears.
“You can thank me later,” Said the star, “Now kiss your husband hello,”
And she did, stifling a sob, she held him tight after parting from a kiss that stole his breath.
Memories of the night she had lost him flooding through her, shocking her cold.
Gripping his hand tight, she looked down, having missed that touch so much. Her eyes caught sight of her wedding and engagement ring. Rings that she had locked away in a bid to banish the hurt and devastation…
Touching his face, his eyes tired and red, she realised that he was here, this was real. Jaxon had come back to her.
“Thank you,” Cassidy whispered.
Jaxon looked puzzled, but the star was smiling again.
“You’re welcome,” It said.
----------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT - TAHIRA IQBAL - 2006