The Zeal of Eros

I woke up to the smell of alcohol and medicines, a white room. I blinked slightly, trying to move my arm before feeling a kind of stuck feeling. I looked down and almost gagged. An IV was in my arm. I looked away, only to see a dark-hooded figure, sitting on the extra seat in the room.

“Good.” The figure looked up, showing those violet eyes. Those eyes that haunted me since day 1 of senior year. Coop was sitting in the seat. He got up and came over to me. “I found you in the hallway, unconscious. Your father is coming.”

I groaned slightly.

“Why are you here Coop?” Coop sat on the edge of my bed, hearing the creaking from the bed.

Coop looked down at me, his eyebrows knitting in worry.

“I wanted to make sure that you were alright.” I looked up at him as he brushed the hair out of my face. I wasn't sure how to read this gesture, but I batted away his hand slightly.

“Coop...”

That worry still held true to every contour of his face. Even with his dark hair barely covering his eyes, I could see the look in his eyes. A kind of desire. But I didn't understand something like that. The main thing I understood was the concern on his face.

Coop watched me, his face a void of some emotions. He leaned in close and I heard my own breathing. He muttered something foreign, something that I didn't recognize. But I somehow understood what he said.

“Psyche... What have they done to you?” His voice seemed pained, but the real emotions were in his eyes. I blinked slightly.

“What?” A nurse came in and Coop slid off the bed, a look of surprise on his face.

My first thought was the fact that he looked surprised because this was a hospital. Of course someone would have come in here to check on me. Or maybe the surprise was on the fact that I understood him.

The nurse came over to check my IV and said that my dad would be in soon. Once she left, Coop was right back by my side. He grabbed my hand.

“Do you remember me?” His face had lit up with hope. Hope that something missing had been found. I shook my head slightly.

“I don't know what you are talking about.” I pulled my hand away. And as quickly as that hope appeared, it vanished. I felt worse. He sighed and went back to the seat. “What do you mean, Coop?”

He waved his hand, waving off the problem and the question. Before I could say anything else, my father came in and almost had a fit. He was hovering over me, fretting over little things. I knew this would happen. My dad was a single parent. He would be worried out of his mind because of it. He tried to hug me to the best of his ability, past the needles that were hanging disgustingly from my arm.

“Aria, what happened to you?” My dad regarded me more worriedly.

I looked over at Coop, who decided to try and pretend to fall asleep. His hood was slightly covering his face. But there was a tenseness under that hood. Like whatever happened was deadly important. I bit my lip as some of my memories came back.

The cheerleaders, their vampiric-like faces, the hair of fire. That dark place with the guy. Could it have all been a dream? I scratched at my neck and stopped. There was a bandage there and an inflammation. I looked back at my father. I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn't want to sound crazy either.

“I fell after I crashed into a wall. Kind of knocked myself out.” I felt some relief flowing through the room.

But I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Maybe from my dad, maybe from Coop. Though, his relief wouldn't make sense to me. Unless my lie just kept him from an awkward conversation. Oh, he was so not getting out of this.

“Though, Coop was there to take me to the nurse.” Coop shifted uncomfortably in his pretend sleep. My dad looked over at Coop and smiled, looking back at me.

“At least someone was there for you.” He brushed some of the hair out of my face.

“Dad...” He removed his hand and grabbed mine in his.

“Yes sweetie?” I bit my lip.

“Can you get me some water?” I knew that would give me enough time to question Coop. My father patted my hand.

“Alright.” He lumbered toward the door. “I'll be back with that glass of water.”

His figure disappeared around the door. I looked back at Coop, who was removing his hood and regarded me calmly. Something that I didn't think that he could do. Though, there was some animalistic look in his eye. And I didn't like feeling like bait.

“Didn't want to explain why your science partner was still here and followed you to the hospital?”

“Why are you here Coop?” Coop tried to look confused, but he looked more thoughtful.

“Guess I was just worried and wanted to make sure that you were taken care of.” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Coop, stop hiding things from me. You are hiding that you just didn't happen to be there.” Coop knitted his eyebrows.

“Aria, I told you that I wanted to meet you after class. I didn't see you and went to go look for you. Found you unconscious. Took you to the nurse.” He looked at me, a sense of sincerity in his eyes. But I knew and still had that feeling that he was hiding much more.

“Then why did you want to see me after class?” Coop bit his lip and quickly composed himself.

“I wanted to ask for the notes from Government because I was going to be gone. Though, that seems kind of pointless at this point.” Coop's smile hit me like a wave.

Why did the one guy that is really interested in me have to be hiding something? Max had the same problem. I was trying to avoid any other relationship that would follow that road and Coop seemed bent to try. But why me? He had hundreds of girls following him and he chooses the most average girl who doesn't want anything to do with him. What was I? The forbidden fruit? His smiled stayed pretty much plastered to his more statuesque face.

“What were you going to be out for?” Coop had a glint in his eyes.

“Had to come for a doctor's appointment.” He pulled out a note from his hoodie pocket and showed it to me as he sat down again.

I listened to the bed creaking as I gently took the note to look over it. Seeing today's date at the top of the note, I checked the doctor's note. At the bottom, the doctor's signature to say that he needed to be excused for an appointment.

“Dr. Hecate...? Never heard of her.” Coop shrugged as he took the note back.

“She's a special kind of doctor.”

Oh my god, he's dying. I immediately felt worse.

“What does she do?” Coop seemed to recognize my worry and looked at me.

“Oh. It's not life-threatening. Just... A kind of condition...” He looked at me somberly and I wasn't sure what to do.

“I'm sorry...” Coop shook his head.

“Aria, don't apologize for it. It's not your fault that I have a condition.” He smiled reassuringly. I still felt sick about it. He slid off the bed, checking his watch. “It's almost time for my appointment as it is.” He looked at me. “Are you going to be ok?”

He looked like he really didn't want to leave.

“I'll be ok. Go to your appointment. Get your condition checked.” He looked at me with a sad smile.

“I'll come back to check on you.” He left like a shadow.

I sighed softly, realizing just how tense I had been with Coop.

A few minutes later, dad had come back with some water. I gently took it and downed it easily.

“Thirsty, huh?” I nodded sheepishly and stared at the door.

I wanted nothing more than to leave. Coop had left so easily. I shook my head. I'm just being paranoid. I looked back at my dad.

“Did they tell you when I can be released?” I know that I was being impatient, but I was ready to leave the hospital. Always hated hospitals.

“Couldn't find your doctor. Just relax Aria. You did take a good hit and lost some blood.” I could hear it in my dad's voice.

He was worried and wanted to make sure I was ok. Being a single father had to be hard. That was probably why he wanted me to stay. Wanted to make sure that I did get well. I smiled reassuringly to him.

“Let's just hear what the doctor says about it, ok?” He smiled, a little more relieved I guess.

“Ok, sweetheart.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I'll go and find the doctor.” He grabbed the sliding door, looking at me. “You going to be OK?”

I nodded, trying to avoid looking at the IV stuck in my arm. He nodded and headed out to find my doctor. I sighed softly as I laid there.

My mind kept coming back to those more lucid images. They weren't fake. I knew that. The bandage on my neck would not be for a concussion and loss of blood. The cheerleaders had grabbed me and took me to a dark place. But who had the guy been? Why did he care about how I had been treated? He was working with the cheerleaders and they let me go. Why? I didn't have an answer to the question. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining. I was alive. In a hospital, but alive. I sighed softly and rested there, not really moving as I tried to understand what had happened.

What were the cheerleaders? Why had they attacked me at all? I shook my head. I should have known. I feel like I should know what they were. It was in the back of my mind. The tip of my tongue. I shook my head again. Couldn't think about it.

Aria, a voice called out. I tensed, looking around. Know the truth.
“What do you mean?” I bit my lip.

Know the truth. I blinked slightly as I tried to find where the voice was coming from. It had started to fade away.

Know the truth? What kind of advice was that? There was no way that I would be figuring that out anytime soon. I couldn't even rest now. These dreams of monsters now made me paranoid. Because of what had happened. I rubbed my neck at the thought of it. I didn't fully understand what had happened. But I knew that the cheerleaders had something to do with it.

After a while, my dad finally came back with the family doctor. Dr. Walter had been a good friend of my dad and was even overseeing physician when I was being born. I considered her another motherly figure in my life. She was always part of my life. Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays. Any really big part of my life, Dr Walter was there. She came over and looked over my vitals and my neck wound.

“Hmm...” I looked up at her.

“What is it?” Dr. Walter smiled softly at me.

“You are just fine sweetheart. We just want to keep you overnight to make sure that you are ok.” Her smile seemed a bit forced. I knew that look. “Zed, can you give Aria and I a moment?”

Dad didn't look like he wanted to leave, feeling that Dr. Walter was hiding something. But he stepped out, grumbling to himself. When he closed the door, Dr. Walter looked at me.

“What happened to you, Aria?” I looked at her, more confused.

“I don't know what you mean.” She bit her lip worriedly.

“Have you not seen your bruises, your wounds?” I gulped slightly.

“No...” I lied. “Why do you ask?”

Dr. Walter looked at me.

“Sweetheart, you like someone was trying to take your blood and strapped you down. But....” She held up one of my hands, the bruising around my wrists were mostly gone.

I blinked slightly in surprise and looked at her.

“I don't know how that happened.” She looked at me.

“Well, I want you to stay overnight to make sure that you are alright.” She stuffed her hands in her pockets.

“OK.” I really didn't want to stay. Coop was still here and everything seemed weirder since he wanted to talk to me after class. “I'll stay.”

Hopefully, Coop won't be here long.

Dr. Walter looked more relaxed. She put her hand on mine, smiling reassuringly.

“I'll go tell your dad. He can come back to come pick you up tomorrow.” I nodded, wincing slightly.

She left me to my thoughts, going to tell my dad that I would be staying the night. I sighed softly when he rushed in and asked if I was sure. I nodded, wanting this conversation to drop. I knew I should be ok. Nothing bad could happen while I was in a hospital... Right?

“Dad, I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow.”

After a lot of fretting, dad finally left and I let go of the breath that I had been holding. Dr. Walter came in and closed my curtain to give me privacy. It was WAY too quiet. I don't know how long I laid there before I wanted to get up. I felt my neck start to itch. I didn't want to have to take off the bandage.

I heard a growl and felt the hair on the back of my neck start to raise. The cover, the curtain around my bed started to shift.

Is there an animal here? The curtain shivered more and the growl grew more, becoming something gravely and much bigger. I bit my lip.

“Who's there?” I pulled out the IV and a snarl erupted behind the curtains.

I stood up on my bed, unsure of what exactly was going on. I started to hear the sound of fabric ripping, seeing the curtains being ripped down from the poles above my bed. I don't know why I didn't scream or anything. Even as the creature came into view.

It was as tall as the ceiling, a monstrous hung of lion, goat and snake. I know, sounds like a really weird creature. It's body was lean like a lion with hooves that more goatish. At the end of the lion's tail was a serpent with a flattened hood and large fangs.

I think that's about the time I started to scream.