In the Claws of an Angel

The night was calm, quiet and peaceful. The trees swayed in the breeze, sprinkling the earth with droplets of rain water that still clung to the leaves.

Above, the stars were sparkling like sequins against a black backdrop, surrounding a big, shiney white pearl; The moon. Pale beams of moonlight cascaded down to the ground, illuminating everything in a soft, glowing aura.

Crickets chirpped in a sleepy pattern all throughout the bushes, and small critters could be heard rustling around on the forest floor, foraging for food.

It might have been one of those perfect nights you hear about in country songs, if I hadn't been exhausted, freezing, and lost, aimlessly wandering around in my damp clothes.

My teeth chattered as I wrapped my arms around myself in a useless attempt to stay warm... I hated Alabama's bi-polar summer weather; Blazing hot during the day, and downright frigid at night.

As my stiff, numb legs struggled to keep plunking along, my mind began to tease me with thoughts of fire, and my cozy spot on the couch in the camper... Which I hoped still existed for me.

Pain radiated through every part of my body, from my head to my toes, and every inch in between. The sore, hot ache of the coyote bite tore at my nerves and caused a grimace with every step. With my luck, I probably had rabies...

"Aah..!" A strained gasp escaped my lips as a jolt shot through my brain, as if traveling from temple to temple in just a nanosecond.

I doubled back and leaned against a sturdy tree, my hands shooting to either side of my head as the throbbing, electric pain grew more intense. I felt a little scared as a rather large rock a few feet away from me began to quiver and rumble, responding to the immense, crushing pressure I could feel inside my mind.

I groaned in pain, catching a glimpse of that strange, unnatural electric blue glow before my eyes squeezed shut... It surrounded each of my hands, and was beginning to pulsate around the boulder that my telekinesis seemed to be targeting on its own.

This had been happening periodically ever since I had somehow busted through that thick wall of stone, making my escape from the underground cavern. Something inside my head was different, I could feel it... As if some sort of locked door had been unlocked and jarred open deep within my mind.

More telekinetic energy felt present in my body than ever before, tingling from my brain out into my fingertips, just begging to be tapped... But I didn't know how to get it under control... How to make it mine... And it terrified me. It made things like this happen, things I couldn't control...

My telekinesis had saved my life, but my problem was getting worse... It was progressing without me.

But now, as I stood with my back pinned to the tree bark, waiting for my mind to silence and loose its grip on the giant boulder, unsteadily waving about in the air, I knew my body was too exhausted to figure out a solution.

I could only pray that the rock didnt crush me when my mind decided to release it.

I endured a few seconds of the mind crushing pain before it abruptly halted, and the boulder was sent freefalling though the air, crashing to the forest floor.

My hands lowered from my head and my breaths came out in short bursts. My vision faded in and out, becoming fuzzy and splotchy.

I was done, so close to giving in and letting my body lose conciousness. Allowing the easy, peaceful death of freezing take the pain away from me...

Suddenly, Logan's face flashed into my mind. It was so vivid, it startled me back into alert-mode. There was no way he would leave me behind after just one night... He had to be out here looking for me. He had to...

I would do it for him. I would never stop looking... So I had to do it for myself. I couldn't stop searching, I had too much will to live.

I was going to make it.

I pushed myself off the tree trunk, feeling the strain in my over worked muscles. For some reason, I had a gut feeling about the line of trees about seven or eight feet away to my right. My heart was telling me to go there.

I stumbled almost the entire way, amazingly not falling once, and found myself on a path. And not just any path... THE path. The one that led to the campsite... I recognized a cluster of wild daisies Logan had pointed out to me a day or so before.

But I was so turned around, each way looked like it could be the right way...

Luckily, I didn't have to figure it out. To my left, I could hear hurried footsteps, rapidly making their way in my direction, accompanied by the glow of a flashlight peeping through the tiny gaps in the bushes around the corner.

My heart raced. I was frozen where I stood, unable to move.

Was it...?

"...Anabelle...?!"

It was.

I weakly lifted my arms to shield my eyes from the bright, intrusive light, wobbling back and forth. They instantly dropped back down once the switch clicked it off.

In the brief darkness after staring into the flashlight, I could hear Logan's footsteps rushing over to me.

"Ana, holy shit...!" His husky voice raced from his lips in a strange mix of panic and relief.

I tensed as his hands clasped my shoulders. They felt hot against my skin. I felt one of them reach to the hem of my wet, blood stained tank top, lifting it just enough to see the bite mark. I winced at the sensation of oxygen hitting the wound.

As the moon lit my vision again, I could see Logan furrow his brows at the punctures, and he muttered a swear under his breath before turning his eyes back to mine.

"L-Logan...?" My voice whimpered out helplessly, and even as dazed as I was, when I looked up I could see the definition in his face.

I felt a massive weight lift from my shoulders as I took in the masculine age lines around Logan's eyes and mouth, and above his furrowed brows. Even in the darkness, I could see his mysterious hazel orbs clearly, full of worry and concern.

I wanted to reach out and touch him, wrap my arms around his waist and never let go. Even if I had the nerve to do that, though, I wouldn't be able to. My arms and fingers were so stiff and numb, I could barely move them an inch.

"It's me, it's me..." He assured me quickly, his hands feeling my upper arms and then reaching up to cup my cheeks, being cautious of my busted lip. "Jesus, you're ice cold...!"

When he removed his hands from my shoulders and hastily yanked his backpack around to his front, my body began to tremble in a mixture of chill, stress, and strangely enough, a tiny bit of joy.

The trembling quickly grew into full on tremors racking my body as I realized I had just lived through something that 99.9% of people don't survive... I was incredibly lucky.

I still couldn't believe I actually found Logan. Here he was, standing in front of me pulling the plaid blanket from our picnic earlier that day from his backpack. He was here... I found him...or he found me.

Whatever the case, I just couldn't wrap my mind around it.

"Hey, it's okay," Logan's voice became hushed and gentle as he noticed the tears brimming in my exhausted, withered eyes, "It's okay now... I can't believe you're standing here."

A small sob escaped my lips, triggering a series of three more that racked my ribcage. Logan draped the blanket over my shoulders and wrapped it tightly around me. It felt heavenly, putting a fuzzy barrier between my body and the frigid chill of the air.

I was safe, but the pain wasn't gone; neither physical nor mental. The trauma that I had just endured was beginning to settle into my bones, and as much as I hated it, I was breaking down in front of Logan.

"I-... I almost..." My voice choked out as I stared up at Logan, cracking and wavering with the overwhelming emotions I was feeling.

Logan slowly reached his hands up, wiping away a few tears that had dripped onto my ice cold cheeks. My breathing began to hitch as my mind darted through all the horrible events mother nature had put me through.

It took me by surprise when Logan swiftly moved his hand from my cheek to the back of my neck, gently reeling me into his warm, toned body. My heart thumped as his other arm looped around my shoulders, pressing me close to him. As shocked as I was, I still couldn't quite control my breathing, or the water works streaming down my face.

"I almost...-" My soft voice involuntarily escaped from my throat again, raising up an octive as I tried to complete my sentence, but my vocal chords wouldn't let me.

And neither would Logan. After reaching up once more to dry my tears, he gently placed his thumb over my lips and stopped my words.

"Shhh... I gotcha," He hushed my tearful, shaking whimpers as he ran a soothing hand up and down my back, "I'm right here, you're safe now. Everything's okay..."

He then scooped me up into his strong arms, and I felt protected as I nestled into his chest, enjoying the intense body heat he was giving off. "Let's get you home."

The sound of Logan's words speaking quietly into my ear comforted me as I let my head rest against his shoulder, taking long, steady breaths... Home. I had a home with him.

Nothing had ever made me feel warmer inside. Nothing had ever sounded and felt so right to me.

My sobs eventually shrank down to small sniffles, and the rhythmic rocking of Logan's footsteps as he effortlessly carried me through the trees began to lull me into drowzyness. I blinked hard every time my eyelids fluttered shut, trying to stay awake.

"I had a dream about you..." I whispered into Logan's neck as he walked, taking in the familier scent of his cologne that had been faded with the day.

"Oh, yea...?" He quietly mumbled back. His scruffy chin brushed against my forehead as he spoke, giving me goosebumps.

My eyes were closed, but it sounded like he was smirking. I weakly nodded my head.

"You were in a field of flowers..." I continued to mumble, "Under a willow tree... You said you were looking for me."

"Doesn't really sound like my scene," Logan replied as he walked along, keeping a sturdy grip on me, "But maybe that was one of those premonition dreams, 'cause I was looking for you. All night."

I suddenly heard a door creak open, feeling a rush of warm air cover me like a blanket... It felt amazing. I could hear hollow floorboards creaking under Logan's boots, and the overwhelming aroma of coffee and cigars smacked me in the face.

We were definately back at the camper, which was a blissful feeling all on its own. I was safe with my best and only friend, after a night of pure agony. I was home.

"Think you can muster up the strength to change into some dry clothes?" Logan quietly asked me as he set me down on the couch, and I opened my eyes.

Just that short amount of time that Logan had been carrying me had recharged my battery to about 4%, so I looked up to him and nodded.

"Mhm..." I hummed weakly, "I think so."

He then yanked my duffel bag out from beside the couch, effortlessly lifting it with two fingers as if it were filled with feathers or cottonballs. He set it down on the cushion beside me, unzipped it, then strolled into the kitchen, running the water in the sink and reaching up to grab a glass out of the cabinet.

I was so exhausted that I didn't look very hard through my clothes. I just snatched the first pair of underwear I saw; a lacey white thong, and same with the mismatched bra; a coral pink push up.

For my clothes, I grabbed a baggy black long sleave and a pair of gray drawstring sweatpants that hung low on my hips.

My legs were wobbly as I stood up, and I felt pretty light headed, but somehow I managed to stagger my way into the bathroom and shut myself inside. I held my hand hesitantly over the light switch, dreading flipping it. I knew my reflection would look like a scene out of a horror movie.

For a split second I considered just changing in the dark, but that wasn't a good idea. In the weak, wobbly state I was in, I could just imagine my feet getting caught in my pants, causing me to trip and fall into the shower curtain or the toilet, and I didn't need that happening.

So, I bit the bullet and turned the light on, staring straight into the mirror, instead of trying to avoid it like my original plan.

I instantly regretted it. The girl in my reflection barely even looked like me.

My ponytail was still sort of in tact, but it had drooped down toward my neck. There were bumps and stray hairs jutting out all over my head, and everything looked stiff and matted, like one big tangle. I was too tired to even begin to deal with it.

I stared myself in the eyes, observing the sunken in look they had, not to mention the dark circles under them that stood out like sore thumbs against my pale, drained cheeks. All my make up was washed away, and the right side of my bottom lip looked a little swollen and bruised. There were scratches and small bruises all over my arms and legs, which I hoped would fade within the next two or three days.

Finally, my eyes dropped down to my clothes... The black denim pants were ripped up in a few more places now, but still wearable... After a wash to rid them of the caked on dirt and blood, of course. Maybe a few washes...

The tank top, on the other hand, was ruined. It was stretched out, ripped up, and stained brownish-red at the bottom corner, where it somewhat shielded my wound. It wasn't too much of a loss, though. It wasn't really my style.

I couldn't believe Logan had seen me like this...

I sighed, cringing as I lifted my arms over my head, taking the trashed tank top with them. The skin around the bite mark stretched, stinging as the dried blood crackled over the punctures. I gritted my teeth, mentally cursing that god damn coyote for the millionth time tonight.

I avoided looking at it in the mirror, already knowing it wasn't pretty. I changed my clothes as quickly as I could, then flipped the light switch and made my way back out into the living space.

Logan sat on a stool in front of the couch, which was drapped in towels. On the small table next to the digital clock, which read 12:37 AM, the white first aide box was popped open.

"You all right?" He asked me as he turned and looked at me, giving me a quick once over with his eyes. I gave a small nod of my head, and then he reached out and gave the couch a pat. "C'mere. I'm gonna fix up that nasty bite mark."

I eyed the materials laid out on the small table before reluctantly padding back over to the couch and taking a seat.

"That doesn't sound fun..." I grumbled as I glanced at the small bottle of rubbing alcohol in Logan's hand.

"Well, it probably won't be." He replied honestly as he used his free hand to place on my shoulder and guide me onto my back, "But if I don't do it, you'll get an infection, and your problem'll be way worse."

I sighed as I watched Logan soak a cottonball with the clear, strong smelling liquid, wringing some of the excess back into the bottle.

I knew he was right, but still didn't make me feel any better about it.

When he reached out and gingerly lifted the hem of my shirt above the wound, exposing my stomach, my cheeks burned in a deep blush as his fingertips unintentionally grazed my skin. I averted my gaze from him, hoping he wouldn't notice my change in color.

"All right, now hold still," Logan quietly instructed me as he paused, cottonball raised, "This is gonna sting."

I nodded and scrunched up my face as I awaited the cold sting of the alcohol, which came quickly. My body's anticipation caused me to flinch away as a reflex the moment the cottonball grazed my skin.

I yelped at the burning sensation, and that was just from a tiny drop of alcohol. I really wasn't looking forward to more...

But I knew I had to toughen up. So I quietly apologized to Logan, who patiently waited while I relaxed my muscles and gave him a nod, the go-ahead to try again.

This time, when he dabbed the cottonball over the deep punctures in my side, I didn't flinch or pull away... No matter how much I wanted to.

Instead I just clenched my jaw, whimpering at the intense burning sensation. It felt like someone had set fire to my skin, or soaked it in battery acid.

"I know it hurts," Logan muttered sympathetically, "That little bastard got you good.."

He finished up with the rubbing alcohol, setting that aside for the moment, and reached for a roll of gauze in its place. He unraveled a small square, ripped it off with his teeth, and gently pressed it over the set of canine teeth marks. He topped it off with a large square bandaid, sealing the staryl gauze underneath. Wow, that was fast...

"Okay," Logan grunted as he reached for the rubbing alocohol soaked cottonball again, "Flip. We're halfway done."

I groaned inwardly as I slowly rolled onto my side, facing the back of the couch. I absent mindedly ran my hand over the neat and tidy bandage, squeezing my eyes shut and awaiting the cool sting for the second time around.

I cursed this time when I felt Logan brush the wet cottonball against my injured flesh. It burned intensely for a few seconds before Logan's hands pressed a sheet of gauze and a bandage over the area.

"There." Logan mumbled softly, tugging my shirt back down over my midriff. "All done."

I let out a tense exhale as I gingerly rolled over to my other side, facing him. The small lamp on the table next to the couch illuminated the cozy living space of the camper in a dull orange light. The corners in the kitchenette and by the door were still a little dark and fuzzy, though... The glow didn't quite extend that far.

Ignoring the lingering, sterile burning sensation underneath the bandages, I stared up at Logan as he began placing the first aide items back inside the kit. I nuzzled my head into my pillow with the old floral pillow case, feeling my stomach twist into knots as I studied the toned muscles in his arms and shoulders while he leaned over to place the white box in the drawer.

He glanced back down to me a lot quicker than I expected him to, catching me staring. A deep, bashful blush crept up from my neck, spreading to my cheeks and ears as Logan raised an eyebrow at me.

"What...?" He asked me, his voice so soft and husky that I could barely hear it.

It sent shivers up my spine, and an overwhelming tingling feeling spread from the pit of my stomach, down to my toes. For some reason, I just couldn't look away from him.

"Nothing..." I whispered back, sheepishness showing in my eye and voice, "I'm sorry... I'm just tired, I guess..."

Logan nodded and stood up, grabbing my folded up red blanket off the end of the couch. With a quick flick of his wrist, he had it unfolded and neatly draped over my body. The next thing I knew, he reached over to the lamp. The switch on the lamp made a soft 'click' as he shut it off, leaving the room in sudden darkness.

I closed my eyes, snuggling into the couch.

"Get some sleep, kiddo." Logan's tired voice told me as he trailed toward the small ladder that led to his loft, "You had a hell of a night... Wake me up if that bite starts bothering you, okay?"

"Mhm..." I murmured back, already half asleep. "...Logan?"

"Yea?"

"Thanks..."

"Don't mention it, Ana... I'm glad I got you back."

xxx
To Be Continued