I Need You Tonight, Attn: Jackie

[aimee leena d'ambrosio]

Panting. Screaming, the sounds of some horrible crime happening as a heart began beating thunderously, so thunderously she could swear it was echoing off of the dimly lit stairwell as her foot collided against the stairs. Aimee gasped for breath that was barely coming as she tried to will her body to move one step closer. She was almost there, she was almost home but she was so very tired. As her body swayed Aimee let out a pitiful whimper, clutching tightly at the tarnished handrail of the stairwell her knuckles losing all colour as she strained to keep herself upright. Oh God! All that ran through her mind as she struggled to make every breath come to pass as her sweat covered brow furrowed, the delicate arches of her painstakingly sculpted eyebrows quivered, was the thought that she may die. Right here in the stairwell alone and isolated just like she had spent most of her life. She knew it wouldn’t matter. She could scream and beg for help but the chances that she’d actually have enough strength now to make it audible to the point that someone caring enough would actually hear her was unlikely.

With all the effort Aimee could muster she finally made it up onto the landing of the floor she lived on, her only friend in the world could help her. Aimee just had to fight a few more feet to get to the door. Straining to keep upright, Aimee’s legs finally gave out beneath her as her sweat drenched feet slipped on the smooth hardwood flooring of the hallway. Clawing at the floor, trying to inch herself closer to the doorway Aimee got a quick glimpse of her watch, just enough to catch the time as her vision went in and out of focus. It was nearly midnight now. Aimee knew that Jackie would be home but… Would she be awake? Pushing up onto her elbows Aimee’s face contorted into a pained expression as she tried to drag her legs back beneath her torso, trying to get some form of leverage as she could feel her hands and feet slipping. She was so weak… So drenched in sweat and… Blood. Aimee sobbed silently as she looked down and saw the blood running down her left arm. Oh God help her! She was still bleeding. She had been attacked almost an hour ago and blood was still pouring from the wound like it was recently inflicted.

Collapsing back down against the hardwood flooring with a loud, audible thunk, Aimee gave a pitiful whimper. Pleading in her mind for mercy, for strength… She did not know what to believe anymore but now… She just didn’t want to die in a hallway alone.

Two hours prior Aimee had been walking home from the quaint little bookstore nestled down low in the French Quarter of the city she had called her home since she arrived here at the tender age of twelve. The job was a good one for the timid and fear filled girl. All she did was ring up the occasional customer when the owner was preoccupied, restock the shelves and the best part about the job were the books… Oh how she loved to just get lost in books.

Shortly after leaving the shop and starting the long walk back home for another quiet and uninteresting evening Aimee had spied a large crowd outside one of the bars that littered the more urban areas of New Orleans. Mardi Gras had came and went in the past month but still lingered on the rowdy and adventurous college students. The girl had stopped dead in her tracks as she clutched tightly at the collection of books in her arms as her breathing quickened and her vision narrowed, focusing solely on the group before her and then darting back to the large building in the background; the Dakota Apartments. Her home. Aimee trembled, visibly, right there on the sidewalk as she quickly turned around and fumbled to open her handbag, searching for those tiny white pills that kept her level when she was beginning to break. It felt like hours as she finally brushed across the bottle, clutching at it tightly only to bring it out into the open and scrambling to get two of the unassuming pills past her quivering and panting lips. Swallowing hard Aimee started off in the wrong direction, not wanting to wait for the pills to take affect and opting for a different, quieter route back home. Oh what foolish choices are made when fear takes over the mind.

Large hazel eyes snapped open as she glanced around the dim hallway, searching for where she was. She was standing. How in the name of the almighty was she standing? The last thing she remembered…. Aimee’s eyes closed as she fought to remember what had happened. The flash of large white teeth, the sharp stinging in her shoulder as she remembered falling to the ground, the pain shooting throughout her body as… as… NO! It couldn’t be real, that couldn’t be what happened. She was bitten? It… it was all that made sense in the woman’s mind as she stood there, slumped against the peeling wallpaper of the wall as she parted her heavy lids, blinking the sweat away from her eyes and gazing upon the door to her apartment. Oh she was so close… Home was just a few steps away now.

Colliding against the door as Aimee blinked, her large hazel eyes rolling in their sockets as the shock of the impact rattled through her already confused brain. What had happened? Her ragged breath rolled off the wooden door before her, heating and rolling across her sweat drenched neck and face. Tilting her gaze up higher Aimee saw the number on the door… It was her home. Oh thank God! Pushing against the door harder, Aimee whined and fought to force the door open but it wouldn’t budge. Her keys! Where were her keys? Scrambling to rummage through the handbag that still loosely hung off her right arm, Aimee panted and winced as she leaned against the door with the full weight of her body onto her wounded left shoulder. What had bitten her? It looked like some sort of animal… Maybe a dog. But it had been far too big to be some stray animal. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind as her heavy lids started to close down over the glossed over hazel eyes once more Aimee fought to remain conscious, she was so close she couldn’t give up now…

“Ja-Jackie…” Why was she calling Jackie’s name? Glancing around Aimee looked around the small living space of their shared apartment. How had she… It didn’t matter. Stumbling forward Aimee collided against the bookshelf leading towards both of their rooms. “Jackie!” Finally a loud cry of anguish and need. But that was it… It was all the girl had left in her as she crumbled to the ground, her legs finally giving out for good as she lay on her back staring up at the blank ceiling of her apartment. Tears came again as her right hand found and gripped tightly at her left shoulder, she needed to apply pressure, that’s what all those medical books she had read said right? Apply pressure and… And… Aimee began sobbing, loud anguished cries out of fear and desperate pleading with the diety she believed in. She couldn’t die, she was just getting better. It was all she could think of she looked down across her body, the blood had soaked clean through the deep forest green of her blouse, making it turn some hideous shade of brown. The girl choked and sobbed one last time as she managed to force her friends name past her lips one last time, hoping to rouse the girl from her slumber. “JACKIE!”

[jacqueline ranae harker]

Jacqueline’s sleep was sporadically fitful. She often had trouble losing herself in the blessed oblivion of slumber. The only way she could even fall asleep was to turn all the lights off, stuff a cloth under the door to keep any wayward beams of hall-light from creeping in, and put on one of her favorite classical albums. The ones she liked to play, when trying to drift off, were usually the busiest, most chaotic and frequently changing of rhapsodies. It was the only way that she could ward off the disturbing thoughts that tended to creep through her mind when she was left alone with nothing to keep her company but the memories contained in the darkest recesses of her mind. If she did manage to fall into unconsciousness with those thoughts plaguing her, it was inevitable that she would have heart-breaking, blood-freezing night terrors that would have her waking, not long after, in a fit of sobs as she struggled to untangle herself from her sweat-drenched sheets.

Tonight, however, despite the glorious crescendo of the Bach she was playing, her slumber was haunted, not by fear, but by loneliness. As she often did, she found herself in the throes of one of her most clichéd dreams. One that she both hoped for and dreaded, because the dream was so sweet when she was caught up in it, but, as soon as she woke, it became a bitter reminder of just how lonely she was. Even so, as she slumbered there, peacefully, a faint smile caused the corners of her mouth to twitch upward as her dark lashes fluttered over pale, high-cut cheekbones.

She stood, garmented in a flowing red gown, out on some extravagant veranda of a beautiful rendezvous spot, gazing out at a picturesque cityscape that was illuminated by the beatific city lights of some foreign city. Behind her stood a figure. She couldn’t turn to look at it, couldn’t see its face. She never could. But, for some reason, that didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She felt safe, and warm, loved and wanted. It was a wonderful, sweet feeling. One that the little girl who had been abandoned at the Montegomery School for Girls had always longed for, but had never truly experienced. The figure wrapped loving arms around her waist and nuzzled into the long, tumbling cascade of messy brown curls that were swept up in some invisible breeze. For once, they weren’t bound back in a tight bun. Her glasses, which she had worn for so long that they had practically become part of her self-identity, were missing. But that didn’t matter. Truly, she only needed them to read.

”Play for me.” whispered the voice of the glorious, beloved figure in a tone that made Jacqueline’s heart skip a beat before soaring. She couldn’t tell whether it was male, or female… it wasn’t that kind of dream. All she knew was that she loved the owner of it, and wanted to stay cradled safely in these arms forever. But it had made a request of her, and she could think of nothing better than to fufill the wish it had issued. With a smile, and bearing none of her usual unease in social situations, Jacqueline turned and raised her face expectantly. Here, one might have expected to behold the face of their companion, were this real life. But it was a dream, and so it didn’t strike her as odd or unusual or even alarming that she could still discern no physical features. Even so, the figure caressed the hollow of her throat with a tender thumb, and brushed its lips across hers before leading her gently inside of the lavish room that they seemed to be sharing.

And there, in the corner, was a beautiful, extravagant grand piano. It was the kind of piano that she had played that night, the night that her father had stopped loving her. For a moment, Jacqueline hesitated, caught in doubt. But the figure placed a hand to the small of her back and pressed soft lips against her ear. ”It’s okay, love. I’m here. Nobody will ever hurt you like that again. I love you, and I will never leave you.” She shivered a little, her heart aching with desire and longing to lose herself in that voice. Instead, she slowly detached herself and moved forward, seating herself at the bench of the piano, almost timidly. Her heart thundered in her chest. Slowly, with hands that shook, she raised her fingers to the keys and delicately stroked the ivory, tickling the notes out. They came, joyously, like dear friends that had been neglected for so long. The music filtered out, smooth as silk, quietly at first before gaining in volume, filling the confines of the room and drifting out into the city. A soft, gentle glow began to pulse from her hands as they moved agilely across the keys. The light spread up her arms, across her torso. Wherever skin was exposed by her elegant gown, the incandescence radiated.

Fearful, but not able to stop playing, Jacqueline glanced over at the figure. Though she could not see its face, she could feel its emotions. And what she felt was nothing but acceptance, adoration… no fear or horror, no condemnation. With a peaceful sigh, Jacqueline returned her hazel eyes to the keys, lashes fluttering as she began to sway, slightly, losing herself in the melody and the bliss of the moment. She wanted only for this instant to last forever…

”Ja-Jackie!.... Jackie!.... JACKIE!”

With a moan, Jacqueline buried her face in her pillow, trying to cling to the beautiful image of love and music that she had been so gloriously immersed in. But something was trying to draw her out of it. What was it? A voice… a familiar voice, at that and it sounded… afraid? Why was it afraid? How could it be afraid with such sweet music drifting through the air? Except, when Jackie finally opened her sleep-glazed eyes, there was no music, her CD had reached its end and, since she had apparently forgot to set it on repeat, it had gone quiet. Frowning, her brows drawing together as she sat up, slowly, disoriented, to look around, Jackie fought to catch her bearings. There was an ominous, dark tone on the air. She could practically hear it, ringing just beneath the layer of thin silence that permeated her pitch black room. She heard a thump outside of her room and felt her heart give a heavy beat of alarm in response. What…

Aimee.

Had something happened to Aimee? Concern, worry, fear for her dearest- her only- friend overtook her. Throwing off her comforter, Jacqueline stumbled gracelessly from her bed and groped in the dark for her robe, drawing it over her bare body and tying it as best she could as she groped her way across the clean floor and flipped the light-switch. The sudden light in the room hurt her eyes, which confused her, for a moment, because her bedroom lighting was about to need a new bulb as it had been burning dimly the past couple of weeks. It took her a second before she realized that the brightness was coming from her, pulsing from her skin as if she were some sort of bipedal firefly. As it always did, the sight filled her with disdain and fear. It took a second of concentration for her to quell it, snuffing out the light and willing her skin to appear… human and normal.

”Dammit.” she muttered to herself, checking quickly in the mirror to make sure that she had stopped radiating light. The sight of herself, without her glasses and without her typical bun, was a little disconcerting. She could never quite get used to the way she looked when she was… unbound. But she didn’t have time to draw her hair up or find her glasses… not when Aimee needed her.

All of this transpired within a matter of a few seconds. Her sleep-hazy mind was able, it seemed, to work quickly nonetheless, though her groggy thoughts were far from intellectually sharp. Even so, she turned and darted for her door, throwing it open and hurrying out into the hallway, snatching up the bat she kept on hand just in case something or someone was attacking her friend and their home. Creeping out into the living room, holding her weapon aloft, ready to attack if the need arose. But, when she came into the living area, and her wide hazel eyes fell upon the prone figure of the girl with whom she lived, Jackie felt her heart sink even as the bat fell from her now-limp hands. ”Mother of God…” she whispered the benediction without any real conviction. Jacqueline wasn’t even sure she believed in god, least of all the Judeo-Christian version. Even so, she had to send out some kind of prayer to whatever deity might be listening… so horrible and frightening was the sight that awaited her.

Without a second thought, she moved forward and fell to her knees, taking her friend in her arms, carefully, and delicately peeling the fabric of her blouse away from her shoulder as she nudged Aimee’s hand aside so that she could see the gaping, gruesome wound. It had to be new… Aimee had been in one piece when she had left that morning… what had attacked her so ferociously? And how had it become infected so quickly? She could tell that it was infected because of the harsh, red color of the skin around it… and the heat that seemed to radiate from it. ”Shh,” Jackie whispered, pressing her lips to her best friend’s forehead in an attempt to comfort her as the other girl trembled in her arms. ”Aimee,” she whispered, her heart aching, ”Wh-what… who… how did this happen? We need to get you to a hospital.”

[aimee leena d'ambrosio]

It felt like an eternity. Lying there on the floor as her wounded shoulder still bled, slower now than it had been over the past few hours, but she could still feel the warm heat washing over her skin every few heartbeats. Aimee panted, trying futilely to choke back the sobs as she waited and prayed that Jackie had heard her over the music she always played at night. Writhing in pain along the floor as her body contorted and sweat began to pour off of her at a near alarming rate. It felt like every inch of her body was on fire, the intense heat just consuming her, growing more and more with every beat of her fragile and now overworked heart as if it were stoking an invisible fire that had engulfed her entire small form. Porcelain white teeth ground against one another as she tried to muster up the strength to sit up only to fall back to the ground with a faint whimper, pleading for help from the God that she believed in so faithfully and without waver. But now… How could God have let this happen to her, how could the all-powerful being just leave her on the ground, wounded and alone. It wasn’t fair.

Shifting her body, head tilting backwards to look up at the door to Jacqueline’s bedroom Aimee groaned in pain as her back arched, a sharp piercing feeling overwhelming her senses as it felt like someone was injecting something straight into her spine. Oh God! What had bitten her? What sort of animal could have it been to have this affect, what sort of horrible disease ridden beast had tackled the small brunette girl to the ground only to sink its teeth into her shoulder before darting off into the distance. Aimee snapped her eyes shut, trying to recall something, anything she might have seen to give some clue as to why the creature had just stopped attacking her and ran off. But she couldn’t think of anything. It had all happened so fast. The only thing she was certain of was that… something had come up behind her and forced her to the ground with such force she was amazed that none of her bones felt broken, only to sink its teeth into her shoulder and then leave…

What was the reason for this? Wide hazel eyes darted around the apartment, searching for something, and in a moment she had it in her gaze. The small crucifix above the door frame to her own bedroom. It was plain and unassuming, the only thing she had taken with her when she had left for the private, all girl, school where she had met Jacqueline all those years ago. Snapping her eyes shut, her face contorted into a half sobbing, half agonized expression as she tried to come up with some reason why the God she prayed to every single night would have let this happen.

Just as Aimee had given up searching for an answer she heard it. The sound of the heavy metal bat that Jackie had insisted upon keeping inside of the house to where both girls could reach it easily should someone try to break in, colliding with the bare hardwood flooring of their apartment’s living space. Aimee opened her eyes, lids heavy and the rings just beneath her eyes which usually held a normal colouring were dark as if she had not slept for several days in a row. Her large hazel orbs found Jackie, her form upside down from the angle which Aimee laid along the floor. She wept. Finally! Someone had come to help her! How long had she been climbing the stairs banging on random doors and pleading for help when none had came before? How could people be so… So… Unwilling to help someone in need? But that did not matter anymore. Looking up to Jackie as she had quickly ran over, placing the most delicate of kisses along Aimee’s forehead. When Aimee had felt the full soft lips of her friend’s touch her skin gently a soothing affect overcame her mind, she closed her eyes and small smile replaced the agonized ‘O’ shaped gape that her mouth had previous resembled.

”Wh-what… who… how did this happen?”

Being reminded by her friend’s horror stricken face and the daunting question plaguing her mind brought Aimee back to reality. Turning her head and looking down to her shoulder, the uncovered wound looking even more grotesque than she had imagined, caused Aimee to sob aloud. Her small angular face contorting again into a pained expression as she wept up to her friend, tears once again returning to her eyes as the realization that she may not live past this set in once more. “I-I d-don’t know! S-some animal j-just bit me” It was all the girl could do to get the words out in between sobs of anguished horror that had suddenly overcome her once again. Her right arm raised sluggishly as she tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes before the muscles in her limb protested so strongly by just going limp. Her arm fell as she sobbed even louder.

“ We need to get you to a hospital.”

A new horror swept across her face as Aimee sat up, half propped up along her right arm and half slumped into Jackie’s lap, not caring how much she damage she caused herself as Aimee just kept repeating the same word again and again. “NO! No, no, no, no, NO!” Aimee practically screamed herself hoarse as she fixated her wide hazel eyes, pupils fully dilated, on the still open door of their apartment as the memories of what happened those several years ago when she was still a child flooded into her mind, coupled along with them came the events that were still searing in the back of her mind. She couldn’t leave. She wouldn’t. Not outside, never again. This just further cemented the irrational fear she had of the outside world in her mind as a reality.

Gasping and pleading as she pushed back against Jackie, trying to get as far away as she could from the large open door before her that was the gateway to the world she had feared so completely. Turning her face back to Jacqueline, tears now streaming down her face from both the fear of what may happen to her this very night and the fear of being dragged out into the world that she feared so entirely. “Please Jackie! Please I-I… Can’t. Don’t take me back out there… Don’t… Don’t…” Aimee’s voice grew more and more faint with each word she spoke as her eyes drooped closed and she had succumbed to the fatigue and strain that was now overwhelming her small body until she was gone completely taken into an unconscious state.

[jacqueline ranae harker]

Jacqueline was surprised, not by her best friend’s reluctance to leave the apartment and go to a hospital, but by the strength of her denial. She looked half-dead, ready to keel over from her injury. Her creamy, alabaster skin seemed to glisten under the dim light of the living room, and, when Jackie pressed her lips to Aimee’s temple, her skin was clammy and hot… alarmingly hot. How had a wound like this, gruesome though it was, gotten so bad so fast? It couldn’t possibly have gone septic so quickly… it didn’t seem possible. Her heart ached for her friend and she yearned to merely wave her hand and make it better. If she was cursed with some freakish, preternatural, inhuman power, why couldn’t it at least be a useful one, like healing injury or soothing hurts? No, she just freaking glowed like some strange, colossal firefly. What good was she to anyone?

”Alright,” she said, unable to deny anything to the tearful, pleading face that looked back at her, completely ashen and drained of all color. Looking down at her hands, she could see them shaking, trembling so violently that the motion was almost a blur. Her heart beat sporadically in her chest, which seemed to tighten uncomfortably, threatening to crush her from the inside out. But she couldn’t deny Aimee, she never had been able to. ”Alright, love, we won’t go anywhere, I promise. It’ll just be you and me… we’ll stay right here.” Her voice sounded, to her, like it was coming from somewhere else, reaching her through a thick haze, so heavily was her blood pounding in her veins. Her throat was dry and, after a moment, she realized what it was she felt. Sheer, unbridled terror. What if Aimee died? What if she went into a coma? What if she never woke up?

Nevertheless, Jackie was relieved when her friend’s eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. At least, this way, she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about the tears which suddenly trailed hot streaks down Jacqueline’s cheeks. It was unbearable, the thought of losing Aimee. For years, ever since that one night they had bonded back at school, Aimee had been her only true friend, the only person she could trust and count on. The only person who wouldn’t leave her- or, so Jackie hoped, though she’d never been able to tell her friend about her… oddity, for fear that it might drive her away. Now, though, that was the farthest thing from her mind. As Aimee slipped away into unconsciousness, Jacqueline held her tight, burying her face in Aimee’s good shoulder for a moment, and simply cried, clutching at her friend as though she were the only life-raft keeping her afloat in a tossing, wind-swept ocean. ”You can’t leave me,” she whispered, knowing that Aimee couldn’t hear her, ”Please, I need you.. . I don’t want to be alone.”

It felt like an eternity later that Jacqueline shifted, stretching her tingling, aching legs and wriggling out from under Aimee’s prone, slender form. After a moment, she decided that there was no way she would be able to move her to one of the bedrooms. No, they were about the same size and Jacqueline knew she was far from muscular. She was a book-worm, not an athlete. Instead, she hurried about the house, gathering blankets, sheets, towels, and some supplies with which to clean the wound. She found herself whispering, murmuring softly to her friend, relaying stories of their life at college, things they had done together, and memories they had shared… as if she could hold Aimee there by sheer force of will. As she spoke, she found herself calming down enough to cut her friend’s blouse away from her body, carefully removing the fabric and throwing it away before she wetted a cloth with peroxide and dabbed at the wound. There was so much blood, dark blood, but as she wiped it away, Jacqueline was shocked to see that the wound, itself, didn’t look unclean. Sure, the flesh was ravaged and torn… but it almost looked like it was… healing.

Telling herself it was wishful thinking, Jacqueline set about to making her friend as comfortable as possible. She shifted, and moved, gently lifted and nudged, until Aimee was carefully and tenderly cradled in a nest of pillows and blankets, her shoulder bandaged cleanly. Jackie decided not to redress her, in case she needed to change the bandage later and instead made sure that Aimee was securely covered so that she wouldn’t catch a chill. Then, still shaking with nerves and unable to even consider the thought of sleep, she stumbled, like a blind woman, into the kitchen. After a brief argument with the coffee pot, she managed to set a pot to brew. She cleaned, then, scrubbed and polished, tidied and straightened. She began in the kitchen and, when it was spotless, she moved out into the living room. She never strayed far from the little pallet she had made for her friend. By the time she was done, the entire apartment was immaculate. So, not knowing what else to do, she made herself a cup of coffee and curled up next to her friend on the floor, her back propped against the couch. Opening a book that both of them enjoyed atop her knees, Jacqueline began to read aloud, the thought of Aimee being able to hear the story comforting to her. It was the only thing keeping her from hysterical panic.

And so she waited. She watched. For hours into the night, she moved only to tend to her friend, only to get more coffee, or retrieve another book. But, any time she left the room, she always hurried back, afraid that Aimee’s eyes might open and she wouldn’t be there for it. Outside, the darkness of the night faded as the sun rose. Jacqueline barely noticed. She managed to rouse herself enough to call the library and inform them that she would not be in today, but then she was right back to her role of diligent nurse. As the sunlight then faded, hours later, Jacqueline began to nod. Try as she might, her eyes would not stay open. Her limbs felt numb and heavy. With a reluctant, defiant whine, she shook herself awake enough to crawl under the covers next to her friend. Heart aching to hear Aimee’s voice once again, for the assurance that her friend was coming back to her, Jacqueline wriggled close to the other girl, carefully wrapping around her warm body, and drifted off to sleep.

[aimee leena d'ambrosio]

Throughout the rest of the night and day that Jackie had fretted and watched over Aimee so carefully the young woman did not rise from her deep slumber once. Not a single time did a mummer pass her large full lips, nor did her eyes part to reveal the deep hazel colouring of her iris. No the woman was lost in her slumber, gone to the world around her physical body as her subconscious took free reign and dragged her down into dreams. Aimee had always loved to dream, keeping a small notebook dedicated to just recording of her dreams, it was her one and only escape from the fear that plagued her waking mind every time she set foot outside of the walls of her apartment. But never in her life, of all the countless mornings spent scribbling down every detail she could remember of her dreams did she have one so vivid, so clear and lucid as the dreams she had now.

Running. She was running across an open field, the grass between her toes tickling her sensitive feet free of callouses from the lack of exercise and long amounts of walking. She felt so… So free and alive. More so than she had ever felt before in her life. Panting hard the girl finally collapsed in the field, the tall grass enveloping her like a thick blanket as she inhaled deeply, the sweet smell of the rain that would soon be washing over the plain filled her senses as she grinned wide and outstretched her limbs. It felt like every blade of grass was lifting her up from the earthy soil as a giggle escaped her lips and she clambered to her hands and knees, crawling like an infant through the thick and lush forest of grass that seemed only to be getting taller before her very eyes.

Tilting her head into the air Aimee inhaled deeply. The world around her came alive in a sense of vibrant odor and colour. She could smell… everything. The grass that was enveloping her, the birds chirping off in the distance, singing their songs to court the most willing female. She could even smell the dirt beneath her feet. Casting her wide almond eyed gaze down Aimee looked upon her hands, no longer resembling those of human but more of a canine. Thick pads had replaced the fleshy undersides of her smooth palms, thick and dark claws jutting up from where her nails had once been as a thick dark fur soon replaced the pale skin that had once covered her entire body. She was a wolf now… So free and unconfined by the fear that had kept her from really living for all these years now… It was amazing.

Aimee ran. She sprinted forward with a newfound strength and stamina that flooded her veins, adrenaline coursing as she powered on to her destination. Where was she going? The girl turned wolf in this vivid and fantastic world had no idea. All she knew was that it was calling to her. Begging her to come closer, to do… Something that she could not describe.

Harsh rays of light beat down upon Aimee’s tender face. Colour now fully returned as she squinted her eyes and shifted sluggishly beneath the blankets that almost a day ago now Jacqueline had placed upon her. Opening her eyes Aimee’s senses were assaulted by the morning sun shining through the creases in the blinds of the only window they had in the living room of their apartment. Squinting and making a noise that sounded half like a whine and groan, Aimee sat up. Pushing the covers away from her body as she looked around. Why was she on the floor? What had happened? Closing her eyes again, her right hand reaching up to the bridge of her nose to wipe away the sleep from her eyes as Aimee’s left arm extended itself, stretching to her full length. That was when she felt it. The thick patch of moist cloth covering her left shoulder. Turning her gaze Aimee’s eyes parted slowly, the thick white bandage across her shoulder with a small red stain seeping through to the top. It was then that the memories flooded her mind. The assault she had somehow escaped, the searing pain in her shoulder and the long trek home. Looking around hastily Aimee parted her lips to cry out for Jacqueline, her only friend, but just as the first syllable of her friend’s name fell from her lips she felt the warm body brush along her thigh. Taking in the sight of Jackie curled up beside of her Aimee smiled. Her friend had stayed up all night just to take care of her…

Suddenly Aimee was overcome with a dull ache coursing through her abdomen as a loud groan erupted from her stomach. Looking down onto her bare belly Aimee’s eyes turned down with shock at the noise that had just came from her stomach. Sure her stomach had growled in protest before for food, but never like the noise that had just so suddenly came. Casting her gaze back to Jackie’s face, Aimee hoped the noise had not disturbed her friend. Delicately Aimee had crawled from beneath the covers and across the small pallet of pillows and blankets her friend seemed to have made for her the night before. Giving a finale shake of her leg to free of herself of one last constricting blanket Aimee rose to her feet and padded as quietly as she could around Jacqueline’s form and slipped into the bathroom just beyond her friend’s bedroom door. Glancing around the bathroom, quickly she pulled her toothbrush from its case as she reached out and turned the knob along the back of the sink to begin the delicate flow of water.

There in silence Aimee brushed her teeth, spending an obscene amount of time along the six in the front that she so compulsively brushed and scrubbed at. Though she rarely smiled at anyone other than Jacqueline, Aimee could not stand the thought of having the teeth that she so presented to the world to be anything other than perfect… Even if she did not smile. Rinsing her mouth out completely to rid herself of the fluoride taste that always accompanied the brushing of teeth, Aimee stopped and stared in the mirror at her shoulder. Jacqueline had bandaged it so well. She could have sworn an actual nurse had applied the tight, but not constricting, bandage and gauze to keep her wounded shoulder from becoming infected from the open air.

Delicately, almost afraid to remove the bandage to see what had become of her wound, Aimee peeled away the layers of the bandage. Shock soon came over the girl’s pale face as she removed the moist bandage, it was wet with blood still but… Her wound was almost gone. Healed as if by a miracle. Aimee had never gotten a clear look at the bleeding wound on her shoulder but just by the amount of blood and pain she had been in, the girl was sure it would have taken months to heal properly… If not longer due to her fear of going anywhere she did not absolutely have too. But all that remained of the torn flesh was a few tiny scratches. It was a miracle. Aimee turned her gaze back to Jacqueline’s sleeping form still outside of the bathroom in the hallway, her expression changed from shock to a content smile. Aimee knew Jacqueline did not fully believe in the presence of some higher being… But Aimee knew what it was. A miracle.

Grabbing her robe from the hanger along the back of the bathroom door and covering her pale skin with the thick fabric, Aimee padded once again delicately to the kitchen, darting back to look at Jackie’s sleeping face every so often to make sure that her rummaging for something to eat did not disturb her friend.

Pulling open the door to the refrigerator Aimee’s sense of smell was assaulted by the overwhelming odors emanating from within. She covered her nose and resisted the urge to vomit. It smelled… Like something had died inside of their refrigerator. Taking a step back, small hand still clamped down tightly over her nose Aimee looked along the food that still… Smelled appetizing. She inhaled slowly and almost succumbed to vomiting again. “What went bad?” The woman asked herself absently as she took a delicate step forward and pulled the carton of eggs from its place along one of the shelves. Her stomach again growled in protest for sustenance as she pursed her full lips and shushed at her belly. Never before had she felt this overwhelming desire to eat before. But now, it was as if she had not eaten for days. Taking a glance over at the calendar, Aimee’s eyes widened in shock. It was almost two days since she had stumbled home, hurt and wounded. She had been asleep for a whole day and night. No wonder she was so hungry. Furrowing her delicate brow, Aimee poked and prodded through the refrigerator with one hand still clamped over her nose until she had everything she desired to eat.

In almost no time at all, Aimee had made enough food to feed a large house full of people. A dozen eggs, some scrambled and some fried, a full loaf of bread worth of toast all a haze of golden brown, a dozen or so strips of bacon and even some sausage links cooked. Taking a seat down at the table Aimee looked across at the buffet she had made for herself as she began pilling eggs, sausage and bacon onto her plate. It all smelled… Delicious.

Raising the first fork full of egg to her lips, Aimee took the fluffy bite of egg into her mouth and it felt like her senses were aflame. Making a distinct and low sound of pleasure from that first bite Aimee did not even bother to finish chewing it before she was already reaching for a strip of bacon, biting at it hurriedly and almost savagely until her tiny mouth was full. Swallowing hard, the large bulge in her throat being forced down Aimee gave a groan of pleasure as she began again, not wasting any time to eat as she unceremoniously shoveled food into her mouth.

[jacqueline ranae harker]

The last time she had slept, Jacqueline had been graced by beautiful, tender dreams of love and acceptance. This time, however, she was not so lucky. Plagued with worry for her friend and dearest companion, struggling to deny herself the slumber her body so urgently demanded, when she finally succumbed, Jacqueline found herself trapped in the throes of darkness, unpleasantness, condemnation. The only thing that kept any of it at bay was the subconscious knowledge that Aimee was nearby. Aimee would protect her from the nocturnal monsters, the lurkers who hid int he shadows and the boogieman hiding under her bed. But, when the other girl woke and rose from the makeshift pallet that Jackie had prepared, her shield against all of it shattered and the terrors of the night descended over the petite figure who coiled into a ball and moaned into the pillow beneath her head.

As Aimee fed her sudden, ravenous appetite in the kitchen, Jackie writhed beneath the blankets, whimpering in denial and fear, pleading for mercy from the shadowed figures that reached for her with latex-gloved hands. They were wearing the same suits of the men that had come and taken her mother away, so many years ago. Jacqueline feared, whenever she saw a black van, that it was those same men, coming to collect her to and lock her away in some dim, windowless cell so that they could experiment on her, find out what was wrong with her... what made her so abnormal. Jackie's legs moved, as if she could flee. But she never could, they were always there, always lurking behind a corner or int he shadows, ready to throw a net over her if she let her guard down.

As she slept, as she dreamed frightening dreams, her body responded in defense, as it always had, by tapping into that central part of her core that unleashed what it was that caused her so much turmoil. Her body began to glisten, slightly, under the light of the living room. At first, it was just a glittering response of the light reflecting off of the beads of cold sweat that were forming on her brow, shoulders, and chest. But, as she struggled to fight her way free of the grasping, groping throes of her night terror, the shimmer became something different. Her skin began to pulse, slightly, radiating incandescently and pulsing in time to the beating of her rapid heart, illuminating the space around her more than the dim glow of the overhead light bulb could ever accomplish on its own. "Mom... momma... don't leave... papa... please don't leave me..." she gave a soft, helpless sob, reaching out with grasping fingers, as though she could pull her parents back into her arms. But they were not there. Nobody was.

Finally, as her dream reached a terrifying crescendo, Jackie arched violently beneath the blankets and gave a hoarse, fearful cry of horror and hopeless desolation. For just an instant, no longer than it took to blink an eye, her body gave a bright, blinding pulse of incandescence, filling the entire room with its light before it dissipated completely as the girl beneath the covers jerked awake, roused by the sound of her own cry. Hazel eyes opened wide, glazed and wild, she bolted into a sitting position and looked around in a panic. For a moment, all she could see was bland cell-walls and bars, chains and prodding instruments. But before she even took her first breath, all of that faded away to become the safe, familiar confines of her own apartment.

Panting softly, struggling to catch her breath, Jacqueline's focus immediately fell to the space beside her that had been abandoned by the girl who had seemed deathly injured just hours before. Alarm welled up inside her when she found herself alone. So caught up was she in her concern that, at first, she didn't notice the delectable aromas wafting out from their kitchen. Perplexed and bewildered, Jacqueline scrambled from beneath the covers, making a face and tugging at the thin satin of her night clothes, which stuck to her sweat-damp body annoyingly. Pushing her long brown hair away from her face, Jackie stood there, blinking, trying to clear her mind of the sleepy haze that cling closely around her thoughts like a thick fog. She looked back down at the pallet on the floor, using one foot to kick back the comforter so that she could see the sheets and towels she had used to protect the carpet. Her brows furrowed, drawing together and creating a crease between her eyes. There was no blood... no sign of the injured girl that had been laying there just... how long ago?

The clock on the nearby wall ticked a steady beat, The hands pointed in directions they hadn't been pointing when she'd first laid down... hours. So many hours had passed... where had Aimee gone? Her Aimee... Jackie's still sleepy mind, clouded even more by the worry welling within her and the sorrow left behind in the aftermath of her nightmare, was not functioning as sharply as it might normally have. Hopelessness welled up inside of her, a sense of sorrow and loss... abandonment. She wrapped her arms around herself in a weak attempt at self-comfort. Her lower lip trembled imperceptibly before she bit down on it and forced herself to take a full, deep breath into her lungs, filling her delicate nostrils with the scent of... bacon?

The thought was so astounding that it snapped her out of her rapidly degenerating thoughts, allowing her to shove her psychological turmoil into the back of her mind, where she usually kept it firmly caged save in moments of vulnerability. Feeling very much as though she was missing some vital piece to the odd puzzle of where her gravely wounded friend had gone, and who was cooking breakfast in their kitchen, Jacqueline padded lightly across the living room and into the kitchen.... where she found Aimee seemingly trying to eat enough to feed five grown men. She stopped in her tracks and made a soft sound of protest as her brain worked to figure out just what had happened... she didn't like that she couldn't come up with any logical answer.

"What... how... You were... And..." the series of broken words fell from her lips as she motioned to her friend, back toward the living room where they had been sleeping. But she simply couldn't figure out which question was more important. What are you doing... how are you not still wounded... why are you so hungry... they were all there in the forefront of her mind. But, as she decided, quickly, that she was simply not awake enough yet to handle what was happening, she slumped against the door frame and pushed a flustered hand through her thick dark locks. "Are you okay?" There, simple, to the point, and by far the most important of inquiries she had.

[aimee leena d'ambrosio]

Sitting there at the table Aimee ate and ate, forcing mouthful after mouthful of food down her throat as her stomach filled but still she felt this distinct craving that no matter how much food she pushed past her lips that would not go away. The high pitch sound of silverware clinking against the cheap stoneware plates her and Jackie had used since they first moved into the apartment together years ago filling the apartment every so often. Almost as soon as Aimee had begun eating her fill of the small buffet she had made for herself did she hear her friend making the familiar whining and pleading sounds in her sleep. This was nothing strange to Aimee, for years Jacqueline had masked the sounds of her night terrors from Aimee, but she knew… it always hurt Aimee to know that her friend was hiding something so tragic that she could not get past it even now that the two women were well into their adulthood. But then again Aimee was no better.

Stopping, her fork just inches above the plate with a small piece of fried egg dropping from the prongs, Aimee delved back into her own memories of the event that made her fear the outside world ever since she was a child. The memory flashed before her eyes as if she was watching it as one would a movie, the sound of the glass breaking as her mother and father screamed out echoed through her mind as she could feel her pulse beginning to race. Aimee’s chest rose and fell at an increased pace as her eyes went wide and she so vividly saw the event that made her scared to even step a single foot outside of her childhood home. The fork fell from her now limp fingers, as her eyes began watering, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She had wasted so much of her life being afraid, so many opportunities missed simply because she was too frightened to even stop and ask someone the time.

The clanking of the fork crashing down upon the plate shook Aimee from her memories and thoughts. Silent tears streamed down the woman’s rounded cheeks as she looked down at the fork laying in the pile of food still amassed on her plate. It was a silly thing to cry over but looking down at her fork now covered with bits of egg and bacon finally broke the wall as tears began streaming down her face. Aimee reached out with a shaky had to the glass of orange juice just before her plate, clutching at the glass as if it were the only thing keeping her from breaking down completely. Raising the glass to her lips, straining just to keep it from shaking too much so as to not cover herself with the cold liquid, Aimee drank deeply from her glass, her throat bulging slightly with each swallow of the fluid. Her eyes closed as she tilted her head back, tears still forcing past her now tightly clutched eyes as the citrus in the fruity liquid began burning at the back of her throat. Pulling the now empty glass away from her mouth with a small panting breath escaping her lips Aimee looked down onto the food and stared at the fork. She could see her reflection in the handle of the now smudged and grease covered fork. Aimee thought herself pathetic as her delicate brow furrowed. Anger whelmed up inside of her chest as again her pulse began racing. With determination she reached forward, her hand still shaking, for the fork. It was a silent internal battle that had nothing to do with the fork itself as she clutched at the metal handle of the tool she had used for eating since she was a child. Aimee raised the fork to her mouth, the egg threatening to fall from the prongs as her hand still shook violently as she opened her mouth and placed the end of the fork past her lips and delicately onto her tongue. Aimee chewed angrily as if the bit of fried egg was the source of all her problems before swallowing hard. The egg hit the pit of her stomach and she felt something wash over her. A sense of accomplishment that was so out of place for just eating a piece of egg… Aimee felt like something deep inside of her had just snapped into place, something that was missing for a long time.

As she sat there smiling to herself, the sense of accomplishment washing over every inch of her mindscape, the loud ragged cry from her friend tore Aimee from the pleasant feeling she was having. She leaned sideways in her chair, fretting for Jackie’s safety, as the blinding pulse of incandescent light washed over her and Jackie’s small apartment. Aimee felt as if she went cross-eyed for a moment as all she could see was a wall of white light, her eyes widening as she glanced around, trying to see anything at all besides the wall of whiteness that felt as if it was enveloping her whole. Just as suddenly as it appeared the bright light faded away, leaving Aimee blinking in shock as she continued to glance around the apartment, studying everything that could have possibly been the source of light. Aimee blinked several times, trying to clear the spots from her eyes, as she studied both the light bulb in both the kitchen and the living area of the apartment. Shaking her head as her tangled mess of dark brown hair shook around her, Aimee squinted her eyes as she blinked again. ”What the hell…” Her voice trailed off softly as she glanced down at the still healing wound on her shoulder. Maybe she was still feverish and hallucinating? Nodding her head as if agreeing with her own thoughts, Aimee chalked it up to simply that. She was still feverish and seeing things. That’s what it had to have been.

Turning her eyes back down to the still mountainous plate of food in front of her, Aimee gave a soft smile as she closed her eyes and took another deep sniff at the food. Breakfast had never smelt so good. She could smell everything about the food, the salt she had added, the herbs she had used, the seasoning on the bacon and sausage, even the grease… Wasting no time Aimee went right back to swallowing mouthful after mouthful of food.

"What... how... You were... And..."

Jackie’s voice startled Aimee as she gave a bounce in her seat, fork hanging from her mouth as she stared up to her friend, hazel eyes wide. She looked Jacqueline up and down with quick darts of her eyes, almost as if sizing her own friend up as competition over the food that was before her. Realizing what she was doing Aimee quickly gave a swallow of the food in her mouth, not even remembering if it was eggs or bacon, plucking the fork from her mouth and continuing her wide eyed gaze up Jackie.

"Are you okay?"

Nodding vigorously to her friends question, Aimee plucked another piece of egg onto her fork and quickly placed it between her lips, chewing vigorously on the fluffy textured meat. Swallowing hard and offering Jackie a small smile Aimee again ate another bite of food, not even bothering to swallow before she began speaking. “I feel fine! I’m just soo hungry, I can’t explain it…” Trailing off as she swallowed again, the large bulged in her throat bobbing once again, before picking up a sausage link. “I think I might still have a fever though. Just a moment ago I saw this weird flash of light… Like blinding light and then it was gone. I don’t know though…” Looking up to her friend as Aimee began nibbling on the sausage link, as she motioned with her free hand for her friend to join her.