Blood of the Rainbow (27 page)

“Well, if you won’t make love to me, then I want you to talk to me. I want you to tell me all about why you are the way you are.”

“Honey, I doubt it would make a lot of sense to you right now. It might even frighten you. Can’t we talk about something else?”

“What then?” Sara pouted. Right now, talk was the last thing she wanted to do. The way she felt, she could only imagine how it would feel to make love with Jared, but she couldn’t, he didn’t want her.
No wait - he said he did want me… but…. Oh God.
Sara was getting confused.

There was a rap on the door, so loud it sounded like thunder. Sara closed her eyes for a few seconds, and there they were. All hovering over her. Looking at her as if she were the main course. Sara started to scream and struggle against the headboard. “Get away from me! You’re all vampires! I don’t want to be changed! Get away!”

“
Here you go Jared.
”

“
Thanks Mother. As you can see, Sara is not exactly herself right now. Please don’t blame her for anything she says or does. She doesn’t mean it. It’s the drug.
”

The female vampire reached out to touch Sara’s hand and Sara scrambled off the bed, cowering in the corner, curled up in a tiny ball.

“
Maybe you better go Mother. Thanks for the coffee.
”

“
Jared, I wouldn’t dream of holding anything against Sara. I know this is not her. If there’s anything I can do to help.
”

“
Actually, there is. You can call Myra and tell her I need to talk to her at her earliest convenience.
”

“
You don’t think your sister….
”

“
No! But I’m hoping she can shed a little light on how this happened.
”

The female vampire looked at Sara as she left the room. The man walked toward her, reaching out with his arms. “
It’s all right, Sara. She’s gone. You’re safe.
”

“You’re a vampire too – stay away from me!”

Jared inched closer to Sara, talking in soothing tones. “Sara, I’m
not
a vampire. Honey look at me. Listen to the sound of my voice. It’s me, Jared. I love you. Please, don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”

“You are?” Sara asked dubiously.

“Yes, Sweetheart. I’m here to make all the monsters stay away.” Jared inched a little closer, going down on his knees, so his eyes were at Sara’s level. “Please, don’t be afraid of me. Take my hand, Sara. Will you take my hand?”

The voice sounded like Jared, but the face was still different. Then Sara’s mind went back to what he’d said in the car. “
Remember, it’s not real. It’s all an illusion. You’re safe.
”

“All right, if you promise to keep the other vampires away from me and you don’t try to bite me.” Sara slowly and cautiously placed her hand in his. He lifted her to her feet and led her back to bed. Sara lay down, and Jared lay down beside her, holding her in his arms.

“There, it’s all right. You just don’t worry about anything but getting better and remember, time is still moving for the rest of us, even you, whether you feel it or not. It’s quarter past three now. Myra will be home soon.”

The image of Myra’s face came flooding back to Sara. For some reason, she saw the tiny creases in the corner of her eyes, the radiating color rods in her iris. Myra was too young to have wrinkles, so Sara assumed they were smile lines. “I remembered the melodic sound of her voice and the unusual way she had of singing slightly out of tune.”

“Slightly?” Jared laughed. “The last time I heard Myra sing - and that was too soon – it sounded like two cats fighting in a sack.”

“Yes, I know. Don’t you think it’s unusual?”

Jared laughed out loud. “Unusual is one way of putting it. Torment is a better description.”

Sara looked out the window, and drifted as though she was floating. She reached out to touch the leaves on the trees, but there was nothing but thin air. “Oh my God, Jared. I’m dying. I can’t feel the leaves,” Sara cried.

“Sara, you’re not dying. You can’t feel the leaves because you’re nowhere near them. It just seems that way.”

“Oh,” she said, seeming to accept his explanation. Sara kept staring out the window at all the different colors of the leaves, trees and bark. She could see a tiny ladybug crawling on the edge of a limb. Sara slapped at it because it looked as if it were going to crawl on her nose. It tickled. Sara could feel its tiny scratchy legs.

“What’s wrong now, Sara? What do you see? Why are you slapping at your nose?”

“Because, there’s a lady bug on this limb,” she said, reaching just beyond herself. “It’s crawling across my nose.”

Jared walked over and gently rubbed the end of her nose. “There’s nothing there Sara. It’s half past three now Honey. Can you feel it changing? Time is still passing. You should start to feel better any time. Are you feeling thirsty, hungry, or sleepy? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“I think I could use a trip to the bathroom.”

“All right,” he said, putting his arm around her waist, and helping her to her feet. He led her in the bathroom, and stood there, waiting.

Sara raised an eyebrow at him. “Um, you can, ah - there are some things I can handle on my own regardless of how stupid I may sound.”

“Oh, I just thought - I’ll be right outside the door here if you get scared, just call me, and I’ll be there.”

Sara heard the door shut. She finished doing her business, and reached to flush the commode. All of a sudden, the swirling waters in the bottom changed into a snake with massive fangs, and bright crimson eyes. It jumped out at Sara, and she screamed. “Jared! Jared! It’s a snake! The commode is a snake, and it’s trying to bite my butt! Help!”

It seemed to take Jared ages to get in the room and then his arms were around her, holding her. “Oh God Sara. When I find out who did this to you, I’m going to kill him! My poor baby, I’m so sorry this is happening to you. Just keep remembering, it’s three thirty now. Time is still moving forward and so are you. You’re going to be over this in a few hours. I love you Baby. Just remember that and hang in there.”

Jared led her back to the bed and lay beside her, cuddling her in his arms. “Do me a favor. Lay your head on my shoulder. Close your eyes and I’ll sing for you. Would you like that?”

“Yes, very much, but kiss me first, please? Kiss me like a lover, as if you want me. I want to taste your desire for me.”

Jared looked her in the eyes for a while, glancing from one eye to the other, studying her. “I do want you,” he whispered and lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers. His kiss slow and sensual, long and lingering. With the full length of his body pressed against hers, it was easy for Sara to feel his desire for her, his kiss was changing, deepening and growing with hunger. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathless. “I do desire you, Sara. I desire you more than life.”

“I love you Jared,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder and inhaling his masculine scent. She could see his essence as it penetrated every cell in her body. His soul, melding with hers in eternal bliss.

Jared started singing. His voice was so clear and beautiful. It sounded like a cold mountain stream. Sara could taste him on her tongue - the coolness quenching the fire in her soul.

Sara looked up into his eyes. They were filled with love. “You do love me, don’t you?” she said, smiling at him.

Jared smiled back. “Yes, I do.”

The effects of the drug were starting to fade. Sara was thinking a little clearer now, and at least the room had stopped spinning. “Have you ever sung for anybody else?”

“No, Sara,” he said, tucking some loose hairs behind her ear.

“Can I ask you another question?”

Jared smiled. “What do you want to know?”

“You said you were in love with Eve. How come you never sang to her like you do me?”

“Because, I had strong
feelings
for Eve. I don’t think I was ever
in
love with her. I
know
I’m in love with you. I would do anything for you. I would give you anything, within my power to give you.”

“I don’t feel so good.”

“How? What’s wrong?”

“I’m so tired and sleepy, but I’m afraid to sleep.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid when I wake up you won’t be here.”

“Sara, I am not going anywhere. I will lay right here beside you and hold you. Close your eyes and sleep, if you’re sleepy. You’ve been through a traumatic ordeal. You have a right to feel tired and sleepy.”

“But I’m afraid the monsters will come back. I’m afraid I’ll be alone.”

Jared turned her face till their eyes met. “Listen to me… I will
not
leave you… I will not let
anything
harm you. I will stay here and chase all your monsters and all your fears away. So close your eyes and sleep.”

“Will you sing to me again?”

Jared didn’t say anything. He smiled, and started singing again. Tears filled Sara’s eyes. She’d never been loved like this before. It was almost as if his love was tangible. As if she could feel it being pulled into her lungs with each breath she took, fire and ice.

------------

Sara soon drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of his voice, and the constant beating of his heart, the most precious sounds she knew. The sound that meant safety and security to her, but only in the waking world. His arms couldn’t protect her in the land of dreams. A land full of uncertainty and scary monsters.

Sara’s sleep was restless. Her dreams were bizarre, filled with old men, totem poles of red-eyed wolves, coming to life, and chasing her across the desert, in an endless night, as hot as Hell. Sweat was dripping down her temples. Sara’s hair was damp and matted, plastered to her face and neck, and filled with all kinds of dried weeds, thorns and sand. The only visible light was that of the full moon.

There was snow on the ground. The air felt as if it were coming off a bonfire.
Snow on the ground with blazing hot air? That’s not possible! I must still be hallucinating.

Sara was white-hot. Not from a physical fire, but a fire around, and deep inside her. Each labored breath she took scorched her lungs. They hurt. Sara wanted water. She was so thirsty from the hot air parching her mouth and throat.

There was water, always water in sight, but no matter how fast she ran, or how close she came, Sara couldn’t even touch it with the tips of her fingers. And the strange wooden wolves were closing in on her. Sara could feel their hot breath on the back of her neck as she fell, desperately reaching for the water.

Sara tried to scream. She knew if she screamed for help, Jared would come and save her, but she couldn’t make a sound. This was it. She was going to die, devoured by animated symbols of wolves from a totem pole. They crept closer. Baring their sharp splintery teeth. Flames licking their wooden grins as though they had been soaked in gasoline, but it didn’t burn them. They should have been burnt to a cinder!

Sara felt its teeth grab her by the neck, searing into her flesh as one of them started to shake her. Shaking the life from her. Sara drew in one last breath trying to scream. As the sound left her mouth, it was swallowed up by a fierce howl from across the desert. The sound was so loud and fierce it made every bone in Sara’s body ring. Her attacker turned her loose, and cowered several steps back, its head lowered in submission. The other wooden wolves followed suit, slowly backing away.

Out of nowhere, a real white wolf appeared and stood in front of her, eyes burning with fire. Sara didn’t know what to expect. The white wolf whined, licked her face, and turned to face her attackers. Sara felt safe with him in front of her, but she feared for his life. He couldn’t fight all of them alone.

Sara started trying to scream out again. Then she heard something – a faint, familiar voice – hope – her salvation.

“
Sara! Wake up! Sara, you’re having a nightmare – wake up!
”

The voice shouted to her from afar across the burning sands, and the white wolf vanished. Sara didn’t want to open her eyes for fear the wooden wolves would be there.

“
Sara – Honey, you’ve got to wake up. Open your eyes; you’re dreaming Sweetheart
.”

Sara knew the voice, but she was still reluctant to open her eyes, even though she was awake now. “No!” she shouted. “He left me, and they’ll be back if I open my eyes. They’ll be there!”

“Sara, there are no wolves here. You’re safe, Honey, open your eyes and see that it’s just me – Jared.”

Sara flicked her lashes and slowly opened her eyes. She didn’t know who or where she was. In her confused and disoriented mind, the monsters in her dream were real. One of them with long, black tousled hair and glowing eyes was inches from her face. It reached out for her, and she screamed, scrambling back against the head of the bed again.

“Stay away from me!” she cried. “You’re not real! Wolves aren’t made of wood! You’re just a dream - wood burns!” Sara started crying and hugging her pillow in front of her as a shield.

“Sara! Angel! It’s me – Jared! It’s all right. You’re safe,” he said, his arms open, reaching for her.

Sara pulled away – eyes wide with fear. “Don’t you dare touch me! Stay away!” she warned.  She stared at Jared, disbelieving, still trying to sort out her chaotic mind. All she wanted to do was get away. She pushed her back even further against the headboard, desperately trying to put more distance between them. Sara clenched her hands and charged at Jared, slamming her fists against his chest.

Jared grabbed her wrists, holding her in his iron grip. Blood started to ooze from Sara’s hands at the tips of her long fingernails.

Jared’s eyes glossed. He fought a wave of bitter tears. “You’re dead you bastard!” he mused. “If I ever find out who you are - you’re
fucking
dead!”

Jared shook Sara more violently this time. “Sara! Honey! Please! Calm down – you’re safe! Whatever is trying to hurt you is gone – you’re awake! Please!” He frantically tried to reach her, but it was useless; Sara was beyond reason, locked somewhere in a world between, separated from reality and screaming at the top of her lungs. Sara started having a seizure.