The doctor must have felt my eyes burn into the rectangular box, because he lifts it slightly and says, "This is safe and clinically tried medication, don't worry"
His gaze shifts to the old man as he says, "It is a revolutionary drug that was recently launched by NP to specifically cure cholera and cholera-like diseases.", he smiles barely, "Isn't that amazing?"
The old man nods in agreement
I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but his smile somehow really makes me bristle as if he were hiding something sinister behind it.
But I still can't deny the fact that his actions speak otherwise, he did save the old man's life and that is a fact, isn't it?
I sigh relieved, "Thank you doc for doing the right thing, this area was too secluded for me to find any hope of help within a few minutes"
He stands up slowly, "Uh...yes, I was actually passing by and, unfortunately or rather fortunately, my car broke down and I heard the retching"
My lips part in understanding, "Oh, so that was what happened"
"Yes, and thankfully, I always keep a pouch of emergency medication and supplies, and you know how the cholera is contracting at unimaginable scale", he quips
I nod in agreement though I had no idea about cholera being this.....deadly in this world
"....And yeah, Vibracil is a miracle by a miracle company "
My brows furrow in confusion, "Vibracil?"
He holds out the blue pills and the rectangular box grinning, "This drug—that was just used..."
"Oh. Right", I half-smile
Weird. There was no mention of that drug in the book as far as my memory fetched . And neither do I remember Cholera to be a stark issue in the novel world? Am I even in the same novel anymore?
My gaze shifts back on him. He looks at me expectantly.
I stare back
He giggles, "How did you stumble upon here, young lady?"
"Oh...that. Yeah, I was just washing off bloodstains from my hand nearby and—"
His eyes widen, I then realise how bad that sounded out loud, though that was definitely not the case.
"Uh....I meant that there was blood....because earlier I witnessed an accident and then forgot to wash it in the ..uh...hospital and.."
He chuckles, "I get it young lady", his eyes meets mine, they darken, "Bloodstains don't come off as easily, do they?"
My breath hitches. The dark clouds eclipse the moonlight.
Just as I'm about to open my mouth
"Genny?!", a shriek rings out in the background
Aiden
His voice echoes through the darkness on my left, my head instinctively turns in that direction.
"I need to go", I say quickly without making eye contact
The doctor sighs, "Sure. It was a pleasure meeting you...Miss Genny"
I smile, tight-lipped, "It's Genevieve Laurent."
***
I'm walking, no— running, okay maybe sprinting?
The godforsaken sky was nothing but a black blob of nothingness through its vast expanse. The gale whips at my hair as I chary forward.
Is this some weird foreshadowing of the author of this world? Is something bad gonna happen?
No, that can't be it, at least half of the book was pure fluff, right? It was just pretty words and no substance, then why does the atmosphere feel ten degrees cooler?
Ugh, why can't I remember anything?
Crunch! Crash! Bump!
"Ouch",I breath out
The moon is now completely foreshadowed by big black clouds and my foot doesn't seem to cooperate either. Now, they're just leading me in directions I don't recognise.
This was just supposed to a tiny little park, with a thousand twigs, stones and thorns apparently. But still a tiny little park .I'm lost. At 2 a.m.
My vision darkens rapidly,
I can't even see the little annoying weeds in the grass that always managed to trip me over.
Oh Shit, Did Genny have night blindness?
Oh gods I have night blindness. Great
CRUNCH!
I freeze. That was not me. Someone...that was not me has stepped on a very crunchy twig
"Aiden?, Is that you?", I yelp voice cracking slightly, "I'm here!, I can't see"
Heavy footsteps draw closer toward me.
Could that be Aiden?. I'm relieved.
Please let it be Aiden. I'm petrified.
The footsteps pound against the fragile grass and gravel spotted rough dirt path. The slight cedar wood scent snakes around me, its whiff hiking my pulse.
I don't remember Aiden having a masculine scent, I don't remember him having any scent for that matter....
Run, Genny run!
I take a sharp turn and sprint in the opposite direction. But of course because
Luck is a fickle bitch
I bump headfirst into a thick vicious little bark of an ancient menacing tree probably trying to obliterate my existence into heaven...or hell and—
I trip backwards
"Woah—!", a slightly high pitched very familiar and definitely surprised voice blares as I, with all the grace of a helpless damsel fall backward right into the stranger's arms.
He wraps both of his arms around my waist to steady me, but it was too late
I loose my balance in the heat of the moment and the next thing I know—momentum sends us sprawling right to the unforgiving hard ground beneath us.
How humbling
If I close my eyes hard enough and set logic aside, It actually feels like I'm flying, that is, until.....we land on the ground with a muffled, quite painful thud
Painful, for him...not for me. For I, fell on him, not on the ground. Needless to say the familiar stranger makes for a kinda soft human pillow.
But looks like he didn't reciprocate as I hear him groaning in pain, unable to move with the weight of me over him.
I guess being on top has its advantages
I take advantage of the moment and graze my hands over him under the pretence of regaining my composure to check for weapons, sharp objects or anything lethal. I find nothing.
Thank gods
With an awkward chuckle, I finally scramble away from the stranger to sit upright.
He finally stops groaning and speaks in a low hoarse whisper, "Who knew little kittens turn blind in the dark?"
All the short lived relief is annihilated. My hands turn cold.
I know that voice...
It belonged to a certain smug little bastard I'm specifically not fond of
Lucien Ashford