Kurayami chapter ten

Chapter ten- Venomous Teeth





I woke up with tears rolling down my cheeks, and a needle in my arm. My head throbbed as my vision cleared to see the white ceiling above me, taking me only seconds to realize that I was in the hospital. That was my mother, and her brother, my uncle, and I have at least two aunts. I thought as I became aware of another presence whose warm hand had been on mine. Turning my head, I expected to see Caleb, but instead it was Takeshi with what appeared to be a leaf in his hair. His eyes brightened at the sight of mine, as the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile, which seemed to make the room brighter from the sun outside the open window, but turned into a frown seconds later.
       "I thought I told you to be careful," he said looking away from me quickly.
       "I was, besides I'm not the one with the leaf in my hair," I promised as Takeshi's face went red as he pulled the leaf from his curly hair.
      "You didn't see that," he denied, making me smile as he sighed in defeat.
      "Ah, becoming a vampire, Sleeping Beauty?" He asked half-serious as I looked at him with a confused look on his face as he drew out his sword and showed me the reflection and I gasped.  Four of my teeth were pointed like a vampire's, and had a tint of purple in the roots.
      "Wh-what?" I stuttered as he put the sword away and gave me a reassuring grin.
      "Relax, Sleeping Beauty, once one becomes a dragon tamer, the tamer will gain one or more of the dragons powers and a slight appearance change that matches them. Looks like you were one of the lucky ones and received a snake dragon's speed and their venom very good combo if I do say so myself," Takeshi explained as I finally began to understand how I was running so fast.  
      "Wait, you're saying I could poison someone if I bite them?" I asked as I began to cough while Takeshi placed a hand on my forehead.
      "Looks like Sleeping Beauty is catching the plague," Takeshi announced, his voice lowering as he frowned.
      "Does the plague include the coughing up of blood?" I asked, panicked, as he nodded.
      "You're catching on, only Ratios get it and most don't survive.  But since you're only half Ratio, you'll recover in a few days.  It just won't feel like you will," Takeshi warned me as I nodded relieved.  Just as I was about to ask if there was anymore fainting spells I should be aware of, the door began to open and Takeshi was gone yet again.
      "Oh good you're awake," Doctor Heart smiled before her face went pale as she turned to the window. "I was sure this window was closed when I left," Doctor Heart said before closing it again, "Oh well, I must have been imagining things in all of the chaos," she decided as sat on the edge of my bed and began to examine me.
      "Temperture is still high, how do you feel?" She asked as the door opened yet again this time to reveal Caleb, who was as pale as a ghost.
      "Is Yukiko okay?" He asked immediately as Doctor Heart smiled and rolled her eyes.
      "I was just about to ask her that, Caleb," she said before returning her attention to me, expecting an answer.
      "Very weak and my chest feels heavy," I admitted as Doctor Heart nodded giving a serious frown as she shined a light in my eyes. "At least your eyes seem to be back to normal."
      "What do you mean? What was wrong with my eyes?" I asked panicked as Caleb and Doctor Heart looked at each other before he answered.
      "Your green eye turned completely blue, all of a sudden, it caught me off guard." Caleb said right before I began to cough again this time with spoonfuls of blood.
Both immediantly became concerned by this, as Doctor Heart pulled out her stephoscope and placed it on my left lung. "Breath deep for me," she ordered as I took as deep a breath as I could. With this complete she moved her stephoscope to my right lung and had me repeat the process. At this Caleb moved to my side and grasped my hand.
     "No blood in the lungs…" Doctor Heart thought aloud before I spoke up. "I think I'll be alright in a few days… Can I just go home please?" I begged as Doctor Heart looked up at Caleb then back at me.
     "I think our best move would be to monitor you for at least twenty-four hours, if you seem a little better tommorow I'll release you, but for now just get some rest." Doctor Heart decided as she stood up and left to go close the blinds. Just then, a female asian nurse in a teal outfit opened the door to the room and said in a near panicked voice.
     "Doctor Heart, someone has cut off the security camera's power and they are requsting a staff meeting right this instant," the nurse annouced as Doctor Heart shook her head. "I swear this day keeps getting more interesting." With this she left the room shutting the light off behind her.
     "I'm going to go call mom and dad, so no medical emergincies until I get back got it?" Caleb said as I nodded. He returned a smile and left the room as my eye lids began to droop. Obviously this plauge was going to take more out of me than I thought.

      My feet burned like fire. I longed to draw back, but the soft sand between my bare feet pulled me back like a magnet. A warm breeze lifted my hair, as a low tide crashed upon the rocks, filling the air with a salt moisture. Nothing could keep this smile off my face.
    "Isn't this great Nova?" I asked turning my head to my side as Nova gave a light nod.
    "It is," she said calmly as I tied my green jacket around my waist. "Come on lets get closer to the water." Nova said eagerly as she began pulling me, like a five year old child determined to get first place in line for the merry go round. Time seemed to fast forward somehow, because before I knew it, we were so close to the ocean that my feet were doused from their flames with the help of the ocean's salt. I looked back, there were no footprints behind us.
    Without warning I fell forward, then an angry wave crashed over my head, and pulled me into the ocean. I tried to fight my way up for air but the waves got stronger. My eyes opened, welcomed by a strong sting, and a water dragon with long blue fins, which were level to its eyes, circling around me.
Water dragons, as their names sugests, controled water. It turned invisble if in the water, and could travel in speeds up to three hundread miles per hour. Their most common attack is createing a wave that could pull their target in, then trapping them in a water prison. I kicked hard, it was like chains were holding me down. My lungs were ready to pop, my eye sight clouding, and I was dizzy.
    Its over…
    "Yukiko."

     My eyes shot open, sweat trickled down my face, making me shiver. The room around me was dark, soundless, and most of all lonely. I imeddiantly wished my parents were here, and that I had a glass of water. It was crazy to want water after having a dream that you were drowning, but none the less, my throat was begging for it.
     As my eyes adjusted, I made out the shadow of a figure who was standing over a sink, as the sound of running water filled the empty room. Then it stopped. The figure turned around, and walked forward until they were at my bedside, I coughed violently welcomed by blood, as a hand stroked the side of my head. I knew I should probably be scared, I mean someone was standing over me in the dark. But I wasn't afraid, perhaps it was because of the fact I couldn't think clearly, but I trusted this person.
     A gentle arm carefully sat me up, and supported me with ease. I began coughing again, unable to hold my own head up, I felt myself being gently pulled and leaned agianst something firm but had a soft surface. After five breathless seconds my coughing subsided and I managed to find the strength to lift my head again. Suddenly my prayers were answered, as a plastic rim of a cup touched my lips, with the promise of liquid. I lifted my arms and drank a third of the resturant sized cup, before I felt my strength begin to fail me and I had to put it down. The cup was carefully taken from me and set on the tray of the hosptial bed as my head fell again.
Before I could find strength to look up, another arm wrapped around my shoulders and embraced me gently. Unafraid I wrapped my arms around the man's stomach, and let my eyes close. We remained unmoved for countless seconds, his thumb gentlly rubbing the back of my head. Unwillingly, my arms slowly dropped from weakness, forcing my eyes open, as I was being guided down.
   "Get some rest Yukiko," a deep voice ordered as the blanket was brought up to my shoulders while I let my eyes close. "I love you…" He whispered. The man genlty kissed my cheek, then stroked my hair one last time.
   Then he disapeared.