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Chapter 9: Quicksilver

I felt a mental hiccup as began waking up in the hospital room. The time I had spent lying in the tent with Markus was all I could think about, the feeling of him breathing against me as he slept. I felt a kind of warmth inside of my chest, pulsing from my center to my extremities. The pulse spread out like a wave from a droplet of water hitting a still pond, carrying me back to my own world. My eyes fluttered open as my vision adjusted to accommodate my wakefulness.

" TITTY SPRINKLES."

I jumped. The voice had come from right next to the bed, unusually deep in its tonality. I looked over in shock to see Marissa crumpled over in silent laughter, the point of no return. I felt myself calming immediately, annoyance paving over my own surprise.

"Why, Marissa..."

"I couldn't help it, you just looked so peaceful." She snorted, a trait that she was often reprimanded for. She was laughing again, louder than before. She tended to carry herself on like this, laughing at herself and dragging people along with her.

"You looked like you were having a wonderful dream, so I figured I would bring you back to reality."

Marissa's laughter was infectious, and I felt myself smiling a little. Seeing her in such a good mood after what had happened yesterday outweighed my annoyance at her. I leaned back against the bed and sighed before speaking again.

"Hey, where is mom?" I asked, scanning the hospital room.

"She said she had to go to work." Marissa was calming down now, still grinning.

"Oh." I glanced at the clock, noting that it was now almost noon. "I guess the doctors told her good news then?"

"They still don't know what's wrong. Actually, they haven't found anything wrong. You're probably going to get an early release."

I exhaled a sigh of relief as I heard this. The faster I could get home, the faster I could start bringing some much needed supplies back to the other world, like clothing and silverware.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Marissa stood up and reached into her purse before pulling out a deck of cards and laying it next to me on the bed.

"I got you these today. I figured since I didn't have work, we could play speed or something." She laughed again. "I don't want you dying of boredom in here."

"Hilarious, Marissa. Dying of boredom in a hospital. Your wit almost compensates for your sense of humor." My smile betrayed my sarcasm as I took the pack of cards from her and she chuckled again, barely suppressing another snort. The cards were very similar to a basic bicycle card deck, with black borders and a dark purple pattern on the back.

"Thank you." I looked up and caught her eyes looking down at the floor, and as our eyes met I thought I saw something wrong with them. It was only there for a second before she was smiling again, but it was unusual enough to bother me. It was like a shade flitting about her iris, making her eyes seem tired.

"No problem, David. I'm just glad you're alright. I'll, uh... be right back." She turned quickly before heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind herself.

I wonder what's bothering her...

I looked down at the pack she had bought me, running my hand over it. They looked really nice, and I hoped that Marissa hadn't spent much on them. I opened them up and slid one of the jokers out, examining the back of it. The almost fluorescent back of the card was very unique, the violets exploding off of the card stock. I turned it over and examined the face.

The joker was a kind of abstract art depicting a heart being pierced with a scimitar. The heart seemed to be shaped with a ribbon that curled back again before fading into gray and shaping the scimitar. The artwork was interesting enough, and I had never seen any cards like these. In spite of the immediate rush of gratitude I felt for Marissa, I felt my mind almost immediately turning back to my night with Markus.

I closed my eyes as I remembered, letting my mind bring me back. I remembered the feeling of Markus' rough hand pads as he massaged my back, soft and gentle. I remembered the tone he spoke in, the feeling of his voice vibrating through his chest and into mine. I realized that somewhere else, I was laying there with him, embraced in a tent on an island. I wanted nothing more than to be with him at that moment, my heart aching with the memory of his touch. I felt the glowing return, the feeling of completion that I only felt when Markus was involved. I let my hand fall to my chest as I focused on this feeling, contemplating sleeping again just to be able to see him. It was at this point that I heard a noise ahead of me.

"David? What the hell!?"

I looked up at Marissa's voice, annoyed that she had once again interrupted my fantasies. I almost immediately felt my jaw drop as I looked ahead of me.

The card was floating almost a foot above my bed. As I had dropped my hand to my heart, it was as if it had just hung there, suspended from nothing. As I surveyed the card with wonder, I saw that just ahead of me Marissa was doing the same thing. Just as the gravity of what was happening began sinking in, the card fell onto my lap, as if it had been released by an invisible force. I looked down at the card lying next to the deck before looking up at Marissa, shocked. She looked pale, halfway out of the bathroom door.

"How... how did you do that?" Marissa's voice sounded strained.

"I...I don't..."

I felt myself at a loss for words, suddenly unsure about myself. Whatever had just happened had been because of me, I felt that much to be true. It had felt like a connection had been made, my consciousness becoming a conduit between my heart and mind. I looked down at the card again before picking it up and examining it, my heart fluttering.

"David." Marissa spoke up before entering the room and closing the door behind her.

"Was that a magic trick or something?"

I debated for a moment before speaking, not wanting to lie to my best friend.

"...sort of, but you just ruined it."

Marissa's eyes widened with excitement. She had a kind of obsession with magic tricks, especially the kinds that are difficult to figure out. I know that taking advantage of her penchant for mystery was wrong, but I had no alternative way to explain myself.

"Oh come on, you can still show me!"

I continued on, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I was setting it up, but you came out too soon."

Marissa made a playful 'baww' gesture. I laughed before continuing.

"I'll show you later, when you aren't expecting it."

She looked like she was going to argue at first, glaring at me. She sighed before sitting down and looking back up, smiling.

"Alright, but I better get to see it before I leave."

My mind was clouded with guilt and annoyance, pushing through the relief I had felt at having such a good excuse. Had that been what Pharris was talking about? I didn't know what to think anymore, my consciousness disturbed by how easily I had lied to Marissa. I distanced myself from my folly while replying to her.

"When are you leaving?"

She seemed to lighten up, her eyes relaxing. The shadow that I had seen before was gone, replaced with the casual wit I was used to seeing in her eyes.

"I don't have work again for a couple of days, so I was going to spend the night tonight."

"Marissa, you don't have to do that."

"Yes I do." She was laughing again.

"Whatever, but it's going to be boring..."

"I'll try to survive."

She was picking on my notorious aversion to boredom, my hatred of wasting time.

"Whatever, you won't be so excited after seven hours of intensive hospital card games."

She laughed again, her charisma buffing through my own confusion and annoyance. In spite of what had happened, I couldn't help but feel that today would be a good day.

?-?-?

We spent several hours playing card games before Marissa declared that she was starving. I was able to convince the doctor to allow me to walk to the cafeteria, seeing as they had found nothing wrong with me yet. I had been resigned to eating my own standard hospital meal, but Marissa insisted that she buy us both lunch to celebrate my health. I opted for the chicken tender basket, Marissa ordering a salad as we found ourselves a table to sit and eat at.

About halfway through our lunch, Marissa began a sudden interrogation.

"So, why haven't you told me anything about this Markus guy?"

I almost choked at the sudden topic change. I looked up to see Marissa eying me accusingly.

"Couldn't we talk about this later?"

"No, because I'm pissed off."

"Why? What is there to be pissed off about?"

Marissa made a big effort out of wiping her mouth and setting down her fork.

"Well, for one thing, you know to tell me when you meet someone. Also, you've been in the hospital for a couple days now, and he still hasn't visited. Surely he knows that you've been hospitalized?"

I swallowed before responding.

"He lives too far away to visit, and of course he knows. We talk every day."

Marissa responded quickly.

"Oh, so you're trying a long distance thing? I remember you saying that those kinds of relationships never work out."

"Well, this one will. He's..."

I stopped talking for a second while I thought back to my time with Markus. I felt a flutter inside of myself as I remembered the events of last night.

"He's the one. He's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Marissa's eyes got big before she responded.

"Wow, that look is new... Have you even met him?"

I scoffed.

"Of course I have, I could never feel this way about somebody I've never met!"

"Oh... sorry."

Marissa seemed taken aback, and I realized that I must have come across as angry to her.

"Stop, don't worry about it..." I was looking down again. "We have a strange relationship, so I never really brought it up."

A glance back up at Marissa revealed that she was back to her over-inquisitive self.

"So, what makes you think he's the one?"

I smiled as I remembered the taste of Markus' lips as he kissed me down at the beach. I remembered the feeling of his hand on my chest as we slept together in his house. I thought back to all of the moment's we had spent together, and I could feel my heart thundering in my chest.

"I can just tell. He's all I can think about most of the time."

Marissa's voice got lower as she leaned over the table to me.

"Have you guys... you know, done it?"

I felt myself flush scarlet.

"Why would you even care? Please don't bring that up again..."

Marissa became caught up in a whirlwind of laughter.

"You're not denying anything then? No, that face says enough..."

My face was flushed, and Marissa's own infectious laughter was about to pull me in. I quickly got up and tossed my trash away before turning and walking towards the exit.

"Are you coming?" I inquired distractedly, willing my face to cool. She was still laughing as she stood up and began working to catch up to me.

"You really can be a menace sometimes..." I said, smiling as she caught up and threw her arm over my shoulder.

"When we get back to your room, you're telling me everything that happened."

"Nope."

?-?-?

Several awkward conversations later, we had gotten to the point of our visit that Marissa was trying to find a place to sleep. She tried several chairs before moving three of them together and making a kind of makeshift bed to sleep on.

"You know, they're probably going to ask for those back."

"They're gonna have to fight me to get em."

Marissa had been in a surprisingly playful mood today, and I felt that she was trying really hard to hide something. It wasn't that she had given any obvious tip-offs or anything, but the feeling was there. It's something you can tell whenever you've been around someone for a long time.

It's funny because you're the one who's hiding something.

"Shut up..."

"What?"

Crap, not again...

"Sorry, not you. I thought out loud."

"You should really stop doing that. It'll make someone think you're crazy."

"You don't say..."

Marissa smiled before yawning.

"I see you're relentless questioning has tired you out." I remarked curtly.

"You're looking pretty tired yourself, considering you barely answered me."

I laughed.

"You ask too many personal questions."

As I was looking up at the ceiling, I suddenly felt compelled to ask Marissa about something.

"Hey... is anything wrong? At home or something?"

I heard shuffling and looked over at Marissa, her back now turned to me.

"No, nothing in particular. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." I had lied again, but only because I suspected that something was wrong with Marissa. She was trying too hard today, and her strange behavior had gotten to me a little. I thought back to the shadow I had seen in her eye and shuddered.

"I've been getting headaches lately, and having trouble sleeping. Everything's fine at home, though. I'm just really worried about you, David... you keep saying there's nothing wrong, but how could you know that?"

She rolled over and faced me.

"You could only have a few days to live, and I'd never know. I wouldn't be able to handle anything like that happening to you, David..."

Marissa sounded dejected, and I wondered if that was why she had acted so strangely all day.

"You don't have to worry about me, Marissa... I wish I could assure you somehow, but I can't. Just trust me."

I wanted to tell her about Markus' world so badly, but I knew that I couldn't. Even if she is my best friend, there was only so much information a person could handle at once.

"I trust you, but you'd better not let me down."

I smiled, looking back over at her. Her eyes were closed, although she looked rather uncomfortable in her makeshift bed.

"I won't. Good night, and sweet dreams."

"Night." Marissa sounded distant. I sighed before rolling onto my back.

My day had been a rush of activity since the incident with the card, and I hadn't had much time to think about it since it had happened. Thinking back now, it was incredibly strange how it had just hung there, forgotten. I suddenly remembered what Pharris had told me over by the pile of stones. Is this what she had meant by attention? But then what is the catalyst? I thought back to the event, what I had been thinking about. It had been my night with Markus, and the love I had felt for him. I had felt it so strongly in that moment that I could remember every detail about Markus In full clarity.

But then... If I have to use my love for Markus to activate my abilities... could it ever run out and disappear?

I began mentally pulling apart this concept as my body drifted off into sleep, my worries fading into nothing. I was only barely conscious when I felt something cold drop into my left hand and stay there.

?-?-?

I was waking up again, almost immediately. I felt a sudden tug against me as my world erupted into noise. I jumped up as I heard Markus yelling beside me, his roars echoing inside of the small tent.

"Markus?"

"David, step back! Someone's in here!" Blindly, I jumped up and moved over to where I had heard Markus' voice. Suddenly, a third voice was in the tent with us, adding to the confusion.

"David?" The voice sounded both familiar and strange. I suddenly felt cold all over as Markus grabbed me and ran outside of the tent.

Oh god, what just happened?

I was suddenly being hustled outside of the tent, stark naked. I covered myself as Markus dropped me and turned back to the tent, growling.

"Markus... I'm not dressed!"

He passed me a pair of underwear as he threw an arm over me protectively. I struggled to hurry up and get them on before Pharris and Marlowe woke up and came outside of the tents. I heard a surprised grunt from Markus and a shuffling from ahead of me as I donned my underwear and looked up. My arms dropped limply to my sides as I surveyed the scene ahead of myself.

"David? What's going on?" A weak voice came from the tent as the flap opened and Marissa poked her head through. The morning sun did little to warm me as I felt a chill shudder through my body.

Marissa's hair looked tousled, as if she had been rolling. As she emerged from the tent, I could see that she was still wearing the same clothing.

"Da-" Marissa stopped mid-sentence as her eyes adjusted and she saw Markus' hulking frame next to me. Her mouth dropped into an "O" of surprise as she backed up into the tent.

"Marissa, you're alright, stop!" I walked forward, scared that she would run away into the jungle.

"David?! What is that?!" Marissa seemed terrified. I heard a shuffling from behind me.

"What is going on out here?" It was Pharris, fully dressed, surveying the scene with an expression of passive annoyance.

I sighed as the world began spinning again, my own legs threatening to give out. Before I could say anything, Markus was lifting me up, an expression of concern on his face. "Are you ok? What did she do?"

I cleared my mind as I looked up, Marissa still standing there in shock.

"She didn't do anything, just give me a minute to explain... Ah..." My head was pounding.

"Marissa, meet Markus."

?-?-?

I had a hell of a time convincing Marissa that Markus and the others wouldn't hurt her. I had an even harder time convincing her that she wasn't asleep and dreaming. It took several hours to calm her down to a point that I could speak with intelligibly. She was now sitting down in front of the tent, her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Are you alright?"

"I just... need to think for a minute."

Marissa sounded dejected again, her dark hair being blown against the tent.

"Whenever you feel like it, I'll explain what happened. Alright?"

I was trying my best to sound supportive, but I was having an episode mentally. This shouldn't have happened, and now Marissa had to suffer for it. I was caught in between damning myself and worrying that I couldn't bring her home.

Why did she have to touch me... I didn't even know...

"You called him... Markus?" She was looking up at Markus now, standing next to me and studying her apprehensively.

"Yeah... this is the guy I told you about." I heard the sounds of Pharris waking Marlowe up behind me, and I sighed as I prepared to right more of this confusion. "I'll be right back, I need to talk to everyone."

Markus hadn't left my side, him keeping an arm over me the entire time. He was being unusually quiet and protective, regardless of the fact that I had established that Marissa was not a threat. Pharris and Marlowe woke themselves up completely before exiting the tent and approaching me to ask what had happened.

"She was visiting me in the hospital in my world, when we went to sleep I guess she touched my hand."

Pharris swore.

"A lovely complication to our perfect island retreat..."

I sighed for the fifteenth time. "It's not my fault, she touched me as I was falling to sleep."

"Can you take her back?" It was Markus who spoke up this time. This had been the first he had spoken since this morning. I looked up at him, and hesitated before answering.

"I've actually never brought anything back from your world, but I should be able to..."

"David." Pharris spoke up again before Markus would respond.

"It would work, but you need to be careful. We don't know what kind of stress moving a person back and forth could do to your body, and you haven't stopped holding your head since you've gotten up."

I instinctively dropped my hand at her words, turning my head. "I'm fine, but I think she's freaking out... She didn't know anything about this."

Markus began rubbing my back. "Don't do anything that could hurt you, David..." I felt myself blushing and I shook my head before standing up and turning.

"It's fine, there's nothing wrong with me. I need to go talk to her... before I take her back. She's not going to deal well with this unless I explain everything."

I looked up at Markus to confirm that he had heard me, as he was still being unusually quiet. I was surprised to see him looking over at Marissa, an expression of annoyance on his face. Before I could say anything, he looked down at me and spoke.

"Can we go talk alone for a minute?"

I was surprised at Markus' vehemence, as this was a tone he rarely used with me.

"Alright, but what's wrong?" I asked, concerned. Without responding, he lifted me up and carried me off to the side, away from everyone. His random displays of strength never ceased to amaze me. Once we were just outside of the group's hearing range, he began speaking.

"David... why was she sleeping with you?"

Oh. That's what he's worried about. I laughed as I hugged Markus, my arms wrapping around his large frame.

"Why are you laughing, I'm being serious."

I looked up at his face before responding, noting his bewildered expression and surpressing the urge to rub my face against his.

"I passed out in my world when Nihash took me, and my mom put me in the hospital. It's a place for sick people to get better. She's one of my friends that was visiting, Markus. You should know I would never be with anyone else like that."

Markus looked down at me, studying my face.

"It's not that I think you would be with someone else, I just don't know if I trust her around you. There's something wrong with her."

"What do you mean by that? She's been my friend since I was a kid, and she knows I'm not into girls anyways."

Markus seemed concerned.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. She smells... strange. It's familiar, and I don't like it."

It was my turn to be confused now, looking up at Markus.

"I don't really understand what you mean."

Markus pulled me close before rubbing my back again.

"There's another smell there. I don't remember where it's from, but I remember not liking it. It reminds me of when you vanished. Just be careful around her."

I had no clue how to respond to this, instead sitting silently and thinking while Markus walked us back to the tent area. I still didn't quite understand what he had meant as he sat me down and I looked up at him.

"So, you believe me, right?"

He smiled, a lantern in the distance.

"Of course, you know I trust you."

I felt the storm inside of my head quiet itself. It was amazing how easily he could calm me.

"Alright... I'll be right back then." I smiled as I turned and headed for Marissa. Markus didn't follow this time, instead watching from a slight distance so as not to scare Marissa. I approached the spot she had been sitting in, and saw that she was now sitting much more casually, her hand playing in the sand. Her face still looked forlorn, as if saddened by something.

"Hey, Missy..."

She looked up at my voice.

"David... I don't understand what's happening."

I sat down next to her as I prepared to explain myself.

"I don't really understand everything myself, but I can explain what I know."

Marissa looked back down, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm glad you're here this time, but why does this keep happening to me? Am I going crazy?"

I was prepared to answer a multitude of questions, but Marissa's words threw me for a loop.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Marissa didn't look up, but continued talking.

"The nightmares. I mean, this one is different, but it still can't be real. I don't know what to think anymore."

I didn't know how to respond, Marissa's response shaking me to the core.

"This isn't the first time you've woken up somewhere else?"

"No." Before she could say anything else, she suddenly started crying. I was still confused as hell, but I knew that I had to comfort my friend. I put an arm around her and tried talking her through as she shook and cried.

"I tried to stay awake, but I think I fell asleep after you."

"Listen, I don't know why you've been having nightmares, but I can explain why you're here tonight if you let me. Then we can talk about what's happening to you. We can get everything out of the way and try to figure out what's going on, alright?"

She had calmed down considerably, and she shook her head in response. I waited, unsure of her response, and she looked up before speaking.

"I don't know if any of this is real, but I still trust you more than most other people. Just please tell me that I'm not going crazy."

"You're not, trust me. This place is very real, and you actually haven't fallen asleep yet. You're probably still tired, right?"

She nodded.

"Alright, I'll start from the beginning. Stop me if there's anything you want to ask me about."

I began by explaining how I had first awoken in this world, explaining in detail the forest and the flowers before getting to my encounter with Markus. As I began detailing our very first meeting, I gestured for him to walk over. He sat down in front of me and filled in his side of the story, explaining what had happened after I had passed out.

"I was able to scare off the Ochau, and I bandaged David up before carrying him to my house. I didn't know at the time if he was intelligent, but I couldn't just leave him there. Not after he had saved me."

Marissa had calmed down, riveted by my story. She spoke up after Markus had finished.

"This is so unbelievable... So you were able to fight back that thing and it just ran? And you two are together now? Just like that?"

I noticed that Markus was blushing again, and I laughed.

"Well, obviously we spent quite a bit of time together, but I would say that I loved Markus from the beginning. There's just something about him... I can't really explain it."

I didn't know if I expected Marissa to be shocked or grossed out, but I didn't expect her to chuckle. She had been so somber before, so withdrawn.

"I never thought I would hear you talk like that. You've always been so independent, David."

Marissa seemed to be relaxing, her eyes returning to their normal glow.

"I guess all I can do now is believe you. I still wonder..." Her eyes darkened again. "I think the same thing has been happening to me."

My earlier curiosity had been stifled by my urge to comfort Marissa, but it was now returning at full strength.

"Marissa, can you explain what you mean?"

She continued looking down, responding almost casually.

"I've been having nightmares lately. I couldn't really explain them, but now that I think about it they are exactly like what you are describing."

Marissa leaned forward before pulling her sleeve back and revealing her arm. There was a large patch of scratched skin from her elbow to midway down her forearm.

"This happened the first time I went... I scratched it on the stone floor, and when I woke up I thought I had hit myself on something."

Her voice sounded strained, as if she was avoiding the memory of what had happened. I felt a strange sense of disambiguation as she mentioned the stone floor, my skin crawling.

"Do you remember what happened there? Did you see anyone?"

"I... can't remember anything."

I couldn't see her face, but I could hear a grimace in her voice. A glance up at Markus revealed that he was feeling almost as concerned as I was, his initial reservations lost in the reverie of our story.

"David, can I see you for a moment?" Pharris spoke up, interrupting our conversation.

"I'll be right back, Marissa..."

She didn't respond aloud, nodding to acknowledge that she had heard me.

"Can you come too, Markus?"

Markus stood up and walked back with me to where Pharris and Marlowe were standing. Marlowe was being unusually quiet, and he still hadn't spoken to Marissa.

"David... I heard what she said. You realize what is probably happening, right?"

I nodded before speaking.

"Nihash. He's got to be targeting her for some reason."

"If he's somehow made a second portal already, we may be running out of time. I'm debating on returning and challenging him."

I sighed.

"You were barely able to defend against his attacks before, Pharris. And besides... I think you were right. I think I do have some kind of ability."

Pharris' eyes seemed to brighten with curiosity, and both Markus and Marlowe were now looking at me.

"I mean, it's not much, but I definitely did something. I made a card float... I need your help, Pharris."

Pharris smiled before speaking.

"I guess there was a thread of a silver lining here after all-"

A sudden crash behind us interrupted Pharris, making us all turn around in surprise.

"Ah! David!"

I saw a blur of movement, Marissa's voice only just cutting through the chaotic cloak of sound and movement. I didn't have much time to react, stunned by what was happening before me. A couple of creatures appeared to be pulling Marissa away. I couldn't discern too many details, only that the creatures were predominantly gray.

"No!"

I ran forward, Markus and Pharris only feet behind me. Before I could catch up with Marissa, I felt the air thrumming as some kind of projectile was being fired at me. Marissa was already at the tree line, threatening to disappear with the incredibly fast creatures.

"Uaagh!"

Markus bellowed from behind me, and as I turned my heart nearly leaped from my chest. He was laying on the ground, an arrow sticking out from his body.

I felt a sudden rage flaring through me. Before I could think about what I was doing, I turned and raised my hand. A second volley of arrows that would have struck within seconds stopped mid-air, as if being pulled by an invisible force. I swung my arm, the arrows immediately turning and firing back into the forest. Marissa was gone, and I heard several grunts as the arrows disappeared into the tree line.

"David..." Markus sounded distant. I cursed before turning back and running to him.

The arrow was hilted in his stomach, slightly above his naval. I was thinking fast, trying to remember what to do in a situation like this. I heard a yell and felt a wave of power rushing past me as Pharris created a shield, blocking several more arrows.

"You need to hurry!"

Pharris was yelling at me, urging me to do something. I leaned over Markus before tentatively poking at the arrow. Markus' breathing was shallow, and he didn't respond to my prodding.

"I... I can do this..."

I steeled myself, trying to ignore the threat of losing Markus. I prepared myself mentally as I grabbed the arrow and wrapped my left hand around the entry wound.

"Hold on, one more second..."

I pulled the arrow loose, feeling every tear as it came free. Markus yelled in pain, and I felt my eyes watering as I put pressure against the hole in his stomach and pushed. Every bit of my emotion was now pouring through my hand, and I tried my best not to think about the blood that was now flowing up against me. The feeling was like a wave of heat radiating from inside of me, flowing into Markus. He yelled again, louder, and I felt my vision blurring as his skin heated up below me.

I pulled my hand back before blinking through my tears, blindly praying that whatever I had tried had worked. I studied his stomach before rubbing the spot with my hand; there was no longer a wound there. I let out a shuddering sigh as I fell back on my calves and began shaking him.

"Markus? Are you there?"

The world had quieted down around me, and Markus seemed unconscious. As I was beginning to doubt myself, his eyes fluttered open and I began talking excitedly.

"Markus?! Can you feel any pain?"

He looked up at me before looking down at himself, his fur coated in blood. He rubbed his hand across where the arrow had been before looking up at me, shocked.

"N... No...What did you do?"

Instead of responding, I felt myself fall down onto Markus' chest. I was crying against him, my eyes burning as he put his hand on the back of my head.

I had taken a while to revive him, and the creatures that had taken Marissa had undoubtedly gotten away. It took all of my energy to calm myself long enough to respond.

"They took her, Markus. And I... I thought you were..."

And with that phrase I continued sobbing against Markus. I felt a slight chill as Pharris recalled her barrier, remarking that whoever had assaulted us had left. Markus did his best to comfort me, sitting up and embracing me, telling me that everything would be fine. I barely noticed as Marlowe put his arm around me, attempting to comfort me.

Although Markus' arms were warm, my entire consciousness felt cold. My best friend was now gone, taken by some kind of creature. Although I knew that I couldn't have prevented this, every pore of my body was screaming that it was my fault. I leaned away from Markus and Marlowe before wiping my eyes. I steadied myself and began walking toward the jungle. I didn't want to waste any more time.

"Come on... we need to hurry."