Chapter Twenty-Eight
My mouth hung open.
‘Oh yeah,’ Lisa snorted somewhere that seemed light years in the distance. ‘That was his big plan to keep me here, he’s probably going to try the same thing on you.’
‘Wha…’ I began foolishly, slurring because I couldn’t close my mouth.
‘That girl, that creature, Lisa shuddered, ‘she was his big reveal.’
My brain closed in on itself and instinct took over. I banged on the glass, ‘Teresa!’ It sounded like someone else’s voice.
‘What are you doing?’
Lisa’a voice was lost on me, hidden behind smoke. I banged on the glass again, Teresa turned distractedly towards me, her cold eyes even more intense than I remembered. Her dark blonde hair long and tangled around her thin shoulders and her large lips slightly parted.
I tugged at the heavy knob and head a shout behind me. The door crashed open and I ran into the room. I didn’t care what she was, I knew she wouldn’t hurt me. She hadn’t been like the others, she was something else.
‘Teresa?’ The distant shouts followed me into the room. I grabbed her white hand and she didn’t move, she just stared at me.
‘Teresa?’ She didn’t speak, there was no recognition in her face. ‘Teresa please,’ I implored her stone eyes.
I was vaguely aware of strong hands dragging me away, but there was only her eyes on mine. Strange curiosity passed over them, I prayed for recognition.
The door was slammed shut behind me and I heard a lock clicking. I fought to get away from the men holding me, kicked and flailed out. I had the same beautiful creeping feeling, I knew it was The Touch again, the sweet bliss of her hold on me.
‘Teresa,’ my voice was now quiet, broken with the pressure against me. I needed to get back to her, I needed to see her know me. Then I felt the cold sting at my neck and my body fell limp and my eyes swayed closed.
*
‘Whatever came over you?’
My brain came drowsily back into focus, sharp white light erupted as I opened my eyes. I heard Doctor Stewart’s voice crash into my muffled ears. There was a blanket around my shoulders, Lisa’s disapproving frown came into view. Then I remembered.
‘Teresa,’ I whispered.
‘He keeps saying that,’ Lisa said from the corner of the room.
‘You’re lucky to still be alive Lawrence,’ the Doctor shook his head in disbelief.
I tried to stand up and my legs failed me, I slumped back down into the chair, but the two heavyset men at my side made to move again.
‘I just have to talk to her,’ my coarse voice croaked out.
‘She’s obviously done that thing to him,’ Lisa’s anger and contempt ringing out, ‘The Touch.’
My eyes were still heavy, they kept falling closed and I shivered uncontrollably, grateful for the blanket, I pulled it tighter around me. It still seemed like they were talking in a different room, but things were slowly becoming clearer. All I could see was her eyes, they replaced the screaming images I had dealt with over the last two months. I shivered again when I thought about her hair hanging over her face. I had to see her.
‘Please,’ I whispered, but no one heard me.
‘It seems that way,’ Doctor Steward’s unusually frowning face peered intently into my eyes. His dull grey eyes were replaced with her bright blue ones and I screamed, a scream disconnected from my throat. His frown deepened. ‘It’s no unlike her though.’
Lisa snorted again, I kept my head down, I didn’t want to look into any more eyes. ‘It’s like them all,’ she said, ‘nice try Doctor, but we’re leaving now.’
‘He can hardly go anywhere like that.’ He tried to look into my eyes again but I closed them. ‘Are you able to listen?’ I nodded through clenched teeth. ‘What were you thinking?’
‘Teresa,’ I said again.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ Lisa’s voice was harsh and high pitched.
‘Who’s Teresa?’ The Doctor said calmly.
‘That-’ my voice failed me, I didn’t know what to call her and I didn’t understand why he was asking me. ‘That girl, the vampire.’
‘Elizabeth?’ His face was a mess of lines and confusion.
‘No,’ I said, irritated, ‘Teresa.’
‘Her name is Elizabeth,’ Doctor Stewart repeated. ‘She’s my brightest student.’ I saw something bright twinkle in his eyes, I looked into them long enough until the turned pale blue again. I shuddered and closed my own.
‘No,’ my voice was becoming more firm, ‘I don’t know if she lied to you or to me, but I know her.’
‘That’s impossible,’ he laughed mockingly. ‘She’s been at this facility for thirty years.’
‘Then she escaped or something,’ I was impatient.
‘What is he talking about?’ Lisa bit her lip.
‘I assure you she hasn’t,’ the Doctor smiled his stupid grin again. ‘She was the first case we ever dealt with. At the hospital where we found her, she was referred to as Patient forty-five. It became a nickname for our facility, but eventually it just stuck. I know her better than anyone here.’
‘No you don’t,’ I hissed, ‘I know her, I mean, in the biblical way, I know her.’
He laughed, ‘of course you don’t,’ he dismissed me.
‘What did she do to him?’ Lisa sounded so angry I shivered again.
‘It just doesn’t fit with what I know about her.’ He narrowed his eyes.
‘What do you really know about any of these creatures,’ Lisa snorted. ‘You’re playing around with something so old, so powerful, and you have no idea what you’re doing.’
Doctor Stewart stood up to face her. ‘With all due respect miss, I have been with these creatures for my entire professional life. I didn’t stumble upon the truth, it’s taken many, many years to get to this point.’
‘You told me she was almost harmless.’
He nodded enthusiastically, ‘she is. She doesn’t need to feed as often, can control her instinct better than any other case I’ve seen. This incident just proves that further. He was in the room with her, touched her even and she didn’t attack him. She wasn’t even restrained.’
‘Because she knows me,’ I repeated firmly.
‘Shut up,’ Lisa shot at me.
‘Just ask her,’ I hissed, ‘talk to her and you’ll see.’
