29. Feral
Chapter twenty-nine
Feral
Julian
As soon as I lay her on our bed, her screech bounces against the walls. Thank God I kept some IV's after I operated on her. I give her a strong narcotic, and an antibiotic, then go to inspect and disinfect the wound. It doesn't take long to see that although deep, the damage is not permanent. It didn't cut all the way through her femur. But, there's no denying the agony. She has cuts on her feet. I undress and dry her, then cover her with my thick comforter so she will stop shivering. As the hours pass, she keeps repeating the same numbers, moaning from the pain, or having nightmares.
The adrenaline rush doesn't allow me to sleep. First, I had to stop my own bleeding, disinfect and sew myself up, then I search for her in the middle of a storm until past midnight. I hoped I'd find her in the barn, trying to steal the car. She didn't know I'd prepare for her attempt to escape, that I'd made it so that the car always had to have two wires crossed to get started. At first, I thought she'd fallen. It was denial, really. I should've warned her earlier when she first tried to run but I got caught in our game.
It took me hours to open that thing.
I didn't think she'd ever dare. Once again I've misjudged my pretty bird, underestimated her. She begged me not to take her down there and I didn't listen. I blame myself for not noticing I'd pushed her way too much. But she lures my darkness so much. I can hardly control myself with her. Destroying her is too delicious.
Astoria finally showed me she's a fighter. I'm so fucking proud of her.
Standing by the foot of our bed, I take in the beauty of her, sweat, dirt and blood all over her and her hair a mess. She looks like the feral animal she is, spectacular.
I wish she'd escaped. If I would've allowed her to think I was dead and then shown up in the middle of some random night... the terror on her face… I snicker at the imagery. It would've been so much fun. Instead, here I am, worried about her.
My pretty bird is amazing, so brave, strong. She's too sweet for her own good but push her enough and she becomes a gorgeous, raging bitch. She keeps surprising me. Today she gained my respect.
"Mommy, please take me with you. Don't leave me. Please, Mommy. I'll be good." Her sobbing wakes me and then I hear her words. I turn and touch her arm to find it burning and covered in sweat.
"Oh no. Not this."
"Five-hundred and seventy to five-hundred ninety nanometers. Five-hundred eighty to six-hundred twenty nanometer." The numbers tremble out of her.
"Hold on, pretty bird. It's time for your next dose." I add it to her IV then cover her forehead with a wet rag.
"Lambda equals the speed of light over frequency…" She's been repeating the same equation followed by the same numbers since I freed her from that thing. I write them down and later, when her fever has calmed, look them up. Astoria is whispering the wavelength of yellow and orange.