The Dark Place (#FrightFest2016 Gold Winner)

The Dark Place - Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1

"Doctor, I think she's coming round." The voice was female, English with just a hint of an eastern European accent.

Cass didn't even try to open her eyes. Her headache was so intense and she knew that the lights – probably florescent tubes judging by the slight flickering – would only make things worse.

"Hello, can you hear me?" This time it was the voice of a man. "We have managed to stabilise you're condition and much less damage was caused than we had expected, you're going to be fine. Now, can you tell me your name?"

"Cass." She couldn't believe how groggy she sounded. "Cass Blakely." she raised her hand to her head and felt the bandage that covered her injury. She let out a small moan as another shot of pain pulsed through her skull. She allowed a cool, gentle hand to lower her arm back down to her side.

"Yes Miss Blakely, you've taken quite a knock," it was the woman again, "could you tell us what happened to you?"

"Where am I?" Cass could hardly understand her own words.

"Don't worry, you're in good hands." The woman's voice was soft and calm. "Did somebody do this to you?"

Cass tried to remember but the more she tried to concentrate, the more her head pounded. Maybe if I just open my eyes for a second. She opened her eyes a little, just the slightest crack. The light didn't affect her half as much as she had expected. Everything around her merged into one large smear in which two blurred figures hovered by the left side of her bed. She closed her eyes again, then opened them and tried to focus. Things were still not very clear but she could make out the blue curtain that screened her from the rest of the room. She could hear voices on the other side speaking in hushed murmurs. She tried to catch onto some of the words but her hearing was as cloudy as her vision. She turned her attention back to the two people next to her, trying hard to pick out their features.

"Where's Jasper?" Her voice sounded alien, the voice of a much older woman.

"Jasper?" asked the man's voice. "Is he the one that did this?"

If she'd had the strength she would have burst out laughing. Instead she just answered the question as clearly as she could. "He's my cat, where's my cat?"

"Sorry but we don't know anything about a cat, you were alone when the paramedics reached you."

Even as the man spoke, flashes of memories stabbed at her mind; the storm of the previous night, the person whom she couldn't identify towering over her with the rock raised high, Jasper hanging from the branch of the tree. Before she could even react to the last vision another flashed through her brain. The little girl; she was in trouble. Cass pulled her bed sheets off part way but before she could go any further a firm hand stopped her.

"Come on Cass, you're in no fit state to move at the moment." The doctor's Welsh accent became more prominent as Cass' hearing cleared.

"But you don't understand; I have to help her."

"Who do you have to help Cass?"

Cass tried to resist the man's grip but she wasn't strong enough.

"She's in trouble, can't you understand?"

"Look, if you'll just tell us..."

Cass tried to get up one last time, totally ignoring the heavy thumping in her head, but it was useless. She relaxed for a moment, drawing in deep breaths to calm herself. She had spent too much of her meagre reserves of energy and felt groggy again. Oh God I have to make them understand before I pass out. She took another deep breath while she tried to find the words.