THIRST

Chapter Eleven: High Fever (Bane)

I awoke the next morning with an uneasy stomach and a sharp pain digging into my skull. Thank god it was Saturday and that I didn't have to go to school again until Monday. Hopefully by then I would feel much better. I rolled over on my back and stared at the ceiling and breathed in a mouthful of air through my parted lips. While the awful pounding in my head was enough to make me feel sick. I chalked it up to food poisoning and tried to block out the pain that had now spread throughout my body like an unstoppable force.

My cell phone that sat on the edge of my nightstand notified me of an incoming text message from an unknown number. I reached over and picked it up, sliding my thumb across the screen as I punched in my four-digit passcode. The message appeared almost immediately afterwards, shaking me to my core as I read the name of the person who signed his very own texts.

Setekh: Good morning. I hope this message finds you well. Anyways, I'm on my way to see you now. I should be there in about five minutes.

Bane: Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn't recognize the number because, well, it says the number is currently unknown. Um, yeah, come on up. I'll leave the gate opened for you.

Not even a minute passed before he replied back with another text.

Setekh: Sounds good. I look forward to seeing you soon.

With today's advancements in modern technology, I love not having to get out of bed. All I have to do is just grab my trusty iPad that can virtually control every aspect of the mansion with just a few taps of the screen. Twelve cameras rotate into six individual screens that monitor both the interior and exterior of the mansion's walls and grounds that is until I find the one that monitors the gates at the foot of the driveway. And what do you know, perfect timing. Setekh's jeep pulls up right at the exact moment I hit the button that unlocks the gates.

I prop my head up on the pillows as I watch him exit the car and walk up to the house. Another button opens the front door as he steps inside and walks across the foyer, through the living room, up the stairs and threw a door that will take him down a long hallway and right to my bedroom door. Three knocks echo throughout my room as I call out to him to come in. The door opens slowly as he steps inside and shuts it behind him before coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Although I cannot read his face, his eyes tell me that he knows I'm not feeling well. He reaches out and presses a palm to my cheek. His touch is warm, almost hot compared to my skin that feels like I'm cooking from the inside out.

"You know, you don't look good," he said, calmly. "Does anything hurt?"

I nodded. "My stomach and my head. But I've chalked it up to food poisoning and a bad headache."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"What do you know? You're not a doctor."

"Relax. I know what I'm doing."

He starts by placing both of his hands on my forehead and stomach. Then he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. A few minutes go by before he even looks at me again.

"Okay, so what's the verdict, Dr. Setekh?"

"Well do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

"Good."

"Typical response. Anyways, the good news is that you're not suffering from food poisoning. The bad news is that your body is starting to show the first few signs of your transformation."

I stare at him dumb founded. "What?"

"Now it's nothing to be concerned about just yet. Your body's red blood cells are slowly dying and producing newer, stronger cells that will help fight off future infections. You'll return to normal by Sunday evening."