Split Blood: The Ancient Codex - Part One (Book #1 ) - COMPLETE

CHAPTER FIVE - FINDERS, KEEPERS (Part 4)

CHAPTER FIVE – FINDERS, KEEPERS

(Part 4)

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My head still covered by the blanket, he escorted me into the lift and pressed the button to shut the door. ‘Don’t make a sound until I let you know the coast is clear,’ he whispered as I began to shake in fear.

The lift alerted us we were on the sixth floor and he popped his head out of the door and looked to both ends of the corridor. ‘Okay, it’s safe. Let’s go!’ He rushed me from the lift to his front door, where he nervously fumbled in his coat pocket for the keys. Getting more and more frustrated with himself, he eventually located the Spiderman key ring, which he clumsily dropped to the ground with a thud. He looked around to see if the loud clank had alerted anyone to his presence, but there was no one in sight.

He quickly picked up the bunch, inserted one of the keys into the lock and turned it. Wrong key.

He tried a second time, taking slightly longer as his shaking hand slowed him down. Wrong key again.

Just as he was about to insert the third key, the door opposite opened and an old lady came out into the hallway. ‘H-hello, Ms Vaduva…’ Dr Juvo stuttered as he stood in front of me, protecting me from her inquisitive glare.

She considered me for a second with an icy stare before she smiled. ‘Hello doctor. How are you this evening?’ she purred, like a cat who’d got the cream.

Trying the handle to his door, whilst still looking at her, he replied, ‘I’m very well, thank you. How’s your ankle today?’

She moved closer to us as he pushed open the door, edging me into his dark hallway. The odd elderly lady replied, ‘It’s still a little painful. Maybe I could come inside and you could take a look at it?’ she asked as she peered around him, trying to get a better look at me.

Still scared and unable to understand why Dr Juvo was going out of his way to help me, I stepped back into the apartment and out of the elderly woman’s sight. The smells of basil wafted around the flat, as I edged away from the door. ‘Just keep taking the tablets I gave you, and it should heal in no time…’ he replied. He tried to end the conversation and join me inside the apartment.

As he was about to close the door, Ms Vaduva put her walking stick in the gap. Dr Juvo opened the crack slightly wider to see what the obstruction was.

Her yellow teeth shone through the opening in the door and revealed a sinister smirk. ‘So, are you not going to introduce me to your friend?’ she asked, trying to peer through the gap.

Attempting to close the gap by forcing her stick back through the door with his foot, he replied, ‘Well - it’s just my sister. She’s a little tired at the moment. Maybe we can come round for tea tomorrow and you can meet her then?’ With that he kicked her stick out of the door and slammed it shut.

Looking through the peep hole, he saw her looking confused as she shuffled back into her own apartment and took one last look before shutting the door. ‘Sorry about that!’ he said as he switched on the light and showed me the way to the lounge.

His living room was not what I was expecting. Floor lamps in the corners of the room subtly lit the walls with hums of warm yellow.

Dark wooden flooring was made more welcoming by the woven orange and red rug, which dominated the room, and large, soft cream sofas positioned in front of the huge television screen. ‘Please, sit down,’ he gestured as I cautiously perched on the edge of the sofa, ‘I’m not going to hurt you.’ He went to get me a towel and some of his clothes.

I studied the room and assessed my nearest exits before he returned with the clothes and a hot chocolate. ‘Here, drink this. It will warm you up,’ he said as he gave me the large inviting mug full of comfort.

I deliberated for a second and held the cup to my mouth. ‘It’s not poison, I promise!’ he joked as I nervously smiled and took a sip. My stomach went into convulsions. ‘What’s happening?’ he shrieked as he witnessed the violent movement.

‘Ahhh - I can’t drink this…’ I managed before falling onto all fours.

He joined me on the floor and tried to help me back to my feet. ‘I’ll get you some water,’ he said as he ran out the room and within seconds he was back and trying to force the water down my throat. ‘Please drink it,’ he begged. Pushing the water away, I tried one last time to stand up. But I couldn’t hold the revulsion any more, and was sick.

The red liquid shot across the room and covered the wall in front of me, painting it a congealed crimson. ‘What the hell is that?’ he shrieked as he took a closer look.

Wiping my mouth, I stood up and tried to clean the mess with my wet coat. ‘I’m so sorry. Maybe I should go?’ I said as he came over and sat me down on the sofa.

Shaking with fear, he held my hands on my knee and looked into my eyes. ‘Is that blood?’ he stuttered.

‘Well I don’t remember eating that much jam on my toast…’ I nervously joked as I observed his traumatized, colour-drained face. He sat down next to me and went into a trance as he stared at his newly painted wall.

After a few minutes of silence he finally uttered, ‘Let’s just get you dry for now…’  Shocked at his immediate understanding and still unsure as to whether he was a friend or enemy, I was on guard and just nodded as I helped him clean the wall and carpet.

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