The Story Of Sarelle (Twilight)

Chapter 47

I struggled along the uneven pavement with her arm around my neck and her whimpers in my ears. My mind didn't have any more space in it to even contemplate the fact I'd left Dylan, Phil, and Renée. I was just focussed on the task at hand. It had all started mere minutes ago when I materialised with a sigh into this new place and was met by the sound of a scream, a falling book, and then—closely following the book—a falling girl. She landed with a terrible thud and an even more horrifying crack. I barely had time to steady myself before I rushed to her side. She was about my age, sixteen with caramel hair pulled back in a platted twist. Her face was twisted up in pain and I knew it must have something to do with the sickening sound that was made when she landed.

"Where hurts?" I had asked, trying to see any surface injuries but failing due to the plume of royal blue material from her dress billowing around her.

"My leg. It's agony," she whimpered, and I looked around me frantically. We were in a park, or at least some quaint forest near civilisation. I could hear it, the buzz of the streets and the smell of modern life—or at least a modern as this time period could be. From her appearance I could only guess I was back to the fair days of the 1910's.

"Is there a hospital, or somewhere that can help nearby?" I had asked as together we raised her to stand on one leg and rest the remainder of her weight on me.

"Main Street." She gasped, and although I had no idea what was considered the main street I struggled onwards with the girl, and that was how we came to be here, walking on uneven slab stones heading towards the large brick building in front of us.

It was a busy morning at the hospital, patients were coming and going, but we were shown towards a bed fairly quickly after the girl's leg had been x-rayed.

The hospital was such a small place, really. There were lots of little rooms and warrens of corridors leading from one area to the next. I couldn't imagine that in just two years time, this place would be a holding ground for those suffering from the influenza. That is if I was correct in assuming the time period was early to mid 1910s. I could be wrong, but when you travel through the ages as much as me, you start to notice the small differences that indicate the era.

I glanced at the girl next to me, lying on the hospital bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"Does your leg still hurt?" I asked as a doctor went past us. It seemed a possible broken leg wasn't as important as the other patients. We had been sitting here for longer than I had hoped.

"Yes, but thank you for helping me to get here. It was silly of me to try and climb that tree so high." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, breathing through the pain before opening them and giving me a grateful smile. Even with tears on her eyes her face was very gentle and welcoming. She had the open features of one of those china dolls you could buy from the shops.

"I thought I might have scared you and perhaps caused you to fall." I admitted guiltily. I had, after all, just appeared from nowhere.

"Oh no. No it was nothing like that. I didn't even know you were there until you came to help. I was just climbing to find somewhere peaceful, to think and read. Unfortunately my foot slipped and well, here we are." She laughed softly but stopped when pain caused tears to spring up in her chocolate eyes again. They were wide, round eyes that seem so innocent. Almost doe-like. The way they were set in her face with her soft plump cheeks and lips, gave the appearance of a happy face. She was familiar somehow, the comfort and gentleness she projected, but I couldn't quite place my finger on who she reminded me of.

I heard someone approaching with relief, although it soon turned to shock when the curtain was pulled back to reveal Carlisle's compassionate face. My face split into a blinding smile and I battled with the urge to run to him and wrap my arms around him, to gain some comfort from his presence.