cave

Oskar leaned forward and sniffed the air. He was sure of it now; she had drunk blood. He could smell it on her breath, and realized there were remnants not only on her mouth, but in her hair, on her chest, and on her arms and hands. He wondered how long it had been since she had…fed, and whether or not feeding on blood would make her stronger than him. It wasn’t a pleasant thought.

And yet, still he waited. None of it mattered to him at this point. All that mattered was getting her back safely home – and to him.

Oskar stood there motionless, arms at his sides, unable to fully grasp what he had just seen. Hannah, sobbing quietly to herself, took Oskar’s hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. They watched Sava fly rapidly back and forth across the bay no more than three feet above the water, frantically searching for any sign of life… or death.

Oskar rode his bike rapidly down the hill toward the lighthouse. He knew where Eli was, but he also knew she was trying very hard to keep him from knowing. And he was afraid for her. And he was afraid of what she would do if he approached her. Would she just fly away and leave him behind again? And if she did, should he go after her; a pointless exercise since when it really mattered, she was so much faster than he? It had taken him days to find her, even with Hannah’s help.