Veiled Light

At that moment the girl reared up and let out a low animal sound that made him convulse and he boiled out into her, clawing at the ground as the emotions washed over him. Her eyelids snapped open and Mark saw, for the very first time, her eyes.

And what he saw sucked his very soul out from him. They were vacant, her eye sockets. The infinite black void was the last thing he saw as he passed out.

* * * * *

Busy voices intruded on his recollection and the nurse who entered his room found him cowering and trembling under the sweat-soaked hospital sheet that covered him. She took in the monitor beside his bed that was letting out a frantic beeping and rushed to him.

She murmured soothing words in a calm voice as Mark clutched at her hands desperately, trying to breathe, trying to escape, trying to hold on to something that was here and now, that was safe.

The room was suddenly flooded by white-coated people. They moved around hurriedly, each intent and clear about his own task, sticking needles into him and shouting instructions in desperate voices.

"Call Dr. Sayra! Get Dr. Sayra in her, now!" someone bellowed.

"She's coming," said an answering voice.

Then there was a sudden collective shift in the bodies surrounding him and a path was opened for the doctor who ran in. Their eyes connected, and Mark screamed.

"Hold him down," she ordered calmly, the vacant sockets trained on him.

Mark fought off the arms holding him down, back again in the open night on the straw, under a banyan tree, struggling against a deathly pale face above him, the dark hollow sockets boring into him and draining his whole existence out of him. And he surrendered to the blackness that claimed him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's note: I'd like to thank Yas and Selenakittyn for their time and expertise in editing this story.

To the readers: I hope you liked the story. Votes, comments and feedback are always appreciated. I like hearing from you so please do write. Every email with a return address will receive a reply. :)