Evils of the Night-Chapter 10

Vanished

It didn't take too much longer for Sylvia to kiss her father goodbye and watch him drive away. He was going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle, who lived in town. She was going back to Jayden's. She strapped her duffel bag of supplies to her quad and hurried back to Jayden's house. When she got back, the little girl and the mother were gone, and Jayden was sweeping up the glass.

“Feeling better?”

He showed her how he'd tied his upper arm to his torso so it wouldn't move the shoulder. “Smart, eh?”

“Yeah.” she said.

That's when her phone rang. “Oh no.” she said, then answered it. “Hey, Jake.”

“Hey! Are you busy tonight?”

“Um, yeah, I'm staying over at a friend's house.”

“Oh, OK. I was just wondering if you wanted to go out to eat with a bunch of us tonight, but have fun.”

“I will. I have to go now.”

“Hey, can I stop by later?”

“No, um, I'm already there. We're spending the day together. I'll call you later.”

“OK bye.”

“Bye.” she hung up the phone.

“Who was that?”

“My boyfriend.” she said, nonchalantly, sticking her phone in her pocket.

“That guy from the party last night?” Jayden asked drily.

“Yeah.” Sylvia said, blushing a little.

“Figured.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“Nothing. It's just a little predictable though, don't you think?”

“I don't care if it's predictable. Besides, why are we talking about this? We have two dead people in this house and we're going to have problems if someone calls, or the cops show up.”

“Right. I say I call in and tell the cops we were attacked, but we don't know who it was.”

“Sounds like a plan. But, um, tell 'em you're staying somewhere other than here.”

“Alright.” and Jayden called the police.

Within a few minutes, an officer was knocking on the door. Two cars were parked outside.

“Hi, you Jayden?”

“Yes, sir. Come in.”

The officer entered. He saw Sylvia. “You are?”

“Sylvia.”

“Are you related?”

“No sir. She's a friend.”

“What happened?”

So Jayden told the officer what he'd told Sylvia. Of course, he left out the part about being elves.

The officer called in a couple ambulances to take the bodies to the hospital for autopsies. Jayden and Sylvia were taken in for questioning. Jayden told the officer that he was staying at a relatives' home, and that they could reach him by his cell phone. He also told them that these relatives were picking him up at the old house. Sylvia asked to be taken there as well, allegedly because her quad was still there. And so both of them were left alone.

“We have to go to the tree. Everyone's panicking that you're not showing up.” Sylvia said.

“I can't, Sylvia.”

“Please, Jayden. The elves will be able to help you.”

“I can't.”

“Jayden.”

“Sylvia, I really can't.”

“Whyever not?”

Jayden sighed. “I don't want the fuss.”

Sylvia nodded. “I'll take care of the fuss. Just please, let's go.”

Jayden relented, and they left at midnight. It was strange feeling Jayden's arm around her waist as Sylvia steered the ATV through the woods. His bad arm was still tied tightly to his chest, and it pressed against her back.

Jayden was in too much pain to be exuberant about this arrangement. With every jolt of the ATV he clenched his jaw and pinched his eyes shut so the tears wouldn't leak out. There was one thing he'd hidden from Sylvia: the stab wound on his side. The Mud Queen had used a piece of broken glass to try and stab him, but he'd rolled so she'd missed him. It was right above his hip, so walking was very painful, and he could almost feel the scab ripping away. His black T-shirt had hidden the blood from Sylvia, and she'd assumed the blood on the floor was that of Sadie.

Just as they were about to reach the tree, Sylvia slowed the ATV to a stop. Brett's was still in the cave, so there was no room for hers. She eased it forward, then thought about leaving it at her own home. But no, if the Mud Queen was waiting, she'd kill Jayden first, then her. She couldn't risk that. She would have to push Brett's ATV further into the cave.

It was a slow process, trying to be quiet with two ATV's. But finally, Sylvia helped Jayden off the seat. They rubbed their dog tags together, and she pulled his arm over her shoulders, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Jayden sucked in his breath when her fingertips just barely missed the stab. He knew fresh blood was oozing into the black, elven shirt he now wore.

“Does that hurt?” she asked.

The tenderness in her voice and the concern in her eyes melted Jayden. “A little.”

“In boy language, that means it hurts.” Sylvia said, as they walked carefully to the tree. When she opened the door, and they walked in, all the eyes of the elves were turned to her.

“It's Jayden!” shouted Isa.

As the crowd began to mass toward them, Sylvia shouted, “Stop! He's hurt bad, so clear the way to the moon room! Questions later!”

The elves backed away, leaving a path to the moon room. Sylvia and Jayden made their way toward the door. It was then that two things happened. First, Jayden's loss of blood was finally catching up to him and he lost his balance and nearly fell. Sylvia caught him just in time, and their faces were only inches apart. Second, Lucia came down the stairs and saw everything. Her uncontrollable feelings for Jayden overcame her, and she ran down the stairs and started fighting her way through the elves toward the retreating pair. She reached Frederick's door just as it closed behind them.

Unaware of Lucia's passionate fury, Sylvia half dragged Jayden into the moon room. Her dark dress hid the stains of Jayden's blood as well as his black shirt.

“Frederick!” Sylvia shouted.

“Jayden!” the old elf cried, coming down the stairs at a rapid rate. “What happened?”

“Mud Queen.” was all Jayden said.

“He's fading, Frederick.”

“Jayden, stay with us now.” and Frederick began unbuttoning Jayden's shirt. “He's lost too much blood.”

“Blood? What blood?”

“The blood he used to have.” Frederick said, now taking off the shirt, revealing the wound Jayden had hidden from Sylvia.

“Oh Jayden.” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Jayden forced his eyes open. “Sylvia, I'm sorry.”

She moved to his head. “What do you have to be sorry for?” she asked.

“I'm sorry for everything I didn't tell you. I know I'm dying, and it's because I wanted you to think I was OK.”

Sylvia caught her breath. “You can't!” she turned to Frederick, who nodded his head slowly.

“He's lost too much blood. I'll do what I can, but it'll take a miracle.”

Sylvia looked back at Jayden. He smiled weakly. “Sylvia? I—” and he lost consciousness.

“Jayden!” Sylvia cried. “Jayden wake up!”

“He passed out. He's not dead.” Frederick said. “Now help me sew this up.”

Sylvia was glad for her strong stomach. Jayden didn't stir the whole time they sewed up his gash. Frederick and Sylvia then put him on a bed in the moon room. She refused to leave him for any longer than it took to get something to eat or drink and return. It was ten days of this and still Jayden barely showed any signs of life.

One night, Jake called her.

“Sylvia? It's Friday. We were going dancing tonight. I'll be at your house at six.”

“I can't go, Jake. I'm sorry. A friend of mine is really sick. He could die any time now. I can't leave.”

Jake sighed. “You said that last Friday, Sylvia. Every night you're doing something. When can I see you?”

“Look Jake, I know this is kind of weird, but I'm not seeing anyone. No one except Jayden.” as soon as she said it she regretted it. Jake's tone was filled with frustration and jealousy.

“Sylvia, I don't think we should do this anymore. You don't have time for a boyfriend. I need someone who will do stuff with me. Someone who will actually see me. I'm sorry.”

Before she could answer he hung up. At first she stared at the screen of her phone in shock. Then the tears came. Without realizing it she laid her head on Jayden's chest and cried into her arms.

Almost anyone who saw Sylvia at that moment would have been touched. She was so exhausted after ten days of constant nursing, that she soon cried herself to sleep. I say almost anyone because it wasn't Frederick who came to relieve her so she could eat, but Lucia.