and coiling up against the wall with her right knee in the air.
I plunged the dagger deep into my rib. I felt the muscles and cartilage that lined up between my ribs tear, split, and rip away as if they were hardened pieces of Jell-O. I gripped the handle of the dagger and moved it to the left another three inches, slicing up myself real good so it left no doubt that my wound would require surgery if I were a mortal. Holly began screaming hysterically. I hit the floor and blood began draining from my sliced wound.
Holly knelt next to me, trying to cover my wound with her hand. Blood began running down her arm. Her elongated themselves, filled with a complex feeling of sorrow and anger . “Why would you do this?” she asked.
I looked up at her and I smiled. “To prove to you that I am not lying to you,” I said, my eyes beginning to close intermittently at the sudden loss of blood.
Ted, Kai and the Jiang-Shi ran into the small cavern, responding to Holly’s cries for help. They looked down at the bloody mess before them and remained stoic and without panic. Ted held out his arm at Holly as she remained on the floor doing her best in caring form. “Holly, stand up; he’s going to be okay.”
“ What do you mean he’s going to be okay?” she asked, panic-stricken and sobbing. “Someone get some gauze—is there a hospital around here? Does 9-1-1 exist in China?”
Ted picked up Holly by her arm, she fought him off, and Kai immediately assisted. “Holly, listen, quit panicking,” Ted said. “You’re going to get blood all over your clothes for no reason...Jack is going to be fine, I assure you.”
“Jack, don’t die,” Holly pleaded. “I’m sorry, I believe you.”
Kai and the other Jiang-Shi picked me up and took me out of the small cave, through the dining hall, and onto a cot in the sleeping barracks, Holly and Ted not far behind. I was out of breath as they picked me up off the ground.
Chapter Ten
I felt the brush of soft velvety skin on my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes and Holly’s warm, smiling face came into focus. Her soft green eyes were filled with a maternal aura.
She looked unkempt but still beautiful. I felt bad for her as I knew she took pride in her outfits, hair, and hygiene, but most of all, I thought she took extreme pride in her independence. I felt at fault for letting Milton know about her whereabouts when I was imprisoned in Guangzhou, but I knew I’d be rolling the dice with her safety if I didn’t.
“Did I fall asleep?” I asked, with a groggy grin.
“ Yeah, you did,” she said, in a soft voice. She took a quick glance down at my rib. There was an inquisitive yet somber look in her eyes, like someone who just found out they were adopted or that they were born a different sex and changed at birth. Holly didn’t know what to say to me, but by examining the timing of her breaths and her posture, it seemed that she wanted to ask me more questions, but it was clear she didn’t know where to start.
“ Where’s Ted?” I asked.
“ He’s asleep. It’s almost midnight,” she said. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, she was clearly tired. “Jack, I am exhausted. I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
“ That makes two of us,” I said, smiling and gently placing her hair behind her ear. I humbly asked, “Do you think I’m a monster?”
“ No, but I don’t know if I can trust you...or if it’s the situation I can’t trust? I just don’t know, Jack...I’m sorry.”
I quickly sat up on the cot. “Trust? I’m sorry but I had to lie...you wouldn’t have gone out with me if you knew what I was.”
“No, it’s not that...of course you had to lie. It’s just that, I just don’t know what to expect. I don’t even know where I am. I’m with these things in a cave. You’re somebody completely different. I always thought you had a family like me...a mother...a brother or a sister.” Holly caught herself, “I’m sorry,
I plunged the dagger deep into my rib. I felt the muscles and cartilage that lined up between my ribs tear, split, and rip away as if they were hardened pieces of Jell-O. I gripped the handle of the dagger and moved it to the left another three inches, slicing up myself real good so it left no doubt that my wound would require surgery if I were a mortal. Holly began screaming hysterically. I hit the floor and blood began draining from my sliced wound.
Holly knelt next to me, trying to cover my wound with her hand. Blood began running down her arm. Her elongated themselves, filled with a complex feeling of sorrow and anger . “Why would you do this?” she asked.
I looked up at her and I smiled. “To prove to you that I am not lying to you,” I said, my eyes beginning to close intermittently at the sudden loss of blood.
Ted, Kai and the Jiang-Shi ran into the small cavern, responding to Holly’s cries for help. They looked down at the bloody mess before them and remained stoic and without panic. Ted held out his arm at Holly as she remained on the floor doing her best in caring form. “Holly, stand up; he’s going to be okay.”
“ What do you mean he’s going to be okay?” she asked, panic-stricken and sobbing. “Someone get some gauze—is there a hospital around here? Does 9-1-1 exist in China?”
Ted picked up Holly by her arm, she fought him off, and Kai immediately assisted. “Holly, listen, quit panicking,” Ted said. “You’re going to get blood all over your clothes for no reason...Jack is going to be fine, I assure you.”
“Jack, don’t die,” Holly pleaded. “I’m sorry, I believe you.”
Kai and the other Jiang-Shi picked me up and took me out of the small cave, through the dining hall, and onto a cot in the sleeping barracks, Holly and Ted not far behind. I was out of breath as they picked me up off the ground.
Chapter Ten
I felt the brush of soft velvety skin on my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes and Holly’s warm, smiling face came into focus. Her soft green eyes were filled with a maternal aura.
She looked unkempt but still beautiful. I felt bad for her as I knew she took pride in her outfits, hair, and hygiene, but most of all, I thought she took extreme pride in her independence. I felt at fault for letting Milton know about her whereabouts when I was imprisoned in Guangzhou, but I knew I’d be rolling the dice with her safety if I didn’t.
“Did I fall asleep?” I asked, with a groggy grin.
“ Yeah, you did,” she said, in a soft voice. She took a quick glance down at my rib. There was an inquisitive yet somber look in her eyes, like someone who just found out they were adopted or that they were born a different sex and changed at birth. Holly didn’t know what to say to me, but by examining the timing of her breaths and her posture, it seemed that she wanted to ask me more questions, but it was clear she didn’t know where to start.
“ Where’s Ted?” I asked.
“ He’s asleep. It’s almost midnight,” she said. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, she was clearly tired. “Jack, I am exhausted. I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
“ That makes two of us,” I said, smiling and gently placing her hair behind her ear. I humbly asked, “Do you think I’m a monster?”
“ No, but I don’t know if I can trust you...or if it’s the situation I can’t trust? I just don’t know, Jack...I’m sorry.”
I quickly sat up on the cot. “Trust? I’m sorry but I had to lie...you wouldn’t have gone out with me if you knew what I was.”
“No, it’s not that...of course you had to lie. It’s just that, I just don’t know what to expect. I don’t even know where I am. I’m with these things in a cave. You’re somebody completely different. I always thought you had a family like me...a mother...a brother or a sister.” Holly caught herself, “I’m sorry,
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