room, he told me to take special care to stay away from the heat
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of the fireplace and to stay by the window he had just opened.
"That skin is rotten now. If you go near the heat it will make you smell and cause the rest of the skin on your arm to rot. Then
I'll be working forever to fix you," he said with a smile.
He disappeared into his room and I heard him rustling about
in there. I looked down at my hand again and contemplated
pulling out everything in me that wasn't human now that I could
see it. I hated being able to see these things from time to time and I still see them sometimes when I glance quickly at myself in the
mirror on the rare occasions that I can bring myself to do so.
"Give me your arm, Caelum."
I jumped in startled surprise. I was so deep in thought I hadn't
seen Edison reappear. He was now wearing a large coat made of
dark greens and some black with pants to match. He wore a wool
cap pulled down over his head and dark gloves as well. In his
hand he held a syringe in which I could see the serum he would
give me only at night. I'd ask him later why he decided to give it to me at this time, for now I just extended my arm and let him
inject me.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said grabbing the rifle he had leaned next to my chair and disappeared out into the snow
covered wonderland outside.
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Unwound
Glancing out the window I could feel my body wanting to rest.
I was becoming tired very quickly and couldn't understand why. I
fought to keep my eyes opened, but that fight didn't last very long.
Before I knew it my eyes had closed.
When I came out of my resting phase the sun was staring to
go down over the horizon and I could hear Edison working on
something outside. I sat there for a moment feeling myself
becoming fully restored.
I heard something being dragged around the side of the house
Edison grunting as he dropped something. I heard the front door
open and watched him step in and place a large
canvas bag down, setting the rifle down by the door. He
pulled his cap off and tossed it on one of the counters and
removed his coat which he hung on a hook on the wall. Leaving
whatever he was dragging in the bag by the door he walked over
to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water and drank it in almost one gulp.
He glanced over at me and I closed my eyes slightly so that he
didn't know I was awake yet. I wanted to see what was in that bag
and I had a feeling he wouldn't produce it if he knew I was
watching him. Edison took a deep breath and went over to the bag
which he slung over his shoulder and disappeared into his room
with. After a few moments, I heard him emerge from his room,
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locking the door firmly behind him, and disappearing into the
washroom. I waited until I heard the sound of the water pouring
out of the metal spout he called a shower, before I got up and
walked over to the window. I craned my head out to look and
could see a big pool of scarlet against the pure white snow.
It was obvious he had slaughtered something. Instinctively, I
climbed out of the window and lowered myself as gently as I
could with one working hand. I walked a few feet to the puddle
and reached down my fingers to graze it. It was cold now because
of the snow, but I lifted it to my nose and smelled iron. I stared at my scarlet stained fingertips and wondered where I had smelled
that before.
The night that London had torn her fingernails from their beds,
I had smelled the iron strongly. This was blood I smelled.
The water in the washroom stopped. I couldn't hear it
anymore, but for how long it was stopped I wasn't quite sure.
Frantically, I ran back to the window and hoisted myself up with
one arm and dove for the chair hoping I had beat Edison out of
the room.
"That was a hell of a jump."
I jumped and looked up behind me. Edison was standing there
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Unwound
looking at me with a carefully blank expression on his face.
117
Unwound
of the fireplace and to stay by the window he had just opened.
"That skin is rotten now. If you go near the heat it will make you smell and cause the rest of the skin on your arm to rot. Then
I'll be working forever to fix you," he said with a smile.
He disappeared into his room and I heard him rustling about
in there. I looked down at my hand again and contemplated
pulling out everything in me that wasn't human now that I could
see it. I hated being able to see these things from time to time and I still see them sometimes when I glance quickly at myself in the
mirror on the rare occasions that I can bring myself to do so.
"Give me your arm, Caelum."
I jumped in startled surprise. I was so deep in thought I hadn't
seen Edison reappear. He was now wearing a large coat made of
dark greens and some black with pants to match. He wore a wool
cap pulled down over his head and dark gloves as well. In his
hand he held a syringe in which I could see the serum he would
give me only at night. I'd ask him later why he decided to give it to me at this time, for now I just extended my arm and let him
inject me.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said grabbing the rifle he had leaned next to my chair and disappeared out into the snow
covered wonderland outside.
118
Unwound
Glancing out the window I could feel my body wanting to rest.
I was becoming tired very quickly and couldn't understand why. I
fought to keep my eyes opened, but that fight didn't last very long.
Before I knew it my eyes had closed.
When I came out of my resting phase the sun was staring to
go down over the horizon and I could hear Edison working on
something outside. I sat there for a moment feeling myself
becoming fully restored.
I heard something being dragged around the side of the house
Edison grunting as he dropped something. I heard the front door
open and watched him step in and place a large
canvas bag down, setting the rifle down by the door. He
pulled his cap off and tossed it on one of the counters and
removed his coat which he hung on a hook on the wall. Leaving
whatever he was dragging in the bag by the door he walked over
to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water and drank it in almost one gulp.
He glanced over at me and I closed my eyes slightly so that he
didn't know I was awake yet. I wanted to see what was in that bag
and I had a feeling he wouldn't produce it if he knew I was
watching him. Edison took a deep breath and went over to the bag
which he slung over his shoulder and disappeared into his room
with. After a few moments, I heard him emerge from his room,
119
Unwound
locking the door firmly behind him, and disappearing into the
washroom. I waited until I heard the sound of the water pouring
out of the metal spout he called a shower, before I got up and
walked over to the window. I craned my head out to look and
could see a big pool of scarlet against the pure white snow.
It was obvious he had slaughtered something. Instinctively, I
climbed out of the window and lowered myself as gently as I
could with one working hand. I walked a few feet to the puddle
and reached down my fingers to graze it. It was cold now because
of the snow, but I lifted it to my nose and smelled iron. I stared at my scarlet stained fingertips and wondered where I had smelled
that before.
The night that London had torn her fingernails from their beds,
I had smelled the iron strongly. This was blood I smelled.
The water in the washroom stopped. I couldn't hear it
anymore, but for how long it was stopped I wasn't quite sure.
Frantically, I ran back to the window and hoisted myself up with
one arm and dove for the chair hoping I had beat Edison out of
the room.
"That was a hell of a jump."
I jumped and looked up behind me. Edison was standing there
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Unwound
looking at me with a carefully blank expression on his face.
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