Ella Awakened Read online

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sarah muttered.

  Ella looked extremely pale and had dark circles around her eyes. Sarah reached out and touched Ella’s face; it was hot and clammy. Worriedly, she slid her hand down to Ella’s neck searching for a pulse. It was there, but it was thready and faint. Sarah’s own pulse picked up considerably as she reached out to shake Ella awake.

  “Ella, wake up!” she screeched.

  Ella flew out of the bed knocking her friend over, and then vomited into the trash can. Sarah couldn’t believe how fast Ella had just made it across the room. She watched as Ella collapsed on the floor and lay curled in the fetal position moaning.

  “That’s it!” Sarah said authoritatively. “We’re going to the hospital.”

  “No!” Ella yelled. Then she quietly added, “call Burke.”

  Sarah threw her hands in the air. “Call Burke? Who the heck is Burke? You’re feverish and delusional, and you’re really scaring me Ella. I think something’s seriously wrong and I need to get you to a hospital.”

  Ella didn’t even lift her head off the floor and Sarah had to strain to hear her. “Sarah please trust me; if my word has ever meant anything to you just go with me on this one. I’ll explain it all later, but I don’t think the hospital can help me. Call Burke NOW. The number is on my cork board.”

  Against her better judgment Sarah made the call. It was an extremely short conversation. Some guy, Burke she guessed, answered with a casual “hello”. She barely got out “This is Ella’s roommate, she’s really sick and she needs you.” He cut in before she could even say they were in the room with an “I’m on my way!” and then he hung up.

  Sarah was pacing the room, chewing on her fingernail and thinking that if he wasn’t there within ten minutes she was taking her friend to the hospital - like she should have in the first place. Ella might be mad at her later, but right now she wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. The clock never made it to ten minutes. In less than five there was an urgent knock at the door. Sarah rushed to open it and there stood – well hello there – one of the hottest guys she had ever seen. Tall and sexy, lean but muscular, perfectly falling hair the color of black coffee, and were his eyes actually violet? She leaned forward to get a better look, but was snapped back to reality when he gruffly barked “Where is she?”

  Focus, thought Sarah, stepping out of the way.

  “She’s over here.” Sarah led the way over to Ella, who was still curled on the floor.

  Without another word, Burke was by Ella’s side and had scooped her up into his arms. “I’m getting you out of here,” he whispered.

  As he headed towards the door, Sarah grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute, where do you think you’re taking her?” she asked him, her voice on the verge of panic.

  Ella lifted her head off of Burke’s chest. “It’s okay,” she said, “I’ll call you soon, I promise.”

  “Hold on,” Sarah said, and tucked Ella’s cell phone into Burke’s back pocket. “If I don’t hear from you, I’m calling your Aunt Rachel. I’m not kidding!”

  And then they were gone.

  Chapter 2: Some Questions Answered

  Burke carried Ella out to his four wheel drive SUV. It was gray and four years old. Nothing special and nothing anyone would notice, which was exactly what he’d had in mind when he bought it. He had made blending in an art form. He held Ella with one arm and opened the back door with the other. After laying her across the back seat as gently as possible, he leaned in to buckle the center belt loosely over her. That would have to do; he’d be careful. He shut the door, let himself into the front, buckled his seatbelt, and started the truck. Before pulling out he looked around then checked his rearview mirrors. Luckily, the campus population was fairly thinned out with the semester being over. The last thing he needed was someone calling in his license plate number after seeing him tuck an apparently passed out student into his back seat. You would think campus security would have stepped it up a notch with the death of Jill Stevens. Of course, they thought she had drowned. He’d worry about Jill Stevens later. Right now he had to get Ella to his house and get her better. After he was confident that no one was scoping him out, he put the car in drive and eased out of the parking lot.

  He lived only eight miles from campus on the outskirts of town in a little cape cod that was as unassuming as his vehicle. He had bought the house just over two years ago when he’d learned Ella planned to attend the university. Everything he’d done since his best friend James had died in that car accident had centered around keeping his eye on James’ daughter. What a hellish nightmare that night a decade ago had been. He would be reliving the whole thing soon enough when Ella was through the awakening, and he had to explain everything to her. How was she going to take all of this? She was tough, that was a fact. She would deal with it, and she would help him finish this thing at last.

  He couldn’t help but smile as the thought he hadn’t allowed to surface since the accident centered itself in his mind. Finally, I’m not going to be alone anymore.

  Burke slowed the truck as he prepared to make the turn down his driveway. The house was set back nearly a mile from the main road. He crawled slowly and carefully along the gravel, avoiding as many of the bumps and holes as possible. After coasting to a stop, he hopped out and ran to open the front door. Jogging back to the truck, he opened the back and leaned in to unfasten Ella’s seatbelt. Luckily she was asleep; he knew she was going to feel extremely bad when she woke up. Hopefully that wouldn’t be for a while. Best case scenario, she’d be able to sleep through as much of the final changes as possible. Burke picked Ella up and cradled her against him. Even though she was sound asleep, he walked softly up the slate path. Turning to ease her through the door, he took her through the house to his bedroom in the back. It was a modest two bedroom house, but he had the spare room set up as an office. He only had one bed and that’s where he laid her. He pulled a blanket over her before leaving the room, and left the door cracked open so he’d be sure to hear if she stirred. He would be crashing on the couch for the next few days at least. Ella’s birthday was next Tuesday. Today was Friday. Four days to go. She’d wake up on her twentieth birthday feeling fine. All he could do was keep her comfortable and help her rest until then. He had the weekend off work so that was no problem. He was overdue some vacation time too; he would call now and get that lined up. He was more than confident that no one would question him or give him a hard time. Sure he was the department’s best medical examiner, but Carl could hold the fort down for a few days.

  As soon as Burke made the necessary calls, he headed out the back door and down another slate path to his pride and joy - the greenhouse. He had made it himself, mostly out of vintage salvaged windows. The single room was about fifteen by twenty feet, making it the perfect size for one caretaker. Plants on shelves of various heights lined three walls. The fourth wall was centered with the door Burke now entered through. On either side of the door were workstations with stone countertops displaying a variety of equipment that would make any chemist proud. In the center of the room was a well-worn chair with a small table next to it. If a botanist ever happened to enter the room, the chair would come in handy as a place to collapse and catch his or her breath after glimpsing the extraordinary vegetation. Mixed in with the easily recognizable plants, were incredibly intricate flowers in colors never before seen by the human eye. Some of them almost seemed to vibrate they were so bright. The yellow and brown spotted blossoms of a Tiger Orchid looked relatively plain and indistinct as it sat on a shelf next to a pot full of electric blue and pink striated trumpet-like flowers with glowing yellow specks scattered down their tubular centers. Savory aromas that could calm or entice unlike anything known to man emanated not only from the diverse blooms, but also from the potted herbs nestled here and there throughout the room.

  It was toward a section of herbs that Burke now headed after grabbing a mortar off one of the counters. He pinched a few small
sprigs of soft needle-like leaves from a blush pink woody perennial. After placing them into the mortar, he crossed the room to a small bluish green plant with broad flat leaves. He picked several leaves and tore them into tiny pieces before dropping them into the mortar. Next, he slowly headed toward a beautiful hibiscus tree in a large pot in the corner. Burke wasn’t interested in the large yellow hibiscus blossoms today; it was the flowers on the lime green cascading tendrils sharing the hibiscus pot that he needed. He held out his hand and sang softly. The tendrils lifted and lay themselves across his palm. After resting the mortar on the floor, Burke picked a small handful of the tiny lavender and white blooms as he continued to sing to the aromatic plant. When he had collected the required amount he stopped singing and pulled his hand away, allowing the tendrils to float back to their resting place against the hibiscus pot. Burke stood and surveyed the room. He proceeded to a squat bright green bush and shook one of its deep purplish black panicles over the mortar allowing the tiny crepe paper like flowers to rain down. After making a final stop at an orange tufted plant to add some of the silky fibers to his mixture, he seemed satisfied with his selections and returned to the workstation. Picking up the pestle, he lightly ground the herbs. He transferred his treasure to a small bowl, cleaned the mortar and pestle, and then returned to the house.

  In the kitchen Burke added about half of his herbal mixture to the water in a humidifier and saved the rest to make tea for Ella when she woke up. Breathing the steam from the humidifier would help her sleep peacefully. Drinking the tea would dull the headache and settle her stomach. He wished he could make the headaches go away altogether, but he was lacking an ingredient. There was nothing he could do about that; he would have to do the best he could with what he had. He walked into the bedroom, plugged the humidifier in, and set it on his bedside table pointing the mist toward Ella. Burke stood for a minute looking down at her. She was so beautiful; such a beautiful mess. In a few days she’d be able to kill him with her bare hands. But still, he felt this uncontrollable urge to protect her. He was afraid nothing could protect her. He reached down, smoothed a strand of her hair from her face, and then left the room to watch the evening news. Hopefully there wouldn’t be anything else added to his list of concerns.

  ~~

  The evening news was happily void of anything Burke needed to worry about. He turned off the television, peeked at Ella who was still sleeping, then went to the bathroom to clean himself up. As he showered he wished he had some things here for Ella. Of course he had soaps and shampoos, but if she felt up to a shower she’d want clean clothes. He wasn’t thrilled about the idea of leaving her, but he supposed he could sneak into her dorm room and grab a few things. It wouldn’t be hard to get in there tomorrow. He knew Sarah worked at a little shop downtown on Saturdays. He could run over there, get in and get out, and be back here in less than an hour.

  Thinking of Sarah, he remembered she’d be expecting to hear from Ella soon or she said she’d call Rachel. Ella wasn’t going to be in any condition to see Sarah, Rachel, or anyone else for a few more days.

  Thank God text messages have taken over the world he thought, as he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off.

  He put on comfortable shorts and a t-shirt and took Ella’s cell phone out of the back pocket of his discarded jeans. He scrolled through the contact list in Ella’s phone until he found Sarah, then sent her a text saying: Went to the doctor, have the flu, got drugs, should feel better in a few days. Hopefully that would buy him some time with Sarah. He wasn’t sure when, or even if, Rachel was expecting Ella to return home from school for summer break. He’d have to remember to ask Ella so they could text her Aunt if necessary. Feeling like he’d covered his bases, Burke got an extra pillow and blanket out of the linen closet and made his way to the couch. He got comfortable and opened the novel he’d been reading. All he could do now was sit and wait.

  He wasn’t sure what time he had actually dozed off, but it was just after two o’clock in the morning when he woke to Ella screaming. He ran into the bedroom and sat next to her on the bed.

  “Ella, you’re okay! It’s me Burke. You’re here at my house,” he told her as he pulled her into his arms.

  “My head feels like it’s going to explode and my whole body aches! What is happening to me? Please do something!” she desperately grabbed hold of his shirt. “Make it stop!”

  “Ella, you’ve got to listen to me. Everything is going to be okay, you’re going to be okay. I tried to tell you yesterday; you’re changing. You are awakening. Our people - your people - reach maturity at twenty years old. It’s like a second kind of puberty. Your father went through exactly what you’re going through just before his twentieth birthday. Please honey, he was my best friend. I know you don’t really know me, but I promise I will help you get through this. I will explain everything to you, but right now I’m going to go to the kitchen so I can get you something to take away the pain and help you rest.”

  Ella just sat staring at him. Tears of pain were streaming down her face. Of everything he had just said, she was focusing on the something to take away the pain part. She let go of his shirt. Burke ran to the kitchen and put a cup of water in the microwave. While it spun he put some of the herbs he had collected earlier into a tea infuser ball. As soon as the little buzzer went off, he grabbed the mug and dropped the ball in. He opened a cabinet and rummaged around until he found a bottle of Demerol. He shook a pill into his hand, removed the infuser from the tea, and returned to the bedroom. He held the pill out to Ella. She took it without asking any questions and drank the tea. At this point she didn’t care what it was. Hell, if it was poison and she was dead within a few seconds that’d be A-Okay. Burke took the cup from her and set it on the bedside table. He gently pushed her over a little and sat next to her, leaning against the headboard with his legs stretched out across the bed. He pulled her close. Ella lay with her head on his chest while he softly rubbed her back and hummed some kind of lullaby she had never heard before. The tea worked quickly. Within a few minutes she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Mixed with the Demerol she would sleep through the rest of the night and most likely well into tomorrow afternoon. Burke would be able to make the trip to her room in the morning to get her things. Right now he thought he would just sit here for a while and hold her.

  ~~

  Burke woke up just after seven o’clock the next morning. He’d fallen asleep holding Ella. Taking a deep breath, he edged out from under her. The weight of her across his chest was pretty amazing, but he had things to do. If he was going to run over to her room and get back here before she woke up, he needed to get moving. He pulled some jeans on and ran his hands through his hair. After grabbing his wallet and keys he scribbled Ella a quick note saying he’d gone to get a few things for her, and he would be back in less than an hour. More than likely he would be back before she woke up to read it anyway.

  A few minutes later, Burke was sitting in the school parking lot looking around. It wasn’t that he felt he had time to kill; he just liked to be aware of his surroundings. Besides, he’d made it here even faster than he had hoped. As he expected, the campus grounds were almost entirely deserted. He got out of his car and walked to Ella’s room. He stood outside the door with his ear against it. It only took him a second to confirm that no one was inside. His hearing was very good. He quickly picked the lock and let himself in. Almost immediately, his eye fell on the bag Ella had packed just before he had picked her up the previous day. He walked over to it and opened it up. Everything she’d need was right here and ready to go. This was going a lot easier than he could have hoped for. Burke slung the bag over his shoulder and stepped to the door, quietly listening. Satisfied the hallway was clear, he let himself out and locked the door behind him. Burke’s return to the front seat of his SUV prompted a smile – mission accomplished. He started his truck, turned out of the parking lot, and headed home.

  ~~

  The first thing Burke d
id when he got home was check on Ella. As he walked into the bedroom she opened her eyes. “How are you feeling?” he asked her.

  “Well,” she replied, “I’ve definitely felt better.”

  Burke crossed the room and touched Ella’s forehead with the back of his hand. “You’re a little warm; tell me your symptoms.”

  “My head still hurts, but not as bad as it did last night. I feel weak.”

  “I just went to your dorm room and picked up the bag you had packed. How about we pour you a bath and let you change clothes? You need to eat something, and I’ll make you some more medicine. Afterwards, if you’re up to it, we can talk for a little while.”

  “A bath sounds wonderful.” When Ella tried to stand her legs gave out and she began to fall. Burke caught her just before she hit the floor. He lifted her back to the bed.

  “Just sit tight a minute. I’ll start the water and be right back. Your cell phone is right there on the bedside table. You should probably text Sarah and your Aunt. I already sent Sarah one text, check the history.”

  He left Ella waiting and went to start the bath water. She picked up her cell phone, sent a couple of text messages, and then sat looking around the room. Her head felt clearer than it had since he had brought her here. She still had no idea who Burke was or what was going on, but last night she had been pretty sure she was going to die, and he had helped her. He seemed sincerely concerned about her, anyway. She didn’t really see what choice she had but to trust him; at least for the time being.

  Burke walked back into the bedroom carrying a fluffy blue plaid bathrobe. His apparently. “Do you think you can undress and put this on by yourself?” he asked.

  “I’ll manage,” she said sarcastically.

  “Give me a break, Ella,” he rolled his eyes. “If I was going to take advantage of you, don’t you think I’ve had plenty of opportunity?”