around the damp room once again.
She couldn’t see Tiembe… but she couldn’t see anything for that matter.
“Tiembe?” She called. “Tiembe are you there?”
A deep growl pierced the stillness.
Shanaea turned toward the sound.
“…Tiembe?”
The growl intensified and Shanaea darted for the light flooding through the hole in the side of the hotel, seeking the safety the light offered her.
Then she remembered the dream.
Shanaea turned sharply as someone landed on her back, sending her rolling across the floor to slam into the side of an old wooden desk.
Her vision swam as she struck the desk, but she was on her paws in seconds. She tried to run to the light, but fell, a sudden weakness spreading through her limbs.
She tried to stand, but slipped in the puddle of blood that was quickly forming under her.
“…just like in the dream.” Shanaea thought.
…but unlike in the dream the wound was not in the side of her neck, which would’ve killed her in minutes, but in the back of her neck.
Shanaea knew enough about herself to realize that she was still bleeding to death, just not as quickly.
Tiembe stepped into the light then.
Tears flooded his eyes as he saw Shanaea struggling to stand… and failing.
“Oh God… what have I done… Shanaea… I don’t want you to die.”
Shanaea heard him and picked her head up out of the rapidly spreading pool of blood.
“Then help me Tiembe.” She said. “…take me back to Nome… to doc.”
“I… I can’t.” Tiembe said. “She’ll be mad at me.”
“…she who?” Shanaea asked.
“Ki….” He said. “…she’ll be mad at me.”
“Who is Ki?” Shanaea asked.
“She’s…”
Tiembe stopped.
“…she’s my mother.”
“…your mother wants me to die…” Shanaea said, her head dropping a little lower. It was getting hard to hold it up.
“…why?” She asked.
“I… I don’t know.” Tiembe said, his voice faltering a bit. “It’s all your fault!” He screamed suddenly. “You were going to consume me! That’s all you females want! Well I will do what I must! You’ll never get my soul!”
Shanaea tried to stand again and fell to the floor.
“Tiembe, where is your mother now?” “She’s… she’s dead.” Tiembe said, his voice faltering again.
“How… how can a dead dog be mad at you Tiembe?” Shanaea asked.
“I… I don’t know.” Tiembe said.
His resolve collapsed and he looked around for his mother… but he was alone.
“Tiembe, do… do you love me?” Shanaea asked.
The world was starting to turn gray to Shanaea as her head dropped further toward the floor.
Tiembe stood there a moment.
“…yes.” He said finally “Yes, I do love you Shay.”
“Then help me…” Shanaea’s voice cracked then and she started to cry as the world spun in slow circles, the varying shades of gray beginning to blur, and run together.
“…help me Tiembe…” She sobbed. “…please… please help me.”
Ki stepped up next to Tiembe.
“Kill her.” She said.
“…what?” Tiembe asked.
“What are you waiting for?” Ki asked. “…finish her off.”
“No, I can’t!” Tiembe yelled. “I… I love her!”
Ki laughed.
“…but she will consume you.”
“I don’t care anymore.” Tiembe yelled.
“Well if you won’t save yourself, I guess I’ll do it for you.” Ki said. She moved toward Shanaea’s still form.
“No!” Tiembe yelled. “I won’t let you hurt you!”
Tiembe leapt at her and sent Ki sprawling to the ground.
“…what are you doing Tiembe?” Ki asked.
“What I should’ve done long ago.” Tiembe said.
Then he tore into Ki’s throat.
There was a spray of blood and Ki screamed… then she disappeared, and Tiembe was alone once more.
He looked around, but Ki was gone.
He turned his head and saw Shanaea slumped against the floor.
“What have I done?” He said aloud.
As he watched, Shanaea breathed. It was shallow, but she was alive.
“Hang on Shay.” He said. “I’ll get you to doc’s.”
He walked over and pulled Shanaea’s limp body onto his shoulder.
“Hang on Shay… don’t you die on me.” he said.
Tiembe started for the hole in the side of the hotel.
“Hang on Shay…” He said, hoping against hope that he wasn’t too late.
The storm had started blowing full tilt by the time that Josh had noticed his sister’s absence. He knew where she’d probably gone and immediately set out to find Blaize. Then they’d set out to find Shanaea together.
Josh walked ahead of Blaize now, and it was he who first glimpsed the brown dog running as fast as he could through the snow, a limp red form draped across his shoulders.
“Oh no…” Josh said. “Shay…”
Josh sat in the back of doc’s thinking about his sister.
“What possessed you to go looking for him Shay?” Josh asked himself. “I told you he was dangerous.”
Even more puzzling than this to Josh was the fact that Tiembe had brought her back to Nome.
“Why would he do that?” Josh thought. “He had to know that he was turning himself in…”
Kodi padded out the swinging back door of the hospital then, and Josh stood, walking over to his father.
“How is she dad?” Josh asked.
Kodi sighed.
“…not good… she was hurt bad son.”
Josh sighed and stepped back.
“Doc is still working on her.” Kodi continued. “If… if she makes it through the night she has a good chance.”
Josh nodded.
“I’m going to go talk to him… find out what happened.”
Josh turned and started walking away.
Kodi’s voice stopped him.
“Son… I don’t think that’s such a good idea… let Blaize take care of this.”
Josh turned.
“Dad if… if she dies there won’t be any need for Blaize… I’ll kill him myself, and no one will be able to stop me.”
Josh turned and started running.
“Josh stop!” Kodi called, but it did no good. Josh kept running.
Kodi sighed and turned, walking back into the hospital.
Blaize saw Josh as he entered the old mill and went down to meet the young husky.
“How is she Josh?” Blaize asked.
Josh ignored him.
“Where is he?” Josh asked.
Blaize sighed.
“…Josh I…”
“I just want to talk to him.” Josh said. “She’s alive, so for now he’s safe… where is he?”
Blaize sighed again.
“…the storage shed, outside.”
Josh nodded and turned, walking briskly back outside.
As Josh walked up to the storage shed he saw one dog sitting outside it.
“Hey Josh.” The dog said as Josh walked up the steps. “How is she?”
“…alive, for now.” Josh responded. “I need to talk to him.”
“I’m sorry Josh.” The dog said. “Blaize told me no one is to come in or out.”
“I just talked to Blaize.” Josh said. “…he knows.”
The dog nodded and josh stepped through the swinging door.
Tiembe was laying in the corner, but he raised his head as he saw josh enter.
“How is Shay?” He asked.
Josh glared at the dog.
“…don’t you call her that.” He said. “Her name is Shanaea.”
“…but she said…” Tiembe started, but Josh cut him off.
“I don’t give a damn what she said, I’m telling you now that if I hear you call her that again I’ll break your freakin’ neck, understand?”
Tiembe sighed and nodded.
“…so, how is Shanaea?”
“She’s alive, for now.” Josh said. “…certainly no thanks to you… what happened out there?”
“I… I already told Blaize.” Tiembe said. “Why do you think I’m sitting in here rather than at doc’s by her side… you want to know what happened ask him.”
I’m asking you now.” Josh said. “…and I strongly suggest you answer me.”
Tiembe sighed.
“She tracked me to the outskirts and… and I attacked her okay, happy now?”
“…why?” Josh asked. “What did she ever do to you? …besides save your worthless life I mean.”
Tiembe sighed again.
“She didn’t do anything to me… and never would have… I realize that now.”
“…you realize it now?” Josh asked. “What, did you think she would ever hurt you?”
Tiembe sighed.
“I… I don’t know…”
“Are you in the habit of killing those that love you?” Josh asked. “…’cause Shay wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“…I… I don’t know.” Tiembe responded.
“You don’t seem to know much.” Josh said.
“I don’t know!” Tiembe yelled. “God… I… I love her! Do you think I want her to die?”
“…apparently you do.” Josh said. “you attacked her didn’t you?”
“I love her damnit!” Tiembe said. “I… I love her.”
“Then why did you put her in the hospital?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know…” Tiembe said.
“…don’t say that again.” Josh said. “You do know. You wanted to kill her.
“…no.” Tiembe said. “…no I didn’t.”
“…you wanted her dead, that’s why you attacked her. You went for the throat Tiembe.”
“…no…” Tiembe said again, shaking his head from side to side, trying to clear his memory of the images of him flying through the air at her, trying to rid his mouth of the warm metallic taste of her blood…
“No, I love her.” Tiembe said. “I didn’t want to kill her.”
“Yes you did Tiembe!” Josh yelled. “You went for the throat Tiembe! You wanted her to die! You tried to kill her Tiembe!”
“No!” Tiembe yelled.
He jumped at Josh, but he side-stepped the attack and hit Tiembe in the back of the head, slamming him to the floor.
Josh was on him in seconds.
He hit Tiembe in the face.
“You tried to kill her!”
He hit Tiembe again.
“Shay is my sister!”
Josh hit him twice more.
“I’ll kill you!”
Josh hit him again.
Suddenly Josh was being pulled backwards off of Tiembe.
“…stop Josh.” Blaize said. “He’ll get his, but not like this.”
Tiembe crawled into the corner as Blaize continued to pull a struggling Josh toward the door.
Josh shook Blaize loose.
“…get off me! Let me go!” He yelled.
Josh threw Blaize to the floor and turned to face Tiembe who was again laying in the corner, blood flowing down his face from a cut above his eye.
“…know this Tiembe.” Josh said. “If she dies… if she dies I’ll come back… I’ll come back and I’ll kill you, understand?”
Blaize had made it to his paws by this time and tried once more to drag Josh back.
“I said let me go!” Josh yelled, throwing Blaize back against the door. “I’m fine, leave me alone!”
He looked back at Tiembe.
“I’ll kill you, and I don’t care how many dogs I have to go through to do it.”
Then Josh turned and walked out the door.
Chapter
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emotion and slight sorrow. But, like all the rest, it has a great
ending. But I have to wonder about the Talbourne's future under Saba,
not to mention Josh and his extreme hatred for Tiembe. Ah, well, I'll
have to read on, something I will do gladly. Again, Amazing work!