5.15: Agony

                                    

                                          

I found myself wishing this had happened earlier in the day; when the staff were around and awake. If they'd seen the state of Valentyna right now, they'd have snatched her from my arms and ran her straight to wherever I directed them. Instead, I'd run from the seemingly empty apartment, rode an empty elevator and entered into the cold of the night without a single person stopping me.
I didn't stop running. Not even when my lungs burned, my legs trembled, and the cold wind lashed against my face like invisible needles piercing my flesh. Valentyna's weight in my arms felt heavier with every step-each of her shallow, rattling breaths a drumbeat counting down how little time we had left. Did I even have enough time to save her? Would I even get close? As I looked down at her, I realised I couldn't think like that; I couldn't lose her.
"Hold on, Val," I whispered against her temple, not sure if she could hear me anymore. Her body was limp, her skin colder than the winter wind. I held her tighter, like I could somehow force life back into her. "I'll get us there. I promise." 
Eastern loomed ahead, its jagged silhouette emerging through the thin veil of fog that curled across the ground. The city always looked haunted, like the buildings themselves carried the ghosts of every soul who had bled out in its streets, warning all those who tried to enter. And now here I was, dragging my sister back into it, her blood staining my hands, my clothes and my soul.  
When I reached the gate, my heart sank. The guard- the guard- stood at his post, rifle slung lazily over one shoulder, his bored expression the same as before. I didn't have time for this. I barely had time for anything.  
"Back again?" The man squinted at me, chewing on the inside of his cheek as his gaze swept from my face to Valentyna in my arms. His casual demeanor wavered when he noticed her bloody, lifeless state. "You're supposed to be gone. You begged me to let you out."  
"Open the gate," I managed, the words scraping my throat raw. I adjusted my grip on Valentyna, though every movement made her feel smaller, lighter-too light. "We don't have time for this."  
The guard raised an eyebrow. "There's a hospital back west. You're headed the wrong way."  
I didn't bother explaining. How could I? That my sister was dying, that regular medicine wouldn't work, that I needed to find the witches hiding beneath this godforsaken city? Even saying it out loud sounded ridiculous. He'd never believe me; witches, if spoken of, would be laughed at as a barely amusing joke.
"Please," I said instead. My voice cracked, shame curling hot in my chest as I forced the word out. I wasn't used to begging. I hated it. But for Valentyna, I'd do anything. 
He hesitated for a second longer than I liked, his gaze flickering to Valentyna's pale face. I thought he might argue. I thought he might demand something. But instead, he gave a short nod, muttering something about how "it wasn't worth the trouble anyway" before he pulled the lever to the gate.  
The creaking of metal was like a countdown to my next nightmare. I stepped through the opening, feeling the darkness of Eastern swallow me whole.  One step at a time, I told myself. I gripped Valentyna tighter, hunching her closer to my chest like I could shield her from the city's gaze. My freehand fumbled for the small silver vials in my pocket; father's formula. I braced myself, pressing one syringe into my own arm, the sharp sting barely registering through the haze of exhaustion. Dropping it, I forced the second into Vale's pale skin, praying it would work. She didn't flinch.
The streets of Eastern were quieter than I remembered, the silence far more menacing than noise ever could be. Shadows stretched unnaturally across cracked stone and crooked walls, bending around corners and flickering as though the city itself was alive. I didn't dare look too closely.  I could feel them watching me. Fleeting figures, lurking just beyond the edge of my vision. Vampires.