II - The Dark Tunnel - Part I.5

                                    

                                          
Elli
                          
October 2, in the year of 8845, Reminis Calendar (RC)
                          
When Elli woke up, she saw herself lying in a dimly lit room. 
                          
Marko was dabbing her chest with a damp cloth. 
                          
Howling, she slapped his hand away. "Get off me!"
                          
"Easy, lady, I just saved your life!"
                          
Elli sat up on the bed and found herself covered merely in her undergarments. Wailing, she ran her fingers through the mattress, searching for a towel or a blanket. When she could find none, she covered her bosoms with a pillow, scowling at Marko concurrently. 
                          
He returned her stare with a bemused expression. His arms crossed over his chest and his full lips pouted, whistling. "I've seen nude women more than my fingers and toes can count."
                          
"You are a creep! Give me back my clothes!" Elli sobbed, fighting back her tears.
                          
Marko's smirk vanished and he waved his hands frantically. "You must've misunderstood. I am a healer, not a womanizer. Here, drink this. It helps restore your stamina." 
                          
He passed her a glass of golden brown liquid; Elli's hands remained on her lap. 
                          
"Go on, I wouldn't spend the whole night saving you, and poison you in the end. This is honey crumb mixed with cocoa powder. You'll like it."
                          
Elli hesitated. Marko's words sounded rational. Why would he kill someone he fought so hard to save? Gingerly, Elli took a sip of the drink, and a faint smile lit up her face. She took two sips more. Marko waited for her to finish the drink before dabbing the cloth into a bowl with peach liquid in it. Without asking for permission, he brought the cloth to her cheek, and Elli slapped his hand away again. Marko grabbed her fists to calm her, but his action made her more furious. 
                          
Marko had no choice but to step down from the bed. He didn't seem to have a way with woman.
                          
"So-- Sorry. Please, trust me. This is rosemary juice, hard to come by even in the wild." 
                          
When Elli's emotion had calmed down, Marko sat on the bed carefully. He looked at Elli before lifting his hand which was still holding the wet cloth. Elli nodded. When the cooling liquid made contact with her body, Elli felt a weird yet soothing tickle coursing through her veins. 
                          
Peach mist swirled on her skin, like threads stitching the wounds on her cheek and her neck.
                          
Marko examined the bite wound on Elli's sheen. 
                          
To Elli's surprise, it didn't look black, like what she used to see in movies.
                          
"It's a relief that a Vampist's bite isn't hazardous. It's their staffs that we should be afraid of."
                          
Minutes later, the clotted blood was cleaned and the wounds closed up, leaving faint purplish bruises. Marko went to a wardrobe, fetching out black woolen tunics and a black travelling cloak. "They belonged to my mother, her favourites when she was alive."
                          
"What happened to her?" Elli asked while pinning her cloak.
                          
Marko turned his back and wiped the wardrobe with his palm, not willing to retell the tragedy he strove to forget. Elli gulped down her awkwardness and looked around the... windowless cubicle. The faucet attached to a kitchen cabinet turned on by itself and the water washed the dirty dishes. Algae crawled from the wall to the ceiling like the hairs of demons, threatening to dump their dampness on the dwellers. The only light that lit up the room was from a candle. 
                          
While she was studying the potions lining along the cabinet, a tickling sensation brushed against her heel. She squinted and saw thumb-sized pixies sweeping the floor with miniature broomsticks. Wincing at the tickling sensation, she repositioned herself on the bunk, and her eyes fell on the bedside table. A clock sat on it, showing 1501 hours. Next to it was a white calendar. She narrowed her eyes to get a more vivid vision on the words scrawling on it.