Chapter 2 2. Cabin in the Desert

Isabella

Sandalwood. The strong scent makes a mark in my brain as I slowly wake up. The strange texture of the quilt from under me nips at my skin as if it wants me to get up as well, it was comfy but I am just conscious of the fact that I don't own a quilt and that my bed isn't as spacious as the one I'm on. My hand looks for my phone on the surface, but it comes up empty.

I open my eyes, the unfamiliar ceilings with the beautiful wooden awnings faces me, there is the familiar smell of blood but I pat myself down and there isn't wrong with me and the room is empty. But something is definitely bleeding out.

The room is neat and simple. Looks like a hunting cabin, but instead of a lush forest outside the window, there is an arid desert that I'm familiar with. We're in the middle of a nature reserve close to where I live. But where exactly this house is, I don't know.

I run my hand through my hair. My sister left my apartment and then this. I'm kidnapped by a patient that could literally throw me to the wall and shatter my bones, but I'm alive.

Why? I would like to find out. The scent of blood could be key, and I should be scared. But for some odd reason, I'm not. I slide to my feet and look at the surface of the dresser. It's empty, and there's a layer of dust.

I look at the mahogany door. I swallow the lump in my throat and walked out of the room. Almost immediately, my bare feet touch the puddle of blood that I just noticed. It's still warm and feels as if it would stain my skin. I look at the trail of blood and followed. At the end of the hallway, just by the kitchen lies a body.

It was him. I rush to his side and look at his wounds. All of which are reopened. The stitches are crudely opened and blood pours out of him in a continuous stream. I rip his shirt and staunch it on his open wounds.

He hisses. One hand grabbing my wrist and waking. Emerald green glares alarmingly at me. "What are you doing?" he huffs.

"You're bleeding out, you could die if you let it be"

"I won't die" he says, softer than I thought he wanted.

"Don't be ridiculous" I shake his hand away and rip a longer piece of his shirt and wrap it around him.

"Wouldn't it...be better if you let me die?" He gasps. His eyes watching my every movement. Suspicious and cautious.

"Then I won't know where to go. I have seen the outside, and I'm not sure where the heck we still are, if you die, then I might as well die in the wilderness trying to find my way out"

He grimaces. "I picked a smart nurse"

"Shut up and let me help you stop bleeding"

I'm swimming and soaked in his blood by the time I have done what I said. A part of me is scared that he already bled out and stopping his bleeding was exhausting. My arms shake in exhaustion and I can't help but lean on his large body at this point.

"you can let go now" he says.

I flinch. I thought he lost consciousness at some point of the process, since his eyes were closed the whole time. But apparently not. "a few more seconds and I will"

Gently, his hand skims my wrist. His eyes still closed and his face looks almost serene. "Thank...you"

I smile. "Don't die on me"

He smirks. "I won't"

At some point, I moved back and let him go. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but the blood that did bled from him pooled at my knees. I look around the cabin. There wasn't much as if it was owned by a minimalist that only needed what was necessary.

There's no clutter around the home, just a dining table with four chairs and a couch facing a large window overlooking a cliff of some sort. This is a strange home and I'm not sure if the man that took me owns it.

The kitchen was even more bare bones in style, but thankfully the closets are packed with food and the pantry was full. The fridge was even organized and filled to the brim with a lot of stuff. At least getting hungry here won't be an issue.

I take the single couch pillow and put it under the man's head. I swiped some towels and wiped the floor clean of blood, but the smell is still there, some small discoloration on the hardwood floor and I fear some of it seeped between the floorboards. I swallow the lump in my throat.

I'm not scared of blood. I'm a nurse for heaven's sake but the smell of it is horrible. Blood has always smelled horrible to me that even during surgeries I double my mask in the hopes that it would filter the smell.

Looking for bleach in the house remains futile. There were only over the counter small time cleaning products that won't really clean out the blood from the floor. I take the dishwashing soup and added some detergent just to get rid the smell for me, this reminds me too much of my job in the hospital. There were janitors but Head nurse Amanda is a menace and makes me do most of the cleaning work on top of what nurses actually do in the hospital.

I didn't bother to move the man off the floor as the bulk of him already makes it obvious that he's not going to be light. I just cleaned whatever the blood touched and left him alone. I cover him with the quilt on the couch before cleaning everywhere else, until the only thing dirty that is left is me.

Looking through the dressers, I spot some clothes for women but were still too large for me, but I can't really be picky at a time like this. I just want to be clean again and stop smelling the horrid smell of blood and rust. I hop on the tall shower and cleaned myself.

It was only then did I try to think of the ways to escape. Clearly, I'm kidnapped and I am in the middle of nowhere. If the man truly dies, then I'd be stranded here with no knowledge of where I am and how to ask for help.

More of my exhaustion and helplessness clings to me at the thought of my sister with Billy at a junkies house or a place they just shoot their drugs where my nephew is exposed to danger, it made me curl up to the floor of the shower. The water beats my skin and I deflate even more.

I need to get back home and tell my mom to look for my sister with me. I want to hunt them down in the city as fast as I can even though I can't right now. I wipe the tears away and turn off the shower.

The clothes I took from one of the dressers is a large dress that makes me feel small. I have to roll up the sleeves to make it less heavy on me. The man is still passed out on the floor when I got out. He's sleeping and his pulse is strong enough to fill me with relief.

This close to him I can't help but admire his face. Angular and strong bones with full lips and a high brow ridge. He's incredibly handsome for a kidnapper. I sigh. this is reality for you even the handsome ones you can't really trust. They could just be kidnappers in disguise and they're only attractive just so they could lure you in places like this.

I chuckle. "your handsome face is such a waste"

"My mother doesn't think so" his eyes slowly open and meets mine

My blush warms my neck to my face. Making small tingling sensation on the surface of my skin. "You're...awake. You should really stop pretending to sleep"

"I wasn't pretending" he looks down on himself. Examining the wounds on his torso. "I'm just a light sleeper no matter the situation."

I purse my lips. "I helped you so you should help me get back"

He raise a single brow at my direction "Do you think I am in any kind of condition to do that right now?"

"I can get a map and-"

"We're in the middle of nowhere filled with snakes and heat and canyons. You need me as a guide to get out of here. you can't do that on your own even with a map. It was smart of you to stay even though I was incapacitated since you're more likely to get lost and starve in the blazing heat once morning comes"

My lips twitch. "Then why the hell did you take me?"

"Because you're a nurse" he says a matter-of-factly. "the closest one to me and I needed someone with experience to help me heal, someone attacked me and this was no normal attack. They laced their claws with something-"

"Claws?" I furrow my brows. "someone laces dogs claws?"

He grimaces. "Ah, right, I knew I have to give you the talk" he tries to sit up and groans halfway when one of his wounds starts winking blood.

"Stop! Just lie the fuck down!"

"No, I have to show you something" he groans again and leans on one arm that was propping him up. The other free hand lays on top of his stomach and before I know it, his human nails are replaced with large wolverine claws and a hairy hand. "I...am not human"

I stare. Veins bulge out of his dark leathery skin on his clawed hand. It tapers off to human tanned skin by the elbow, but his whole lower arm is...inhuman. My eyes aren't deceiving me since I could smell the heat coming off of his arm. It's a strange sensation. I didn't think you could smell heat before.

"please, don't pass out"

I swallow the lump in my throat. "I'm...not" I lie. My nausea kicking in.

"You're passing out!"

I shake my head before I drop to the floor beside him.