The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden Page 0,36

and into her fingers, rejuvenating her cells and tissues. Tentatively she moved her thumb, just to see how it would feel. Immediately she felt arms tighten around her.

‘Sarah?’

She felt cool fingers trace her jaw, touch her lips.

‘Sarah - can you hear me?’

The voice sounded familiar - an attractive southern drawl. She wanted to open her eyes and see the face that accompanied the sound, but they felt so heavy.

The waves of energy continued around her body. She felt them moving down her torso, into her organs and all over her skin. They moved down her legs, making her muscles feel strong again, stronger than they had ever been.

‘Sarah?’

That voice. Lips kissing her eyelids.

The waves of energy started to move upwards, from her heart, up her neck - soothing, enlivening. She felt them in her throat, healing all her tissues, calming her aches and nerves. They traveled over her lips and up over her nose and eyes. Sarah concentrated on the sensations, wondering what was going on. She breathed in deeply and smelt a delicious masculine scent and a fresh forest smell. She scrunched up her face, stretching it in preparation for opening her eyes, as she felt tingles enter her mind, clearing the fog from her thoughts.

Kisses swept over her cheeks, gentle fingers stroked her hair, her neck, her heart.

‘Sarah, open your eyes. Everything is ok.’

Sarah concentrated on her eyes. They felt different, but she couldn’t quite work out why. She could see light filtering through her eyelids, focusing on them she slowly let them open. Green light streamed in. She blinked and focused on the face in front of hers.

‘Daniel,’ she whispered.

He smiled. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He leant over and kissed her on the lips, sending warm tingles over her skin. They replaced the waves of energy as they finally stopped their pursuit of every cell in her body. As he straightened up and looked into her eyes she smiled back, and basked in his beauty. She appreciated anew his silky dark hair, his rugged jaw and red appealing lips. She relaxed back against his supporting arm, and let herself gaze into his eyes. Those warm dark eyes, looking at her in wonder - stretching into her soul.

‘I didn’t know if you’d be ok,’ Daniel said.

Sarah could hear the angst in his voice. She could see tears in his eyes, and wondered how many he had shed.

‘I feel good. I feel different.’ Sarah whispered again. She didn’t want to disturb her connection with Daniel, the peace she felt in his arms.

‘How do you mean? What’s different?’

Sarah looked at his face, the little crease between his eyebrows.

‘You don’t need to worry, I will be ok.’

Relaxing more deeply she let her eyelids close again. They didn’t feel as heavy any more, but it felt natural that she should rest, let the changes happening inside her complete, take effect and rejuvenate her. She felt soft lips against her forehead as she drifted back to sleep.

***

She dreamt she was in a meadow with her children - Megan and Bea. They were playing together with a tea set, on a tartan rug. A breeze blew against her cheeks, cooling her from the hot sun. The grass was dotted with buttercups and daisies, all gently moving in the breeze. Bea let out a loud laugh that echoed through the valley, and Sarah lay back on her elbows, feeling the soft grass cushioning her body. She felt content, happy.

A wind started to pick up, blowing the blanket away, scattering the tea set. Megan ran after the blanket - giggling. Dark clouds appeared on the horizon, moving in at an unnaturally fast pace, towards their meadow. Megan caught the rug and ran back to Sarah as Bea pushed in closer looking anxious. Sarah wrapped her children in the rug, protecting them from the intensity of the wind. Her light shirt provided no warmth and she held Megan and Bea tight. As the clouds moved overhead the meadow became dark and rain hammered down. Sarah pulled the rug over their heads, trying to keep them dry. Fear and foreboding engulfed her. Her heart pounded and she saw dark shapes on the horizon, shadows moving, coming together in a patch of penetrating darkness. Sarah watched with wide eyes as leaves started to rise, sucked towards the darkness. She felt the pull begin, and hugged her children tight - she wasn’t going to let them be taken away.

She wasn’t going to lose them.

She