Chapter 315: Meeting Martha

Now I understand why Pali told me to stay quiet.

The Night Walker happened to be around.

Dre.

While Uncle Pali attended to the sick woman, my eyes stayed fixed on the girl... and she knew I was looking at her. I didn’t blink once, my gaze locking onto her pale face as my chest rose and fell with shallow, angry breaths. The room grew incredibly quiet, the tension stretching out like a tight wire between us.

I still hadn’t forgotten the time she ripped my girlfriend’s heart out. It’s still in my memory..

The moment I saw Dre open the door, I was reminded of what I thought I had forgotten.

"Pali, why is she here?" Dre asked. Her voice was ice-cold, her eyes darting toward me with a sharp flick of her wrist.

I’m sure she felt uncomfortable under my stare. I didn’t break eye contact for a second, my posture locking up as I stood my ground near the edge of the bed.

"She happens to be my apprentice. Just ignore her, Dre," Pali replied. He spoke in a calm, flat tone, his hands moving quickly as he packed his medical herbs back into his small leather bag.

He finished examining Martha, handed her the concoction, then walked out of the room. Dre followed him.

I was left alone with the woman. The bedroom was completely still, the soft sound of Martha’s ragged breathing the only noise left in the space.

I sat down beside her. I pulled the small wooden chair closer to the mattress, letting out a long, quiet breath to steady my racing heart.

"You look different from the last time we saw each other," the woman said with a smile. She tilted her head, her tired eyes scanning my face with a warm, gentle look.

Yeah...

She was talking about my baby bump.

Not the fat girl anymore. I let out a soft chuckle, my hands instinctively dropping to rest against my stomach as I remembered how much had changed since our last meeting.

"And you look thinner," I replied. My voice dropped into a softer tone, my eyes tracking the sharp lines of her collarbones under the blankets.

The woman laughed before breaking into a cough. It was a harsh, hacking sound that shook her entire chest, her small frame trembling against the sheets.

"Oh, you should be careful, Ms. Martha," I said as I adjusted her pillows. I stood up quickly, my hands moving gently to prop her back up so she could breathe easier.

"When are you going to introduce me to your quadruplets?" she asked. Her breathing settled down a bit, a small spark of curiosity lighting up her pale face.

"Maybe the next time I visit. I’ll bring them along," I replied. I smiled warmly at her, imagining the absolute chaos of bringing all four babies into the quiet house.

She sighed. The sound was heavy and full of a deep, lingering sadness that made my own chest tighten with pity.

"I hope the next time comes before I wither away."

"Oh my goodness, Ms. Martha, you shouldn’t say things like that. You’re going to live a very long life," I said, trying to give her hope. I reached out and squeezed her frail hand, her skin feeling paper-thin against my palm.

Even I knew her life was running short. The dim light in her eyes and the gray tint to her skin told me everything I needed to know, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

"’Long life’ is a very expensive word for someone like me. I know death is knocking. The only reason the door is still closed is because Andrea and Pali are trying to keep it locked."

I really pitied the woman.

Those two were truly trying.

I don’t know what Dre was doing exactly, but Pali always made sure she never missed her medication.

I smiled at her, trying to give as much warmth as I could. I kept my grip loose and comforting on her fingers, my breathing slowing down to match her steady rhythm.

"Faye dear," she called.

"Yes?"

"I know you can hear whatever they’re discussing out there. Can you listen and tell me what it is?"

Ms. Martha asked kindly, and I did exactly as she requested. I closed my eyes, tilting my head toward the closed door as I tuned my sharp hearing to the hallway outside.

It turned out Pali and Dre were planning something. Their voices were low and intense, their words cutting through the wood paneled door in quick, hurried whispers.

I didn’t fully understand it, but they were talking about performing a ritual to grant her eternal life.

They had apparently been working on it for months. They had been gathering ingredients and drawing symbols, trying to find a loophole in the natural order of things just to keep her from slipping away.

I told Ms. Martha exactly what I had heard, and from the look on her face, she understood perfectly what they were talking about. Her eyes went completely wide, her jaw tightening as a sudden wave of anger replaced the exhaustion on her face.

When Dre and Pali returned...

"I told you I do not want such a life! How could you plan this behind my back?" she shouted at the two of them. Her voice cracked with the effort, her chest heaving violently as she pointed a trembling finger at the entryway.

She looked so fragile, even while yelling. It felt like the sheer force of her anger might snap her bones, her breathing turning fast and shallow under the strain.

Immediately, both of them turned to look at me. Their eyes locked onto my face at the exact same time, Dre’s glare turning incredibly sharp while Pali’s mouth opened in pure shock.

I simply stared back because I had no idea what I had done.

Pali dragged me out of the room while Dre stayed behind, trying to calm the sick woman.

We stopped beside his van outside.

"I told you to stay quiet, didn’t I?" Pali said. He turned to face me, his chest rising with a sharp, furious breath as he threw his hands in the air.

"You didn’t specify what kind of quiet you meant. I was just doing what she asked me to do." I argued back...

"You could’ve simply said you couldn’t hear us." He snapped, his fingers rubbing his temples in pure frustration.

"Okay, I’m sorry. Besides, I didn’t even understand whatever you guys were talking about," I defended myself.

"But she did." He sighed. His shoulders slumped completely, all the anger draining out of him as he leaned back against the side panel of the van.

"Look, Faye, I didn’t want to bring you here in the first place. Whatever you heard... don’t tell anyone. We’re just trying to help the woman." He spoke in a low, tight whisper, his eyes darting toward the front door of the house.

"Why can’t I help her? If it’s just an illness, let me give her my blood. If that doesn’t work, let me bite her." I said, stepping closer to him as the ideas rushed into my head.

"It’s TB Faye, we cannot take that risk. Your blood can’t heal everything, and your bite isn’t a guarantee. Dre is working on the cure. It’s not only going to cure her... it’ll also give her eternal life."

At that moment, I understood everything.

No wonder she didn’t want that kind of life.

"You guys want to make her like Dre... a blood-sucking monster." I whispered, my voice full of a sudden horror as I stared at my boss.

"Don’t say or do anything. You should leave. I’m sure Dre isn’t happy about what you just did."