The Savior Rises by Christopher C. Payne Page A

didn’t seem to die very easily.
    “Hello, Ms. Hernandez. How might you be feeling today?” asked Dr. Bob as he entered the room. Not really waiting for her to even respond, he just kept going. It was almost as if he were talking to himself, rather than addressing her directly.
    “We’ve taken some samples of your blood, and we’ve run some tests on the remains you so kindly left for us on the roadside. The police officers were nice enough to bring some in and asked us what we thought. The strange thing is, I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a blood sample like yours before, ever.”
    “You seem to have an oddity in your system, some kind of virus of some sort. It’s attacking and almost transforming the structure of your DNA. The nurse has taken some more samples, and we will continue to run tests. In the meantime, I’d like for you to stay put, at least for a couple days.  We don’t want you running around infecting anybody with something before we figure out what it is.”
    “What are you talking about?” she responded. “Am I going…”
    She stopped herself midsentence. Standing outside her door was Dennis. He wore a long, black trench-coat that must have been new. More likely, it was stolen. The guy seemed to have some sticky fingers with no qualms about breaking the law.
    Her young protector kept him at bay for the time being. He glanced at Stefani, and it was obvious he was unsure whether to let Dennis in or send him in another direction.
    “Ma’am, this guy says he knows you. His name is Dennis. Is it ok if he comes in, or would you rather be left alone?” the young officer asked.
    “Thanks, just send him in,” she motioned to the officer.
    Then, she looked directly at Dr. Bob, “I’ll stay here as long as you like, doctor. I just need to talk to my friend, if possible. Alone, please,”
    She flippantly waved him out the door.
    Looking like a scolded dog that had just dropped a load on the living room carpet, the doctor quickly made his exit. He came across as one of those pompous jerks who thought all women should fawn over him just because he was a doctor. Stefani was a freakishly strong super girl. What did she care what this idiot was? Besides, she’d be dead in a few hours. Her luck couldn’t possibly continue with the odds stacked against her.
    “Dennis, what’s up, dude?” she asked in a condescending tone.
    “That was really stupid. You could have been killed or worse. He could have captured you, and…”
    “Buddy, did you really just say I could’ve been killed, but it would’ve been worse if he caught me and took me alive?” she grunted at him. “It almost seems you’re not placing a very high value on my life. That doesn’t bode well for us hanging out too long or bonding in any way.”
    Dennis closed the door and pulled a chair up beside her bed. He pushed it forward so, as he sat down, he was literally within inches of her face. She could almost smell the air as it billowed out of his flaring nostrils. He casually picked up her hand. My right hand, she thought to herself.
    Jesus, now that was odd. When Greg flew out the window with her help, her right hand was mangled. How could it have completely healed that fast? She hadn’t even thought to get the doctor or anyone to check on it since she had no longer felt any pain. It had gone from excruciating to being perfectly normal.
    “What’s wrong?” Dennis asked.
    “My hand. It was crushed. Greg squeezed it so hard; I thought I’d never be able to use it again. And, now it’s perfectly fine. It healed so quickly. What’s wrong with me?”
    “Your body is changing, don’t you get that?” Dennis asked. “You’re not human. You’re one of us. You are a gargoyle. When a gargoyle turns 21, the transformation is complete. You’re now in the final stages of becoming your true self. You are, as I am, one of the chosen elite. You’re not human.”
    It was almost more than she could handle. She felt her pulse increasing