“You mean to work during the day, right?” Ella closed her eyes and cupped the left side of her neck. A nurse finally walked in to save her from answering that question and chided the officer for coming in without permission. “Sorry Nancy. I was just checking in on Miss Murphy and she was awake so I had to make sure she was okay.” Aiden tried to justify himself against the silver haired nurse who chastised him like she was his mother.

“Oh so you’ve become a qualified doctor have you now?” Ella chuckled to herself at the way the 6ft 6 bearded power house lowered his head as he was told off. “I know you wanted to make sure your sweetheart was alright-” Ella’s eyes widened, and Aiden’s cheeks burned pink. “-but you can wait until she’s been examined by a doctor. Go home, get cleaned up and come back. With flowers. Go now. Go on.”

“I-I’ll come by and see you when you’ve up to it later.” Aiden was chased out of her hospital room by the veteran nurse, and he grinned at the way Ella was giggling behind her hand. “A-at Katherine Morris’ place, right?”

Ella didn’t speak, and the nurse shut the door on him.

“Daft lad. Good heart though. Good in a crisis.” Nancy marched back over and pressed a button on the wall, before proceeding to check the monitor Ella was attached too. “Have you been awake long my dear?”

“No not long.” Ella chewed her lips together and regarded the nurse curiously. “You know Aiden well?”

“Ay.” She snorted and steely eyes were warm as she smirked at Ella. “It’s a small town, Gleann Caillte. Most people know each other really well here. My boys grew up with the O’Hara boys. I’m basically Aiden’s honorary Aunt.” Ella chuckled as she imagined this nurse lording over a pack of wild Irish boys. I bet you got their obedience with a single look. Like Ma does with my cousins. “He was really worried about you, you know.” Ella focused on the nurse again as she saw her smile had softened with a worried frown of her own. “He came in here last night with you in his arms. Covered in your blood. We all thought…”

Ella’s eyes prickled with tears as she realised just what they all thought.

“…that I was dead?”

“You were covered in blood. Thankfully you’re a common blood type and Aiden thought to call ahead so we got you hooked up quick and proper.” Nancy lowered to sit on the chair Aiden had left beside her. “Thank the Lord Aiden got to you when he did. He’s such a kind soul, that boy.” Her smile warmed back up. “He sat beside you until the wee hours until your vitals were in the green. Then he left only to change his clothes. Had a spare set in his car. Then he came right back to your side.”

“I’ll have to thank him properly.” Ella smiled, but her eyes were still sad and tears still welled up there. I…nearly died. Aiden saved my life.

Ella was grateful, she was. But she found it hard to trust her saviour. He must have seen the thing that did this to me. He knows what it is, anyway. Even if it had let me go and ran off before he got to me. Why is he lying?

“I suggest not making the boy miss sleep worrying about you, would be a good start.” Nancy mildly warned her. “Katherine’s place is lovely.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude. I don’t have much in the way of money of my own.” Ella started to shrug, but stopped in her tracks at the jolt to her neck. She hissed in pain and Nancy held her hand to show her sympathy. “Just the budget for renovating Deer-view ready to sell.”

“Oh is Drake still trying to get rid of the place is he?” Nancy snickered and Ella raised a brow.

“You know Drake?”

“Oh ay. Small town, remember?” She rolled her eyes and patted Ella’s hand. “Don’t waste your time on Deer-view house. It will never sell. You could line the place with gold, and no one will buy it.”

“Why not?”

“Well?” Nancy looked off to one side, chuckled, and then fixed Ella with an enigmatic smile. “Let’s just say no one has ever had any luck selling that place.” She cleared her throat and signalled the topic change with the way she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Ella’s arm. “If you’re looking for work you should talk to Bob. He does decorating and the like.”

“Maybe.” Ella politely didn’t answer and found herself wondering if Nancy knew what was up in the forest around Deer-view too. Did they all know? Doris from the police station switch board seemed to know more than she let on as well.   

“You don’t go near that thing. Don’t listen to it’s pleas or it’s promises. It will be the last thing you do. I can promise you that.”

Ella’s expression became a stoic mask as she protected her suspicions and processed what had happened to her.

Firstly, there was a monster of some kind living in the forest around Deer-view House. It could talk, and it attacked her to use her blood to heal itself. Secondly, everyone she’d come across so far in Gleann Caillte seemed to know about it. Thirdly, Aiden was trying to cover up whatever it was and what had really happened to her. Finally, he had said several times that at night she shouldn’t go up there. He didn’t seem to mind her working there during the day, so whatever it was? It had to be nocturnal. Or it was only dangerous at night.

It looked like nothing I’ve ever heard of before. Horns and rabbit ears? Yellow eyes with slits for pupils? Black fur, but the body of a human beneath it? The thing spoke clear English too, with a distinct Irish accent. It’s native.

Ella politely followed instructions as she was examined by the doctor and nurse in turn. She answered their questions and appeared outwardly obedient. They told her she’d be discharged the following day as long as she showed continued improvement and agreed to return for a check up a couple of days later. Ella didn’t have the energy to argue that she didn’t want to fall behind schedule, so she let them care for her.

That night she laid in her bed and looked out towards the small window to her left looking out over the hospital garden. Tomorrow I’ll get out of here at first light.

Then I’m going right back to Deer-view house. I’m locking all the doors and reinforcing the windows. Then I’m going to find the nearest library and find out what the hell nearly killed me. If the townsfolk knew what it was, then there had to be some local lore on what it was. And more importantly? How to protect herself from it.

Ella Murphy was no weak little girl. She was destined to be a hotel owning tycoon. She was a fighter, and no one was taking that dream from her. Not even a beast with rabbit ears and fangs.  I don’t care what that thing is. I’m renovating that shack so Drake can sell it. I’m going to impress Carlton. I’m on my way up. Nothing is getting in my way.

She winced as she also realised that it would have been two days since she’d called her parents. My mobile must still be at the house. It wasn’t in my bloody onesie. Ma is going to screech like a banshee for an hour before I can get a word in. Then Dad will take his turn. Oh my poor ears.