Chapter 11: Returned Robber
It tilted its head, the soft glow from its crimson body pulsing faintly. "It took me a while to come back, though. I was completely drained. That's why I wasn't around until now."
Elias's mouth opened, but no sound came out. He stepped back, his gaze darting over the creature as though seeing it might explain things better. The faint twitch of its antennae and the way it floated so effortlessly made his skin prickle. "This has to be some kind of hallucination," he muttered. "I hit my head, or... maybe I'm still passed out."
"Oh, you're passed out," the creature replied casually, tapping its little chin. "Hopefully, you don't get mugged or something. That'd be awkward."
Elias felt his pulse pounding in his ears. "This has to be some kind of dream," he muttered, gripping his head. "I'm losing it."
"Dream? Nah," the creature chirped. "Think of it like... an introduction! I'm here to help. Or, uh, maybe cause problems. We'll see how it goes."
Elias face palmed and thought for a moment, "damn it; Elara was right; could you like wake me up?"
"I can try; I was just so excited to talk to anyone I had to pull you in. It's antenna twitched slightly and a moment later he was back on the floor as an attendant helped him to his feet and the voice said "You're the guy that got shot and stabbed right?"
"Do you need me to call an ambulance? Getting out of the hospital so soon must be hectic," the man asked, giving Elias a concerned glance.
"N-no, that's fine," Elias replied quickly, waving him off with an awkward smile. "I'm good, really." He gave a small nod of thanks and continued walking, his steps steady despite the lingering weight of exhaustion.