I'm floating, I feel my limbs dangle, the cold breeze on my cheeks soothing like cotton wool fluttering across my face. The burning has stopped but left an ache deep in my bones. My mind flutters, trying to make sense, I hear voices all around me but they are jumbled into sounds I can't comprehend.

I try to open my eyes but I'm blinded by the light, I squint to stop the strong sun rays penetrating, I can only see deep reds flooding my eyes like fresh blood that absorbs everything into its rich fluid letting nothing else in. Then I hear him; the only clear voice says over and over "I've got you, Jane, it's going to be ok. Dad is here and you're ok now".
I'm not floating Dad is carrying me away from the church, away from the pain. I can't speak, I can't move I just lay in his arms like a new-born baby helpless to whatever has happened to me but grateful he's taking me away from it.

I slept for days, on and off, I remember bits. Dad sat by my bed crying, asking me to wake up. Bell hovering in the corner with fear spread upon her usually defiantly strong face. Doctors came in and out. As soon as my mind woke up, it shut down again and all would become black again, every sense turning off as if my body wasn't ready to turn on yet, my batteries not charged up enough. All sense of time was lost on me, day and night was but a blink of the eye, words seem to fail me until the fourth day.

I'm in my bed, I know this from the smell of the linen, the covers are being tucked in around me and there is a low humming coming from whoever is doing it. I open my eyes to see Bell with tears flooding her eyes when she realises I'm finally awake. I try to speak but my voice is gravel and hoarse, she grabs a glass of water which I gingerly sip. "What happened?" I splutter out but she doesn't answer she screams out to Dad that I'm awake, panic cracking in her usual steel voice.

Within seconds the door swings open, there he stands clutching on to the door frame as if his legs will give way he looks tired but relieved "hello sleepy head" I try to smile more for his benefit "you scared us all sweetheart". He stutters.

Again I push out the words that burn in my throat "what happened?"

He perches beside me, Bell is now pushed against the wall as if the sight of me has winded her somehow, Dad holds my hand that feels warm and clammy. "You had a seizure, the doctors think it was brought on by a virus but you're going to be ok just got take it easy".

I'm confused, a virus? I was fine until I went into the church, then it dawns me. "How did you find me?" I cough out the words already knowing the answer but wanting to be sure of it.

He turns and smiles at Bell, as if silently thanking her. "Bells' friend saw you go in there and when half the congregation came running out screaming into the high street, I think they thought you were possessed; this is a small town after all. They came and found her, she told me then we ran down and I found you ...."

I look at him begging for honesty with my eyes , "You found me like what?" I can see this is killing him reliving it.

"I found you on the floor, shaking, screaming and trying to rip at your own skin with your bare hands. The doctor said hallucinations are common after a seizure" I lift my arms up to realise I have bandages from my hands up to my elbows, what did I do to myself?.

He can see the sheer panic flooding over me "Jane it's going to be ok. Look at me, it will be fine. You was ill but the doctor thinks this was a one-off, brought on by a virus that was triggered by the high temperature, that was brought on by a seizure".

I nod and mumble "I will be ok?" He smiles, but his eyes can't hide the fear of what he saw.

"You will be ok. But you need to rest. You must be so hungry you've slept for days". I glance over at Bell who is struggling to look at me, why can't you look at me?

He gets up and chatters away about how he's going to make me soup, how chicken soup cures all and in no time I will be right as rain. As he leaves Bell goes to follow behind him but I call out to her. She stops dead in her tracks then slowly faces me, still struggling to look at me. "Thank you Bell, and will you thank the feral boys for me".She winks at me as if confirming what I already know then she leaves.

For days memories of what happened flash into my mind like scenes from a film, only lasting a moment a time, but enough for me to know in myself what happened wasn't a seizure. Something tells me that Bell knows that too.

That evening as I slip in and out of sleep, my mind struggling to control my conscience, I hear a voice that I recognise.

At first I struggle to place it, then I realise it's the vicar from the church. His voice is not in the room, it's outside my room, with the silence that has swept over this flat I can only assume Dad is downstairs working, as he fills every room he's in with noise. The vicar's voice echoes, even with his hushed agitated whispers, "I didn't know who she was, I would never have asked her in".
I hear a low animalistic growl but he still fires back. "She's just a child, I'm here to check on her regardless of what she is ... She's still a child!".
There's a bang on my bedroom door and it violently shakes. I hear a moan in pain, then the sound of a heavyweight slumping against my door then slide down. I lay still, too weak to move and scared of what I'll find on the other side of the door.
He's now shouting between gasping breaths as if he's winded, his words shoot out full of anger and venom, not the slightest crack of fear as he fights back "Abomination do your worst! My mind is clear of all sins, you have no power over me. You and I know your reach only goes so far, are you scared she will find out about you? I'm assuming you've said nothing, otherwise, she would never have come in to the church. Your last pathetic chance to have what you've always craved, but like the others, she will leave you, one way or the other".

A high pitched scream pierces through the flat, then the sound of his body being flung around like a rag doll, I know this because I can hear his groans every time he hits the floor. I start to shake, my heart racing so hard it feels as if it'll pound out of my chest. I feel helpless being unable to save him and terrified that whatever is out there will come in here to hurt me. The crashing sound suddenly stops, all I can hear is heavy breathing, almost like panting. I don't think it's the vicar this is from something else not quite human. The silence becomes deafening, I silently pray that Dad doesn't come upstairs to be confronted by whatever is out there, I can only hope with the loud music, hustle and bustle of customers he hears none of this and doesn't rush up to check on me.

The front door to the flat opens, I hold my breath and repeat to myself "please leave please leave".
I hear a dragging sound, then the slam of the door. My breath floods out of me as if I'd emerged from being underwater and finally able to breath, they've left. Ive clenched my fists so my nails have dug into the palms of my hands, I have to be sure this isn't a dream, if it is then I need to wake myself up, but the pain is just a confirmation that I'm awake, then the guilt washes over me. Is this all my doing?

I lay there all night, too scared to sleep for fear of what might come back. Dad checks on me and I pretend to be in the land of nod, I can't say anything to him I don't think he'd believe me, I hardly believe it myself,  he'd assume I'm delusional again which will only make him worry more. But for now, I'm very much awake I fear I'll never sleep again and won't be able to rest until I know the vicar is ok and find out what happened outside my bedroom.