by Ciana Stone
"We are so fucked."
"No, we're just in a predicament, but we'll get out of it, we just have to put our heads together and come up with a plan."
Lula pushed herself up to sit, groaned and then went stone cold still. "Naomie, can you do something for me?"
"What?"
"Don't move and I mean not one muscle in your body. Okay?"
"Okay." Naomie tried to talk without moving her lips too much because the look on Lula's face told her that whatever was wrong, it was very wrong. "Talk to me."
"All right but you have to promise that you'll stay still. Promise?"
"You're scaring me."
"Well, honestly this is scary. There's a snake behind you, and it's very possible that it's going to go right beside you or maybe over your leg. I think it's a moccasin which means it's poisonous, so you can't do anything to frighten or antagonize it. You hear me?"
"I hate snakes. Hate them. Am terrified of them. I don't know if I can stay still if it touches me."
"You can and you will. Just keep looking at me."
"What if it bites one of us?"
"Then we'll bite back. Okay, our talking is agitating it so—"
Naomie couldn't bite back the scream when Lula screamed. She dug behind her with fingers curled into claws to drag herself away. When the snake struck at Lula, there was a kind of thud, and it appeared to be clinging to Lula's hip, right at the pocket.
Almost immediately Lula grabbed the snake at the base of its head and pulled it from her body.
"Oh my god, it bit you! It bit you."
"I'm fine!" Lula yelled. "Stop screaming and find me a piece of wood, or rock, something!" She motioned with her free hand. "I need something to kill it with."
Naomie looked around. There was nothing but rotted wood and mud. "I can't find anything. Can you drown it in mud?"
"I don't know. I'm not a snake expert. My parents just taught me to either chop off the head or bash it to smithereens. I guess I can sit here and hold it until we figure out what to do. Like how the hell are we getting out of here? Did you try calling for help?"
"My phone's smashed, and there's no signal."
"Fish mine out of my pocket."
"Can you move that—that snake out of the way?"
"I've got it. Just get my phone." To Naomie's shock, Lula reclined back a bit to make it easier. Naomie wouldn't have moved an inch with that damn snake in her hand. She was able to work the phone from Lula's pocket.
"Fuck! We can't catch a break. No signal."
"Okay, fine, so phones are out. Is there any way we can stack or prop old boards to stand on or somehow help us to crawl out of here?"
"No."
"Okay, okay, let me think."
Had she not been holding a viper in her dominant hand, she might have done a facepalm. Of course. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to call on Nanette."
"The ghost? Your solution is to call a ghost?"
"You have a better idea?"
"No."
"Okay then. Nanette? Nanette, can you hear me? If you can, will you please show yourself? We've gotten ourselves in a bit of trouble trying to find you. I could use your help. Please?"
"This is insane," Naomie continued to eye the snake. "You don't think there are more of those down here, do you?"
"It's possible. Nanette? Please, please will you show yourself?"
Over and over, Lula called and pleaded for Nanette to show herself. Naomie kept track of the time with Lula's phone and when two hours had passed without any ghostly appearances, she finally protested.
"Okay, this is getting us nowhere. We need a plan, and we need it soon. It's nearly four, which means it'll be getting dark soon and I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck down here in the dark with that – snake."
"Me either and the snake is a hindrance we need to eliminate."
"Agreed, but how?"
Lula felt her stomach clench at the idea, then shook her head and blew out a breath. "You might want to look away."
"Why? What are you going to—oh my god, Lula? No!"
It wasn't something Lula ever dreamed she'd do, and she nearly lost her courage, but she wanted to escape this hole, and she wasn't going to stand a chance until she eliminated the snake. So, she wrapped her other hand around its thick body, lifted it up and started gnawing at it, just below her right hand.
"Oh god, I'm gonna be sick," Naomie said and gagged.
Lula couldn't afford to listen or to let herself swallow. She just chewed and spat and clung to that writhing creature until she'd chewed away enough meat to expose the spine. Then she started twisting and pulling. Over and over until she heard a pop and the bones separated.
She could still feel movement from the snake and knew it would take a bit before the body stopped moving. And the venom was still dangerous. "Can you find a stick that's strong enough to dig with?"
"I'll try," Naomie replied and after a minute exclaimed. "Paydirt!"
She handed the stick to Lula. With her right hand still locked in a grip of death around the snake, Lula used her left hand to stab and dig at the mud beside her. When she had a hole about six inches deep and ten inches around, she dropped the snake into the hole and scrambled to rake mud over it.
Within minutes the hole was filled, and she was pounding on it with her fist to make sure it was tamped down solid.
"Are you sure it's dead?" Naomie asked.
"Yes." Lula turned to face her friend, and Naomie made a face.
"What?"
"You have snake—stuff all over your face."
"I have—Naomie, oh god, your leg. Why the hell didn't you say something?"
"We had a bit of a reptile issue, and it obviously didn't hit any major arteries because the bleeding has slowed considerably. And would you please wipe your face?"
Lula wrenched her shirt up to wipe at her face then looked up to see how much light was left to the day. That's when she saw her. Nanette. Standing above, looking down into the hole.
"Nanette! Thank goodness. We need some help."
You killed it.
"The snake? Yes, I did."
It bit me, you know. It hurt so bad. I cried and cried, and it just bit me and bit me, and finally, it went away, but I couldn't get out. I cried and called for my mama and for Nellie Mae, but no one could hear me. And then I started feeling bad. Real bad. My stomach hurt and my arms and legs hurt so bad when it bit me, and then my chest started hurting, and I couldn't breathe and ... and then I was standing up here, but I could see myself lying down there.
"I know it was horrible for you and so frightening and I'm so sorry. But if you can help us get out of here, then I can help you join your mama and your daddy, and you'll be at peace and happy again. That's what you want, right?"
Yes, please.
"Okay, then I need you to go to Kaylee. You remember Kaylee, don't you?"
Yes. She's sweet and kind to me.
"She sure is, and she likes you. Can you go to her and tell her to have her dad come to get us?"
I will try. Where are you?
Lula looked at Naomie. "Can you get any kind of location on the phone?"
"No, we don't have enough signal."
"I need to tell them how to find us."
"Tell them the old logging road. There are only two partial structures still in evidence. They can find us if they follow the logging road that's about a mile and a half to the east of Nellie Mae's family home."
"Did you hear that Nanette?"
Yes, but I can't remember.
"Shit." Lula was getting more frustrated by the moment until a possibility occurred to her. "Nanette, can you go to Kaylee and tell her to have her dad come to find us. But Kaylee needs to go with him, and you need to stay with her. You can tell me when they are ready, and I'll tell you what to say to them. Can we do it that way."
Yes.
Lula nearly cried in relief. "Then go, Nanette. Go to Kaylee now."
Lula r
eached for Naomie's hand. "Hang on, girl. Hang on. We just might make it out of this mess yet."
*****
"I have to talk to my Daddy!" Kaylee insisted.
Mercy tried to placate her. "Honey you know your daddy's at the hospital with your mama and the new baby."
"You don't understand, Elisi. Lula and Naomie are in big trouble. They're in a hole and Nanette is here, and we need Daddy to find them and bring them home."
"Is Nanette here now?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I need to see her Kaylee, to talk to her."
"Okay. Hold my hands."
Almost instantaneously, Mercy could see the spirit. "Nanette, can you tell me about Lula and Naomie?"
Lula killed the snake, the one that killed me. But they're in the hole and can't get out.
"Okay. Can you lead us to them?"
Yes.
"Then stay with us while I get help." Mercy looked at Kaylee. "Make sure she doesn't leave."
"Okay."
Mercy hurried to the phone and dialed Lincoln's number. Lula might not have asked for him, but he was Mercy's choice. "Hi, Mercy. What's up?"
"I need you to pick Kaylee and me up from Molly's. Wiley is with her at the hospital, and we need help."
"I'm leaving now. What's happened?"
"Lula and Naomie are in trouble. That spirit of the little girl, Nanette, is here and she said they need help. Come get us so we can save them."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
"We'll be out front waiting."
Lincoln resisted the urge to speed through town. What kind of trouble could Lula and Naomie be in that would require a rescue? Not that it mattered. It'd felt like his heart had lodged in his throat the moment he heard "Lula and Naomie are in trouble."
As promised, Mercy and Kaylee were waiting beside the driveway when he pulled up. Kaylee's car seat sat on the ground beside Mercy. Lincoln quickly put it into the back crew seat. Once Kaylee was secured, he climbed in and backed down the driveway.
"What happened and where are we going?"
Kaylee looked beside her. "I need to tell my Uncle Lincoln where to go."
"What's she doing?" Lincoln watched her in the rearview mirror.
"Talking to Nanette, the spirit. Just wait."
He stopped at the end of the driveway. After a minute Kaylee announced. "She has to tell Lula that we're coming, but she'll be right back."
Lincoln drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to curb impatience and fear. When Kaylee spoke again, he started slightly. "Lula says to go to the logging road that's near where Nellie Mae grew up."
"Where is that?" Lincoln asked.
"I don't have a clue, but I know how to find out," Mercy answered. "Take us to Nellie Mae's."
As Lincoln pulled out onto the road, Mercy called Nellie Mae. "I need your help. No questions asked. Yes, we're on our way."
Once Nellie Mae was in the truck, Mercy looked back at her. "Do you know where the old logging road is near where you grew up?"
"Of course, I do. Why?"
"Because something's happened to Lula and Naomie and that's where we need to go to help them."
"What in the world are they doing out there? There's nothing there but some old houses that were abandoned before I was born."
"They're looking for something."
"Well, people certainly do some gawl darn strange things, I tell you."
"Indeed." Mercy agreed.
Lincoln followed the directions Nellie Mae gave him. He nearly missed the old road, it was so overgrown, and once they turned off the road, it was slow going. Ruts and limbs made progress difficult, but after a mile, Kaylee suddenly yelled. "Right here. Stop right here."
Lincoln didn't argue, he just parked and turned off the truck. Just as he opened the door, Kaylee called out to him. "You're going to need some rope."
"Thanks, kiddo." He went to the back of the truck and opened the tool chest. Mercy looked back at Kaylee and Nellie Mae. "I need to go help him."
"I'll go with you." Nellie Mae offered.
"It might be a difficult walk, and I'd hate—"
"She needs to go too, Elisi." Kaylee interrupted. "We all do."
"Then let's go." She opened her door and called out to Lincoln. "We're coming along."
He waited and together they started down the road. At the first signs of ruins, he looked at Kaylee. "Is this the place?"
She looked to one side for a moment then at him. "I need to be up front with you."
Lincoln held out a hand, and she took it. Kaylee basically led the way, and her pace was too fast for Nellie Mae, so she and Lincoln gained a lead. He spoke quietly to her. "Are you following the ghost?"
"Her name is Nanette, and yes, she's leading us."
"Okay, well slow down just a bit and let the others catch up."
They continued on, and after about ten minutes Kaylee called out. "There! Right there! See that pile of old bricks where the chimney fell down?"
Lincoln waited, and when Mercy and Nellie Mae caught up, he released Kaylee's hand. "Wait until I check it out, okay?"
Mercy nodded, and he hurried toward the ruins. Once he neared what was left of the structure, he called out. "Lula? Naomie? Can you hear me?"
Naomie made a grab for Lula's hand at the sound of the voice. "It worked. Lula—" Her words caught in her throat when she looked at her friend. Lula's skin was shiny with sweat but pale, way too pale.
"Oh no. Oh no." She fumbled to unfasten Lula's jeans. "I hear you!" She yelled. "We're down here."
"No, no, no," she fought not to cry as she pulled down the side of Lula's jeans. There was one very angry puncture mark on her skin. The skin was already discolored and hot to the touch. The snake hadn't been able to sink but one fang in. Was that enough to save Lula?
"Hurry!" She screamed. "Please, hurry."
"Naomie?" The voice came from directly above her. She looked up to see Lincoln looking down at her.
"She was bitten. I didn't know it bit her."
"What bit her?"
"A moccasin."
She saw him look to one side. "Call 911. We need an ambulance. Moccasin bite."
"How long ago was it?" He yelled down to Naomie.
"Several hours."
"I'm coming down."
She heard voices above, and then Lincoln basically leapt into the hole. In one hand was a rope and in the other what looked like a harness. He knelt and looked at her leg. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to put this harness on you and Mercy is going to winch you up. I know it's going to be difficult, but you're going to have to crawl out of the hole the best you can because we can't put any extra weight on the floor above us. I know you're hurt and I hope like hell this doesn't cause you more pain."
"I'll make it. Just take care of Lula and get her out of here. I'm really scared for her."
"I will. Now let's get you in the harness."
Once Naomie was strapped in, Lincoln called out. "Okay, pull her up, but slowly."
"Okay!" Mercy's voice came back.
As Naomie started to rise, Lincoln hurried to Lula's side. "Don't you dare leave me, Tallulah Christmas, you hear me? You have to fight."
Her pulse was erratic and her skin clammy and cold, and it scared him worse than any combat situation he'd ever faced. The thought of losing her was agony. Lincoln smoothed the matted hair back from her face, and as he did, he noticed something in the mud beside her head. He dug at it.
A shell. No a wire that ran through many shells, some cracked and miraculously some still whole.
"Thor," Lula's voice was weak, and her eyes fluttered open. "Are you going to make a habit of rescuing me?"
"If that's what it takes. What in the world got you into this mess?"
"Trying to help—" her voice failed, and her breathing sounded very labored. "help Nanette. She died here."
"Don't talk. Save your strength. Mercy has called for an ambulance, and we're getting you out of here."
<
br /> "You hurt me, Thor. Tore my heart out like it didn't matter." Again she paused, and this time the pause was longer. He could tell she was struggling and he feared that the words she spoke now might well be her last.
Lincoln gathered her into his arms, and she smiled briefly. "I wanted to stop caring about you, Thor but I couldn't. I needed to say that. Needed you to know –"
This time her eyes rolled back, and her entire body went limp. Lincoln laid her down and started CPR. "Don't you dare die on me, Lula. You hear me?"
You stupid fucker. He cursed himself. You blew it. The best thing that ever happened to you and you shot it all to hell. If she dies...
He couldn't even finish the thought. His eyes blurred with tears even as he continued to press on her chest, breathe into her mouth and pray to any God who would listen, to save her. Time ceased to have meaning, there was only his efforts to keep her with him.
When she sucked in a breath, he nearly lost his shit. It took more than a moment for him to suck it up. "Lula, baby, can you hear me?
"Hey, Thor." Her voice was weak. Too weak.
"Lincoln?" Mercy's voice came from above, and he looked up.
"The paramedics are almost here. They sent a firetruck to get them in. How is she?"
"Alive. For now."
She vanished from sight, and he turned his attention back to Lula. Her eyes were barely open, like someone half asleep and her breath was shallow. "Any chance you and I could start over? Once we get out of this hole, I mean?"
Lula smiled. "Nanette had a necklace of shells. We need to find it. Find her."
He remembered the shells. "I found it. The necklace."
"Can I hold it."
Lincoln set to work digging around the shells to free the necklace. It was caught on something. He dug deeper, widening the hole and touched something hard. The necklace was wound around it. It took a minute before he was able to get hold of the hard object and pull.
When it suddenly snapped free, and his hand jerked up, he took one look and let go. What looked like a bone from a human finger fell to the ground. Lincoln pulled the wire free, and it eased from the ground.
Seven shells with a strand of wire stringing them together lay in his hand. He raised Lula's hand and put the crudely made necklace in it. "Raise my hand. I need to see."
