Shadows of Deliverance

by Amy Hale

  He glanced around to assure they were still alone. “You aren’t feeling well. Come with me, and I’ll help you.”

  She shook her head and lightning cracked through the sky.

  “Jane,” he said calmly, “you’re forgetting. I’m your friend. I’m real. I’m …”

  “Shut up!” she interrupted him. “You are a slimy weasel who deserves everything he’s about to get.”

  Jeremy tried to brush off his apprehension at her words, but she couldn’t be fooled. She saw right through him. She sensed every evil intent, every horrible plan he’d ever concocted. It felt almost as if his aura were confessing his sins. His motives were now one of the only things she was absolutely sure of. False memories mingled with real ones and she struggled to separate them. She didn’t know who to call friend or foe, but she did know that the cause of her turmoil lay directly at Jeremy’s feet. And she felt sure the little boy he’d just attacked was an innocent.

  Jeremy started slowly walking backward. “Jane, I understand if you don’t want to go with me. It’s okay. I’ll go by myself.” He turned and tried to walk away. Before he’d taken two steps, the ground shook beneath his feet and he stumbled. When he stood again, he found himself balanced on the edge of a large, deep fissure in the earth. He jumped back toward Jane to keep from falling.

  He turned to face her and she focused on him Another wave of pain hit, and she grimaced, determined not to let it bring her to her knees. She refused to let Jeremy get away.

  Jane wavered a bit as more images flashed in her mind. Cemeteries and fire dominated her thoughts. She shook it off as she pushed herself to keep a hold of Jeremy. He struggled to get away but she kept him rooted in place.

  “You have manipulated me. I’m losing my mind, thanks to you. I’ve been fighting to gain control over my sanity, but you just kept pushing and pushing.” She gritted her teeth. “I don’t know what happened while you had me in that chair, but I can tell you it will be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.” Her eyes flashed, a bright radiance building from the inside. Her entire body started to glow and almost lit up the clearing they stood in. “You betrayed my trust, Jeremy. You broke me. You hurt people that probably didn’t deserve it. And sadly, for you, I don’t seem to know who’s good or bad anymore, so I’m not taking any chances.”

  Jeremy’s body slowly lifted into the air and he started to scream. “Help me! Someone! She’s crazy!” He looked at Colt. “Colt! You know this isn’t Jane! Don’t let her do something she’ll regret!”

  She shifted her eyes to her left and saw Colt in her peripherals.

  Colt stepped forward as the sky erupted with violent electricity and the clouds appeared to boil. He had to shout over the howl of the wind. “You brought this on yourself, Jeremy. I should let her finish you off.” He glanced at her, then back to Jeremy. “But you’re right, this isn’t what she’d really want.” He turned and pushed forward, fighting the almost overbearing gale as he slowly approached her. “Jane? It’s Colt.”

  She turned her head to look at him, but her eyes were void of expression. She had become consumed by pure power and rage. He hesitated, but stepped closer. “Beautiful, do you remember me?”

  She tilted her head and studied him. Time stopped as she looked him over. Everything around them froze to a standstill except him and her. He gave her the lopsided smile she used to love so much, and she blinked.

  She broke from his gaze and looked around her. The earth itself appeared to be suspended in some kind of lock that she controlled. It now contained only Jane and Colt. He stood close enough to touch and her fingers itched to trace his jawline, though she didn’t understand why.

  He spoke gently. “I know Jeremy hurt you and many others, but hurting him isn’t what the Jane I know and love would want.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “And what would this Jane of yours want then?”

  He smiled. “She’d want justice. Jeremy and Gregory locked away where they can’t hurt anyone else. Possibly rehabilitation, if that’s doable.”

  Her expression morphed from suspicious to confused. “The Jane you love?”

  He nodded. “The Jane I love. You. I love you.”

  She continued to study him.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I think I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you on the porch of my cabin. You fell into my arms and without realizing it, I fell too—head over heels in love, I swear to God. There is nothing in the world I would not do for you, Jane. Nothing. You are my everything.”

  The light from her eyes dimmed a little. “Would you die for me?”

  He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Absolutely.”

  She frowned. “Why? I’m not worth it. I’m broken, dangerous, and irreversibly flawed.”

  Colt reached out to touch her and she flinched. He drew back his hand. “You are perfect. You are the reason I breathe, Jane, the reason I get up every morning and try to be a better man. The man you deserve. If anyone should be asking why, it should be me. Why did you choose me?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t … I don’t remember choosing anything.” A tear slipped down her cheek, glowing like an ember from a flame. She shook her head. “I don’t even know who you are.”

  He took one step closer and offered her his hand. She eyed him cautiously then placed her hand onto his. He rubbed his thumb over her skin; then he moved her hand over this tattoo. The one he’d gotten for her.

  Her hand moved of its own volition, fingers tracing the petals as before.

  “Do you remember the field of purple flowers? Or the fight we had just before I came home with this tattoo?” His voice remained calm, but held an edge of desperation to it.

  She leaned closer and inspected the tattoo, then looked at the others on his arms. Her eyes slowly lifted to his. “Colt?”

  Colt smiled at Jane. His heart leapt at the spark of recognition in her eyes. He prayed she was starting to escape the mind games Jeremy and Gregory had played with her.

  He cupped her cheek. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Another tear fell and she wiped it away. “Somehow, I know what you say is true, but …” She inhaled a deep breath and looked around; everything around them was still motionless. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  With that, she dropped her head and everything resumed to normal. Jeremy still hung in the air and fought to break free. She glanced up at him and then with a tilt of her hand he once more stood on solid ground.

  Colt smiled at her and then remembered that Jeremy still needed to be dealt with, so he turned to face him. But when Jane let him down, she must have also released him. Jeremy rushed toward them and knocked Jane backward with a force that sent her reeling into the air.

  Colt grabbed him by the neck and hauled him off his feet. Jeremy clutched at his throat while gasping for air. Kyler rushed forward and Colt turned Jeremy to face him, holding his head steady while Kyler looked into his eyes.

  The intensity in Kyler’s gaze would have been frightening to anyone in his path. “Your guilt has gotten the better of you. You are sorry for what you’ve done and will go to a cell without a struggle.”

  Jeremy gave up the fight and stared at Kyler. “I am very sorry,” he said.

  Colt bit back a retort he knew wouldn’t help the situation and instead handed Jeremy to Kyler and Blake. They led him back into the building where Cameron had just emerged.

  He looked at Jeremy as he passed them. “Did I miss all the fun out here?”

  Colt shook his head. “Nothing too eventful. What about Gregory?”

  Cameron smiled. “He’s busy discovering what it’s like to be locked up and drugged so much you can’t pronounce your own name.”

  Colt gave him the thumbs up then looked around. “Where’s Jane?” Panic filled his voice when he didn’t see her.

  Brett scanned the tree line. “I don’t know? I thought she’d be right here. Jeremy didn’t hit her that hard, did he?”

  Rachel cradled Caes
ar and checked the knot on his head. “We could use her touch about now. I think he’s gonna be okay, but he’ll have one hell of a headache when he wakes up.”

  Wes and Blake spoke at once. “I’ll look for her!” They looked at each other; then both ran for the line of the forest. Blake quickly scaled the tree closest to him and looked for any hint of where she landed. He caught a glimpse of her.

  “Hey! I see her. She’s running that way!” Blake pointed in the opposite direction of the compound.

  Wes took off running after her but Rachel quickly bypassed him. She blurred past and called out to Jane. In moments, she’d almost caught up to her and in a fit of panic Rachel did something she’d never done before. She looked ahead and willed a lower tree branch to break and fall in the path of Jane.

  Jane hit the branch with such force that it shattered into splinters. She stumbled and went down without a sound.

  Jane closed her eyes when she saw the branch crash down before her. After the collision, she opened her eyes just in time to see the ground rushing to meet her face. She put her hands out to break her fall but still landed with a hard thud. Closing her eyes, she pushed through the pain and took a few deep breaths.

  She sat up and wiped the dirt from her hands, transferring it to her already dirty jeans.

  “Jane? Are you okay?”

  She didn’t recognize the voice.

  “Thank God!”

  She looked up to see Rachel rushing toward her. She shrank back, unsure if she could trust her senses. She still had no grasp on things real or illusion.

  Rachel stopped abruptly and called to the others who ran not far behind her. “She’s over here!”

  Jane’s expression stayed wary and fearful.

  “Jane. It’s me. Rachel. I’m one of your best friends.”

  Jane looked into her eyes. “Are you … Are you really here?” The tremble in her voice unmistakable.

  Wes had arrived and looked at them both with puzzlement. “What does she mean?”

  Blake also caught up and broke into a smile when he saw her. “Jane, why are you wearing us out like this?” His teasing tone was obvious.

  Jane sprang to her feet and put a hand out in front of her. “Stay away from me!”

  The trio froze and exchanged glances.

  Jane’s breathing became erratic and she placed one palm against the side of her head. She felt like the planet was spinning a million miles an hour and that at any moment she’d be hurtled into space. She focused on using the Earth’s gravitational pull to anchor her in place. She stared at the ground in front of her, everything blocked from her mind but the snow and dirt beneath her feet.

  “Jane?” Rachel’s voice broke through her concentration.

  Her head snapped up and her focus landed on Rachel. It hit Rachel with such force that she was knocked to the ground and held there momentarily.

  Blake panicked. “Jane, no!” he yelled. “She’s your friend. We are all your friends.”

  She released Rachel and looked down at her trembling hands. “You’re my friends? I don’t have any friends.”

  Wes spoke up then. “You do, Jane. And not just us, but many others. We all love you.” Her sharp gaze fell on him and he almost lost his voice. He cleared his throat. “Do you remember us? Blake and Rachel?” He pointed to them in succession. “I’m Wes.”

  She narrowed her eyes and tried to comprehend his words. “No. You’re hallucinations. All my friends are hallucinations.”

  Blake’s face fell and he looked at Rachel as she cautiously rose to her feet. She frowned. “We are very much real, Jane.”

  With closed eyes, Jane willed her mind to slow down. She worried that the colors spinning out of control in her vision would destroy everything. She knew that this condition could be dangerous to everyone, but she wasn’t sure if she could stop it.

  In less than thirty seconds, she’d calmed the swirls to only yellows and greens. They cycled violently through her mind, but they didn’t feel as urgent as before. “I don’t know who you are, but you are not my friends. Leave me alone.”

  She kept them in her vision as she slowly backed away. Rachel’s voice broke through the stunned silence. “Jane, you and I sat together and talked about our gifts. We talked about how we didn’t know our purpose in life, but we had an obligation to learn just what it was we were meant to do.”

  Those words seem to vibrate through Jane’s head, attracting little hints of memory as it went. Just as with Colt earlier, something felt very familiar, but she was too frightened to trust it.

  “Please, Jane. Just give us a few minutes to talk with you. If you don’t believe us after that, we won’t try to keep you with us.”

  Blake’s shocked expression landed on Rachel. Through gritted teeth he said, “You can’t promise that. Colt will—”

  “Colt,” interrupted Rachel, “will want what is best for Jane. Even if that means saying goodbye forever.”

  For a few brief seconds, everyone just stared at Jane, then she nodded. “Okay, I’ll listen, but that’s all I can promise.”

  She passed them and began to walk back to the compound, taking note of possible escape paths as she went. She promised to listen, but if they broke their word, she’d need a plan.

  Once they reached the clearing she noticed Cameron carried Elana, who had just woken up. Colt held Caesar. He cuddled the boy and spoke in soft, soothing tones.

  “It’s okay. I know it hurts, but we’ll make it better as soon as we can.” He smoothed one hand over Caesar’s back.

  Tears fell down Caesar’s face and he clutched Colt with both hands. “It hurts, but I’ll try to be tough.”

  Jane’s heart went out to the little boy. Can I help him somehow? She knew deep down that she could. “Let’s get him inside and I’ll see what I can do.” She figured if he were a hallucination then she had nothing to lose.

  Colt’s eyes met hers. “Thank you.” He glanced at Rachel and she simply nodded her head in sorrow. His mouth formed a grim line as he walked beside his friends and entered the building.

  The welcoming heat hit them at once as they crossed the threshold.

  Karen stood at the door and addressed Colt. “The guards and employees now understand the new situation of their employment and will be cooperating fully.”

  Colt gave her a nod of approval and led the rest of his friends to the first activity room. He carefully placed Caesar on a small love seat. Without hesitation, he stepped aside to allow Jane a closer look.

  She quietly knelt next to him. “I’m going to feel your head, okay?”

  Caesar tried to smile. “I trust you, Jane.”

  She felt a sob catch in her throat. Why does that mean so much to me? Maybe they are real. Maybe they are telling me the truth. Just maybe.

  Her fingers carefully felt for the spot hit the hardest and she found a lump. “Tell me how you feel.”

  He winced. “My head hurts really bad. I’m a little sick in my stomach too.” He blinked rapidly. “And now I see two of you.”

  Wes stood behind them and frowned. “That doesn’t sound good. Could be a hemorrhage of some kind.”

  Jane glanced up at him. “I’ll try to help.” She gingerly placed both of her hands on Caesar’s head, closed her eyes, and focused pushing warm energy to his skin. It moved slowly and the swirls behind her eyes emerged in faint pastel colors.

  Caesar spoke up. “You and I both have to think of something happy, remember? That’s how it works.”

  She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I had forgotten. Thanks for reminding me. What happy thing will you think of?”

  He smiled shyly, despite his pain. “I will pretend that you are my mom and you are taking care of me. That makes me happy.”

  Jane’s eyes filled with tears that rapidly slipped down her cheeks.

  “You can’t cry,” he admonished, “or it won’t work.”

  She nodded and forced a smile. “I’ll think of that too.”

  Once again,
she closed her eyes and this time she thought of the young boy who looked at her so lovingly. Warmth not only spread through her fingers, but her heart felt a bit lighter too. She continued to push the healing energy to Caesar as she felt for any sign that his cure would be complete. A swirl formed in her sight and it danced and played. Her instinct told her this was Caesar, enjoying health and happiness, so she slowly pulled back the energy and opened her eyes. He looked up at her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen.

  “You did it! My pain is all gone!” He sat up and threw his arms around her in a bear hug. Caught off guard, she tumbled back with him now hanging from her neck.

  “Whoa. You don’t want to re-injure yourself.” She laughed as she enjoyed the feel of his little arms around her. She felt comfortable. She felt loved. These people started to feel familiar as well.

  She sat up and Caesar unlatched himself then ran to Colt. “She did it!”

  Colt ruffled his hair. “I never doubted her, hot shot.”

  Jane rose to her knees then slid herself to sit on the sofa. “I guess we’ve all got some talking to do.”

  Colt knelt down to be on eye level with Caesar. “Why don’t you go find some of the other kids to play with in the gym? Cameron and Katy are in there too. You’ll like Katy. She can do some cool stuff.”

  Caesar jumped up and down and then took off in the direction Colt pointed out.

  Jane surveyed the faces now surrounding her. There stood the trio who’d introduced themselves in the forest; Colt, the man who said he loved her, and another man who looked a lot like Colt, yet she struggled to apply names to faces. She folded her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry I don’t remember you all.”

  The look-alike chuckled. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  Rachel smacked the back of his head. “Seriously, Brett! Do you possess any tact? Keep it up and I’ll give you a brain injury.”

  Brett rubbed his head and glared at her. “I probably already have one, thank you very much. But I’ll shut up anyway.”

  “What does he mean?” Jane asked.