Talisman

by S. E. Akers

  As soon as Uriah turned his head, I ducked down into the crowd of miners and snuck through the front gate. Once inside, I headed for the building that housed all the safety gear. I started to enter when suddenly the door came flying open right in front of me. I jumped behind it and watched several members from one of the rescue crews leaving the building. When the last guy had exited, I hurried inside and shut the door.

  Good. No one’s here. Seeing how my golden topaz still hadn’t been “recharged”, invisibility was out of the question, so I would have to conceal myself from “head to toe”. Not only would my disguise guarantee me access into the mine, it would protect me as well. Even though it was a coalmine, there was an awful lot of iron-rich steel down there, what with all the rail cars and their miles of track. Better safe than sorry. Once I’d slipped into a fireproof jumpsuit and coat, I grabbed a full-face gas mask from a nearby cabinet. With the help of a bright-yellow lighted hardhat, I was able to safely hide my dark-blonde girly locks. I snatched up a pair of gloves, a large flashlight, and found a portable gas detector, which I clipped to my side.

  Samuel, here I come, I thought confidently as I checked my reflection in the mirror (eyes swirling with white) and then bolted out the door.

  There was a crewmember sitting on one of the rail cars, blocking the entrance to the mine. He was ordering everyone to, “Stand clear and not to enter until instructed”.

  I couldn’t just hang around waiting for the “all go” sign. Time was of the essence. I switched on the light that set atop my hardhat. When the men weren’t looking, I dashed into the mine as quick as I could. I ran so hard and fast that I wasn’t able to stop until my head crashed into a low beam near the first section where the main line branched off.

  As I staggered to my feet and rubbed my aching head, I noted that the ceilings would be much lower from this point on. Mental note: Duck down, idiot. I rose to a crouched position and turned on the flashlight. I followed the steel rails that led like a path down into the darkness, not knowing what tragedy would be waiting for me up ahead.

  The farther into the mine I trekked, the harder I tried to sense any thoughts being generated from anyone who may be trapped. Nothing. I started calling out for Samuel, hoping he would hear me and give me some clue as to his location. The longer I searched, the more I feared for his safety. I passed by a spot that looked like an area where one of the explosions had occurred. It was a charred mass of rubble. I gave the portable methane gas detector a quick check and was stunned when I read the levels. A series of numbers registered on the device, but they were all within the “normal” range identified on the display.

  As I used my flashlight to search around for a source of the blast, something caught my eye. I reached down and picked up a reddish-orange tumbled stone that looked eerily familiar to me.

  A carnelian…Just like Ferrol’s. What’s it doing down here? The evidence I held in my hand suggested a strong link between the explosions and the person responsible. But why did he leave this here?

  Tanner might have some idea, I thought as I tucked the stone in my pocket and continued to search for Samuel. Before long, I stumbled upon another place where a blast had occurred. Again, I checked the air levels. They still read “normal”. I couldn’t understand what could have caused the explosions. Something triggered the blasts.

  I kept on calling out Samuel’s name, over and over, but sadly, I all I heard was the sound of my own voice. I had to have been about a mile in when I spotted what looked like another carnelian lying on the ground. I remained crouched down, deep in thought, as I picked up the little stone and rolled it around in my hand. Its presence in the mine was baffling. Why would he just “leave” these down here? Maybe he dropped them or something?

  My mind shifted its focus back to Samuel. I had to figure out if I should keep going straight or venture down one of the tunnels that branched off from the main line. Suddenly, I heard a faint sound coming from up ahead. I stopped fiddling with the stone and listened closely.

  “Samuel is that you?” I called out and waited breathlessly. A few seconds later, a faint voice echoed through the tunnel.

  “Ye —Yes,” the voice muttered.

  I was instantly overjoyed. “Samuel!” I hollered. “Stay there! I’m coming!”

  I’d forgotten about the carnelian in my hand and unconsciously tossed it off to the side as I hurried to follow the sound of Samuel’s voice. As soon as the stone smacked one of the mine’s rocky walls, a horrible explosion erupted and hurled me forward several yards. Stunned, I lifted my head up and scooted around to see a mass of fire swarming the area where I’d thrown the carnelian. The reddish-orange flames began to weaken and were out in an instant. I heard an ominous rumbling sound from up above. Not even a second later, tons of rock began crashing down. The blast caused the roof of the mine to collapse, completely blocking off the main tunnel. I pulled the other carnelian out of my pocket. Those sneaky bastards…They used the carnelians to trigger the blasts.

  Suddenly, I found myself reflecting on how Tanner had described Adean, the original Carnelian Talisman. Yeah, a real “firecracker”…

  Chapter 23 — He Won’t Remember a Thing

  Though my body was still reeling from the jolt of the explosion, I forced myself up onto my knees and swiftly crawled my way over to Samuel. He was lying a few yards from one of the safety shacks and covered in rubble. Quickly, I removed my hardhat and gas mask.

  “Samuel, can you hear me? ARE YOU OKAY?” I pleaded frantically as I brushed debris off his body.

  Samuel’s eyes fluttered open. “Sh—Shiloh? W—What are you doin’…down here?” he groaned, sounding just as dazed as he looked.

  “Rescuing you. Can you move?”

  “A little. But it hurts like Hell to,” Samuel replied with a sharp wince.

  “I’m going to try to move you. Tell me if it’s too painful, and I’ll stop. Okay?”

  “O—Okay,” Samuel mumbled.

  I had barely touched him when he flinched and let out an agonizing wail. My hands flew off him immediately. I noticed my gloves felt wet now, and then a distinct smell flooded my nostrils. I grabbed my hardhat and aimed the light at his midsection. My worst fears were confirmed. It was blood and there was a lot of it. I didn’t know the extent of his internal injuries, but it seemed clear that my only option was to heal his wounds right here in the mine.

  “What’s wrong?” Samuel asked, looking confused and equally concerned.

  “Nothing,” I replied, trying not to alarm him. “Just close your eyes.”

  He either complied willingly or was on the verge of slipping into an unconscious state. Either way, his eyes were closed within seconds. I took a deep breath to prepare for a little “supernatural” intervention.

  Before I could even take off my gloves, another rumble sounded from above. I looked up to see several large rocks crashing down towards us. I threw myself on top of Samuel to shield him from their crushing blow. The brut force of the rocks pummeled my body, but they just bounced off me like a playground ball, leaving me unscathed. Another rumble roared throughout the mine. There was no time to waste. Any “healing” would have to be put on hold. I had to get Samuel out of here and fast, before the whole damn roof collapsed on top of us. I could climb out, but Samuel would surely be buried in the rubble and ultimately perish. However, we still had to get past the area of the mine that had caved in a few moments ago — courtesy of me, and one accidentally ignited carnelian.

  Think…think…

  I soon spotted a rail car sitting on the tracks nearby. There was one coal car connected to it. A light went off in my head. Now I had an idea as to how I was going to get him out of here and break through the cave-in.

  “Samuel…I’m sorry,” I said, clenching my teeth.

  “Why?” Samuel moaned.

  “’Cause this is REALLY going to hurt,” I admitted.

  Before Samuel got a chance to voice any pain-fueled protests, I already had him carrie
d and loaded in coal car. I used a tarp I’d found nearby to cover his frail frame and then headed towards the rear of the car. I grabbed underneath it and tightened my grasp. Even though I was glad that I’d thought to wear gloves, they really didn’t give me a good grip — especially with them saturated in about a quart of Samuel’s blood.

  Swiftly, I backed the two steel cars down the mine about a hundred feet. The conjoined coal cars were easy to tow, like pulling a loaded shopping cart down an aisle of a grocery store. Thankfully, I didn’t feel any of the iron’s sluggish effects.

  That should be plenty of room. I checked on Samuel one more time and returned to the rear car. After I’d secured the little carnelian in my hand, I clutched the lip underneath the coal car and took a deep breath.

  “Here we go. Just stay down, Samuel,” I called out as I crouched down and began to push the coal car down the track. I gradually picked up my pace, which was now an awkwardly hunched over, high-speed sprint.

  We were approaching the spot where the mine had collapsed. I increased my speed and ran as fast as I could, hunkered down behind the car. A few yards before impact, I hurled the carnelian towards the mass of rubble ahead of us. The carnelian ignited, causing a thunderous explosion to roar towards us. I heard a crashing sound as soon as the front end of the rail car struck the remaining rocks that blocked our path. I charged through the barrage of debris with breakneck speed. Luckily, we plowed right through the obstruction without a hitch, and to my astonishment, I’d even managed to keep both cars on the tracks. That was a close one!

  Within a few seconds, a faint light appeared up ahead. I was moving so fast I couldn’t make out what it was. Strangely, the light remained fixed. I hadn’t passed any working lights on my way in, and it looked to be about head-high, so I had to assume it was coming from a miner’s hardhat. I held on to the rear coal car and planted my feet firmly against the ground that lay between the rails. Sparks from the metal wheels were flying back towards me. I was forced to tighten my grip when my hands started to rattle loose from the car’s lip. My feet sizzled from the friction and the smell of burnt rubber rose from my sneakers as I came to a screeching stop. I peered around the rear of the coal car to see Uriah Hatfield standing beside the track, looking seriously pissed.

  Aw, shit…

  “Shiloh Wallace?” Uriah Hatfield yelled out. “Daggumit! I knew it! I knew ya was upta somethin’! What ’n the Hell ya doin’ down ‘ere? I saw ya sneak through the gate. I was onta ya as soon as I saw ya walkin’ off. Ya caint sneak nothin’ past me no more, Missy! Don’t ya know there’s been several explosions in ’ere. I hadta sneak past the damn safety crew still standin’ ’round outside waitin’ to check gas levels. They’re comin’ this way. They’ll have my ass over this if they find ya down ’ere. I swear! You’re just as stubborn as ya were when ya’s little, and cause just as much trouble! This ain’t your personal playground!”

  I ignored his rants and jerked him towards the rear coal car.

  Uriah resisted. “No, no! You’re a comin’ with me!”

  “Look!” I screamed as I pointed to the coal car. Uriah stepped closer and took a gander at the rear tarp-covered car.

  “What ’n the Hell am I lookin’ at?” Uriah huffed.

  I reached over and whisked away the dirty tarp to reveal a very injured and unconscious Samuel Clark.

  “Uriah, Samuel needs help,” I pleaded as I pointed to his abdomen.

  Uriah stood motionless as he stared at Samuel’s coal-dust covered, bloodstained body. He seemed to be descending into a state of shock. I called out to him several times, but the weathered old security guard kept silent and swayed slightly, in sync with his breaths. Though I was pleased that he’d finally “shut up”, right now, the “clever” security guard was as about as useful as a paper condom. This was going to take some “subtle” intervention. I grabbed him by his arms and shook him.

  “URIAH!” I yelled.

  The surly old security guard snapped to my attention. He was no longer catatonic, but in a hypnotic trance — my trance. This was my first successful attempt at compelling someone directly. State Trooper Burks and Lila the waitress had both been coerced in an “accidental” manner, so I wasn’t sure how hard I needed to concentrate. With a safety crew approaching, I had neither the luxury of time, nor the privacy to heal Samuel’s injuries. Uriah was the best and safest option I had to help Samuel. I took Uriah’s hand and looked deeply into his wide brown eyes, focusing intensely.

  “Uriah, listen to me. You’re going to drive the rail car to the mine’s entrance and get Samuel to safety. He’s badly injured, and you’re the only one who can help him. Nod your head if you understand me.”

  Uriah’s head bobbed up and down slowly.

  “Good,” I replied as I guided him over to the small operator seat. Uriah cranked the electric engine and took hold of the levers. I could hear voices approaching in the distance.

  I grabbed Uriah’s arm. “You rescued Samuel,” I whispered in his ear. “You never saw me. I was never here. Do you understand?”

  “I rescued Samuel,” Uriah mumbled, nodding his head the same as before.

  “That’s right, you’re a hero. Now GO!” I instructed. Restlessly, my eyes stayed glued to the rear coal car as they puttered off down the track. From the shadows, I kept a close watch on the rescue crew when they halted the approaching rail car. A couple of the guys quickly hopped in the back to assess Samuel’s injuries. I breathed a sigh of relief when the rail car’s engine cranked once again and then started chugging towards the mouth of the mine.

  I heard several more voices that sounded like they were heading my way. Unfortunately I’d left my gas mask and helmet back where I’d found Samuel. I glanced down at my powerless little golden topaz and slammed my foot against the ground. Crap!

  I was left with no other alternative. So, I flipped up the collar of my fireproof jacket, buried my head down low against my chest, and walked swiftly past them like nobody’s business. I managed to elude the rescue team that fortunately was too preoccupied with their duty at hand to notice me as I hurried past them. I maintained a steady and swift gait as I headed straight for the daylight.

  The bright morning sun striking my face as I emerged from the pitch-black mine provided me with a warm reception. It seemed to lift my spirits and gave me hope that Samuel would be all right. I hid behind one of the nearby buildings as the paramedics loaded Samuel onto a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance. The bright orange and white vehicle was marked, “McDowell County Hospital”, so that’s exactly where I would be heading. I rushed to peel myself out of the safety garb that I’d borrowed. The items were covered in coal dust, but thankfully my clothes underneath them had been protected. Loud emergency sirens began to blare as the ambulance exited through the security gate.

  Please let him be okay.

  You would think, as with any disaster, that fear and uncertainty would usher in all kinds of pandemonium. But as I looked around the grounds, everyone seemed to be diligently focusing on their assigned duty. The only person who seemed a wreck was Harper Riverside. He was running around frantic, and I knew why. Sure, he was worried about the welfare of his miners. He would have to be a pretty cold-hearted bastard to not be concerned about the safety of his employees when it came to a disaster such as this. However, with the impression left by Lazarus questioning the mine’s “safety”, you could bet that his thoughts were consumed with the fear of a failed sale. Mr. Riverside wanted rid of it. With an investigation surely to follow this catastrophe, he may end up closing it down after all. The sad part about it was that it wasn’t “company error” or even “nature’s fault”. The mine had been sabotaged, but I didn’t have faintest idea of how any forensic team could prove it.

  Do they have a test that detects “magic rock bombs”?

  I ran off through the woods and headed straight for McDowell County Hospital, located on the opposite side of town. I arrived just as the ambulance was pulling up to the
side entrance marked: EMERGENCY. A trauma team was waiting, gowned up and good-to-go, as the paramedics carried his body out of the ambulance. I tried to get as close as possible, but was quickly ushered back by one of the hospital security officers. Restrained, I watched the man who was the closest thing I had left to a father disappear behind the double doors. Again, I felt helpless and utterly alone.

  I had to get in there to find out how he was. I used a bit more of my reserved strength to break free from the officer’s hold. No sooner than I had my hands on the door handle, the officer tugged me back towards him.

  “Let go! I have to see how Samuel is!” I snapped.

  “You’re not going anywhere until you calm down, Miss. How do you know the patient?” the security officer replied in a commanding tone.

  They wouldn’t just tell anyone about his condition, let alone be in there with him. He didn’t have any biological family members around here, or anywhere to my knowledge. I was the closest thing.

  “I’m his daughter!” I cried out as I whipped around, without giving our “obviously opposing skin tones” a second-thought.

  I looked up to see the hospital security officer, who I now recognized was Jack Patterson, chuckling. The stocky, middle-aged man took his finger and ran it down my cheek.

  “I know who you are, Shiloh Wallace. You don’t have to trick me into thinkin’ you’re Samuel’s kin.”

  I didn’t understand what the heck he was talking about — not until he extended his finger towards me, the one he’d just swiped down my face. It was covered in coal dust. Yuck! I could still hear him laughing as I checked my reflection in a nearby window. My face was as black as coal and actually much darker than Samuel’s natural mocha shade.

  Jack Patterson took my hand and escorted me through the entrance. All of my senses went haywire as soon as I stepped inside. My eyes squinted from the bright fluorescent lights glaring down on me. A strong whiff of alcohol and disinfectant made my nostrils twitch. My ears were rattling with the sounds of several pages and drawn-out “beeps” that blared from the intercom. And of course, my eyes had a field-day with all the random hospital employees zooming past me every which way, darting in and out of various doors with no answers to be given. Needless to say, my impatience had already kicked into overdrive.