by S. E. Akers
“What are you doing?” Tanner asked nervously.
“What do you think?” I snapped. “I’m looking for blue marks on her.” My suspicions had me tied up in knots. I kept searching, but I couldn’t find any.
Beatrix chimed in. “Shiloh, what good will that do?”
“Bea, I have to know. I have to know if this was a ‘freak accident’, or if it was because…” I tried to fight back my tears and continued, “because she tried to help me! I HAVE TO KNOW!”
Beatrix and Tanner threw each other several curious looks. I noticed Beatrix’s eyes were fixated on the finger where my new lapis lazuli stone rested. Immediately, I realized how I was going to find out — for sure.
They both knew exactly what I was thinking and demanded, “NO,” almost in unison.
There was a small bathroom inside the room, just a few feet from where I stood. I discreetly glanced at the gray steel bolt recessed in the side of the half-opened door. Good…No brass. Swiftly, I darted into the washroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me.
Tanner banged on the sturdy wood door. “Don’t do it, Shiloh! When you pull a memory from a stone, you might not like what you see! You can’t undo it! The image will haunt you! I SWEAR IT WILL! Unlock this damn door!” he demanded.
I sat down on the seat of the toilet and tuned out the rattling of the knob, as well as his annoying pounds on the door. My eyes fell to a close as I stroked the ring. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, so I did the most logical thing. I pictured Katie’s parents store and Lazarus. As soon as I sensed a telling warm glow radiating from the stone, the rest fell magically into place.
I found myself in a hypnotic trance. It was like I had a front row seat in a theater, waiting to watch a show unfold. I was there in the store with the three of them: Katie, Ferrol, and Lazarus. They had pretty much forced their way in, well Ferrol did. Katie kept telling them, “The store is closed”. Ferrol ignored Katie as he charged past her, headed straight for the back room. Katie followed, then Lazarus. Lazarus asked her if she knew me, to which Katie replied, “Yes”, but that she hadn’t seen me since yesterday, because I’d been suspended. Lazarus doubted her, so he delved into her mind and asked her again. Katie repeated the same story, word for word. When Lazarus saw the cut and polished diamond pendant around her neck, he knew instantly it wasn’t one born from a Talisman. He believed she was telling the truth and told Ferrol that it was time for them to go.
Maybe it was a freak accident after all?
I started to pull out of the vision when my attention became focused on Ferrol, who was holding something. My bloody shirt. He flashed it to Lazarus behind Katie’s back. I could feel Lazarus’ pulse quicken as he watched the diamond residue glistening under the lights. He nodded to Ferrol and turned to leave. In a very business-like, callous voice, he looked back and said, “Don’t keep me waiting…too long.” Ferrol immediately grabbed Katie and slammed her head down against the sharp corner of the hardwood desk.
I pulled out of the vision and sprang to my feet, crying violently. I screamed and pounded my hands down on the wall-hung sink so hard it crashed to the floor. Water from the now busted, exposed pipes was shooting out everywhere. I unlocked the door and yanked it open.
“It was ALL my fault! MY DOING!” I cried out tearfully as I charged back into the room. I started pacing uncontrollably and ranting, “I NEVER should’ve left her! What in the Hell was I thinking? I never should’ve let her try to help me, but she was so damn insistent, and I was so desperate to get out of there! Every bit of it…MY FAULT!”
Beatrix tried to console me. “Shiloh, she wanted to help you. Did you tell her how dangerous they were?”
“Of course I did, but she didn’t listen…or didn’t care?” I replied.
Beatrix lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. “She was your best friend, dear. Katie took the risk because she loved you, because she knew you would do the same for her, selflessly. Shiloh, Talismans make those decisions every day, but for a human to do it means so much more. Please don’t blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it’s Lazarus, not you.”
I rolled my eyes vehemently. “It wasn’t just Lazarus. He ordered it, but Ferrol did it.”
Tanner, who was now standing quietly by the window with his back to us, whipped around and broke in. “What? HE killed her?”
“Yes,” I snapped and added, “The one that GOT AWAY did it!” I could tell I’d hit a nerve with that bombshell — but I didn’t care.
I noticed that he’d taken Katie’s diamond pendant out of its pouch and was holding it up, looking at it in the moonlight. The horrible shame and regret I felt when I saw it was unbearable. I ran over and snatched it out of his hands.
“Give me THAT!” I barked and dropped it back in its velvety pouch.
Tanner started to speak, but I cut him off.
“NO! I don’t want to hear ANYTHING from you. I know what you’re going to say!” I started mocking, “It’s for the best…The fewer people who know about us, THE BETTER!” I smacked my hands against my legs. “You should be OVERJOYED…Sorry if I’m NOT!”
Tanner grabbed me by my arms. “That’s NOT what I was going to say!” he raged insistently. “Hell, that’s not even how I FEEL! What I was going to say was—”
I pointed my fingers at his lips. “NOTHING!” I ordered. “You weren’t going to say a thing! I CHOSE THIS! I GET THAT! This is my mistake…My burden to bear! I’ll deal with it, but I don’t need nor want any lectures from YOU!”
Tanner’s eyes softened. At first I thought he was taking me seriously, until I started to feel a wave of bliss starting to overcome me. I knocked his hands away and threw him a dirty look.
As I charged out of the room, I yelled back to him, “I want to feel these emotions, not hide from them…Every damn one of them!” and slammed the door.
I rushed through the hallways of the hospital, headed for the main doors. I just need some air and a swift run to release some of my rage, I thought as I stepped outside.
There by the fountain, I spotted Kara talking on her cell phone. Curious about why she wasn’t upstairs in Ty’s room playing “girlfriend”, I decided to try out the lithium trick. I focused on the energy radiating from the tiny traces of metal in her phone. Her voice came through as clear as a bell. She was leaving Mike a message for him to call her, begging him really, insisting that she could sneak out tonight and come over to his house if he needed any “consoling”.
Ugh! You know, the stars sure have a sick sense of humor, I grumbled as I swiftly turned invisible and buzzed past her — knocking her intentionally over into the chilly waters of the three-tiered fountain as I headed for my gravel drive.
Chapter 28 — Bosom Friends
I didn’t pull out of my speedy sprint until I’d reached the front door of the old two-story farmhouse. Once inside, I hurried up the stairs and locked my bedroom door, desperately needing to shut out the world once again. I laid the little velvet pouch on my vanity. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at Katie’s necklace — not now.
After I’d hidden the diamond wand securely under my bed (along with my serpentine and my newly acquired moonstone), I snatched the lapis lazuli ring off my finger and sent it sailing across the room. Even though I’d killed Lazarus, my revenge hadn’t turned out to be as sweet as I’d envisioned. Sure, it had felt good at the time, knowing the man who murdered Daddy had died by my hands. However, when I’d found out he had poisoned Ty and also played a part in Katie’s death — after the fact — I found myself feeling just as bitter as before. I wished he were alive, so I could do it all over again. I hated more than anything I had to claim that damn stone of his — but I had to! I saved Ty, only to lose him. As I looked out my window at the shimmery blue moon, I thought, I guess it’s me crying now.
I fell onto by bed thinking of Ty. I was nothing more than a random name and strange face to him now. My one-sided “first-kiss” was bittersweet.
Scratch that! A f
irst kiss can’t be “one sided”… It doesn’t count!
I still couldn’t get over the tragic irony that a selfless act had taken away all of his memories of me. Well, at least Kara seemed thrilled. Maybe the rumors at school will die down now, seeing how they’re “back together”! Watching them walk down the halls at school all “coupled-up” was going to be hard, especially without Katie by my side.
Cherished memories of Katie and me throughout the years stirred in my head. Each and every one of them was significant in some way. I honestly couldn’t think of a single moment in all the times we’d shared that hadn’t etched at least the tiniest of marks on my heart or soul. She was my best friend. My bosom friend. As I lay there crying on my pillow, a particular memory came to mind.
It was summer, and we were ten years old. Katie loved the book, Anne of Green Gables. Her mom had just bought her the DVD, and she insisted I watch it with her. We ended up spending the entire weekend playing it over and over (and over). Our “ritual” carried on faithfully every weekend after that for an entire month. Katie’s mom must have wanted her living room TV back, because one Saturday she surprised us with made-to-fit period dresses from the late 1800’s, courtesy of Mrs. Culbert. After that, we took a break from the movie and created our own little make-believe world of Avonlea. Katie felt it was fitting that I played the role of “Anne”. She said it was because I was so headstrong and struggled with my real name, just like Anne. Katie loved pretending to be “Diana Barry”. She was the pretty, merry one, who was always by her friend’s side, through thick and thin. Their friendship mirrored ours. They were kindred spirits — just like us.
Our favorite part was just one simple phrase. It summed up their friendship, like it did ours — “bosom friends”. Katie and I were bosom friends, forever and ever. My eyes continued to swell until the floodgates I’d been struggling to restrain inevitably came bursting open. I couldn’t hold back the weight of their force any longer. Tearfully, I wrestled with my bedcovers and curled up into a ball. I didn’t have the scent from Daddy’s shirt anymore to comfort me, and I’d dropped my amethyst in Charlotte’s wine, though I doubted I would have used the tumbled purple tone if I’d had it. I was still ticked at Tanner, and it would only remind me of him. Deep down, I knew I needed to face this tribulation on my own.
I glanced over at my alarm clock. Almost eleven. Physically exhausted and mentally drained, I found myself too emotionally wound up to drift off to sleep peacefully. The Sandman eventually took me kicking and screaming by the reins, dragging me warily into my dreams. My last conscious thought was of the moon, and the mysterious moonstone Talisman. I remembered feeling eternally grateful and touched by her kindness as I fell into my slumber, though a small part of me lingered with sadness over my unfulfilled wish — that she would have answered me tonight in some way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just as any other normal day, my alarm beeped very early. Strangely, I awoke feeling well-rested and peaceful. As I started to get out of bed, Katie popped into my mind. I knew she’d passed last night, but I was confused as to why I wasn’t overwrought with sorrow and gloom.
That’s weird. I feel—
My thoughts were interrupted by a startling revelation. Blissful, I pondered suspiciously. I thought I sensed something lying around my neck. Automatically, I reached for my oval pendant. I stopped to remind myself that I didn’t have it on (nor would I ever wear it again), but I felt like something was circling it. I looked under my pajama top (that I didn’t put on). Low and behold, there was a tumbled amethyst fastened to a silver chain draped around my neck.
Ugh! I knew it! Tanner must have slipped into my bedroom last night and put it on me. I didn’t want to even think about the pj’s. I couldn’t be too upset with him. He obviously didn’t want me to be in any pain over Katie — or even Ty. I’m sure he heard my, “I want to feel these emotions and not hide from them” speech loud and clear before I stormed out of the hospital.
I spotted my brown leather purse sitting on my nightstand. I hadn’t brought it home with me. I’d left it in the cave when the fight broke out. Tanner must’ve gone back there to get it. I tugged on the zipper and placed the amethyst in my bag as I hopped out of bed. With my fuzzy white robe now securely tied, I headed out my bedroom door and straight for the stairs.
A cup of coffee might be nice…but with cream and sugar, definitely.
While the coffee brewed, I strolled back down the hall to retrieve the morning paper. Who knows what “exciting” story from yesterday made the top headline? There were so many to choose from.
The cold fall air greeted me as soon as I opened the door. I shivered as I bent over to grab the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Something caught my attention as I rose. My Charger was parked in our gravel driveway. Good. That saves me the trouble of picking it up from the Drive-In.
I ripped off its plastic wrapper and unfolded the paper as I moseyed back to the kitchen. Stunned by the bold black headline, I became engrossed in the morning edition. I scooted a chair out from under the table and slipped down into my seat as I read:
TORCH PASSES DOWN AND
MINE STAYS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The top story was truthfully, the most important one — for the residents of Welch, that is. Apparently, the early state inspection team found no evidence of methane gas and went on to suggest that the explosions in the main tunnel were most likely the result of “safety violations”. However, mine officials had another theory and strongly hinted the possibility of “sabotage” to local law enforcement. The article stated that all avenues of the investigation would be pursued and claimed that Xcavare Enterprises had been deemed a “party of interest” by local authorities. The paper had tried to contact Lazarus Xcavare for a statement, but they reported that, “he could not be reached for a comment at the present time.”
No kidding…
The article went on to mention that there was “only one injury and no fatalities”. Uriah Hatfield was being hailed as a hero for rescuing Samuel Clark. A paragraph about Samuel prompted a smile.
He’ll love that. Now every single woman over 50 will be banging on his door to help him “recuperate”!
I noticed a brief mention of Harper Riverside’s death as I got up and poured my coffee. It referenced a more detailed story on his passing that appeared in a smaller section below. The main article reported:
“The torch has been passed to Mr. Michael ‘Harper’ Riverside’s successor, his son, Michael H. Riverside, III. Mr. Mike H. Riverside, III, a senior at Welch High School, plans to keep the mine open and is overjoyed knowing that it will remain in his family, as well as a mainstay to Welch’s economy.”
As I stirred in my cream and sugar, I thought, I can’t argue with that.
In the end, Mike got his wish. The mine was his to run — no sale. The town of Welch had been saved, though its residents weren’t privy to Lazarus’ ulterior motives. Xcavare Enterprises was about to pull out of town, trampling on the hearts and livelihoods of all the residents of Welch, and they didn’t have a clue. In a way, Mike was more of a “hero” than they knew. I smiled thinking about all the desperate, local girls vying to win his affections, not to mention — an engagement ring.
Charlotte and Chloe sure have their work cut out for them…
There was a nice write up about Harper Riverside. I really felt bad knowing he’d become collateral damage in Lazarus Xcavare’s diabolical scheme. Foul play was mentioned, and Welch’s Chief of Police reported that Mr. Harper Riverside’s assailant, Karl Rodman, had been killed, but his cause of death was not mentioned.
I’m not surprised.
The police stressed that the motive for Mr. Riverside’s attack had been cited as a “botched robbery attempt” by their investigators, but that they were still checking for any possible links to the explosions at the mine. I took a sip of my coffee and thought, I’d love to see how they connect those dots and “prove” that!
Suddenly, Charlotte burst into the kitchen. I tensed up. Our last encounter was pretty heated, and I certainly wasn’t in the mood for a rematch. As soon as she spotted me sitting at the table, she ran over and gave me a — tender hug — followed by an even more surprising “kiss” on my forehead.
“Honey,” my mother announced, “I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and then hop in the shower before I whip us up a nice Saturday morning brunch…Okay?”
WHAT THE HECK?
I accidently spit up some of my coffee onto the newspaper. Wide-eyed and choking, I felt the sudden need to ring out my ears, just to make sure I wasn’t hearing things. The longer I stared at my mother, the more I sensed something other than just superb acting skills and a well-delivered line of crap. It was difficult to describe. Her demeanor was almost “soft” and “approachable”, oddly. She didn’t seem the least bit groggy or hung over either, like she usually did this early in the morning. Even more peculiar, Charlotte was radiating a genuine aura of dare I say, “sweet”. I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised to see a cute ’n cuddly bunny hopping up on the counter to pour some sugar in her mug or a chirping little birdie swooping down to stir in the vanilla creamer with a daggone silver spoon. I swear I even heard her humming! As I watched my now “perky & pleasant” mother take a satisfying sip of her coffee, it suddenly dawned on me that the amethyst had not only neutralized the effects of her wine, but her crappy attitude as well. I lowered my head, trying to contain my giggles.
Charlotte sashayed towards the doorway and blew me a kiss. “You are hungry? Aren’t you, honey?” she asked.
I smiled back at her. “Um, yes…Mom…I am,” I replied, notably amused. My mother passed me a cutesy wink & wave combo and then bounced out of the kitchen. It was priceless. I shook my head while I wondered how long her “change of heart” would last. I just hated I didn’t have a camera.
