Phoenix: The Rising

by Bette Maybee

  She breathed a sigh of relief as her phone rang again. Eli! The last thing she wanted was to talk to him. She had let things progress too far, especially in the pool, and now both of them were going to be hurt. It was best to just cut things totally off. She could protect herself, and she’d keep his secret. They’d both be safe.

  By the sixth ring, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She reached over to her nightstand and picked it up. Kas’s name and number lit up the dial. Julie sprang upright in her bed as a wave of nausea swept over her. Why would Kas be calling me? She pushed the ‘ignore’ button, threw the phone on her bed, and stared at it. A few deep breaths later, the nausea subsided, replaced by a deep, dull ache in the pit of her stomach. Her cell rang again. This time, she answered.

  “Is she with you?”

  Julie hesitated, confused by Kas’s question. What does he mean by that? Her eyes widened as she realized he was talking about Charsey. Oh, God, no! Charsey’s lifeless green eyes. The limp body. Was it true? But the blood.... Her hand crept up the smooth skin of her neck. How...?

  “Julie, is she with you? She’s missing, Julie. Charsey’s missing.”

  Julie shook her head in disbelief. “No. No, she’s not with me.” It had to have been Eli—he must have shown up and saved me! She looked down. What she saw confirmed her suspicion. She wasn’t wearing the same pajamas she wore to bed the night before.

  Kas’s voice became frantic. “The police think I did something, Julie, but I swear to God she was in her room when I left.” No, it wasn’t you. “Even her mom told the police she was fine when I left, but they still suspect me. You’ve got to help me, Julie!”

  Julie’s door burst open as Eli came barreling through with Renatta and her dad following close behind.

  “I-I have to go, Kas. I’ll let you know if I hear from her.” Julie snapped her phone shut.

  “I take it you already know about Charsey.” Julie’s father shut the door and stood beside a seething Renatta. Julie nodded. She and Eli exchanged knowing glances. She could see in Eli’s eyes that she shouldn’t say anything.

  “Kas just called. He’s scared. The police think he did something.” She looked up at Eli, who stood several feet away from Renatta and her father. She knew why he stood so far away. She could feel the electricity pulsing out of him. “Eli, I believe him. I don’t think he did anything.” She stood and grabbed a bedpost as she was hit by another wave of nausea.

  Renatta threw her hands up in the air. “This is what I get for being nice and letting you kids use the pool.” She glanced at her watch. “And to top it all off, I’m gonna miss my flight to Fresno.”

  Julie abandoned the bedpost and took a step towards Renatta. She wanted nothing more than to belt her across the chops. Just one smack.

  “For your information, Charsey and Kas left early and went to her house. Charsey’s mom even told the police she saw her before she went to bed last night, so you can stop....” Julie’s words were cut short as a sharp, stabbing pain pierced her belly. She cradled her stomach as the pain forced her to her knees. Eli rushed over, catching her before she hit the floor.

  “It appears Little Miss Perfect had a little too much to drink last night,” Renatta observed smugly as Eli lifted Julie and laid her on her bed. Julie squeezed her eyes shut and moaned. Every joint in her body ached, but she mustered up enough strength to whisper, “I think Charsey’s dead! I saw her—you’ve got to find her before it’s too late!”

  Eli snapped his head in Renatta’s direction. “No disrespect, Mrs. Mason, but none of us had a drop to drink last night.” He turned back to Julie, brushing his lips to her ear. “We’ll talk when we’re alone.” His voice rose again. “What is that?”

  Julie opened her eyes and followed Eli’s gaze down to her stomach as her father moved next to her bed. Her heart began to pound as she saw what they were staring at. A dark, purplish bruise spanned the width of her stomach.

  “Oh God, Julie. I am so sorry.” Eli looked up at her. “I must have done that when I pulled you out of the water.”

  Julie lay back onto her pillow and shook her head knowingly as she looked from her stomach to her wrist. Four oval bruises in the exact spot where Charsey had grabbed her stood in stark contrast against her pale skin. Julie’s father stared at her wrist and collapsed into the chair beside her bed.

  “No, Eli. This isn’t your fault.” She swallowed as the panic began to tickle the back of her throat. “The bruising. The stomach pain. They’re just symptoms.”

  Eli looked from Julie’s face to her father’s. “What? Symptoms of what?” He knelt down beside Julie and whispered, “Please tell me. Maybe I can help.”

  Julie leaned close to Eli. “Not this time, Eli,” she whispered back to him. “This is the one thing you can’t cure. You said so yourself.”

  Eli squinted in confusion. As the look of confusion gave way to anguish, Julie knew he understood. He closed his eyes and shook his head in denial. “No.”

  Julie swallowed, trying to get those damned butterfly wings to stop tickling the back of her throat. Instead, the feeling intensified. She took a breath and blurted out the words while she could still say them.

  “Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Round two.”

  Julie’s father inhaled and stood. “You don’t know that, Julie. It could be anything. You might have the flu, or—or something.” The breath hitched in Julie’s throat as she saw tears roll down her father’s cheeks. She hadn’t seen her father cry in over five years. Not since the last time.

  Julie took a deep breath and tried to smile through the tears that now distorted her vision. “How about we let the doctor figure this out?”

  Eli backed over to the door. Julie could see the look of horror and helplessness on his face. She felt the oppressive weight of guilt come down on her. Guilt for having a disease that he couldn’t cure. Guilt for kissing him. Guilt for letting things go too far. It crushed down on her, compacting and squeezing her heart back into that little box that no one was allowed to open.

  Julie’s father looked at Eli, then reached into his pocket and handed him a set of keys. He must have noticed the look of helplessness on Eli’s face. “Here, make yourself useful and bring the car around.”

  Eli looked blankly at the keys in his hand and blinked. “The car. Good idea.” He walked over to Julie, gave her a hug and whispered, “Text me.”

  Renatta, silent since Eli put her in her place, sighed. “I suppose this means I’m not going shopping.”

  ****

  The look on the oncologist’s face confirmed Julie’s fears. No words were needed, but still, he said them. “It’s back, and more aggressive than the first time.”

  Julie swallowed. The tickle in the back of her throat magnified as she looked over at her father. He stared out the window and crossed his arms. He’d handled this once by himself when her mom abandoned them following the first diagnosis, and he was going to handle it by himself once again. Renatta’s remark in Julie’s bedroom sealed that deal. Julie was sure of it.

  Julie’s father cleared his throat and turned to face the doctor. “What now?”

  “When ALL recurs, it oftentimes attacks the bone marrow. The tests confirmed that. Julie’s going to need a bone marrow transplant. Since she’s an only child and you’re not compatible, I ran a check in our database and came up empty. It looks like it’ll have to be autologous.”

  “Autologous?” Julie found her voice. “You mean you’ll use my own?”

  Dr. Medford nodded in confirmation. “Yes, we’re hoping we can use the marrow we harvested and froze five years ago, when your marrow was still healthy. We’ll give you high doses of chemo to destroy the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, it’ll also kill good cells, so you’re going to be at high risk for infection. You’ll have to be hospitalized for several weeks with no outside visitors except family. Even then we have to take precautions.”

  “No visitors?” Julie couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. “That won’t
be a problem. Then what?”

  The doctor moved to the door. “Then we infuse your blood with the marrow and it migrates to your bones, settles in, and, if all goes as planned, begins producing healthy new cells. Hopefully, you’ll be back to school after Halloween.” He smiled weakly as he pulled the door open. “We can start the chemo tomorrow.”

  Julie stared at the door as it shut behind the doctor, then looked over at her father. He shifted his gaze from a spot on the floor to Julie, and then back to the same spot on the floor. He couldn’t even look at her. She didn’t blame him. He lost his wife, her mother, because of her, and she was about to ruin his life. Again.

  “I’m—I’m sorry, Dad,” she whispered, tears of agony distorting her words.

  Julie’s dad turned towards her and crinkled his brow. “Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about.” He walked over to her and sat on the side of her bed, taking her hand in his. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Sorry for not being here for you the last couple of years. Sorry for not finding you a suitable mother.” He squeezed her hand softly. “Things are going to change. I told Renatta to leave. I knew she was ... cheating on me. I’ve been just so lonely since your mom left, that I chose to ignore it. I was, however, smart enough to put up a surveillance camera out by the pool. She won’t get a dime from me.”

  Julie wiped away a tear that had escaped and smiled weakly. “But, you’ll have to do this on your own. I don’t want you to have to go through that again.”

  He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Don’t you worry about that. I’m tougher than I look, Kiddo. You are now my number one priority. That’s the way it always should have been.” He stood. “Now, we’ll have to let your school know....”

  “No!” Julie sat straight up in her bed. “No, Dad, I don’t want anyone knowing what’s going on. Just tell them I withdrew and I’ll have a private tutor homeschooling me. It’s true. I—I just don’t want anyone knowing. It’s hard enough being the new kid at school without being known as the sick, new kid. Please don’t tell anyone!”

  Julie’s father shook his head in agreement. “Okay—okay. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Nobody will know a thing.”

  Julie leaned back and closed her eyes in relief. Nobody would know a thing. Except Eli. Eli would be the one person who would know. He was also the one person she could trust to keep her secret, just as she was keeping his. But now was not the time to think of that. Charsey’s time was running out. She had to help Eli find her, even if it was from a hospital bed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Please, Dad, just go home. I’ll need my sleep if we’re doing this tomorrow.” She looked at her cell phone. Eli had left half a dozen texts since they flew out of Bishop, and her father hadn’t left her side long enough for her to answer him. “And so will you. My snoring might keep you awake!” She flashed a smile, hoping her kidding would do the trick.

  “You mean my snoring will keep you awake!” He got up out of the chair, leaned over, and kissed Julie on the forehead. “Okay, Kiddo. I’m going. But I’ll be at the Marriott just down the road. I’m sure Renatta’s going to be busy cleaning out the house.” He flashed her a half-hearted grin, but his eyes looked dead, hopeless. Julie blinked back tears as the door shut behind her father. Life wasn’t fair.

  Julie grabbed her cell. She knew she wouldn’t have much time before the nurse made her rounds, so she dialed quickly. Eli picked up on the first ring.

  “Julie, are you okay? I’ve been worried to death about you. Where are you?”

  Julie took a deep breath. The less he knew right now, the better.

  “They’re still doing tests, so I’m gonna be out of commission for a few days. It’ll be up to you to find Charsey.”

  The phone was silent. Fear crept up Julie’s throat. Had he already found her? Was she beyond help?

  “Eli?” She heard him exhale.

  “I’m here. Are you positive she was dead?”

  Julie closed her eyes and played the scene over in her mind. She saw Charsey’s head loll to the side at a strange angle, her eyes open, staring at nothing.

  “I-I can’t be sure. She looked like her neck might have been broken.”

  “But, you’re not sure? That’s good. If Charsey is dead, then there’s nothing I can do. If she’s still alive, I might be able to get her to a hospital, but her survival will be in the doctor’s hands if she has a broken neck.”

  Julie’s voice broke. “What do you mean? I thought you could heal people? That you had a three day window?”

  Eli cleared his throat. “Julie, if someone has an external injury that I can see and access with my tears or saliva, then I can help them, but only if they have some life left in them. If they’re already dead, it’s just too late. My body can only heal itself after what you know as death occurs, because it’s constantly healing itself. I don’t know how it does it exactly, but I think it takes place at the cellular level....” His voice trailed off. She barely heard his next words. “I thought you were dead when I found you last night.”

  Julie had forgotten about her own ordeal the night before. After all, it simply seemed like a dream to her. Since Kas’s phone call, her mind had been on Charsey, on her father, on Eli, and on the leukemia that was ravaging her body once again. “I thought I was, too. The last thing I remember was hearing your motorcycle. I knew it was you, but how did you know to come?”

  “I called your cell and you didn’t answer. I wanted to apologize....” Eli cleared his throat again. “Anyways, you weren’t in your room, and when I looked out your window, I saw someone walking away from the pool house. When I found you, I thought I was too late. Again.”

  Julie knew he was referring to finding his young bride’s body. He’d dealt with so much death in his time on Earth. How could he stand it?

  “I couldn’t believe it when I found a pulse.”

  “But how did you—?”

  “Tears. It wasn’t too hard to muster them.” He paused. “You’re a good friend, Julie.”

  Julie pulled the phone away and muffled a sob. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? For them to be just friends? But why did she feel like the bottom had just dropped out of her heart? She took a deep, cleansing breath and brought the phone back.

  “So are you, Eli. You ... saved my life.” But for how long? Julie thought. Was it all in vain? Maybe he should have let me die. We all would have been better off.

  “You were a mess, but, luckily, whoever did this just sliced through your external jugular. Didn’t press hard enough. If they’d hit the internal jugular or the carotid, you wouldn’t be here.” Eli gave a nervous laugh. “It took me a couple hours to get you and the place cleaned up. I’m not too great at the domestic stuff.”

  Julie could feel her face flush. “You put me in the pool house shower, didn’t you?”

  “Ummm ... yes. Sorry. I had to. Then I carried you up to your room. Right before dawn. I’m lucky somebody didn’t see me.”

  Julie’s heart seemed to lodge itself in her throat. The surveillance camera! “Oh, my God, Eli, someone may have! My dad mentioned that he taped Renatta by the pool on a surveillance camera! If the police see that, you could be implicated in Charsey’s disappearance! You’ve got to get your hands on that DVD. Tonight!”

  “Slow down, Julie! You’re right, and if we’re on that tape, then it’ll also show who took Charsey. But I can’t just rush in and start looking. I’ll need a plan. How to get in. Where to look. Is there going to be anyone at the house tonight?”

  Julie took a breath, trying to slow her racing heart. “Dad kicked Renatta out, but she may be there robbing us blind while we’re gone. You’ll have to wait until she leaves. Dad will be here in Fresno.”

  “So, you’re in Fresno?” Even in the midst of all this chaos, Eli was fishing for more information. About her.

  Julie had to think fast.

  “My doctors are here and ordered some tests for the morning. There’s no sense in traveling back tonight. Now, wil
l you just listen? I think I might know where Dad keeps the DVR.”

  Julie heard an audible sigh.

  “Go ahead.”

  “If the front door’s locked, you can just key in the code. 02-14-11.”

  “Valentine’s Day?”

  Julie rolled her eyes, in spite of the fact that he couldn’t see her. “Renatta’s favorite day of the year. That’s the day she cajoled my father into marrying her. I’m sure Dad will change the code as soon as we get back.”

  “So, where do you think I’ll find the DVR?”

  “Probably the only place that he has to himself, his study on the first floor. Take the left hallway off the foyer. It’s at the end on the right. Check in there. It’s probably hidden.”

  A knock at the door halted Julie’s conversation. A candy striper walked in carrying Julie’s meal tray. Julie motioned for her to go away. The thought of eating made her want to vomit.

  “I have to go. Dad just texted that he’s waiting for me down in the car. We’re going out to dinner. Some sushi place he can’t wait for me to try.” She bit her lower lip. Could he tell she was lying?

  “Okay. I’ll call you when I find the DVR. And Charsey.”

  “You will find her, won’t you, Eli?” Julie tried to quell her own fears that Charsey was already dead with the hope that Eli could once again save the day.

  “I’ll do my best, Jules. You just try to relax. And good luck with the tests tomorrow.”

  Julie’s heart threw a double beat. “Thanks.” She felt the tears coming. “I really have to go, Eli.”

  “Wait!” Eli’s voice seemed to take on a frantic edge. “Julie, you will tell me if there’s anything wrong, won’t you?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything.”

  Julie clicked her phone shut and lay back on her bed.

  The waiting had begun.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Except for the steady ticking of the grandfather clock, the Mason mansion was a tomb of silence, amplified by the now almost completely barren foyer. Eli had waited patiently behind a stand of Cypress by the main gate until he saw Renatta’s Jag, followed by a yellow moving van, exit the estate. Now it was his turn to comb through its remaining contents.