The Awakening

by Rochelle Southwick

  I let him rest for a while before we decided it was time to make our way off the mountain. We had enough excitement for one day. After ten or so yards we had Zeeda carry him down. He was opposed to the idea, but knew we wouldn’t get off the mountain very quickly if he didn’t allow it.

  Zeeda offered to fly him, but I didn’t want her flying in the daylight. After everything that happened with Salem’s killer, I was afraid of who may be in the mountains.

  It took longer to get back to the car than it did to get there. Zeeda was slower and more careful with Jake in her arms than she was when we came up. When we finally arrived at the bottom of the mountain Jake thanked Zeeda. She set him down carefully. He stumbled forward.

  “Jake give me your keys.”

  “What why?” He rasped.

  I raised my eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge me.

  “Ok fine you’re right. But don’t kill my car, okay?”

  I rolled my eyes and helped him get into the car.

  I drove slowly off the mountain per his request, and soon the town was flying by. When we got to the house, I helped him inside and he went upstairs to shower and change into dry clothes.

  As much as I knew he would hate me for it I picked up my phone and dialed his foster parents’ house. They needed to know that technically Jake had drowned. Mr. Ellis answered the phone with a cheery tone in his voice. “Hello Bea!”

  “Hello, sir.” I said.

  He must have heard my tone because instantly his intensity changed. “What happened where is Jake?”

  “He’s here with me, but I need you to come over. It’s important.”

  “I’m on my way.” He said and then the line went dead.

  When Jake got out of the shower his foster dad and I were waiting downstairs. I explained briefly what had happened. I left out the part about Zeeda, knowing that wasn’t something he was likely to take well.

  “Mr. Ellis?” Jake said as he came down the stairs. “What are you doing here?”

  Mr. Ellis who had been sitting on the couch wringing his hands stood up and took long strides across the room. He pulled Jake into an awkward embrace. “Bea told me what happened. Are you all right?”

  Jake shot me a glare. “I’m fine.” He said, but his voice was still raspy.

  “We are going to the hospital.” Mr. Ellis said. “You need to be checked out by a doctor.” He turned to me. “Thank you, Bea, for your quick thinking.”

  “What about the healers?” Jake asked.

  “This was a mortal incident, and thankfully Bea didn’t try healing you with magic. So mortal doctors it is.”

  “I’m coming too.” I said, pulling myself out of the chair.

  “Very well. Call your mother and explain the situation.” Mr Ellis said quickly. He held his hands out momentarily, trying to decide how much help Jake needed.

  I nodded and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I dialed mom’s cell, when she answered I explained the situation and that we were heading to the hospital.

  “All right, I’m sending Mitch to sit with you.” Mom said.

  “Seriously. Does he have to come?” I asked, not really wanting to deal with Mitch after the events of the last visit he had with us.

  “Both he and his father have apologized and they will be on their best behavior. Right now Jake isn’t in the best condition to protect you.”

  “I can protect myself.” As I said this Jake sent me a wounded look.

  “Not under my watch.” Mom said. “Either he goes, or I send the Elders to bring you here. It’s up to you.”

  “Fine. He can come.” I hung up the phone, not having any desire to deal with him.

  “What was that?” Jake asked. I knew he was alluding to me protecting myself.

  “My mother is sending Mitch to the hospital to keep an eye on me while you get checked out.” I said as we went out to Mr. Ellis’s BMW. I slid into the back seat, Jake looked at me. “This is no time to be a gentleman.” I said with my eyes shooting to the front seat. “Get in.”

  He rolled his eyes at me and got in the car. The drive to the hospital only took ten minutes. I used that time to tell Jake one thing, ‘I didn’t tell him about Zee.’ I didn’t want him thinking I had said something.

  ‘I figured. I’ll keep quiet, don’t worry.’ I smiled, hoping that we would always have each other’s backs.

  As we arrived at the hospital’s ER entrance, I saw Mitch standing at the door. He was wearing a black leather jacket and looked like he was trying a little too hard to be cool.

  Mr. Ellis pulled up to the drop off and got out to help Jake in. “Mr. Ellis, if you would like I can park your car so you can go in with him.” I offered.

  “Yes Bea, that would be great. Just be careful with it, okay?”

  “Yeah, I will.” I said, trying not to let my irritation come to the surface.

  Mitch approached the car. Even his walk seemed different. I didn’t have the time nor the desire to deal with whatever melodrama was happening with him today.

  He got into the passenger’s seat and we drove to the parking lot. I parked it perfectly straight so as to not upset Mr. Ellis, although part of me wanted to be a brat and park sideways.

  For the first time with Mitch, I opened my own door. It was strange, but I was fine with it as I didn’t want him there to begin with. Without saying a word to him, I began making my way back to the emergency entrance.

  I found myself ushered to a small waiting area as I wasn’t family, which I thought was garbage. There was a small TV in the corner of the room. Some soap opera was playing on the tiny screen.

  I sighed and sat down, watching as Mitch walked up and sat on a couch next to me. He propped his left foot up on his right knee and slouched deeply into the couch.

  He was supposed to be the leader of us young ones. What the hell was he pulling? I wondered as I pulled out my phone and tried my hardest to look like I didn’t know him.

  I glanced up, taking in my surroundings. In the waiting area, there were several rows of chairs, a few couches, one of which was being occupied by Mitch. The tiny tv was on one end and the doors to the rooms where Jake and other patients were taken were the only other doors besides the ones that led outside. There was a desk where receptionists would send you to time out, where we were. Or that would take you back to the patient area. There were restrooms across the room near the receptionist area.

  I took a deep breath and the smell of alcohol and antiseptic ran through my senses. I glanced over at Mitch and caught him staring at me. His eyes were soft and kind for a moment and then he seemed to realize he had been caught and began brooding again.

  “Mitch, what the hell is wrong with you?” I asked him, not knowing if I actually wanted to know the answer to my question.

  He sighed and began fidgeting in his seat. His foot started bouncing off the floor, and his eyes darted between the floor and me.

  I raised my eyebrow at his odd behavior.

  He didn’t say anything and then sighed again.

  “You may as well tell me.” I said my irritation was rising.

  I was met with radio silence.

  “Whatever.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and stood up, walking towards the edge of the waiting room. He stood as well, starting after me. “I’m just using the restroom, I’ll be fine.” I strode away.

  I heard him slump back down. I didn’t really need to use the restroom, but I was grateful for the excuse to get away from him for a moment. He was acting bizarre, and I had no time for that in my life right now.

  I stepped into the bathroom, approaching the mirror. I looked at my reflection; I had dark circles under my usually bright green eyes. The darkness made them appear less bright. My cheeks were a tad red from the morning spent in the sun. My hair was slightly disheveled and frankly I was surprised it wasn’t worse.

  “Well, well.” A voice said behind me. I met her eyes in the mirror. It was none other than Claire.

  “What are you doi
ng here?” I asked her, stepping away from the mirror to face her.

  “Oh, you know making my usual rounds, trying to get you to join our side.”

  “What makes you think my answer will be different this time?” I narrowed my eyes in her direction.

  “Oh, I don’t know.” She said as she approached the mirror, pulling a tube of bright red lipstick out of her pocket. She began applying a fresh coat to her lips. “Maybe because I can tell you where that little girl Harley is.”

  I felt my blood run cold. “Where is she?” The sound of my voice shocked me slightly. It was darker than normal.

  “Oooo, testy.” Claire smirked at me as she fluffed her hair. “Why is it so important?”

  “Because I don’t want another family to go through what the rebels made Mitch’s family go through.”

  She scoffed, still primping in the mirror.

  “No matter how much you primp, you will never be pretty when your soul is dark and hideous.” I said knowing that would piss her off.

  “Really Bea? You’re one to talk, you look like death is knocking at your door. Here, why don’t I help!” She said raising her hand to do a spell. There was an electric sound and then nothing. “Ugh! Fine, I will do this by hand!” She balled her hand into a fist and then sprang towards me.

  I attempted a spell, and nothing happened. Someone had to be keeping us from doing magic. Curious.

  I dodged her punch but just barely; she wasn’t great at hand to hand combat but frankly neither was I. It was never a strong suit of either of ours; we used to joke about our similarities when it came to hand to hand combat.

  I took a breath and tried to focus my energy on beating her. “What happened to the guy we sent after you the other day? The one who killed whats her face?!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said, trying to play it off.

  “He never came back, we know he killed Salem. Did you kill him for doing it? That was the plan!” She taunted, circling to the left.

  “Hell no!” I said, trying not to let her corner me. Who plans someone’s death through someone else?

  She lunged at me; I evaded her, and she toppled into the garbage can.

  “Don’t you want to know about Harley?” She sneered.

  “If I believed you knew what you were talking about, sure. We both know you aren’t high enough on anyone’s list to know about much.” I dug.

  “Ugh!” She grunted as she lifted herself off the floor. She turned a slow circle and then grabbed her lipstick off the counter. She hurled it at my head with all her strength.

  “Really?” I asked her. I glanced over my shoulder, and then too late I realized my mistake. Never take your eye off your enemy.

  She smirked and lunged forward. She pushed me against the wall, my head slammed against the sanitary napkin dispenser on the wall. I slid down the wall onto the floor, my head pounding. I reached up and touched the spot where my head hit the dispenser, pulling my fingers down until I saw red sticky blood there.

  The world around me spun as I heard a voice, it was all too familiar, I must have been imagining it but a second later Claire disappeared.

  I groaned in agony; I felt light-headed and felt myself slip further down on the floor. “Help me.” I thought towards the waiting area as hard as I could, I prayed Mitch was paying attention. My eyes closed and then I heard the bathroom door fly open. My eyes fluttered open, and I saw Mitch run across the room towards me.

  “Bea!” He knelt next to me. He touched my head, and I winced away. I watched as he looked down at his hand, blood on his fingertips. “Somebody help me!” He yelled as I faded into an oblivion.

  Fourteen

  I groaned, my head pounding, as the smell of alcohol invaded my senses. I opened my eyes, finding myself laying on a hospital bed. The room I was in was generic and boring, there were a few pictures on the wall but nothing I could pay much attention to now.

  I could see Mitch’s stupid leather jacket laying over a chair, and I could hear low chatter from behind a curtain.

  “You were in charge of protecting her, Mitch. What happened?” I knew that voice was Malcolm.

  “Mom.”

  Mom flew around the end of the curtain. “Honey! You’re awake. Are you feeling all right, can I get you anything?”

  “Water.” I said, watching as Mitch and Malcolm came around the curtain.

  “Bea, I’m…”

  “Don’t speak to her.” Mom snapped. She was across the room pouring water into a cup for me.

  “Mom, it’s okay. It wasn’t his fault. She cornered me in the ladies' room.”

  Mom turned around with a jolt. “Who cornered you?”

  “Claire.”

  All eyes were on me. I looked into Mitch’s eyes; he looked more like himself now than he had earlier; he looked concerned, like he actually cared.

  “Oh, Bea.” He mumbled. He went to the foot of my bed and rested his elbows on the foot and rested his head in his hands.

  “Mom, can we have a minute?” I asked, nodding towards Mitch. The action caused pain to surge in my head.

  “Are you sure, honey?” She looked as though she wanted to argue.

  “Yes.” I responded, not wanting to nod again.

  “Come on, Malcolm lets give these two a few minutes. Apparently my injured daughter needs to console your son.”

  I rolled my eyes. Mom never took lightly to me getting hurt. Especially if she thought someone else was to blame.

  I waited until I heard the door shut. “Mitch.” I waited until he brought his eyes back up to mine. “Come here.”

  Almost reluctantly he approached me, as he did I could see his eyes were red.

  “This isn’t on you. I left, I shouldn’t have.”

  He sat in a chair next to my bed and reached for my hand. He stopped short, letting me decide if I wanted to hold his hand or not. I sighed, realizing he needed me more than I needed him right now.

  “I don’t know who I am anymore.” He breathed.

  “What?” He had lost me.

  “Before you went to the bathroom, you asked me what was wrong. That’s just it, I don’t know who I am. If my sister hadn’t gone missing, would I have been the trouble, child? I was always on my best behavior growing up because I didn’t want to cause mom and dad any more pain than they were already feeling.”

  “Oh, Mitch.” I said, squeezing his hand.

  “With my sister back now, I just don’t know what that makes me.”

  “That makes you Mitch.” I reached out and brushed his cheek with my fingertips. “The sweet, caring, loving guy you have always been. Don’t let her coming back define you.”

  He smiled at me; I began pulling my hand away from his cheek and he caught it, holding it there for a minute. He smiled and quickly placed a kiss on my knuckles and then released my hands. “Thank you.”

  I watched as Mitch stood up and took his leather jacket to the wastebasket and began shoving it in.

  I laughed and instantly regretted it. My hand went to my head, which I had found had been bandaged up.

  Mitch’s smile went away, and he left the jacket falling haphazardly out of the basket and came back to me. He placed his hand on mine again, the concerned look coming back to his face.

  “Claire will regret this.” He almost trembled, I don’t think I ever saw him this enraged.

  “I can handle her.”

  “Yeah well get in line.” He said, darkness flashing to his eyes.

  “Mitch listen to me, you aren’t darkening your soul for me. I won’t allow it.” I looked at him with begging eyes. I knew what could happen if you darkened your soul enough to kill someone.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Mitch please.” I flipped my hand over, clasping his hand in mine. “Please.”

  He looked down at me and his eyes softened; he seemed to realize that this was more than just a passing request.

  “Please, don’t do it.” I could feel tears welling in m
y eyes. The heart rate monitor I was connected to started beeping erratically.

  He took a few deep breaths and then placed his other hand on the side of my face. His eyes compassionate and soft. “All right, calm down Bea. I won’t do anything to darken my soul. I promise you.”

  “Swear it.”

  “I swear.” He stroked my cheek until my heart rate went back down.

  After it went down, he took a seat next to me. “You sure know how to keep us all on our toes.” He said with a smile.

  “Yeah well.” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s not my fault I’m a magnet for crazy people.” I said it and then instantly regretted it. His sister was one of those crazy people. “Mitch I’m sorry I didn’t mean…”

  “No, it’s all right, my sister is crazy at this point. She’s still acting insane. She attacked an orderly yesterday when they changed her sheets.”

  His face fell a bit as he talked about his sister’s troubles. “I hope for your sake she comes around. The rebels brainwashed her.”

  “Yeah, they really did a number on her. I don’t know what we are going to do to undo the damage.” He ran his hands through his hair and leaned back in the chair. “The doctors found evidence of abuse and trauma. Maybe she will remember what they did to her and she will ... come back to us.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mitch.” I wanted to comfort him, but I didn’t know how.

  “It’s okay today is about you.”

  “Yeah.” I said thinking about what had happened in the bathroom. “Mitch I heard someone in there.”

  “You mean besides Claire?”

  “Yeah.” I said, my eyes darting to the ceiling.

  “Who?” He asked. I could feel his eyes boring a hole into me.

  I let out the breath I had been holding. “My dad.”

  Fifteen

  I had just said out loud who I had heard. It had been a full minute and Mitch said nothing. I looked at him and could see the wheels turning in his head. Finally, he said. “Bea, don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a head injury. You only ‘heard’ him after that point.” He put air quotes around heard as though he thought I was making it up. “My point is you probably didn’t hear him. He’s just the voice you associate with safety.”