I was feeling so weak. My neck was hurting me. I managed to wobble over to a large tree and sat down under it. I could hear the sirens getting louder. Thank God. I think I’ll just rest here for a minute. Next thing I knew, someone was shaking me. “Tess, Tess, can you hear me?” I opened my eyes and tried to turn my head to see who it was. Ohhhh . . . . shooting pain around the back of my neck. Someone was bent way down peering at me. It was Will.
“Oh, Will, I have to find Annie and Eve. I haven’t seen Ian around either,” I gasped. “We were both hanging from the Ferris wheel. It was horrible.” Will gently took my arm while I tried to lift myself up. “Oh, God, it hurts,” I groaned.
I leaned on Will while he calmly explained what was going on. “Tess, it’s not safe to stay here. Rainy went to get Annie and Eve and then she’s bringing my car around to the back entrance. I’m afraid that I haven’t seen Ian and I’ve been wondering around here for a while. I came back in to find you. We’ve got to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“OK, help me get up,” I responded weakly. Will put his hands under my arms and started lifting. I scrambled up as best as I could while holding onto Will’s shoulders. He put his other arm around my waist and we limped toward the back entrance. We had to contend with people bumping into us from all directions. I gritted my teeth to avoid sounding like a wounded animal.
When we reached the back entrance, Will sat me on a bench. “Don’t move an inch from this spot. I just want to see if I can find Rainy with my car. I’ll be right back.” He put his face up to mine and added, “You won’t move, right?”
“Nope,” I replied. After Will ran off I heard a loud creaking sound. I looked toward the noise and saw a roller coaster that had come off the tracks. The last two cars were hanging straight down, about 30 feet up in the air. The body of a man was dangling from a car by one of his legs. I got myself up and started dragging myself toward him to see what I could do, but then I stopped. There was something very still about him and then I realized. He was dead.
26. Rescued
Will came back and helped me out to his car. Rainy, Annie and Eve were all there sitting in the backseat. At least they were all sitting upright. I breathed a sigh of relief. With everything going on at the fairgrounds, I felt for sure that something had happened to them. Annie was the only one that had sustained some injury. She was waiting in line for some fried dough when a large piece of metal hit that food tent. The metal went right into the hot oil, splattering it everywhere. Some of it splashed onto a hot grill which started a fire. Annie’s right hand and arm received some hot splatters.
As if reading my thoughts, Annie remarked, “My burns are nothing. The people working in the tent got the hot oil splattered all over their hands and faces. It was horrible! I did help to pull some of them out when the tent burst into flames. But, Tessie, we were concerned about you. Edger said he saw you stuck on the Ferris wheel when it started going crazy with spinning seats and everything.”
I turned my head slightly. “I’m OK, especially compared to others that were there. Some people fell straight from the top. God, it was really horrible. I fell, but I wasn’t that high up at the time. Really, it could have been so much worse. I think I just did something to my neck. By the way, have any of you guys seen Ian? I was with him when I fell. I don’t know what happened to him.” I was trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
Rainy answered in a quiet voice, “No Tess, we haven’t seen Ian since all the trouble.”
Will jumped in, “It’s a good thing we got out of there when we did. Emergency personnel were telling people to leave the fairgrounds in an orderly fashion to avoid any further casualties. They needed to clear up the entryways for the ambulances and fire trucks. And by the way, I’m taking you guys to the hospital in Covington. The local one will be swamped with emergency cases. Rainy, you can go home if you like. We’re going right by your house.”
Rainy insisted, “There’s no way I’m going home now, Will. I want to see how Annie and Tess are. I can go home with you and Eve later.” I had forgotten that Rainy was in the car. You know things are serious when Rainy is shocked into silence.
Thank God for Will, the boy scout. He’s the best. “Will, thanks so much for finding me. I was in a daze and there’s no way I would’ve left without my cousins. I’d probably still be in there if it wasn’t for you. I looked over at him. He turned a quick smile on me. I think he was a little embarrassed.
We finally arrived at Westlake Memorial Hospital. Eve called my aunt, so her and my grandma eventually showed up. I called Ian’s house, but no one answered. It seemed like we waited at the hospital forever because a number of people with really serious injuries from the fair were arriving all night long. They were sent to Westlake Memorial after the other hospital was filled to capacity. Annie was eventually treated with a prescription balm for her burns. I had an MRI which showed I had sprained muscles in my neck. The medics put it in a brace, gave me some painkillers and sent us home.
After getting to bed, I lay there trying to sleep, but my mind was spun up on adrenalin. For one thing, I was thinking about Ian. I couldn’t believe that I haven’t seen him from the time I fell from the Ferris wheel. I’ll have to find out tomorrow. I’d also like to know what caused all that chaos. You’d almost think that it was hit by an earthquake, but that wasn’t it because you’d have felt the ground shaking. Was there some kind of power surge that affected the electric supply? That didn’t quite make sense either. All I know is, something really bizarre caused this disaster, and I wanted to find out what it was.
27. Loose Ends
When I woke up the next day, I felt as stiff as a board. Even though I felt like crap, I was starving, so I dragged myself out of bed and went downstairs to get some breakfast. The first thing I saw was a note for me on the kitchen table: Tess - Mercy called. She said to call her back immediately.
I gulped down some orange juice and then went to call her. The phone rang the moment I put my hand on the receiver. “Hello” I answered.
“Oh, my God, is that you, Tess?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” I answered.
“How are you doing? What happened to you yesterday?” Mercy asked.
“Other than feeling like every muscle is screaming at me, I’m doing all right. By the way, were you at the fair? I didn’t see you,” I asked.
“Yeah, I was there last night. My mom has a thing about roller coasters. Any time we are near a roller coaster, she has to go on it. Anyway, we were on the last…..”
I interrupted, “Mercy! You were on the last roller coaster ride last night? I saw what happened. Is your mom doing OK? And how about you? Did you get hurt?”
Mercy sighed and answered, “We’re doing OK, but I was scared to death. Did you see what happened to it?”
“Yeah, it was terrible. I saw the last two cars hanging right off the tracks. Where were you guys sitting?” I asked.
“We were IN the last car. It’s weird. When we first got on, my mom insisted that we sit in the front car for some reason. She said she had a bad feeling about riding in the back. I told her she was crazy. We always sit in the last car because it feels like it whips around faster. Anyway, she ended up following me to the back car and we buckled in. The ride started up and was really whipping around when suddenly it came to a stop, BANG. It stopped so quickly I hit my head and my mom wacked her knees. When that happened, we just knew something was very wrong. We decided to get out of there fast.
“A guy on the ground was shouting up that everything was OK; that it was just a mechanical problem. We thought he was full of crap. We told the people around us to climb down with us, but they wouldn’t listen. So we got out of the car and crawled along the rail to a repair ladder that was on the trestle. Then, we climbed down the ladder. I have to say, I was scared out of my mind. Even though I like roller coasters, I’m not crazy about heights.” Mercy’s voice was uncharacteristically anxious as she was telling me. Usually, nothing bothers h
er.
“Did you end up seeing what happened to that last car?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“Yeah, that was horrible. The man that was hanging out of that car had been sitting right behind us.”
“By the way, Mercy, have you heard anything about Ian Miller? I went with him and we got separated during all the commotion last night. We were stuck on the Ferris wheel and I ended up falling off. That was the last I saw of him.” I was trying to keep my voice from sounding shaky.
“No, I didn’t see him there, Tess. But if you’re OK, he can’t be doing too badly. Just keep on trying to call him.”
I sighed. “Do you know what happened in the rest of the fairgrounds?”
“Only a little. We got out of the park as soon as we got down to the ground. I just knew something was up so we got out of there as fast as possible. We could see some weird things start to happen as we were leaving the fair and I could smell smoke. I heard about your episode in the Ferris wheel. Your aunt mentioned to me that you’re pretty banged up, but otherwise OK.”
“I’ll live, which is more than I can say for some of the others,” I responded.
“Tess, one reason I called you is because I’ve been thinking that we should pay a visit to your friend, Miss Cassie,” Mercy remarked.
“Really? Why now?” I asked. Miss Cassie was the last thing on my mind at this moment.
“From what you were telling me about Miss Cassie, I think she could shed some light on things here in town. I also think she may be able to tell us something about what happened at the fair,” Mercy answered.
“You think she might actually know something about what happened? I don’t know about that,” I answered.
Mercy exclaimed, “Tess, you have to admit that what happened was not normal, like from an earthquake or a lightning or something. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to go talk to her. Can you get out today for a while?”
I had aches and pains all over and I was wearing this stupid brace. I was supposed to be recuperating up in my room, but really, sitting here at home by myself, all day long, would be deadly boring. After a while, I’d go crazy. Auntie and Grandma were on a buying trip for the greenhouse today and Annie’s at work, so I’d just have to sneak past Eve. “That’s a great idea, Mercy. I’ll need a ride though.”
“Are you sure you’re in good enough shape to go?” asked Mercy.
“Of course, I’m fine,” I fibbed.
“My mom has a dentist appointment in town so she can drive us to Miss Cassie’s place and then pick us up when she’s done. How about we get you in an hour?”
“Perfect. I’ll be ready,” I responded.
As soon as I put the receiver down, I dialed the phone at Ian’s house.
“Hello,” said a woman’s voice.
“Hello, I’m Tess Littleton. I was at the fair with Ian last night. I’ve been trying to reach him. May I speak to him?”
“Oh, my goodness! Tess, I’m Mrs. Miller. I’m afraid that Ian was knocked unconscious at the fair. I don’t know if you are aware that he fell from the Ferris wheel. He sustained a severe concussion along with some other injuries. He’s coming home today, but we’re asking his friends to wait a day or two before seeing him because he can’t move his head at all. In fact, he didn’t wake up until this morning.”
I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say. I was just thinking about poor Ian.
“Are you there, dear? Ian did ask me to call you after he woke up this morning. I just got back from the hospital so I haven’t had a chance to do it. Are you all right? He was very concerned about you.”
With a sense of guilt I answered, “Yes, Mrs. Miller, I’m all right. I hurt my neck a little and I have some aches and pains, but otherwise I’m fine. Could you please tell Ian that I’ll visit him as soon as he can have visitors?”
“Yes, I will. We’re picking him up in an hour. I’ll be sure and tell him that you’re doing all right. He’ll be so relieved.”
28. Miss Cassie Revisited
Eve was on the phone so much, talking with her friends about the fair that I had no problem slipping out. I just left her a note on the kitchen table explaining where I was going. She’ll get pissed, but it’ll be too late by then because I’ll already be gone.
When we arrived at Miss Cassie’s, we saw her sitting outside in her rocking chair. With her old lady shoes, hair in a bun and the red gingham apron she could have been from the past century.
“Hello, dear. It’s so nice that you came by to see me again. I figured I would see you at some point in time. I hope you’re all right. I see you’ve hurt your neck,” Miss Cassie said quietly.
“Hello, Miss Cassie. I’m doing OK. I just had a little accident. By the way,” I responded, while politely gesturing toward Mercy, “this is my good friend, Mercy Reed.”
Miss Cassie studied Mercy for a minute before she remarked, “I know of you, Mercy Reed.”
Mercy looked surprised for a minute, but then she just answered, “So nice to finally meet you, Miss Cassie.”
“Would you girls like to come in and join me for a cup of tea and some pumpkin cake?” Miss Cassie asked.
“We would love to, Miss Cassie,” I answered.
Upon entering her house I was again struck by how familiar it felt to me. We sat down in her parlor while she brought in the tea and cake.
Miss Cassie turned to me, “So, Tessie, I presume you came because you wanted to know about something. What would you like to ask of me?”
I thought for a minute before I inquired, “Miss Cassie, do you know anything about what happened at the Tri town fair last night?”
Miss Cassie looked gravely at us before answering, “Yes, I’m afraid that I have heard all about the horrendous events that occurred at that fair.” She glanced at my neck before continuing, “I presume that is why you are wearing a neck brace.”
“Yes, it is. It doesn’t seem as if anything natural was behind those strange events. Do you have any idea how it happened?” I asked.
Miss Cassie gravely nodded her head. “Yes, I’m afraid that I do. I presume you have some other questions for me today. I can tell you more about the fair, but it may be easier to answer them later on within a certain context.”
I guess that means she’s not ready to answer that question. OK, I’ll try something else. “Miss Cassie, why did you call me Elsa the first time I saw you? Why do you know something about one of my past lives?”
“So you are aware of your past lives? I had hoped that you would eventually learn that about yourself.” Miss Cassie settled down in her chair before continuing, “I have lived many, many past lives myself.”
“You have?” I asked, quite surprised.
“Does everyone have many lives?” Mercy asked.
“Yes, although some people, or you can call them souls, have had many more past lives than others. Most souls evolve spiritually from one life to the next, but some souls don’t. For different reasons, they become spiritual desolates. They don’t progress at all. In fact, they can even regress,” Miss Cassie explained.
“Miss Cassie, why do you know all this?” I questioned.
Miss Cassie took a minute to readjust her shawl before answering. While she was doing that, her aura started to emerge. A large circle of beautiful shining gold encased her entire form. It was stunning. I tried to look beyond the aura to her eyes but it was distracting. I could feel goodness, beauty, joy, wonder, kindness. It was quite affecting.
Miss Cassie said, “I am no longer incarnating for the purpose of spiritual evolution.”
“If you are no longer evolving through incarnation, then why are you here as a person?” I asked.
Miss Cassie stopped and took a sip of her tea. “Once your soul has reached a high level of evolution, it is your duty is to help other souls continue with their progression.”
I asked, “How do you help other souls?”
Miss Cassie’s eyes became very serious. “There are many things a higher soul or s
pirit can do. The first thing I did upon reaching that level, was to help other souls during the phase of The Between. The Between is the phase that souls spend between their lives. This is a most important stage in the progression of a soul. It is the time when a soul may initially rest from a difficult time as a being. Eventually, the soul must evaluate their life on earth. Was their life of value to others or was their life selfish and wasteful? This is the kind of thing a soul must contemplate.”
Mercy asked, “During the time of The Between, do souls have a say about when or if they come back to earth as a being?”
“During The Between, a higher spirit helps the soul come to a decision about when to return to life on earth, where they choose to be born, and for what reasons. Of course, the primary reason a soul returns to earth as a being is for spiritual growth and wisdom. Souls can learn during the state of The Between, however, much knowledge can only be acquired through the pain and pleasure of living as a human,” Miss Cassie explained.
Mercy commented, “You said that some souls regress while they are living. Can’t you punish them or affect them in some way, so they do what they’re supposed to do while on earth?”
“A soul determines their own path. It cannot be interfered with during their life time. Upon death, depending upon the severity of their regressions, they may spend their time in The Between undergoing uncomfortable evaluations with other souls, or they may become involved in a solitary kind of penitence. Also, if a soul refuses to progress as planned, they may be banned from returning to earth for a very long time.
I inquired, “Why are you posing as a human at this time and in this place?”
Miss Cassie responded, “I am here as a spirit guide.”
“What is the purpose of a spirit guide?” Mercy asked Miss Cassie
Miss Cassie voice took on a more severe tone before she responded, “Spirit guides are required during times of tumult. This is one such time. I am needed to monitor what is happening.”
A Girl Between Page 13
