The Crescent Stone

by E G McNally

  “If you are here, then you cannot be there, and without you there, then here cannot be, so return to there, where you belong, and make it possible for here to be.” The man was ever so patient, even as Taylor was boiling.

  “I don’t understand your riddles old man; just tell me where I am already, so I can go home, okay.” Taylor glared at him.

  “Just wake up,” he swung the blazing stick from the bonfire and smacked Taylor upside the head.

  “Ouch, what’d you do that for,” Taylor rubbed her head as the throbbing ache surged through more than just her forehead, and the realization that she was still dangling with a broken leg over the railroad tracks settled in.

  “Sorry, I’m just trying to get you out of here. You could die if you lose too much blood.” A husky voice informed her.

  As she tried to open her heavy eyelids and see clearly who had come to her rescue, she was only able to make out a hazy shape. One that looked strangely like the shape she kept spying in the bush, but that was about all she could see in the dark, with her consciousness drifting in and out.

  “This is going to hurt and I’m sorry but soon you’ll be at the hospital, okay.” He said.

  Taylor attempted to nod but all she managed was a grunt. He scooped her up like a baby, holding her as still as possible, and then lunged out into the sky.

  Taylor felt like she was still dreaming, maybe she was. This strange guy came out of nowhere and rescued her. She didn’t know what to believe. She could feel the wind rushing against her face as they soared through the night air. The chill in the air suggested that winter was coming soon, and the aching pain in her leg began to subside as shock began to settle in.

  She tried to tell the man about her grandparents and how much they must be worrying about her, but the words only came out of her mouth in fragments and pieces of gibberish.

  “Shh, well be there soon. Save your strength Taylor.” The man said.

  Normally she would have worried that some stranger knew her name but right now she was just so exhausted from the pain and blood loss that she felt right at home in his arms and allowed his comforting words to sink into the depth of her soul. She tried again to make out his face but finally gave up and nestled into his collarbone after recognizing the shape of a gargoyle face from a statue, and decided that she must be too far gone to make any realistic observations.

  Finally, with a thud, they landed in what must have been some garden outside of the hospital. They didn’t move for a long moment, something felt strange to Taylor. Like maybe his arms had gotten more fleshy, or smaller. And the cold leather that she was leaning against on his chest became warmer and fuzzier, but regardless of what changed Taylor couldn’t focus on any one thing for very long as the pain in her leg began to pound even harder than before, until finally he began to move.

  He walked her up to the entrance of the emergency room and waited for a nurse to run out with a stretcher to place her on. As he shifted her over to the stretcher she was able to make out his face just a little. He was a boy, maybe her age or a little older, and rugged, but that was all she could tell before he nodded to her and took off. The nurse didn’t even get a chance to talk to him before he disappeared.

  “Hey, hey, come back here,” the nurse hollered at him as he vanished down the street, “We’ve got questions for you. Dang kids, hope he didn’t do this to you.” She mumbled.

  Another nurse came out and helped the first one push the stretcher into the emergency room, where the on call doctor popped out, checked Taylor’s pulse, looked at her leg, and then sent her into an operating room.

  Chapter VI: Miraculous Recovery

  “Try and relax we’ll take good care of you.” One of the nurses said to her.

  “Check her pockets see if you can get any identification.” The same nurse said to the others then looked to Taylor and tried to ask some questions. “Can you tell me who to call, dear?”

  Taylor could see nurses around her hooking up fluids and injecting shots into her. She choked out, “Pat and Mia Donalow,” and then she faded out as the pain medication began to take effect.

  Taylor woke up the next morning thirsty and tired and sore. She looked down and saw that her leg was in a cast and Grandma was sleeping in a chair beside her. The curtain separating Taylor from other guests in the room waivered and Grandpa walked in holding three coffees.

  “Oh, I’m glad to see you’re up. You had us worried all night. Do you remember what happened?” He asked.

  “Um,” Taylor rubbed her head trying to piece together the events of the strange night. “No, mostly I just remember what happened before I fell.”

  “Oh well, that’s alright I’m sure you’ll remember over time, so how did this happen?” He pointed at her leg?

  “I was sitting on one of the tracks hanging over the water at the bridge, until I noticed it was getting late out. Then I got up to head back but something in the bushes distracted me and I slipped on the track and I guess I twisted it just right, or just wrong I guess.” She touched the hard plaster over the leg.

  “Well I guess it’s a good thing some random boy found you out there or who knows how long you would have waited before someone came along.” Grandpa replied.

  Grandma began to fidget just as a doctor pushed open the curtain and stepped into the room.

  “I’m glad to see you awake and talking.” He commented browsing through her chart. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I’m sore and my leg is throbbing but otherwise okay, can I go home?” Taylor asked him.

  “Well, I don’t see why not. Your grandparents have the medication that you can take for the pain and we’ll need to see you back here in a few days to make sure the bones have set properly, but otherwise you’re good to go today. Any questions?”

  “Um, how long do I have to wear the cast?”

  “I’d say at least six weeks in this one; if all looks good from there then we can probably put you into a smaller removable cast. Just take it easy.” He said.

  “Okay,” she mumbled, disgruntled that she’d have to begin at her new school with a broken leg.

  “Anything else?” The doctor asked, handing the chart to Grandpa, waiting for his signature.

  “No, that’s all I can think of, thanks, I guess.”

  “Well then you’re free to leave, just make sure to check back in, in a few days.” He reminded them and then left the room pulling the curtain closed again so that Taylor could get dressed.

  “Well let’s go home then, shall we?” Grandpa asked.

  “Sure, but do you mind leaving for a minute so Grandma can help me get dressed.” Taylor flushed, embarrassed to think about changing her clothes with Grandpa in the room.

  “Oh, yes of course, I’ll just be waiting in the hall.” He said, and slid behind the curtain and out into the hall.

  Grandma helped Taylor out of the hospital gown and into a clean new shirt from home and then with difficulty into a pair of pants.

  “We’re gonna have to get you some bigger pants for school if you are going to fit that cast into them.” Grandma commented.

  “Oh, please no, I’ll find a way to make them fit. I don’t want to look like a complete idiot at my new school. Its bad enough that I have to wear a cast, just let me figure out something.” Taylor pleaded, disgusted by the idea of wearing sweats into school. At least she had some fashion sense.

  “I guess, but if I think you need something different, you’ll have to surrender okay.” Grandma said.

  “Sure, but I promise I’ll figure something out. Now can we go, please?” Taylor hopped out of the bed and reached for the crutches leaning against the wall. “This isn’t so bad,” she said, hobbling out into the hallway where Grandpa was waiting.

  “You look like a champ,” he commented following behind Taylor as she headed out to the parking lot. By the time they made it to the car her arms were exhausted and she collapsed into the back seat with her leg propped up on the other side of th
e seat. They drove home, careful to avoid potholes and any unnecessary bumps that might cause Taylor some pain.

  Once home, they set up a nice reclinable chair for Taylor with end tables on both sides so that she could have whatever she might want and just relax and watch the television.

  A few days went by, as Taylor stayed at home, mostly switching from the chair in the living room, to her bed, and then back again. She practically went through Grandpa’s entire movie collection and read her favorite book twice through. She found the news to be rather disturbing and avoided watching it as much as she could. It was nearly every day that another two or three elementary and middle school kids went missing all over the country. It was really strange, but they all appeared to be the brightest of their classes or they excelled in something like art or music. It might have just been Taylor, but she really thought the kids were getting targeted by a specific group and not just randomly abducted.

  Shutting off the television once again, after Grandpa had finished watching his disturbing morning news; Taylor decided to call Jake for the first time since she’d moved out to Maine.

  She dialed his phone number area code and all and waited for him to answer.

  “Hello,” his familiar calming voice echoed through the phone.

  “Hey Jake, long time no talk, right?” She said.

  “Hey, I was starting to think you forgot about me. So how are you doing, what’s it like out there?” He asked, excited to hear from Taylor.

  “I’m doing okay. I kind of had an accident, but all and all it’s not too bad out here, and my grandparents are really cool. Like surprise right?” She relaxed enjoying the sound of Jake’s voice.

  “Well that’s good, except that you’re going to have to tell me about this accident.”

  “Don’t freak out, but I broke my leg, like really broke my leg. Like bone poking through skin broke my leg, but I’m in a cast now and I’m fine.”

  “Holy crap that sounds terrible. Sorry I wasn’t there to stop you from being a klutz.”

  “Nah, its okay, I turned out just fine. I don’t even feel any pain from it anymore, but I do have to wear this crazy huge cast to school for a while, which I haven’t started yet. So I can’t tell you what its like yet.”

  “Oh speaking of pains, there’s been this pain in the butt guy going around asking all sorts of questions about you here in town. He’s dressed in a military uniform and goes by the name Major Bradshaw. He’s already questioned Joe like four times about you and some stone. He’s talked to me a few times too but I have no clue what he’s talking about. So anyway, heads up there’s some strange dude asking around about you.” Jake informed her.

  “That’s good to know, I wonder if it’s the same guy that was at my placement hearing. Hmm oh well. I guess if he finds me he finds me.” She replied, wondering if Jake or Joe had noticed the diamond she found at Lake Crescent.

  “Well, it was nice catching up with you but I can hear my dad yelling in the background. He wants me to go do some lame daddy son dinner thing. He’s not taking this divorce very well. And yes it’s been finalized, they just keep exchanging me every other week, but I’ll tell you about it some other time. Stay safe and don’t do too much crazy stuff without me.” He waited for Taylor’s reply and then hung up the phone.

  “Bye Jake,” the words drifted off into the back of Taylor’s mind and her eyes moistened, getting home sick for Jake for the first time. She hasn’t had a boyfriend yet. She knew he’d dated a couple of girls but never for very long, and never anything serious.

  But if she had to date someone she would have liked to have dated him. Oh well, she thought drifting off into a little nap. Dreams of the night she broke her leg replaced the sad thoughts of missing Jake, and she focused on the figure she saw across the riverbank. She couldn’t make out any details but it was shaped curiously like one of the gargoyles she had seen soaring through the sky in the strange future dream she had. She snapped out of her dream and woke up after reliving the part of that night where she broke her leg.

  Grandma noticed the painful grimace across Taylor’s face. “Is everything alright, Taylor?” She asked. “Do you need a pain pill?”

  “No, I’m fine. I just had a bad dream. Sorry to worry you.” She responded. “My leg hasn’t actually been hurting since we left the hospital, come to think of it.”

  “Is that why you don’t want any of the pain meds? I figured you were just trying to pull the tough girl stunt and deal with the pain. Well maybe that’s a good sign. You can always ask the doctor today when they x-ray your leg to make sure the bones set.”

  “That’s today? I completely forgot.” Taylor was surprised.

  “We should probably leave in about an hour.” Grandma informed her.

  “Okay, I’ll be ready.”

  Taylor drifted off into thought again, wondering about the boy that had rescued her. Because she was so out of it that night, and could vaguely remember making it to the hospital, she wondered how the random boy must have even transported her to the hospital in the first place. It must have been a car, or something like that, there’s no way he flew her there, like she imagined. Then she wondered what he was doing out there, maybe fishing? Or who knows, sketching the sunset, and then he must have heard the pathetic screaming from some strange girl, and came to the rescue. There had to be an explanation. She started school in a few days; maybe someone there would know something. There was bound to be rumors going around the school in such a small town.

  Just then Grandma interrupted her. “Time to go, Taylor. We don’t want to make the doctors wait; they have other patients to see.”

  “Alrighty, alrighty, just give me a second.” Taylor brushed off the crumbs that had collected on her shirt while she’d been sitting in her recliner chair munching on random snacks throughout the day then fumbled for her crutches. Hobbling slowly out to the car where both of her grandparents waited, she tossed the crutches in and then clambered into the back seat propping her leg up on the seat again.

  Once at the hospital, Taylor went to a special room where a trained x-ray technician shot several images of her leg from different angles and then joined her grandparents in the waiting room until the doctor was done examining the results. Not twenty minutes had passed since the x-rays were taken when a group of three doctors hustled out of a room and escorted Taylor into a clean and empty room with a bed and a couple of chairs.

  “Please have a seat on the bed, Taylor Saskia?” One doctor looked down at the chart, and then up at Taylor as she nodded in response to her name.

  “We must have mixed up the charts, or maybe the x-rays.” One of the doctors said to the one with the chart.

  “No I’m telling you I saw her just a few days ago, this is the same girl. Those x-rays match her.”

  “Then why do they look like the x-rays of a person whose injury is in week five or six?" The three doctors just kept bickering.

  “There’s just one way to settle this, the cast has got to come off.

  Grandpa and Grandma were standing back watching, as the three doctors discussed the possibilities of what, they did not know, until finally Grandpa had had enough.

  “Before anyone does anything I’d like to know what’s going on here.” He demanded.

  “We’re not really sure what is going on. That’s what we’re going to find out.” The doctor with the chart set it down, rummaged through a drawer, and pulled out a mini saw. The other two doctors helped Taylor situate her leg on the bed and Grandpa and Grandma sat back in the chairs, out of the way, unsure of what to do.

  They started up the saw and carefully began to cut through the large cast that covered most of Taylor’s leg, from her upper thigh all the way down to below her knee. White powder filled the air as the saw ripped through the plaster until finally they reached the end of the cast and began again on the other side. Once they finished cutting a straight line along opposite sides of the plaster they were able to lift off the top half and reveal the bru
ised, ripped, and stitched skin below. Only the skin wasn’t stitched, there was no scar from the bone that had protruded through the skin, and there were no signs of bruises anywhere along her leg.

  The doctors were stunned in awe as were her grandparents.

  “Hey, you know this doesn’t really hurt anymore and I bet I can move it, look.” She explained lifting her leg from the bottom half of the cast and tilting it side to side.

  “Stop that! You’re gonna make it worse.” Her grandma yelled, worried that she’d damage the healing bones.

  “No, wait, it’s fine.” The doctor set down the plaster piece and motioned for Grandma to sit back down and relax.

  All three of the doctors took turns pushing and bending different parts of Taylor’s leg, inspecting every inch. “That’s really astonishing.” One commented.

  “And this doesn’t hurt at all?” Another asked.

  “No not at all, is that good?” Taylor smiled, pleased that she was healing so well. Maybe it was all the healthy food Grandma fed her or maybe because she did so well staying off the leg, but realistically she didn’t have any better an answer than the doctors did.

  “Good, this is amazing. You really appear to have healed completely in what would take a normal person six weeks at least, in only four days. This is a medical anomaly. We’re going to want to take some more tests. Check your blood, and bone marrow, there has to be an explanation.” One of them said overly excited.

  “So if you don’t mind, we’d love to have you stay for a while and we can begin some basic tests and see where to go from there.”

  “Actually we do mind. I’m not subjecting my granddaughter to all sorts of science experiments and tests. She’s not a lab rat and she’s got to be starting school, and if what you say is correct and her leg is all better than she can start on Monday. And we don’t want to be hanging around here.” Taylor’s grandma responded. Realistically Taylor assumed that Grandma didn’t want any of them to deal with all the press and drama that goes along with these weird science anomalies.