She crosses her arms and looks over at me not convinced. I continue, “Well if that’s the case everything will change anyway?” She nods looking like she’s about to be sick.
“Are you alright? Are you getting sick from being out of the water?”
She shakes her head and gives a half smile, “No, nothing to do with water, just worried that I will seriously pay for all of this.”
I assure her, “I told you, it’s all me. I‘m the responsible party here.” Giving her my best smile but I’m not sure how convinced I am myself.
We decide to head back over to the beach to start our hike. The higher we can get in the jeep, the better. The beach lot is not the lowest point but the road skirts the coast and climbs up the mountain. I reason that this way we can save some time and search area. Once we reach the highest point and the road levels out, it turns inland and heads around a wooded area. This is exactly where we should start looking. The trees stretch upward as high as you can see. They seem to touch the sky. Their beauty is incredible. Our trees in Pahrump don’t compare. My dream had woods and the cliff but I don’t remember a road anywhere near. This wooded area looks just like the area I envisioned. We park and get out of the jeep.
I turn and ask Amber, “Are you sure you want to come? I have to do this but you can go back and I will completely understand.”
She grabs my hand and squeezes while she says, “A few months ago Jack was my only family. I’ve seen a change in him and I know you are the cause of it. I only want the best for him and if he believes it is you then that is good enough for me. If you can sacrifice all that you have known for my brother then the least I can do is help you find him.”
I grin and squeeze her hand while smiling, “Here we go then.”
We start walking into the woods. None of our surroundings seem familiar yet. After walking for about an hour and still not recognizing anything, we decide to keep going deeper into the trees but staying within a half of a mile of the coast.
Amber asks me, “So I didn’t ask before because I was afraid of your answer but I want to know. Was he alright in your dream, Jack?”
I smile remembering how it felt when he gathered me in his arms.
“Amber, in the last dream it was almost as if he was expecting me. He was able to hold me and kiss me. It felt so real.” She stops in her tracks. I stop and turn around to look at her.
“What is it?”
She looks at me like she’s terrified, “You interacted with him in your dream, he knew you were coming?”
I nod, “It seemed like he knew. But it was only a dream.”
She asks me, “Can we camp here and start again in the morning? I think we need to rethink some things.”
“Whatever you think would be best.”
We set up the tent and start a fire. We eat some of the snacks from the sporting goods store.
Amber starts, “Ever, you need to know that the Erebus are very dark and their ‘wills’ are different than ours.”
“What can they do?”
“Many of them are able to control others to a point.”
I ask confused, “Can you give me an example?”
She seems to tread carefully, “For instance if you came there in a dream earlier and they somehow saw you, they might be able to control what happens the next time you come.”
I frown, “But there was no one else there when I was in the cave either time and it was only a dream.”
She shakes her head, “No you are misunderstanding. You wouldn’t see anyone but they can sometimes control other people to do what they want. Your dreams seem to tell you things. There is a possibility that you are actually there while you are in the dream.”
“You mean I was actually in the cave while I was dreaming? That’s impossible.”
Her tilted smile appears, “No, obviously you are finding many things are not impossible.” I’m at a loss for words and she definitely has a point. Thinking back to the dream and remembering that Jack was almost waiting for me.
I tell her, “This time was different because Jack was awake as if he was waiting for me. Everything else about the dream was exactly the same as it had been before.”
She looks perplexed, “Maybe they were just observing this time but Jack wouldn’t know you were going to appear again. Some of the Erebus might, this I am sure of.”
***
We both wake with the sun. The early morning light over the ocean is beautiful. It saddens me to know that this is something I may be giving up. We get a bite and pack up. By early morning we are back on the search. I am curious why I haven’t had any dreams twice now. Although yesterday it was only a nap, my dreams aren’t choosy about when they appear.
I say to Amber, “So tell me about your life.”
She grins, “Well as you know I was born in the sea. Jack was born only fifteen years before me.”
“Well if you live for so long then where are your parents?”
She looks a little uneasy at this question but still answers, “My parents believed in the sea powers. They supported Seamus and all he was doing for our people.”
I chuckle, “Like keeping you prisoner and telling you who you can and cannot love.”
She shakes her head, “No Ever, You only have half of the story.”
I cross my arms, “Then tell me the rest.”
She squirms uneasily and explains, “After Seamus realized the amount of power that comes from land and sea together, he forbade any relationships between the two. Not only because he didn’t want to be challenged, that was his own selfish reason, but also for the good and preservation of our people. I’ve explained this part to you already. You see my parents believed that keeping our people true. That required that we stay in the sea. They shared this belief with Seamus.”
She sighs, “Some of the Erebus are descendants of land and sea relationships. They are very evil and powerful. Seamus realized that a continuation of the possibility of descendants from land adding to our population would cause more turmoil in the sea. He changed our race as a whole when he made the sea his home but he is doing what he can to stop it from changing anymore. We were one people all Lior if you will, before he came.”
As she explains, I am starting to see the other point of view. An involuntary feeling of admiration for my great grandfather courses through me. I, of course have a hard time with anyone’s freedoms being limited wherever they are but his reasoning for the strict laws is understandable, a little.
She continues, “Our parents believed in this so much that Seamus granted me the role of a guide and Jack the role of a guardian. They believed if people like us were in roles involving descendants from the land, we might be able to influence them more and persuade them to stay on land.” I am totally seeing where she is going with this. It makes complete sense now.
“Our parents unfortunately didn’t survive the last attack of the Erebus.”
Stopping I grab her hand, “Oh Amber, I am so sorry.”
She squeezes my hand and tells me, “It’s alright; they did something they truly believed in and died fighting for that cause.”
We keep walking in silence. My thoughts are so muddled now. I’m beginning to see these people differently than how I felt just this morning.
Realizing the enormity of what she is doing for me I ask, “Amber, why are you helping me? I am everything your parents were fighting against?”
She looks thoughtful, “I am helping you because my brother, who so fully believes as my parents did, asked me to help you. You are everything my brother was against until a month ago. Then something happened.”
I stop suddenly. I need to sit down. I find a fallen log nearby and crouch to sit. I put my head in my hands and remember that day when I looked into those blue eyes in my history class. Remembering the first time I felt the warmth radiate through me. The first time our hands brushed and the electricity.
I look up at Amber and ask, “Is that why Jack was trying to get me to stay on
land?”
She sits down and explains, “Ever, Jack has been a guardian for a while now and every time the person has chosen land. He isn’t supposed to get involved with the person and he never has until you. They chose land because that is what they truly wanted. He couldn’t help but get involved with you. I think he fell for you the first time he saw you.”
My heart melts at her words. “He wanted you to choose land so you wouldn’t have to be involved in any of the mess in our world, for your own good. He wanted you to choose the sea for him because he didn’t think he could live without you.”
Tears run down my cheeks. I have to find him.
I stand up with renewed energy, “Well let’s find him then.” She gives me a hug and we start walking again.
We walk for the majority of the day. Around dusk I spot it, obscured by trees and boulders. The entrance to the cave is narrow and barely visible but definitely the same from my dream. My heart skips a beat at the thought of Jack being so close. We stop about fifty feet from the entrance and hide behind a tree. We have to come up with a plan because there are bound to be more Erebus than just the two of us.
I ask Amber again, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
She brushes me off, “Of course, please don’t ask again.”
We decide to try and create a distraction because there are probably more things that can be used as weapons on the outside of the cave. Amber will create a distraction and I will go in after Jack.
We give each other a hug and wish each other luck. The plan stands that if we get separated we’ll meet at the jeep. I skirt around the entrance, staying covered behind the trees as much as possible. Circling around behind the cave I spot two Erebus right away on one side of the cave. They look like they are bored out of their mind. I wonder why are they holding Jack in the first place? Why didn’t they just let him go or as awful as it makes me feel to think of it, just kill him? There has to be another reason why they have him captive in a cave on land. I’m starting to get the feeling that I have a greater role in all of this other than the love struck girlfriend trying to rescue her boyfriend. I have to keep going though. Pushing all other thoughts from my mind I focus on getting into the cave.
There is a rustling noise where Amber and I parted. The two Erebus hear it too because they stand up and head in that direction. I stay put for a few more seconds and come around the cave from the back. No one else is visible so I slide along the cave wall to the entrance. It’s completely dark, I can’t see anything. Remembering my sorry ‘flashlight hands’, I lift a finger and will the light. A tiny glow shines. It figures, but it’s better than nothing. Slowly, I creep into the cave. As I am swallowed by the darkness my fingers get brighter until they shine tiny rays. At least it’s enough so that I can see where I am going. Maybe it just takes the dark for it to work.
The cave seems to go on forever. Shining the light all around, I find that the walls are covered with dribbles of water running from somewhere above. In front of me is what looks like a wooden door which is kind of weird for a cave but there is light shining from below. I tiptoe to the door and place my ear against it to see if there are any sounds, nothing, silence. I feel around for the handle and I’m shocked that it’s a normal metal door handle. I turn it bracing for the click. It clicks and I freeze then push it open slowly. De’ja’vu’ greets me. It is the same view from my dream. He’s there as if he has just turned at the click of the door, like he knew I was there. I’m frozen at the sight of him. His piercing eyes find mine and the warmth spreads through my face and down my neck. He crosses the room so fast he’s a blur and I’m in his arms. My arms wrap around his neck and he lowers his mouth covering mine. Softly our lips move against each other. I run my hands through his hair. I have missed him so much. Electricity spreads from my lips through my entire body and I can’t think or focus. I just want him with my entire being. Then we hear a blood curdling scream.
We break apart and I look up into his eyes and exclaim, “Amber!”
He looks panicked. He asks with urgency, “Amber’s with you?”
I nod.
He grabs my hand and we’re running towards the entrance of the cave. As soon as we reach daylight there are three Erebus surrounding us. Looking at them I find their eyes entrancing with a deep yellow glow and those teeth. Two of them have four teeth in the front ending in a point. I remember them from the beach so long ago. I had imagined they were for tearing flesh apart. I attribute that to too many horror movies but seeing them close up, I can’t imagine I am far off.
I look around for a weapon. It seems that Jack has the same thought. He starts hammering them with rocks and sticks from all around us. The Erebus are thinking the same as they toss rocks our way too. I remember there were big boulders at the cave entrance. Not sure I can do it this time but I’m willing to try. I back up so a boulder is in my line of sight. Trying to lift it with my mind proves fruitless. It just wiggles in place. I have to keep moving to avoid the constant shower of rocks. I close my eyes and focus. As I open my eyes I lift my arms and it whips through the air hitting one of the Erebus in the head. He falls to the ground and doesn’t move. Whatever Jack was lifting falls to the ground without hitting his target. I distracted him. He turns toward me and looks at me with shock in his face.
I smile and ask, “Did you like that? Cause there’s more where that came from.”
The other two Erebus are coming toward us. I glance up at the nearest tree and find a large branch to focus on. I am learning that I have to actually use my arms and hands to help. It breaks loose and I send it toward the Erebus closest to me. He falls down and doesn’t move again. Jack glances at me not with the amazed look this time. His expression mirrors disappointment. I can see the green creep into his eyes. Oh, how I’ve missed those eyes. He turns to the last Erebus and pushes him backwards against the tree without touching him.
Then he turns toward me frowning and says, “We need to talk but first let’s go get Amber.” He grabs my hand and we start to run toward the direction Amber and I came.
After about five minutes I feel a hand on my arm and I am pulled in the other direction. Someone yells, “Gotcha”.
I turn to look and meet yellow eyes. I can’t seem to move. Jack comes back around me and punches him in the face. The Erebus is surprised and releases his grip on me long enough for us to turn in the other direction. Jack takes my hand. As we turn we are surrounded by five more Erebus. We look at each other. I know what comes next because I’ve done this so many times in my dreams. We both turn in the opposite direction and run as fast as we can.
The cliff is looming ahead. I am scared to death. A dream is one thing but real life is another. This part has ended so many ways. I wonder which it will be. I hold onto Jack tighter. He turns to me with blue eyes. How can he be relaxed at a time like this?
He smiles and yells, “Hold on.”
I nod and brace myself for the coldness that I know is coming. We leap off the cliff. It feels like we fall forever and I feel the chill of the water as we hit. Then I get the familiar warm feeling all over my body while ‘willing’ my fin and leaping up out of the water. I look around for Jack but my worst fear has come true. The worst of all the dreams, he isn’t holding onto me any longer. I dive back under to look for him using my sorry excuse for finger lights.
Finally, I spot him lying on the sand and rocks at the sea bottom. He looks so small and helpless. I swim down as fast as I can and drag him back to the surface. He is still breathing but unconscious. Blood is seeping from a cut in his forehead. He must have hit his head in the fall. A glance around shows that we are surrounded by water and sheer rock. I’m not sure which side of the cliff will have a beach on it so I choose to swim back toward the beach I know. Although it is miles away, my hope is to hit a beach sooner than later.
Swimming by myself with the fin is one thing. Swimming with unconscious Jack is another. The current pulls at us. My fin works double-time trying to p
ush us through.
I tell him loudly as I swim, “Jack, you can’t leave me. Not after everything we’ve been through. I finally found you and we can be together now. Tears fall freely now and I can barely see where I’m going. Wake up. Please wake up because I love you.”
It takes me about thirty minutes but finally, I find a beach where we can get out of the water. I will legs and I am almost instantly pulled under by the sheer weight of him. We get closer to the beach but we keep getting pulled back out by the current. The few people that are still on the beach must have taken notice of us. The next thing I know two big burly men are pulling Jack up onto the beach and a woman has her arm around my waist pulling me out. I cough up water to catch my breath.
One of the men announces, “An ambulance is on the way.” I look at him afraid and then I turn to Jack and all I can focus on is waking him up.
The ambulance arrives and I refuse to leave his side. They load us into the vehicle and work on the cut on his forehead. One of the paramedics tells me, “It really looks worse than it is. We are more concerned about a concussion. It’s very important that he wakes up."
They take us both to the hospital and I continue to whisper to Jack over and over, “Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up.”
22
The Aunt
The next couple of days are a huge blur. We get admitted to the hospital and my only focus is Jack. They check me over and decide I will be fine but they need to keep Jack until he wakes up at least. Somehow they coax information out of me and the next thing I know, my parents are there. Oh boy, how do I get myself into these situations?
My mom and dad are much calmer and way more understanding than I would have expected. They don’t ask any questions. I imagine they are waiting until I’m not such a mess.
I keep vigil by Jack’s bed and they give me space. After a day he starts to stir. He opens those beautiful eyes which are bright green. I watch as the blue creeps in when he sees me leaning over him. Then he gives me his adorable half smile.
I tell him grinning, “It was touch and go there for a while. I was going to have to kick your ass or something.”
Just Breathe Page 14
