My heart started hammering so fast that the room got dark. I had
to get her out. How did I get her out? And even if I did, they knew my name,
I’d be on the run and there was no way would I be able to explain that one
away.
What if they got hold of my record? Were the articles about my own
conviction and trial still available? I felt the sweat dribbling down from my
forehead. This was why Renee lied, how could I explain any of it?
By the time Charlie came back into the room, I was about ready to
cry. I never cry, at least not all that often but I didn’t know what to do and
there was no way Nan could help me out of this one.
“Does she have her phone?”
Charlie nodded. “Not that it’s much use up here with the cell
tower out.”
“Do you think I could have it?”
He smiled. “Of course.” He perched on the edge of the desk.
“Sheriff thinks it’s fine if you try and prove her innocence.” He shrugged.
“Neither of us is convinced you stand a chance but you have helped us out
enough to earn that much.”
“Thank you,” I managed, trying to hide the tears which were now
dangerously close to bursting free.
“You got until we can get the road open again,” he said. “Maybe a
couple of days at most.”
“Can I talk to her?” I asked. “At least get her point of view?”
“You can,” he said. “But she isn’t talking.”
“She might talk to me.”
He sighed. “I mean that she isn’t
talking
at all.” He
motioned for me to get up. “There’s no one in there. Nothing.”
CHARLIE WASN’T WRONG. Renee sat mute in the cell, staring at the
opposite brick wall. I tried to ignore the memory that once she had been the
one watching me stare into nothing. Her aura was silent, her energy dormant and
I knew full well just from that, it would take some going to get her back.
“Can I go in?” I asked Charlie but he shook his head.
“Maybe tomorrow,” he said. “Give her time to come round.”
I couldn’t argue with him. I couldn’t explain that if I touched
her, I could tell him everything he wanted to know. At a loss of what to do, I
leaned my head on the bars.
“I’ll get you out,” I told her. “I swear.”
Without so much as a flicker from her, I headed out of the
station. If Renee and I weren’t big news before, we sure were now. Curious eyes
watched me as I headed down the steps. Hal was wandering around with his
notebook, trying to jot down the cacophony from witnesses saying their piece.
I wasn’t a cop. I couldn’t just demand that the folks tell me
everything. I wasn’t a local so I couldn’t know who would give me a clear
answer anyhow. Without much of a thought in my head, I found myself outside the
cabin where Martha, Earl, and Zack were waiting.
“You have a key,” I told them. I wasn’t sure why, it just seemed
like something to say.
“Oh, Aeron,” Martha said in the tone that only mothers seemed to
use. The one that said how much of a mess you had made, simply by saying your
name. “Is she alright?”
Now, over the course of my twenty-seven years, I had learned two
things about small town folk. One, they were pretty hardy people, the kind who
picked up the pieces and rebuilt even when mother nature had torn their homes
and lives apart. The second, was that they loved to gossip and judge so
Martha’s simple question left me staring at her dumb . . . again.
“Is she hurt?” she asked. “Did he hurt her in some way?”
“Don’t think so,” I answered, still gawping at her. “She doesn’t
seem to be injured.”
Martha led me up the steps as Earl took Zack around to the garage
to show him man stuff—his exact words. I would have laughed if I could have
remembered how.
“You need this,” Martha said a couple of minutes later, sticking a
drink in front of me. I was so thirsty I didn’t think to look down at the glass
and drank deeply. A second later I was gripping my throat and coughing.
“Not so quick,” she said as she fussed around. “It’s strong
stuff.”
I looked down at the clear liquid in the glass. “Alcohol?” My head
already knew the answer as I felt fuzzy. “Don’t drink.”
Martha tutted. “It’s medicinal.”
“Don’t drink,” I said again, feeling warm all over.
“So she isn’t injured?” Martha asked.
I watched her flit about the kitchen and it reminded me of how
Renee did the same thing.
“She’s lost it,” I said. “Unless I figure out a way of getting her
back, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“The doctor is sure that the man will pull through,” she said, her
busy energy flickering about her. “So maybe it won’t be as bad.”
“She shot a man in broad daylight.” I felt woozy already. Not
good. “All I got was her phone.” Feeling the tears trickling down my cheeks, I
stared at Blob who had come to see what all the fuss was about. “It’s
hopeless.”
Martha draped a blanket over me as I sat there next to a crackling
fire I hadn’t noticed her start, but then I hadn’t remembered sitting down.
Last thing I’d noticed we had been in the kitchen.
“You get some rest,” she told me. “Earl and I will take Zack for
the night.”
I didn’t hear much as I was already starting to doze and with all
the shock and worry mixed with alcohol that would only ever mean one thing:
Visions.
Chapter 17
THE SUN SETS, bathing the snow, turning it into pools of deepening
color. Alone in a dark wilderness of midnight blue the silver glints bathe her
face with its radiance. The stars, like eyes, bear witness to a transcendent
sonata as her hands create sweeping motions of pinks and reds.
The mists begin to swirl, dropping like snowdrops upon the barren
landscape. Grey to brown, to blue, to green, eyes so distant beckon forth the
heavens until outstretched fingers touch the glimmering audience above.
Hurt had robbed the music, ears agonized for the loss of such
beauty. Swirling, the mist had covered the land with dirty brown greys, the sun
no more than a spotlight covered by the dust of chaos.
No path in sight, no way to find, nothing but murky smudges and
inaudible sounds. Whispers sniping, demanding, taunting.
“Aimed for me,” the voice of deceit bays.
“Who do you think you are?” a swirl of emerald declares.
“Would have seen . . .” Doubt from the golden star.
“I didn’t see,” the fish leaps from an endless lake. “I didn’t
see,” it pleads. “I didn’t see!”
Malice lurks beneath dormant waters, teeth bared and eyes like
flame. The vulture circles and swoops, beak like razors, the sky but a charcoal
storm cloud. “Always alone!”
The heart beats and beats faster and faster, the rolling symphony
declaring war upon the enemies’ ranks. A pebbled stone in palm, nine two three
bursts into yellow-white shimmers, so blinding, so bright—
The floor broke me from my vision as the soaring pain ripped right
through my side. I spluttered and placed my hand flat against the smooth wood
as I sucked in my breaths and tried to calm my pounding pulse. The cool surface
anchored me as I tried to regain my senses.
“You are a very strange creature,”
Blob commented as he
sat on the foot of my bed.
“Yeah, well . . . you try seeing what I see.” I tried to lift my
head, testing that it was still attached. “Man, I’m glad I am not my mother.”
“Why, does she throw herself on the floor?”
I grunted, getting to my feet. The room swayed at first but it
cleared after a few breaths. “I don’t know. Why don’t you go find her and haunt
her instead?”
Blob ignored me and I heard snoring again. Maybe ghosts slept more
the longer they hung around. I guessed there wasn’t a lot else to do.
Thinking of ghosts.
“Nan?” I called out, hoping she would have some nugget of wisdom
that would help me.
“You hollered, Shorty?”
Nan swept in, making the wind chimes that hung from one of the
rafters jingle like it was singing.
“You know what happened,” I said. “How am I gonna get Renee out of
this?”
“Honey,”
Nan said.
“
Sometimes things happen that you
can’t fix.”
“Nuh uh.” I wagged my finger at her. “No way am I giving up on
her.”
“Why’s that?”
I folded my arms and stared in the direction that I could feel her
loitering. “Because, it’s Renee.”
“That ain’t an answer.”
I narrowed my eyes. We weren’t going there. “Yeah, it is.”
“No, it ain’t, Shortstop,”
Nan said and I felt a swish as she
moved to my side.
“She’s someplace deep . . . someplace scary. You really
think you want to go back there . . . after everything?”
“Yes.”
My certainty made Nan pause but I could feel her so I knew she
hadn’t vanished on me. It terrified me that Renee was somewhere fighting a
battle and I couldn’t get to help her on the inside until I’d freed her on the
outside. The longer I took, the less chance I had at doing either.
“Aeron,”
Nan said. I’d never once heard her say my name, so it captured my
attention pretty good.
“You are gonna have to use all those gifts that you
hate.”
The sweat broke out on the back of my neck and I shivered.
“You’re gonna have to do all the things you hate doing so bad,”
she said.
“You
always say that you hate messing with people’s lives.”
“It’s for Renee,” I said. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
I took out the necklace that I always wore. It had been Nan’s,
then Lilia’s before me. The inscription of Ephesians was inscribed on the back.
The letters, a comforting feeling against the pad of my thumb. The armor that
kept me safe from all the darkness lurking ready to strike. I knew what Nan was
saying, the more I used my burdens, the more of a target I placed on my head.
“It’s for Renee,” I repeated.
Thud
.
I spun around, ready to block the blow from whoever was ambushing me.
No one was there.
Nan sighed.
“If you’re that easily spooked
.
There ain’t
no use in continuing.”
Realizing that no monster was ready to attack, I looked around for
what caused the noise and saw an open book at my feet.
“You gonna quote me scripture?” I asked, bending down to pick up
the Bible.
“I thought it was poetic, seeming as you were thinkin’ on the
armor.”
Murmuring an “uh huh,” I scanned over the page, trying to find
something that would help me. “Driving out spirits? Great, so now you help with
Blob.”
Blob prodded me in the side, making me shiver and yelp at the same
time and then Nan poked my other side and I shivered and yelped again.
“Hey, quit it!”
“You want to save Renee don’t you?”
Nan asked, her tone
cheeky.
“Of course. If I can.”
My eyes tracked to a number from my vision:
nine two three
.
Chapter nine verse twenty three and I read it aloud.
“ ‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who
believes.’ ”
I’m used to spooky but the verse and answer made even me blink a
couple of times.
“You know how to unlock people’s pasts and truths,”
Nan said as I closed
the book and returned it to its shelf.
“You need to get going though.”
I nodded and hurried around the room, struggling to put my clothes
on.
“Why don’t you just heal yourself and be done with it?
” she asked as I
cussed under my breath with the pain.
“Because,” I mumbled from inside my sweater. “I promised Renee I
wouldn’t do it on my own.” I grunted as I bent down to put on my socks.
“Besides, I nearly drown when it happens.”
Once dressed and my hunger blunted with toast, I headed out into
the cold air, not bothering to clear the path as it was only me trudging
through it.
“You got any ideas where I should start?” I asked Nan under my
breath, returning the wave of one of the ladies from the field hospital.
“Start with the friendliest face,”
Nan whispered into
my ear.
“But to help you, she needs your help first.”
“More riddles?” I muttered.
“Yup
.
If you’re gonna ask a ghost for help, the answer’s always
gonna be see-through.”
Nan’s laughter made another woman look around to see
who was chuckling.
“A friendly she. I’m guessing that’s Martha.” I smiled at the
thought of breakfast. “At least she can cook.”
“Don’t forget, Shorty
,
”
Nan said as I felt her fading.
“Folks don’t always
believe, even when it’s right in front of them.”
Alone once more, I was glad to see the sight of the café but I
couldn’t help but stare at the police station as I walked. Renee had spent a
lonely night in a cell locked in her head with whatever monster was plaguing
her. That sucked.
“Ronny, honey,” Martha called out as I opened the café door. “Go
take Aeron her breakfast.”
“Yes, Ma,” Ronny mumbled and I took a seat in the empty café. The
folks in town had eaten breakfast and were hard at work more than likely. Snow
or no snow, St. Jude’s seemed to rumble on like nothing was happening.
As Ronny brought the food to me I caught him wince and his leg
wobble.
“You pick up an injury?” I asked.
The sheer panic sucked the color right out of his face and I
fought the urge to groan at myself. “You’re walkin’ funny.”
“What’s this?” Martha asked, seeing her son’s expression.
“I . . . it’s nothing, Ma,” he said.
Earl attempted to scuttle out the back as he overheard the
conversation and Martha was quick to catch on.
“Earl,” she called. “What’s this about Ronny?”
Ronny sighed, his shoulders sagged, and Earl trundled over to us.
Ronny tried to warn his father to keep quiet and I wished I’d kept my mouth
shut. Nan said help the woman not cause a family dispute.
“Where’s Zack?” I asked, hoping that they could forget my question
and I could eat my breakfast without watching them bicker.
“Upstairs taking a nap,” Martha answered and without so much as
pausing for breath she turned to Ronny. “Now you said that the doctor told you
it was fine.”
Ronny and his father bore the universal look that said “busted”
and I shoveled my food into my mouth, hoping I could at least get through a few
bites before the fireworks started.
“Ma, it’s nothing.” Ronny looked at Earl for support. “The doc
said it was nothing.”
“Earl?” Martha put her hands on her hips, she knew Ronny was
lying, I knew he was lying, and both men knew we knew they were lying. I kept
chomping, knowing that Earl was going to have to pull something special out of
his greasy overalls to save this one.
Instead, he sighed in defeat and Ronny looked like he wanted to
grip his chest with the betrayal.
“Martha, honey,” he said. “Now . . . you hear me out.”
I continued trying to get my food in as fast as I could.
“Earl, what did the doctor say?”
“Now, honey.” Earl put his hands up like Martha was pointing a gun
at him. “I can explain.”
“What did he say about his knee?”
Ronny slumped down opposite me and buried his head in his hands,
knowing the game was up.
“That he needs a replacement,” Earl admitted. “A full
replacement.”
Martha leaned against the seat and I wondered if she was going to
faint for a minute. “So the scholarship?”
“I can play, Ma,” Ronny said. “I can still play.”
“You can barely walk!”
“I can fix that,” I piped up. I saw the
opportunity and went for it.
“Thank you,” Earl said. “But the doctor showed us and—”
“I
can
fix him.” Help the woman. I could do that.
Earl frowned at me. “Are you a surgeon?” He sighed. “They won’t
even look at him if he’s got a replacement.”
“No, I ain’t a surgeon,” I said. “Ronny, you up for trying
somethin’?”
Ronny nodded. “Anything.”
I went around the table and knelt in front of him. “Roll up your
pant leg.”
Martha and Earl watched on as Ronny did as I asked. His knee looked
all kinds of swollen and I felt the twinge in my own knee. “This is gonna feel
pretty weird and no matter what anybody says, you can’t say what I did, okay?”
“What are you going to do?” Martha asked.
“What I was made to,” I told her and placed my hands on the knee.
After the sheriff and his injury, Ronny’s knee wasn’t so bad and
it soon heated up under my hands as the relief spread across Ronny’s face.
My hands got to the point where they burned so hot that I had to
let go and Ronny flexed his knee like it was brand new. I hoped that what I’d
done had helped and I hoped that the injury hadn’t been given to him to stop
nothing nastier happening.
“How?” Earl asked. “What did you—?”
I turned to look up at Martha. “I need to wash my hands.” Her eyes
tracked over every inch of my face. “It’s just a technique I learned in the
army. Knees ain’t always as bad as they look on an x-ray.” Or whatever the
doctors used for those things. I only hoped I was close enough for them to
believe me.
“You think it will help him?” she asked, glancing at Ronny.
“Better than surgery,” I answered.
After a moment, Martha nodded and a beaming smile spread across
her face. “I am glad that you were in the medical corps.”
My hands throbbed with the pain from Ronny’s knee. “Hands?”
Martha led me through to the back. I didn’t want to risk the
public rest room so I was glad she offered me their bathroom. I looked at the
door, then took a deep breath, this was
not
going to be pretty.