Awakenings (Elemental Series - Book 1) (3 page)

Constable Grant broke the silence. “There’s no easy way to say this. We’re here to notify you about your parents. Today, around twelve–thirty, they were involved in an accident on Old Foundry Road, just east of the city limits.”

“Are — are they dead?” Hudson stuttered.

“No. They’re both at Our Lady of Saints Hospital, but it doesn’t look good.”

“Can we see them?” I asked, finding my voice.

“Of course. Is there anyone you want us to contact to take you? If there isn’t, we’ll take you there,” Constable Grant offered.

“There’s no one,” I said, surprised I had a voice at all.

We followed the officers to their car. Hudson and I sat in the backseat, and for the first time since we were children, we held each other’s hands. No questions filled the silent interior of the car. The only sounds were the steady hum of tires on the pavement and the occasional squawking on the police radio.

When we reached the hospital, Hudson and I followed the officers through the entrance reserved for police and hospital personnel. We stepped directly into the emergency ward. Nurses and doctors attended to patients in curtained rooms and even in the hallways.

Constable Grant approached a nurse and had a quick conversation with her. We were out of earshot, so I couldn’t make out their exchange. When Grant started back towards us, the nurse he’d been speaking to gave Hudson and me a sorrow-filled look. My knees went weak. If Hudson hadn’t been holding my hand, I would have fallen on my face right there.

Constable Grant told us our parents were on the second floor. He guided us to the elevators. No one said a word during the ride. We reached the second floor and the doors opened. I hadn’t yet caught my breath. The most inexplicable feelings came over me as we walked off the elevator, a sense of calm and peace, which were the polar opposites of what I should have been experiencing.

We went to the nurses’ station. Constable Grant advised the nurse of our arrival. The nurse’s expression mirrored the sadness we’d seen on the face of the emergency room nurse.

“My name is Heathe. I’ve been taking care of your parents. They’re in room five,” he said, directing us down the hallway to his right.

We made our way to their room. Inside, we found our mother and father, unconscious, side by side, connected to all sorts of tubes and a number of machines. The only sounds coming from the room were the buzz of the overhead fluorescent lights mingled with the constant beeping of the machines.

Constable Grant stepped back. I stepped between the two beds.

Tears blurred my vision. I could only make out what was directly in front of me and the same buzzing which had taken over the conversation when the police had first shown up on our door step began to ring in my ears. With Hudson beside me, I shunted my distress to the back of mind and was able to focus on my parents. They were battered, bruised, and bandages covered both their faces.

“Mom…Dad.” I let go of Hudson’s hand and grabbed both of their hands. The voice which answered was neither my mother’s nor my father’s—it came from Heathe.

“They haven’t regained consciousness. The paramedics on scene said they were asking for the two of you.” He paused briefly. “Right now, they can’t talk to you, but from my experience, they can hear you.” He backed away from the foot of the beds and went to tend to their machines.

“M-m-mom…” Hudson said, choking up.

“We’ll be outside if you need us,” Constable Grant interjected. With the nurse in tow, the Constables left the room.

I was holding onto Mom and Dad’s hands when I felt it. I looked down at the source and nearly fainted. Hudson steadied me, holding onto my shoulders and giving them a reassuring squeeze. My hands were aglow in a bright white light, quivering from an energy source coming from within me. The flow of light moved from my hands into the hands of my parents.

Hudson and I stood there in awe. We knew somehow ‘it,’ whatever it was, was supposed to happen. Strangely, I found myself okay with it. As the light moved through their bodies, seeming to consume them, my parents opened their eyes and looked at us.

Mom spoke first. “We love you both, never forget that. We tried to keep you safe and live by chance, but fate finally caught up to us. I love you with all my heart, Jacey and Hudson. Know everything we’ve done has been for the two of you. We’re going to be moving on without you now. We’ll be with you in spirit.”

Dad spoke. I was amazed by how clear his voice was. “Hudson, you know what needs to be done. Your mother and I would have done anything to stay with you, but that’s not the destiny we’ve been granted.” His eyes were clear and direct, his voice stronger. “Jacey, never, ever doubt yourself.”

My mother’s voice was clear and strong, from the light shining within her. “Jacey, you are the One we have been waiting for. You will be The One…
All
…will take chances for.” She took a deep breath, looking up at Hudson. “Son, you have always understood. Now it’s just the two of you. Be her Protector. Travel to Nemele. All there know we tried to return. We were simply too late.”

Both Hudson and I openly sobbed. We knew we would be grieving forever for the family we once were. Our parents, the center of our universe, were dying, and there was nothing that could change that.

They turned their gaze to one another and pulled their hands from mine, reaching out to each other. I placed their hands together. Even in the state their bodies were in, the love emanating from each of them was palpable. I let go of their hands. The light which had encompassed all of us slowly left their bodies. As it dimmed, they took their last breaths, like they did everything in their lives—together.

The monitors they were connected to began to decelerate and soon resonated a slow, steady hum. I watched, sobbing. I turned to my brother and clung to him.

“Hudson, they’re gone. I can’t believe they’re really gone. What have I done? What are we going to do? I don’t get it. What happened? It’s just you and me now, isn’t it?”

The monitors sounded the steady tone of death. There was a flurry of activity as several nurses and a doctor entered the room. We were led out of the room by a couple of nurses, but not before I saw the doctor place a white sheet over each of my parents. There was nothing either of us could do. Once in the hallway, I fell into the numb reality of my parents’ end.

“We’re going to be okay, Jacey. I’ll never let anything happen to you,” Hudson said, holding onto me.

“I want Mom and Dad.”

“Me too,” Hudson whispered back. As we walked past the nurses’ station, Heathe approached us.

“Give me a minute,” Hudson said, letting go of me. He and Heathe walked over to the nurses’ station.

There was something about the way they spoke which gave me the impression they knew each another. I tried to remember if I’d ever seen this guy before. He was tall and had the aura of a stereotypical high school quarterback. His eyes mirrored the color of his wavy, short-cropped hair, golden brown. He glanced up and looked at me, making eye contact. A feeling deep within told me I knew this guy, yet I couldn’t place him. I didn’t stop staring until Hudson returned to my side.

We slowly walked to the elevator with both policemen in tow. While waiting, Hudson took my hand in his. I turned to him with a questioning stare and asked, “Do we know him from somewhere?”

“No, why?”

“Well, you looked like you knew him and—”

The elevator doors opened and the police officers ushered us in.

“Hudson, are you sure we don’t know him?”

“No, I don’t know him, Jacey. I was finding out what we have to do now and how we’re supposed to do it.”

I stared down at my feet and felt a trail of tears start to flow down my cheeks. I tried to wipe my eyes, but it was useless. The flood gates had been opened and I didn’t care who saw them.

We left the hospital in the backseat of the police car, both aware of the undeniable fact that all we had left in this world was one another.

Chapter Four

The memories of yesterday burn hot,
The tears of regret bring absolution,
A memory of comfort.

T
he ride home was quiet until we turned onto our street.

“Do you have any other family you’d like us to contact for you?” Officer Grant asked.

“No, there’s no one,” Hudson replied, numb.

We pulled into our driveway and had to wait for the officers to let us out of the car. The back doors had no handles and locked automatically, something I hadn’t noticed before.

My family had been ripped apart. Mom and Dad would never be coming home again. Hudson and I would be forever affected by watching our mother and father die.

Officer Grant asked us again, “Are you sure there’s no one?” I knew there was only one answer to his question. Aunt Grace.

Officer Grant’s partner opened my door. Hudson and I slipped out. He handed Hudson one of his cards.

Hudson mumbled, “We have an Aunt who lives two hours away, we’ll call her.”

“If there’s anything you need or anything we can do, let us know.”’

“Sure,” Hudson said.

It was now close to two a.m. as we walked up our front steps and stood on the stoop, watching the police drive away. Ten minutes passed before Hudson grabbed the doorknob. He turned the handle and the door swung open. Together we stepped inside. It seemed as though nothing had changed. The same furniture was in place. The same pictures hung on the walls and knickknacks we’d collected were still here. But gloom hung everywhere. What was once a place of energy, love, and comfort was empty and silent.

“Jacey,” Hudson commanded. “You stay here.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to check out the house.”

“I’m coming with you.” I knew I sounded like a two-year-old. I had this creepy feeling we weren’t alone.

“All right, but stay behind me, okay?”

“All right.”

We went through the house room by room, turning on every light and checking every closet. We were about to go into Mom and Dad’s room when the doorbell rang. I nearly jumped out of my skin and grabbed Hudson’s arm.

“Who the hell could that be?” Hudson mumbled, on edge.

I followed him downstairs to the front door. There was no porch light. The person standing there was backlit from the street lamp. Hudson slowly opened the door. A gust of emotion swept over me. Before a word was spoken, Hudson and I were enveloped by a bear hug of an embrace. Aunt Grace had shown up.

I looked into her face and burst into tears. She and Mom looked so much alike. Mom had dark curly brown hair and big blue eyes while Aunt Grace has light brown hair and big brown eyes. They shared the same beautiful smile and homey ambiance, however. There was no doubt they were sisters.

No one said a word as we moved into the living room. Aunt Grace wouldn’t let either of us out of her embrace. We made it to the couch and crumpled onto it. I peered into her eyes between sobs.

“Aunt Grace, how did you know?”

“The hospital called. Your mom had a card in her wallet listing me as next of kin,” Aunt Grace said, choking up.

“We’re so glad you’re here,” Hudson whispered.

We sat, quietly surrounded by the memories of my parents for what seemed like hours.

“I could use a cup of tea, how about you two? Hot chocolate?” Aunt Grace offered, breaking the silence.

Neither one of us had eaten since breakfast. The thought of food made my stomach turn, but when she said hot chocolate, I nodded. Every time Aunt Grace came to visit, she and Mom made hot chocolate. We’d sit around talking and drinking. Mom always laughed at Hudson and me. We never said no to another cup.

“Yes, please,” we both replied.

She went to the kitchen. I turned to Hudson, “Hudson?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you mean it? You think we’re going to be okay?”

“I think so, Jace, yeah,” Hudson said, going into the kitchen.

I sat transfixed, staring off into nothing. All the “what ifs” kept going through my mind: What if I’d told my parents about my dream this morning? What if they hadn’t gone out this morning? Could I have stopped them from being killed? What if…? I wasn’t only thinking everything today was my fault—deep down, I knew it was. If I’d only told Mom and Dad my entire dream, would they be here now?

I didn’t hear Aunt Grace and Hudson return. It was the comforting smell of hot chocolate that made me return to reality. I embraced the cup, holding it to my chest. I felt tormented at the bit of comfort the cup had brought me. My mother wasn’t here to share it.

“Jacey,” Aunt Grace said, “I made arrangements at home and I’m going to be staying with you guys for the next couple of days to help out with things.”

“I’d like that — I’d like that a lot. We need you here…” I said with more emotion than I intended.

“We can talk about what else needs to be done tomorrow; right now it’s time for us to get some rest,” Aunt Grace said.

I dreaded going up to my room, knowing that when I fell asleep, the dreams would come again, more vivid than they were the night before. I was afraid I would see my parents and they would blame me for what happened.

“Jacey, if you like, I can stay with you until you fall asleep,” Aunt Grace offered.