Just Breathe (21 page)

She sighs, “Some of the Erebus are descendants of land and sea relationships. They are… very bad 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 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, so many days ago, 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, 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 that Jack is 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, 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. Starting to get the feeling, 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, figures, but 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 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 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 am shocked that it’s a normal metal door handle. I turn it bracing for the click. It clicks. 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 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, 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. 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 here goes. 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 and hits 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, so 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, more like 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, 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 is he 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, ‘willing’ my fin and leaping up out of the water. I look around for Jack, my worst fear, the worst of all the dreams, he isn’t holding onto me any longer. I dive back under and 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 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 doubly trying to push us through.

I tell him loudly as I swim, “Jack, you just 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. 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 and 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 ambulance 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, 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 be mad at you or something.”

Then I get serious, “You better never, ever make me worry like that again.”

He laughs and looks sad suddenly, “Ever, you chose the sea….why?”