I laid there face down on the ground for awhile. Mostly because I felt like I didn’t have the strength to get up. The pain in my head was back as well as the pain I felt in my neck. The only way to describe it is to say that it felt like a piranha was attached to me. Not that I know how that feels, but if I had to take a guess…yup I’d go with man eating fish.
I moaned as I finally allowed myself to try to sit up, I was really sick. I don’t recall ever being this sick before and I don’t ever want to be this sick ever again. ‘Of course you have never been this sick before Carter….you’re friggin dying remember?’
That thought made me start rocking as I held tight to my legs. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it, there’s no way I could get up that hill alone. I was lucky I could stay sitting in an upright position. I began to cry again but this time I think it was pretty darned justified. Besides it wasn’t only a ‘poor me’ cry. It was also because I felt so horrible.
As I sat there more details started coming back to me. Lying on Kevin’s bed and realizing while he was gone that something was terribly wrong. I had sat up and noticed that his pillow was soaked in my sweat and my hands were shaking so badly I thought I was going to have a seizure. I had never been so scared in my life. I mean you know how bad it must be when you actually WANT Kevin to come back.
I remember getting up and walking towards the door, I was going to scream out in the hallway for anybody to come, but thankfully that’s when he showed up. He was with Howie, if I remember correctly.
They helped me back to bed and I just cried like a baby, balled up in a fetal position as one of them pat my back and told me everything would be okay…
I looked up at the sky and started trembling when I realized that slowly the sun was going away. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I would be trapped here, in the dark. “Great…”
So I took a few deep breaths, rolled over on all fours and then slowly stood myself up. The world started spinning at that point but I just closed my eyes and took a few more deep breaths until it passed. Thankfully, it did.
“Okay…you can do this Nick…no chickening out.” I said to myself as if I was Kevin talking to me.
I walked over to the huge hill that I would have to climb and sighed when I saw how steep it was. I glanced over at the other side, the one I fell from, and gasped when I saw evil Brian still staring at me smiling. What’s even worse is he was now joined by a bunch of ghosts. Maybe watching people try to get out of here had become their new past time. I mean it’s not like they had anything better to do.
They weren’t smiling though, maybe they were secretly rooting for me to get out of this place…yeah, I’m going to go with that thought.
“You’ll never make it.” He said to me again.
“You’re just jealous because I am going to make it and you didn’t!” Hey, if he was going to mock me I was going to mock him.
“I can easily get out of here if I want to, but I don’t because I live here.”
“Right…I think you aren’t leaving because you don’t know how to.” Is it possible to trick a non existing, evil Brian to help you out of the woods? Let’s find out shall we.
A second later he was right by my side, “I can get up this hill faster than you I bet.”
“Right, if that makes you feel better about yourself, then be my guest.” I rolled my eyes at him but inside was trying my hardest not to just start laughing.
“Fine, I’ll race you up the hill and I’ll even give you a head start.”
“No, this isn’t a race, this is a dare.”
He smirked at me and put his hand to his chin. “A dare huh?”
“Yes Brian…you think you’re so strong…I bet you can’t make it up that hill with me on your back.”
He looked at the hill then at me. I could tell he was sizing the situation up in his head. “Okay it’s a deal! Hop on!” I jumped on his back, thanking God I was able to outsmart him, but after all it was really me I was outsmarting right? The real Brian would have never gone for this one. The real Brian would have turned it around so that I was carrying him up the hill and what’s worse is, he probably still would have made me feel like I had won.
“Okay here we go!” He said and then he started his climb. I held on tight as he struggled with the steep slope of the hill. I closed my eyes to avoid the oncoming wave of dizziness and had another memory, this time of Brian.
I’m not exactly sure how many days had actually gone by in the hotel room. If it all happened in the span of a few hours or a few days, but I do remember waking up and staring at Brian who was sitting on the bed beside me, wiping my head with a nice cold washcloth.
He looked stressed out, he might have even been crying. He wasn’t calm in the least and neither was anyone else in the room and at that point, even though I was too weak to even move my head a few inches to see who those people were, by the panicked tone of voice they were using and the shouting over each other, I knew things were very bad.
Brian looked at me and forced himself to smile, “You’ll be okay Fracky…just hang on…we’re taking you to the hospital.”
“No…please.” I remember begging him.
That’s when Kevin had come into view. He looked down at me and placed his hand on my head. “He needs to go now! We don’t have time to wait for an okay.”
There was more arguing as he once again moved out of my view. Brian looked down and smiled at me. I don’t recall ever seeing him force a smile quite like that before. I believe that’s when I knew I wasn’t doing very well…
I opened my eyes when I felt myself not moving. I was on the ground just as I was before. I sighed, bummed that it was just another one of those stupid dreams, but when I sat up, I wasn’t at the bottom of the hill anymore. I was on top of it.
Once again I stood up, this time it was even harder than the last time, I had to grab at a tree to stop myself from falling. When I did maintain my balance though, I caught a glimpse of Brian. He was standing on the other side of the hill once more, with basketball in hand and when he noticed me look over at him he waved and smiled.
“Thanks.” I yelled across the valley.
“You did it, not me.” He said before turning and disappearing from my view. I knew even evil Brian couldn’t be that evil…I mean he’s Brian!
So, I made it up the hill, it couldn’t be too much farther now right? I put my hand up to my eyes to shield what was left of the sun, hoping that I would see a line of trees or a road or an exit sign…something to let me know this nightmare was almost over.
All I saw were lights though, the same ones I had seen in the tent on the night that Sarah and her family crossed over. “Please let those lights not be for me…please- please -please!” I prayed.
I walked a few more steps, I had to stop and rest every ten or so. I swear I was worse than an old man. Now I know how Kevin must feel after workouts.
Flashes of light started to illuminate the sky as the sun began to set. “Keep moving Nick…you’re running out of time.” I forced myself to jog a little as I went on. Luckily I ran into no one, but I did hear that all too familiar cry of the wind as it seemed to twirl around me, saying my name and telling me to stop.
Another memory came to me then…we were in the car on the way to the hospital, I was writhing in pain. I felt so bad. Kevin’s panicked voice wasn’t helping any and neither was Howie’s. They were sitting in the front seat as far as I could remember. It was so hard to keep my eyes opened and Brian was babbling to me, trying to keep me awake. Nothing was working though, I kept closing my eyes…dosing off.
“Nick, wake up!” I’m not sure how long he had been saying that. I opened my eyes but when I tried to talk I couldn’t…all I saw was a bright light. The last thing I heard him say was oh my God!
“I thought that was a dream but it wasn’t. That actually happened, how odd. Well at least nothing really pulled us out of the car I guess.” I shrugged, and shook my head. “And now I’m talking to myself again…wonderful.”
“You tend to remember the last thing you see before coming here as a dream….sometimes a nightmare.” I turned to the sound of a familiar voice, one I thought I’d never hear again.
“Grim?” The older man smiled at me and held his lantern out to get a better look.
“The one and only, didn’t I tell you boys not to go playing in the woods?”
“But…I had to get out of here.”
“Happens every damn time…I give a few simple directions and they never get followed…” He said more to himself than to me. Okay can I have evil Brian back now? I much prefer evil Brian or evil Howie to this guy. How did my mind even dream him up?
“We better get moving then…best to not be out here in the darkness.” He turned and started walking up a dirt path.
“So…where are we going?”
“You want to go home right? Well that’s where you’re going then…home.”
I smiled, for the first time in forever, I felt hopeful. “Really?” I asked him almost not wanting him to answer.
He turned and grimaced at me, “Really…” He said forcing himself to smile.
“Aren’t you even going to ask me where my friends went?”
“No.”
“You aren’t curious?”
“I already know…I have lived in these woods my entire life Nickolas Gene Carter.”
“Wait…how did you know my name? Did I tell you my name?”
“You are blonde aren’t you? Now let’s go…time’s a wasting.”
I nodded and followed behind him, keeping my distance, just in case. He was really creepy this guy and sad to say even after all the stuff I had been through, he still kind of out creeped a lot of the ghosts and such I saw.
Especially once he started singing…oh my God someone shoot me now!
“Just what makes that little old ant…think he can move a rubber tree plant…anyone knows an ant…can’t… move a rubber tree plant.”
If the little critters of the forest start singing I’m going to have to just call it a day.
“Because he’s got high hopes…he’s got high hopes…he’s got high apple pie in the sky hopes… Ever heard that song before Nick?”
“Nope can’t say I have.” He turned to look at me and I briefly saw two of him.
“Are you alright son?”
“I need to sit for a minute.” I said as I plopped down on the ground. I think seeing Grim made me temporarily forget how horrible I felt and then when he started his wretched singing, it brought it all back.
“Okay but it’s your funeral…literally.” He started laughing at the joke he cracked, wow he’s a jerk!
“I just need one minute…”
“Okay.”
He kept staring at me and smiling, “I got you pretty good when you first got here didn’t I? With that story I told you boys.”
“Yeah…you’re a real riot and a half.” And yes it sounded as sarcastic as you might think it did.
“That story was true you know…in fact you actually befriended her.”
“Mary Beth?”
“Yes, I believe that’s her name…poor thing. Only it wasn’t a bear it was her father, he had a hot temper on him that one. The little girl was always wandering away from camp and one night the dad was drinking too much and suddenly he gets all mad and goes after her with a hatchet. He also killed his wife before putting a bullet through his own head.”
Did I really need to know that?
“No, I suppose you didn’t.”
Wait…I didn’t just say that out loud did I?
“No, you did not.”
I looked over at Grim and I’m sure I probably looked like a cartoon character to him. All I could do was stare though; I had no idea what to say or ask or anything. “Anyway…” He said when he got tired of waiting for me to speak. “I’m glad they finally crossed over. They have been here for a long time Nickolas…too long.”
“I’m glad they did too.”
“Why? From what I’ve seen so far, you seem to be afraid of the light and crossing over.”
“I’m not afraid; I’m just not ready yet. I’m too young.”
“And Mary Beth wasn’t?” He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.
“Well no…but Mary was with her mom and dad at least, I’d have nobody there.”
“That’s not true Nickolas…everyone has someone waiting for them on the other side. In fact, Sarah would be there to great you. You know you guys are related.”
“We are?” Grim nodded at me as he swat at a fire fly.
“Yup, she’s your great aunt.”
“Really?”
“Really…didn’t you feel something when you met her? Wasn’t it one of the nicest feelings in the world? People always say that when they finally come into contact with one of their loved ones who have passed it’s the best feeling in the world. Kind of like you are safe from harm.”
“Yeah…it did feel like that kind of.”
Grim smiled at me and nodded, “I knew it would…well, I guess we better get going. Are you feeling any better?”
I thought about that for a second, “Yeah, I think so.”
“Good, you know I hate taking people out of the woods…it’s so horrible to watch them suffer.”
“Suffer?”
“Yes, I mean like you. A totally healthy and happy boy at least when you were back at the camp…now you are in so much agony, aren’t you?”
“Not that bad…I wouldn’t say agony.”
“Right, not yet…that comes later…well, we better get going.” He stood up and offered me his hand.
“What to you mean that comes later?” I think I may have even gulped Shaggy style when he said that...I mean I could have ignored that, but I’m not a big fan of agony.
“You’ll see soon enough. Let’s go…it’s beginning to get dark and soon we won’t even be able to see the trail.”
I nodded at him but once again my eyes felt very heavy, that’s when my mind wandered back to Sarah. How warm and gentle she was. She seemed so sweet and caring, so much more than my own mother. I felt myself getting sad again, this trip was really playing with my head. “You’re mother loves you Nickolas.”
I looked over at Grim, “I don’t know about that anymore. There was a time I used to be so sure, but not anymore.”
“She does…sometimes people just have a hard time showing it.”
“She never used to.”
“Sarah used to always hold your mother in her arms…she used to tickle her stomach until she laughed. Sometimes so much so that she would cry.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you need to be more trusting Nick. Just believe what I say without doubting me so much.”
“Why wouldn’t I doubt you, I mean no offense but I have only met you once before and you made fun of me. Why should I trust you?”
He placed his hand on my shoulder and it felt warm and gentle, the same kind of warmth I felt when I came into contact with Sarah. “Am I related to you too?” I asked him when he finally pulled away from me.
“Nick, in a way we are all related to each other.”
“How so?”
“That will be explained to you some other day by someone much more important than I am.”
The night sky suddenly lit up in an array of different colors. It was almost as if there was a rainbow in darkness. “You can’t see that anywhere else.” He said to me, knowing that I was awestruck by the site. It was really the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
“What is that?”
He didn’t answer me, “Let’s go…it’s night time and what you seek is just over this hill.”
“Really?” I asked him before realizing I wasn’t supposed to ask him that anymore.
He smiled at me and shook his head. Okay maybe this Grim guy wasn’t so bad after all. “Come on…” He motioned for me to follow him as he picked up his pace. I felt so at ease for the first time in forever. All my worries were disappearing, I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m almost home…” I said to myself as I ran up to where Grim was standing.
When I got up to the top of the hill my breath was taken away…it was so beautiful and bright. The most beautiful and serene thing I have ever seen. I started crying instantly because I was so taken with its beauty and peacefulness.
“That’s home?” I asked him through my tears of joy.
“No.”
I turned around confused, “No?”
He shook his head at me, “Home for you is that way…” He said pointing down a small path which looked dark and scary. There was no rainbow shining in the night on that path, only dead looking trees and darkness.
“But what about this way?” I asked pointing back at the rainbow.
“It is warm isn’t it?”
I nodded at him but my back was turned away, I wanted to face the rainbow, have its light shine on my face. It made every pore of my body fill with the most incredible feeling of… “Love…I feel so loved.” I cried as I closed my eyes to bask in it. All the love I felt coming off of that light.
“That’s what lives in the light Nick…love.”
I took a few more steps toward it, the pain was gone and I felt like a small child again. If I wanted to run a marathon and do back flips I would have been able to. I felt renewed, reborn. Wait…did he say the light? The light was a bad thing, right?
I forced myself to take a few more steps, but this time it was away from the rainbow. I felt it pulling me...and I didn’t want to resist. I needed a hug more than anything else and that light felt like one giant hug to me, but still I pulled myself away and landed on the ground in pain…no, not pain…agony.
This one is almost over now. You probably have two more chapters. I know I said this on my Why chapter to so if you read all my stories i'm being horribly redundant lol but just in case, if you would like to vote for what type of story you would like to read next from me, go here:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Brain_Candy_mailing_list/
I'm starting to run out of ideas and by your votes, i'm hoping that an idea will pop in my brain! lol
Thanks guys for reading and reviewing!
