65. Reunions(requiem) I see two men coming down the grassy hill. One is carrying a hunting rifle with a scope. I blink several times standing there silent, stunned. (Even at a distance I can tell Brian’s gait, his stride. He is waving his hand over his head. It can’t be. But it is, it has to be and who else.) My heart starts to beat very fast. Then I hear the bark of a dog. Running in front of them is the golden coated retriever, happily wagging her tail as she approaches. Seeing Sammy I am broken from my daze. I kneel and pat her head. “There is a good dog, good girl. I never thought I would see you again.” When Brian and Jacob walk up and are standing there as large as life in front of me, I can hardly speak. I just stammer “How?” over and over again. Faith rushes past me and grabs ahold of Brian, and then turns on Jacob. Hugging them both tightly and their tongues are wagging off about how they came about being here. But I cannot hear them. My head is pounding. I can only think that Brian is here, and how is that possible. “Oh my God, It is so good to see you.” She practically screams in their faces smiling at them. She may not realize that Jacob saved our lives more than once already today, but that has not diminished her obvious joy in seeing him again. After she shakes them both and nearly squeezes them to death she walks over to me and puts an arm around me. “It is amazing.” I am finally able to say. “We were lucky a few times, and we certainly didn’t come blazing down Scenic Hwy. when we got to town. I am kind of amazed you made it this far with these bikers thick as flies around here” Brian says smiling at us. “Did you lose your friends?’ He says thoughtfully losing his grin. I lose mine too remembering that I told Sergei and the others to leave after 30 minutes. “We need to go, now. Can we move Dante?” I say looking at Faith. I must have wavered because the look on her face changes to one of concern. We can, he is weak and had lost some blood but he should be able to ride. We don’t have enough room to lie him down in the back though.” Faith replies. I nod to her and then turn my attention back to Brian. “Where to?” Brian asks. (Or does he say more…a long expanse of time seems to drift by, words are said but not gathered) “We have others waiting for us back at the interstate.” (I say into an empty space) “Well you better go then.” Brian says. (His face is hardened, he looks at me but it does not fit and my mind spins on) “You won’t come with us?” Faith asks looking crestfallen.(she has that worried look in her eye and she seems to stare at me for hours I am lost in her gaze it is dreamy and sweet and a strange thought seeps into my head…Just close your eyes) I blink, but then flinch and straighten. There has been a blank space in the conversation everyone is staring at me wide eyed and Faith has been talking to me but I don’t even know what she said. “We will stay here and make sure you are not followed.” Jacob says looking down the roads and not at us.(He hasn’t seemed to look at me at all is it even him I cannot see his face) It is some moments later before I realize I have been daydreaming again. I shake myself loose of it and face Brian and very deliberately, as if I were drunk, I begin to rant. “We left you behind once man. I thought you were dead. I regretted leaving you there ever since. I am not leaving you guys behind again.” I say panting, and decide to lean over and let my hands rest on my knees. I am thrilled, but I can hardly stand. I know I would puke again if there was anything in my stomach. (My stomach what a joke…But…is the joke really on me. It seems like there is a hole inside of me as if a knot is tightening and has finally lost all slack the hole within it squeezed to nothing) Are my eyes closed. Shit they are. I shake my head but that is not working they are still closed. Panic sets in and then amplifies when I can still not open my bastard eyes. I want to scream but my mouth is sewn shut. That breaks down the universe for me it fully disintegrates. I feel a thud and an immense pain in my head, and then it is vacant it is gone) “Where are you going? What are you planning to do?” Brian asks again. “I am going to Belleview.” I say quietly. (To Me no one is here any ways and I still can’t open my eyes nor can Faith pry them open) “Belleview,” Brian laughs “How do you even know it is still there?” he asks, and then laughs again. “Wasn’t really much there to start with, it probably isn’t that bad of a plan.” Then he laughs again.(Why is he so overcome with laughter and why is he sitting. Oh I have forgotten and went mad or I am asleep again) I try to open my eyes, Faith is there again in that blue sundress. She is clean and her face does not look so hollow, we are in my room, oh yes the delusions) “What is he talking about Les?” Faith questions me. She looks concerned and has been examining my head.(I have to tell her everything so I just blurt it out, how long that has taken I have no clue. What is wrong with me? Why will my head and body not function, I cannot understand these twisted dreams anymore I just want to wake up I am so tired of this whole fake end of the world it is not real It cannot be, I cannot end like this, I know I guess if it is not a dream I am dying or maybe it is both) “I am going home. I am from here, from Belleview. I was born not far from here in Baptist hospital. I know what you may be thinking, but you don’t understand it is not for selfish reasons. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure it was safe there.” I didn’t want to tell them, it may be nothing or worse than nothing there, but it is the only real plan I have. (My home would have been perfect for us all. I truly wanted to go there but I could not dare ask myself even why. Did I miss my family? No. They were not there to miss anyway. My mother died when I was very young and my dad was so crushed by her lost that he drove three businesses into the ground and drank himself to death before my sixteenth birthday. Lind that stupid selfish asshole just had to play noble and go to Afghanistan, dead. Because of the complications with the twins, that would be me and Lind there are no other siblings I had no aunts no uncles no grandparents no other family at all anymore; just Rollins and the house. But I am in the house.) The stark realization bolts me back to consciousness. I can think instantly. My head is very sore but I can think just fine. I open my eyes and look up. I am shocked to rigidity. I am in my house. I look over and Faith is sitting in my room on the cape window stage in that blue sundress. She is smiling-no beaming- at me. I can see a trail of tears down her cheeks her eyes are red and puffy but I can see her clearly. I know for certain now that something terrible has happened to me, I do not know how or when but I have been unconscious for day’s maybe weeks. I have been brought somehow to my home, and I am alive. Awake and alive.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:54:47 +0000
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