He Thought He Saw – Part 65

After a tense few minutes, they finally dig Brian out of the ground, to find that he’s not breathing. Heath, Miles and Claude work on him, trying to heal him.

Jordan insisted on taking over the artificial respiration. She knew what she was doing, her father had trained her himself. As she waited for the doctor to do his compressions, she looked Brian over.

“His amulet,” she said. “Where’s his amulet?” She gave him the breaths before insisting that the others look for it.

Her father traded off with her so she could look around for Brian’s necklace. It was nowhere to be seen. Determined to find it, Jordan cast out with her mind, calling to it. She knew it, had touched it, it was part of her just as it was part of Brian. She saw it in her mind, deep in the earth.

“Zofia! Janus!” she called to the dogs. Touching their heads, she showed them what she needed.

The two dogs moved to the hole, digging quickly. Dirt flew several feet into the air as they sank deeper. Jordan stood beside them, moving the earth as they clawed it up. Soon, she saw a glimmer of metal. A few more inches and she saw part of the crystal. She hopped into the hole, digging with her hands until she had freed it.

“Got it!”

With the help of Andre, Chase and Sweet, she got out of the hole. She slipped the amulet over Brian’s head and kissed him on the cheek. His skin felt cold, clammy.

“Don’t you dare die,” she whispered in his ear. “You come back to me, dammit. You’re mine and I’m not letting you go. You gave me my first kiss. You have to be around to give me more. Besides, I owe you a whack with a pillow for that panties remark. Don’t you dare die, I have to get even.”

Jordan put the amulet close to his skin, right over his heart. She placed her palms on top of it. Glancing over her shoulder at her friends, she called them to her silently. Standing in a circle around Brian, they knelt down, taking hands. Chase was to Jordan’s right, Marissa to his left, then Andre, Louisa, Sweet and Ginnifer, who clung tightly to Jordan.

“Breathe!” Jordan commanded. “Breathe! Heart, beat.”

Mist swirled up from the ground, heading for Brian. It dove into his nose and mouth, expanding his lungs. Gasping, he started breathing on his own. His chest tightened under her hands and with a flutter, his heart started beating.

Moments later, the ambulance arrived. Paramedics strapped Brian onto a gurney and loaded him into the waiting vehicle. Dr. Beauchamps went with him. Heath drove Miles and Maribelle to the hospital, leaving the others to explain to the police what had happened.

“Let me do the talking,” Cliff Finley said as they waited for the officer to pick her way through the mud.

“Go for it,” his son replied. “Never saw anyone as good at Dad as talking himself out of a ticket.” He put his arms around Marissa, who shivered next to him.

The police and ambulance drivers had doled out thermal blankets. Each couple shared one, holding one another close as Mr. Finley talked to the sergeant who had been at Brian’s house. He wove some story about coming out here for a cookout when an earthquake struck.

“Brian must have been right on a fault line,” he said. “Sucked him right in. We dug him out, but he was in a bad way. Fortunately, we had Dr. Beauchamps here and another fellow who used to work as a paramedic. They got him squared away until the ambulance got here.”

“That’s quite a story, Mr. Finley.” She didn’t sound like she believed him.

“Well, maybe you’ll like this one better. We came out here to hunt a demon that’s been causing trouble around town. When he went back on down the abyss, he dragged Brian with him and we pulled him out by magic.”

The sergeant laughed, shaking her head. “Clifford Finley, you were always the best story teller in school. I swear, I don’t know how your wife puts up with you.”

“Cause I keep her laughing,” he replied. “Thanks for your time, Amy.” He took her hand, gazing into her eyes. “You know what went on here. It’s plausible and looks good on a report.”

“It’s plausible,” she murmured. “And looks good—on the report.”

“We’d best get these kids home to bed,” Cliff said. “Is that okay, Amy?”

“Yeah. Sure.” She sounded slightly dazed. “Yes, get the kids to bed.”

They loaded up in the vehicles and drove to the Finley’s house, which was closest. Everyone had hot chocolate and leftovers from the bonfire evening. As they were cleaning up, Jordan’s phone rang. It was her father.

“Hey, honey. Good news. The doctor said Brian’s going to be fine.”

“How did you explain the gore in his side?” she asked.

© 2016 Dellani Oakes 

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