This is too weird. I don't know how it can be happening but it is. I lost the rest of that cow herd somewhere (which I probably shouldn't have done), but they definitely aren't anywhere near the danger.
I stare at a certain spot on the ground. The leaves shift around, and definitely not by the wind either. My eyes flick up to a nearby tree where the little girl, Annie, is perched. She looks pretty terrified. I'm not sure why. She was talking about something, some shadow figure or whatever. I had no idea why but it evidently scared her to her wits end. I just know that Nessie is in these woods, apparently she can't be seen, and I have to get her back.
There's a shimmering on the ground and I stare at where I know Nessie is lying. I still can't see her, there's just this sort of aura on the ground. It's like the light is wavering in opposite directions so that I know where Nessie is.
“Skylar...” Annie says, “Nessie wants to talk to you...”
“But I can't really hear her...”
“I could...translate?” This sounds good enough to me. It will feel so good to be able to speak to my best friend again, even if her words are coming from a different body and different mouth.
“Nessie, we need to go home,” I say. It's really a stupid thing to say. Of course it is, but I can't come up with something better. I shake my head and try again, “Are you hurt?”
Annie nods her head, and a sad look comes into her eyes, “Uhhhh... yeah she is...”
“You do know that I can't see you right?” There's an awkward silence from all of us, but I think I can hear her squirming around uncomfortably on the leaves. “How bad are you hurt?”
“Pretty bad,” Annie answers for her.
“I'm gonna take you home. And you.” I direct my last words at Annie up in the tree. “I know Nessie's house will be safe. Then we can call a doctor, I guess.” I decide I should get Annie out of the tree first before trying to get Nessie up, wherever she is.
I start towards the tree she's perched in like a little bird. As I beckon for her to come down she looks at me like I'm trying to tell her to jump out of the tree and fly for the first time. She wraps her skinny little arms around the trunk of the tree and shakes her head. Her short, curly, red hair bounces around and falls into her face. “Nessie wants to know if anyone else is here."
I sigh. “I can see Annie, and she can see you. That's all. No one else.”
Annie's jaw drops open and her eyes are huge. For some reason the girl decides it's suddenly okay to climb down and is out of the tree before I can blink twice. She grabs my hand and holds on tightly as she leans up against me. I raise my eyebrows in confusion but don't question her.
We go over to where Nessie is; Annie acts as though she can see her so I let her lead. I squat down and reach forward tentatively. I'm faintly surprised when I feel warm flesh beneath my hands. I compose myself and wrapping my arms around Nessie, I lift her up. I don't know if I'm hurting her or not, but when Annie cautions me to go easy, I listen. This is so weird, I think.
Annie tells me she is in a lot of pain, and to be careful. She leans her right side against me heavily and I easily support her weight (Nessie is smaller than I am). Annie clings to my right side still. From what I can tell Nessie's right foot/ankle is pretty whacked up and she's holding it off the ground right now and can barely hold onto me.
I support as much of her weight as I can manage; we haven't scarcely taken two steps when Annie stops, turns her head, and reaching out, whimpers, “Daddy...?”
“Daddy?”
Annie nods and wraps her arm around what looks to be air. Very confused I nod my head at the air and say: “Um, I guess you're Mr. Marsh...”
We slowly start to shuffle out of the clearing. Despite the current events it's actually a very pretty day.
The sun is shining, a few late birds are chirping, there's a cool breeze that stirs my hair, leaves crunch under foot and stir in the nice breeze, tree limbs clack against each other, everything smells so fresh, and I can hear a small stream bubbling nearby.
We finish our hobble through the woods after about an hour and fifteen minutes when Nessie's house appears ahead of us. I let out a jubilant cry. We trek onward, determination pulsing through all of our veins like energy being trapped inside a lightning bolt. The pace feels too slow when the wind picks up—a lot. It's howling around us and a cloud drifts across the sun. I squint my eyes as debris smacks me in the face. I feel the other three slipping away from me, falling behind, being snatched back, pulled from my grasp.
That's when it becomes my fight.
Acting on rage at losing my best friend again I scream in anger and spinning around, latch an iron grip onto Nessie's and Annie's wrists. Annie gasps and cries out in pain, and I assume Nessie does too, but I stand my ground. I won't let them be taken from me.
“You can't do this!” I yell with confidence to be heard above the howling of the wind. “You can't do this because you haven't got the power! These people belong to me! They are my friends and I will not let you take them again! This is silly because I'm just talking to no one! You don't exist! I don't believe in you!” And I don't. I feel silly yelling at nothing but violent winds, but I felt like the others had needed to hear it.
Walking backwards I haul Annie and Nessie towards Nessie's front porch. I scarcely notice the steps. I lean backwards and kick up at the handle on the Görtz's wooden front door. It releases and feeling triumphant, I yank it open with my foot.
Giving one last haul I fling Annie and Nessie (and Mr. Marsh) through the open doorway. My strength fails, the wind stops, and I fall inside on top of them. The door shuts with a bang.
I raise my head from the wooden floor and there, lying in the patch of sunlight that streams in through the front door's window, is Nessie. I can see her. She can see me. We hug each other, laughing and crying and gasping. Annie and Mr. Marsh (whom I see for the first time) are crouched at the other end of the foyer. I look and see the Görtz family coming out of the living room with relief painted on their faces as they come to embrace Nessie. My eyes fall to Nessie's disfigured ankle and then her breathing gets shallower and shallower. She looks at me helplessly before falling unconscious right as the door handle rattles something crazy and someone yells viciously on the other side.
YOU ARE READING
The Endless Night
Action"...never walk out alone..." Rumors have haunted the property around the little cottage for years. Vanessa Görtz and her family have just moved in and her parents are taking these rumors seriously. Vanessa decides to take matters into her own hands...
