Daniel

Confrontation In The Dairy Shack

Nicholas moved down the stairs and to my truck. He got in and layed his head on the dashboard. I swallowed, trying not to think. The spirits were silent for the time being, leaving me hollow and burnt out.

I walked down and climbed into the drivers seat. I leaned back and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. "Daniel, we need a break."

I looked up, meeting his eyes. After a moment of intense silence I knew that Nicholas needed what he said, a break. From everything. So, I nodded and started the truck. I pushed Monica from my mind for the time being and peeled out of the driveway that lead to the cabin. Nicholas leaned back against his headrest. "Where are we going?" He murmered.

"The dairy shack, where else?" I said and Nicholas smiled.

"Of course," He sighed and turned his head to look out the window.

We arrived I don't know how much longer after that and I took a place in the parking lot near the entrance door. I pulled my wallet from the little place behind the gear shift and sifted through it. I pulled out a twenty. I needed alot of ice-cream.

I stepped out and walked to the door, Nicholas behind me. We stepped in and my nose was flooded with the smell of sweet dairy. And also I felt the spirits stir as they always did when I was around people. Every person has lost someone. Everyone expierences death.

But I was used to it and ignored it, stepping into line. I looked up at the menu, already knowing what I would order without looking. I loved this place. I ordered a milkshake to begin with and then a small chocolate cone.

I waited by the side as Nicholas ordered, flirting slightly with the younger girl. I smiled and took the ice-cream being handed to me and licked at the drippings while I waited for Nicholas to get his.

We sat down and ate in silence, just looking around. Observing. Eating. Enjoying each others presence and the calm that the cold gave me as it traveled through my body.

But then, of course, my happy moment shattered.

A man entered from the door at my back and I didn't have to look to see him as I stiffened and tried not to drop my ice-cream. The saliva thickened in my throat and I choked. The man sat down in the booth behind me, his back to mine. "Daniel?" Nicholas looked pained, "Here?"

I nodded, "Yeah, behind me. I'm sorry."

He looked down at his banana split without saying anything and I ignored the pain that his exhausted expression caused me and stood, grabbing my milkshake and moving to the seat in front of the man. He was big, stocky, with a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up exposing well muscled arms and a tattoo of a dog on his wrist. I swallowed, he looked like a skeptic. But this spirit would not be silenced until I spoke up.

So, I took a deep breath and sat, taking a deep draw from my wonderful dairy. The man looked up at me, squinting his eyes. "What do you want?" His voice was deep and intimidating.

I took a deep breath, "Sir, i'm sorry for bothering you. But...has someone very close to you died? Perhaps your wife." I fidgeted with the straw of my shake, expecting an outburst from the man. Instead he nodded stiffly, mouth in a grim line.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, you see..." I cleared my throat nervously, "Your wife, Cassandra I think?" He nodded, "Well, she's connecting with me and...wow. She is strong." He stared, still skeptical. I gritted my teeth, I had to make him see.

"She sais her death was not your fault...that...Something about a turtle?"

He gasped and went extremely white, falling back against the padded back of the booth.

"Yes, she...she," he brought his big hands up to his face and I felt his pain.

"Well, she's here with us...Middie?"

"That's what she called me," He looked up at me with tear filled eyes. "Can you really hear her?"

I nodded, "She's hear with us and she has some things to say." He nodded and leaned back again, staring at the light. I took that as a sign to proceed.

"Firstly she sais I may not call call you Middie, only Tony." A low chuckle rumbled in his chest and I smiled, so far so good.

"Second, she sais..." I narrowed my eyes as I felt the presence of others, pushing at my mind. I had to hurry. "She sais she thanks you for being there for her the entire time she was sick and that now is...is not your time to join her." I felt tears flood my vision. This man was thinking about killing himself. I swallowed, I had to get through to him.

"She sais that she hears your conversations with her and she's always there...with you. She's trying to make it known that...that she loved her life. Loved it so much with you." Trails of tears now coursed from his closed eyes and down his cheek. My voice got hoarse from holding back tears.

"Tony, Cassandra sais that the turtle is buried in the sand at the beach under the tree."

The man groaned loudly and we got some strange looks. He leaned toward me and grasped my hands, his face desperate. "Can she hear me?" I smiled weakly.

"Always." I murmered hoarsely and he sobbed.

"Baby, Cassandra, Turtle, I love you so much. What happened...it destroyed me...I can't live like this."

I gasped at the strength of her reply and my voice was strained when I relayed the message.

"You can Middie, you will, because I know how strong you are. I didn't fight that cancer for you to just give up. You will continue living because that's what I would do...if you..." I bit my tongue as my head exploded in pain and the man looked up in surprise.

He came around the table quickly, grabbing a wad of napkins from the dispenser. He pressed them into my hands, "Your nose is bleeding," He explained with concern and layed a huge mit of a hand comfortingly on my back as I pushed them against my nose.

He bent down in front of me, "Thank you for what you've done. I don't even know your name...but...you've just saved my life." His eyes shone and his wet cheeks gleamed. I smiled and choked up. He patted my back and stood. "I love you Cassandra. I understand now. I will see you when i'm ready."

He sighed, "do you need a ride to the hospital?"

I shook my head and he gave me a strong smile, and with one last voicing of his gratitude he left.

Nicholas appeared at my side and took my elbow, leading me into the bathroom without a word. I dropped the napkins into the trashcan and stuck my face under the faucet, then leaned my head back and plugged my nose. Nicholas watched this all impassively. "Would ya quit staring at me man. Tell me what you need to say."

Nicholas just sighed, his shoulders moving with the sound. I wiped my nose and sat back against the wall, pulling my knees to my chest. I couldn't believe it. I had seriously just saved a grown mans life. With this curse I had, I had done good with it.

I forced my head back against the wall and stared at the light, trying to hold back the tears. Nicholas came forward and sat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulders. "I'm proud of you Daniel."

I turned my head over to him, "You were listening?"

Nicholas grinned and repeated the words I had said to Tony, "Always."

My soul warmed and I didn't know what to say. His eyes teared up and he just said, "I know," before standing and reaching his hand out. "Are you ready Daniel?"

I smiled through my tears and took his outstretched hand in mine. He grinned and pulled me up, "Let's go."

And together we left, my soul lighter than ever before because the sense of peace I felt was amazing. Because peace was such an amazing and rare feeling for me that I enjoyed it profusely. Most people didn't understand that feeling. So pure and undiluted. As the singer of Megadeth said, 'you can't put a price on peace.'