Is this Rare?

Chapter 37

I head downstairs. When I'm close to the bottom step, I call to Maggie, "Maggie! I forgot--"

But, I am cut off by what I see when I enter the living room where Ann is laying on the couch. Maggie is standing by the door that leads to the kitchen. With Jennifer. Then, I forget all about forgetting my brush and just let out a little shriek.

"Jenn!" I exclaim as I wrap her in a hug. I squeeze her tightly. But, Jennifer doesn't seem to have the strength to squeeze me back. So, I say the dumbest thing I could ever say after what happened to all of us, "I thought you were dead!"

"Yeah. So did I at one point. Or more than once." She says with a tiny hint of humor. But, it's not the same as the old Jenn. Will she ever be back to normal? And what about Ann? Will she ever come out of her coma? Will Maggie and myself recover? Mentally, physically and emotionally? Will we all ever be normal again?

Then, trying to be my normal self, I ask, "How did you make it out?" As I'm saying this I cross my arms. I think that is what I would do in any normal situation.

"Well, let's just say, I had some help." She says solemnly.

But, Maggie and I press her from more information with one simple word, "WHAT?"

Reluctantly, she answers us, "Joan rescued me."

"JOAN?" Maggie and I exclaim at the same time.

She continues without any questions from us, "Joan came back; she said to head to the city anyway. I asked her why she came back and she said it was none of my business."

"That's strange." I say with, what I think, is a lost look on my face. After what I've been through I know that all Joan and her daughter, Andrea, wanted to do was leave this cursed place. I clear my mind because Jennifer is talking again.

"Joan-uh-she--risked her life to save mine. She told me to leave and with much.....hesitancy..... I did."

I begin to say something unimportant, "But, you came back, maybe--"

I'm cut off by sirens in close proximity to us. My brain process them. They must be the help I told Maggie to call for. Jenn's face lights up as she says to no one but herself, "I knew those were real!"

Then, Maggie says, having slowly processed the sounds, "Is that--?"

"Is that the help?" I cut her off and bound over to Ann.

I squat beside her and hold her hand, "It's ok, Ann. Someone is here to help you. Don't worry one of us will be with you all the time. We won't let you be alone or leave our sight. I promise" I whisper to a still unconscious Ann. I know that this is one promise I will never break.

Then, Jenn pipes up, "We should go out there."

"I'll stay with Ann." I offer, for two reasons. One, I'm already stuck in a sitting position next to Ann. Two, I don't want to get up.

Jenn looks at Maggie, "Okay, let's go."

Then, they walk out the front door. I sit next to Ann. I brush through her knotted hair with my fingers. I've always been the girly girl of all of us. And, honestly, I know that there's not much I can do for Ann right now. In her condition and mine. But, I know it's best not to move her. So, untangling her hair seems the best thing right now, for me.

I do her hair for about five minutes and then three uniformed men bust through the front door, lifting a stretcher up the steps and wheeling it into the room. They stop right next to the old couch. I stand and let go of Ann's hand. Two of the men move her onto the stretcher and the other holds in in place.

Once she is strapped down they begin to wheel her outside. Quickly, I hop next to her and hold her hand again. On the way to the emergency vehicle, we pass Jenn. She is talking to a man, who looks familiar. Damile! Our taxi driver! When we pass her, she quickly grabs Ann's other hand and asks an EMT, "Is she going to be ok?"

The EMT give Jenn a quick, quiet answer that I don't catch it. He stops the stretcher next to the ambulance and begin to check on Ann when another men walks up and asks Ann about her injuries. He pulls her aside to get examined. Just then they lift the stretcher and place it into the open back of the vehicle. A police is just about closes the door when Maggie taps him on the shoulder, "Can I go with her? She'll need a friend when she wakes up."

He agrees, "Alrighty. Get in the back."

She hops into the back quickly. The doors are shut. I stand and wave goodbye to them. Jennifer returns from being examined. She closes her eyes and I reach out and grab her arm, for comfort.

The same police that Maggie had just talked to comes up to us. "You're Jennifer? And Chelsea?" He asks us while pulling out a notebook.

We both nod in unison.

He smiles and asks again, "And, your friends Maggie and Ann where in the ambulance, right?"

We nod again.

Then he continues, "Ok, just checking. Do you mind if I ask you some questions so I can know what really went on here?"

This time, Jennifer answers, "No, go ahead."

I decide to let Jenn do all the talking, besides she's better at talking to strangers. I just stumble over my words and make a fool of myself.

The police, who's name tag says Edward, ask the first question, "Now you all arrived four days ago, right?"

We both nod, yet again.

"What happened between then and today?" He asks.

Jenn gives me a look and I return it with an uneasy nod.

Edward assures Jenn, "It's ok, take your time; just be honest."

Jenn launches into a detailed story of the last few days. Edward is taking notes all the while.

When Jennifer finishes with a breath, Edward nods, "That was--uh--interesting."

He is summoned by one of the other police, who's tag reads, Winston. I reach out and take Jennifer's hand again, "It's going to be okay."

She smiles at me but turns because Edward is coming back towards us. With a confused expression on his face, he asks Jenn again, "You said there was another cabin around here, right?"

Not surprisingly, Jenn just nods.

Edward's face becomes even more twisted up in thought, "Well, according to me men, there are no reports of another cabin. This is the only one."

"B-but that's not possible." Jenn stutters.

"And you said there was a woman maned Joan? And Andrea? Anderson was their last name?" He adds.

Yet again, Jennifer just gives a slight nod.

Edward breaks, "According to the county records, there is no one by that name."

Getting tried of all this back and forth, I decide to go sit on a stump, not far from Jennifer and Edward, but far enough that I can't hear the conversation.

Eventually, Jennifer looks at me a sighs. "Where is my camera?"

Of course! That is one thought that I can put together without explanation. She runs off to find her camera.

I don't know if she finds it or if she just gives up, but either way, Edward has decided it's time to leave and get us to a place where we can get properly treated.

Jennifer come near me, holds out a hand, and says, "Come, let's go." I grab her hand as we walk to the taxi. We climb in and Damile starts vehicle. As we are driving away I reach down and grab Jennifer's hand again. I give it a squeeze. I lean over onto Jenn's shoulder and fall into a land of sleep. The last thing I remember is Jenn whispering something, but I'm to drowsy to catch the words.

Eventually, my eyelids close and I can feel Jennifer's arm around me. I feel like a little kid and I like it. Friends and friends no matter the distance, situation, or circumstances.