Hidden through time

28. Buried

                  

Written 2015 by VeGirl ©

"What do you mean; we have to bury him?" I felt confused where I now sat in the back seat, trying to find signs of life in Ty. "He's not dead."

Quin casted a glance through the rear view mirror. "I told you that we draw power from the ground."

"And?"

Quin smiled tiredly. "If he's supposed to heal, we need to get him grounded."

"I don't suppose the hotel have a policy against digging in their yard, do they?" I intended for it to be a joke but came to think of the magical forest I had walked through. "I know! Turn west. How is your hand by the way?"

He waved it off, but it didn't look well. His strained breathing bothered me even more.

We managed to find a detour into the forest close by where Charles and I had celebrated our fifty year anniversary before everything went downhill. My magical forest, where I had been certain I had found the fountain of youth, was my destination.

"This is splendid!" His voice sounded flat and did not express what the words said. Quin stopped the car and was halfway around it in no time. It was urgent.

I bolted out of that car. "I have a shovel in my boot I think."

"Why do you have a shovel in your trunk?"

I glared at him through narrowed eyes. "To bury the occasional victim of course." I pursed my lips. "It's one of those fold away's and I got it for Christmas if I happened to be stranded in a pile of snow somewhere."

Quin made a face to let me know he was impressed. "Neat."

I immediately went to find that shovel while Quin once again lifted the unmoving friend over his shoulder. "Is there anything else you need?" I tried to check his hand, but the darkness that surrounded us made it nearly impossible.

Quin gave me a tired smile. "No, just the shovel." He headed towards the woods close by. Anyone who saw us would probably assume that we were getting rid of evidence. I had been meeting people in that exact location before and hoped we wouldn't meet anyone right now. I guided Quin to the left instead.

"Doesn't he need water as well? There is a well just over there." I pointed to the left, feeling that the sarcasm might have been a little misplaced.

"No he'll be fine, but he is quite out of it." Quin's voice was getting even more strained and I could tell that he was not okay at all. Ty's body was being carefully dumped in the moss covered ground before Quin took the shovel and started to dig.

"Is this like a grave?" I sat by Ty's head, stroking the long hair out of his face.

Quin snorted weakly. "I'm not going to bury him; he is not a vampire."

"Vampires? Now you're just mocking me..."

He smiled even wider. "I am." Despite the smile, I noted how tired he looked. He dug one hole a few feet wide and then he dragged his friend's feet over to it, pulled his shoes and socks off and placed those feet in the hole. The same procedure was repeated for each of his hands while I questioned his sanity.

When Quin dug another couple of holes, pulled off his own shoes and planted them in the ground I couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Do you want me to pour water on you as well?" It was an attempt at a joke, but didn't hit the mark.

Quin sat down heavy. "No, just be quiet," he whispered exasperated and closed his eyes.

I was startled by his fatigue and obligedly sat down in the moss between the tall men. I didn't know what to say or do, so I basically sat there watching them. Just as I had been stroking hair out of Ty's face, I did the same with Quin's dark hair. It felt ominous that his reaction was was just as absent as his friend's had been. Darkness surrounded us and I absentminded wondered what time it was. I wrapped my arms tight around my knees as the ominous feeling chilled my bones.