Surviving the Dark

Chapter 19 - Coolabah

As promised I only stayed out for an hour. When I got back Jamie gave me a small smile. Claire and Peter ended up staying for dinner. They are staying in town for the weekend and Xav has managed to convince them to spend tomorrow in the preserve.

I am getting increasingly worried about him. Since Liv said he has been acting strange a few weeks ago I've been keeping an eye on him. I may have been keeping my distance but I have still been observing.

They haven't noticed I know but Liv has been smiling down at her phone more. I have a feeling she has a boyfriend or maybe she is just messaging the guy she likes. Jamie is always leaving notes or doing little things that make me smile. I think he caught on rather quickly I was pulling away from them and this is his way of making sure I don't pull away too much.

Xavier is the one that worries me, though. It's been two weeks since he lost his bracelet. Two weeks since I found out he was my baby brother I thought I had lost forever.

Liv said that he has been getting nightmares again, worse than when he was a kid. He doesn't want to be indoors longer than needed, he has even resorted to sleeping in a tent in the backyard of their parents place to 'feel closer to nature' is what he said. It's also writing all over his face that his scars are giving him immense pain, but he will never admit it.

As he says his goodnights and goodbyes before he leave to go back to the Blu family home, I notice something else that worries me.

I walk up to Jamie and speak in a low voice so Xavier doesn't hear.

"Jamie can you drive Xavier home instead of him walking?"

He gives me a quizzical look.

"Do you not notice he looks unsteady on his feet? I also noticed throughout dinner that his hands are shaking terribly. I'm just worried that if he walks home and is alone he might not make it because he has passed out on the way."

Jamie turns to Xav and studies him for a few seconds.

"Yeah you're right. I'll make sure he gets home okay, don't worry Izzie."

He winks at me before going over to Xav and taking him home.

I help Liv clean up the kitchen, which is really awkward. I figured she would be mad at me for pulling away but I didn't think she would be so mad that I get the cold shoulder from her.

Once the dishes are put away, I leave to go to bed and read for a bit, getting the sense Liv doesn't want to be near me right now.

I can feel my self drifting off to sleep so I put my book down and turn out the light. I feel like I have only shut my eyes for a few minutes when I am waking up panting for breath and sweat running down the side of my face. It was the nightmare again. I turn the light on and see that I have actually slept through the night, the nightmare waking me up an hour before we need to meet Claire and Peter at the preserve.

Normally I wake up with Jamie rocking me back at forth trying to get me to calm down because I am screaming in my sleep. I don't this time which makes me think I didn't scream this time. I might be getting used to it. It still terrifies me but maybe I'm used to it enough that I wont scream in my sleep and wake everyone up every night now.

I quickly get dressed and brush my hair and teeth. There is a note slid under my door from Jamie telling me that they are already at the preserve.

I get to the preserve about thirty minutes later. In Jamie's note he said they would be in his favourite spot.

I walk into The Grove with my arms wrapped around myself, trying to protect myself from my own fear.

Xavier is jumping up and down excited about whatever it is he is showing to Peter and Claire. He is talking rapidly and animatedly.

Then all of a sudden he stops mid sentence and his tanned face goes pale. His hands are shaking uncontrollably, and his eyes glaze over as he stares off into space.

When I walked into the preserve I felt a sense of an area within that needed to be taken care of and soon, but pushed it to the back of my mind to deal with tomorrow.

I should have known Xav would feel it too. When I first met him, he was much like me. He would just get a sense of an area that needed to be worked on and go there. I thought this time would be like that.

I was wrong.

I should have taken into account that with him not having his Rainbow Moonstone bracelet these 'senses' would be heightened.

In a trance like state Xavier walks away from us all out of The Grove and heading to a new part of the preserve. We all start following him, wondering what he is doing and worried. I know exactly where he is going but don't say anything.

He walks to the area with the Coolabah tree. I was only here a few days ago tending to the fauna surrounding the tree. I know this is Xav's favourite spot like Jamie's is The Grove, so I figured he was here recently.

When I was here I noticed a few of the branches looked like they needed to be cut down before they rot too much and fall.

This must be why Xavier came here. He sensed that the branches that were rotting needed to be cut away before it becomes a hazard to visitors.

Slowly he comes to a stop under the Coolabah tree. When he does he blinks, coming out of his trance.
"Ah, how did I end up here?"

"Xav, honey are you okay? You went so pale then you just walked off and stopped here." Claire asks, worry etched into her face.

"Yeah," he breaths, "I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping much lately, must have had a bit of a microsleep. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"How about we take you home, you need some rest." Liv comes to stand by a trembling Xav and wraps her arm around his shoulders.
He nods. "Can we go back to yours? Mum and dad aren't home today."

"Sure thing Xav. Once you have a nap we can order pizza and have a few games of something. How does that sound?" Jamie says.

Xavier nods again and we start heading back home.

Claire and Peter reluctantly say their goodbyes when we get to the entrance of the preserve, having a long drive back they needed to leave now if they wanted to get home before it was too late.

The walk back was short but it didn't stop my mind from drifting.

'This is getting out of hand. I can't protect him like this.'

"Penny for your thoughts." Jamie smiles down at me, his arm having been slung over my shoulders without my realising.

I shrug, looking away.

"Come on Izzie. We talked about this, you can talk to us." By this stage we had reached the apartment. Liv and Xav giving us perplexed looks.

I sigh. I guess I can't keep Zae in the dark any longer. I turn to face him.

"I need to tell you something."

***********

Authors Note.

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Cassandy