Whispering Tempest

Chapter Twenty Four - Battle, Fight, Die?

Chapter Twenty Four – Battle, Fight, Die?

“That explains her bipolar personality,” Katie announces.

“You know, I thought the same thing,” I say to my best friend. We’ve been down here long enough for me to explain a few of my newfound abilities. It’s easier for Katie to accept it since I could show her. With Xander, he had to trust me; Katie got proof. Too bad they both had to be kidnapped first.

“I knew there was something off about you,” another voice pops up. Xan, Katie and I turn to see Ryan start to rouse. He holds the back of his head where dried blood has caked part of his shoulder length hair. “Mama Ivy asked about you the night of the bonfire. She said you seemed familiar. How do you even know her? And why’d she call you Emily?”

“Um… She’s… She’s my sister.” His mouth starts to protest the logic of that but I interrupt. “Long story. No time. Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

Xander helps Ryan stand with his good arm and Katie and I scope the stairs. There were footsteps above but we haven’t heard anything since. It’s a good chance they’re still up there. But what else can we do? I refuse to be the sitting duck.

“Wait,” Ryan calls while Katie and I take the first few stairs. “I’m not leaving without my sister.”

The four of us look back to the small mass of girl sleeping in the corner. Brenda is in no way of being dainty but Ryan’s right. We can’t leave her. I just don’t know how we’re getting her up the stairs.

“Katie?”

“Don’t look at me. I’ve got no strength for myself!”

I grumble and move my best friend out of the way. Brenda is curled into a ball, peacefully asleep. My hands pause on her temple, gently searching the outer layers of her thoughts for the reason she’s still not up.

There’s darkness and only that is visible. A steady high-pitched heart monitor beeps a steady pace and her apparent family talks to her comfortingly. I hear Ryan’s childish voice too, reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My energy draws back to the cellar.

“Has she ever been knocked unconscious or something?”

“Yeah,” Ryan says with some distant pain. “When she was six, we had these horse-riding lessons and she fell from her saddle. She was out for a couple of days.”

“That’s the memory she’s trapped in,” I tell him quietly. “I’m sorry.”

Ryan unhooks his arm from Xan and limps over to his sister. He brushes her dark brown hair across her forehead. It’s painful to watch.

“Can’t you use your voodoo magic stuff to wake her,” Katie pipes in. “I mean, it’s not hard to guess you woke Xander too. What did you do to get him awake?”

For the first time, I’m glad it’s dark down here. I’d hate for Katie to see the blush on my face. The red gets more vibrant along with the pit in my stomach sinking lower when I feel Xan’s embarrassed energy too. My hand rubs my hot face. Oh my god, he remembers how he woke up.

“I don’t know,” I lie. “But I’ll carry Brenda, piggyback her up the stairs. No biggie.”

Ryan helps me situate his sister on my back and I lift with all my might. This 13 year old is not as heavy as I thought but this will be difficult. When I get out of this, I need to remember to work out more. I inhale and nod to the others.

“Now or never.”

Steps have never been more terrifying in my life. They creak under the weight of me and the comatose girl on my back. Xander and Ryan have the same problem but they move up as quiet as they can. Katie is the real issue. Being the most able body, she’s told to take the lead but she takes forever with her legs numb from fear. I’d help her with the calming technique me and Trevor were starting to work on last week but I’m dealing with too much already. She needs to man up like any normal girl would.