Charlie

Chapter 7

Lying on the cold, stone floor with her tresses fanning out around her was Lydia, unconscious. When Bill saw her, he rushed to her side and his friends knelt down with him. Michael checked her pulse. It was slow. Her whole body was limp and her breathing was shallow.

"I think she's in a coma," he said.

Bill felt nauseous. "How do we wake her up?" he demanded. He took her hand in his own. It was icy.

"We'll have to jolt her somehow," said Michael.

"How can we do that?"

"I have an idea," said Ben, "It's kind of crazy."

"How crazy?" Bill was desperate.

"Fairytale crazy."

Michael raised his eyebrows at Ben.

"I don't believe in magic, but from a scientific standpoint it might be enough of a jolt."

Bill looked at Michael. "What is he talking about?" he asked.

Michael looked grim, but slightly hopeful.

"True love's kiss, Bill. Do it."

Ben nodded. "It's worth a shot."

Still holding Lydia's hand, Bill cradled her head in his other arm. He inhaled deeply, said a silent prayer, and breathed out. Then he lowered his head to kiss her. Bill poured his heart into the kiss, wishing will all his might that it would be enough. When he pulled away, he stared at her paling face, hardly daring to hope. Nothing happened.

Bill felt something wet on his cheek. A tear dripped down and landed on her hair. He hadn't realized that he had started to cry. Then suddenly, a finger twitched in his hand. It was tapping lightly, barely noticeable. The soft pad of her index finger was beating a rhythm on his hand. No, not a rhythm, a pattern. The same pattern over and over. Three short taps, three long taps, and three short ones again. This repeated several times and then he realized.

His breath hitched. "Morse code," he whispered.

She was saying S.O.S.

Frantically, he reached into his pocket to pull out a notepad and tossed to to Michael. 

"I need you to write down the letters," he instructed.

Ben and Michael both leaned in to view her small finger. The tapping had stopped, but only for a moment. She had paused to start a new message. Two short taps. A long, a short, a long, a short. On and on it went until she had spelled "I can hear you."

All three boys let out a sigh of relief. 

"She can help us help her!" Michael exclaimed.