Between Heaven and Hell

Chapter 2

 

Between Heaven and Hell

Copyright © 2012 by Carla Meyer

All Rights Reserved

 

 

CHAPTER 2

“Can you hear me?”

Joey fought against the darkness that was pressing down on him; pushing him further into oblivion. He heard a voice speak to him, though couldn’t find the light which led to their face. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious; quite frankly, he didn’t know what happened to cause his unconsciousness. Fear crept into his mind, and Joey fought with every ounce of power within him to surface from the darkness. Images of fire and pain flashed through his mind, though he had no idea where they came from. He felt himself clawing through the obscurity, though couldn’t seem to rise up from it.

“Stay still, you’re injured.”

He wanted to yell out to the voice to save him, to pull him out of the darkness, but he couldn’t find his voice, and neither could he feel his body. It was an odd feeling to be detached, to be left floating through the shadows.

“Clara, what’s going on?”

“Father, he’s waking up, I think. He won’t keep still,” she said, panic echoing in her voice. Footsteps approached Joey, loud and anxious, and he hoped the man would know how to help him.

“He’s running a fever, get me a wet cloth,” said the man and Joey listened as the girl’s footsteps disappeared into the other direction. He couldn’t understand how he could hear everything that was happening around him, yet he was unable to open his eyes.

The girl reappeared with a dripping cloth and handed it to her father. She had been keeping watch over Joey for the past several days, and not once had he indicated that he would wake up any time soon. She was shocked by his sudden movements, and it frightened her to think that something serious had caused his coma. They were the only people left in the little town of Devilsville after the atrocious storm of thunder and fire from a few days prior. Her father was a doctor, and as they were in the midst of the phenomenon, Clara stumbled upon Joey who lay naked and wounded in the centre of the ditch where the fire had exploded from.

At first she had thought he was dead, but she noticed his chest move slightly and immediately rushed towards him. She had called her father and they had taken Joey back to their little white house, where he had laid unconscious for days.

“Is he alright father?” she asked, peeking over his shoulder.

The man listened to Joey’s heartbeat and pulse, checked his temperature, which had risen and fallen continuously over the past few days, and looked into his eyes with a brilliant light – and Joey saw it. This was all he needed to pull him out of his oblivion, and with a start, he sat up and opened his eyes. Clara let out a tiny shriek as he made the sudden movement, and her father took a few steps backwards.

“Father, he’s awake,” she said and immediately rushed to his side.