COLD SUNRISE

A voice, an angel voice calling my name on the surface.

“Oh no, Nathan! Nathan! No!” The voice cried in horror, there were other voices too but I couldn’t clearly make out what they were saying.

“Nathan, please! You listen to me alright, you’re going be fine, I’m going to fix you okay, I just need you to hang in there for me,” her voice was frightened, I tried saying something but I couldn’t find my voice.

“Lock! Dad! I need help.” Raven called out in agony.

“Hey, Hey, Hey, stay with me!” My head was nestled on her warm arm, i felt darkness pulling again.

“He’s bleeding out, have you tried healing him?“The calm voice sounded more like Locks.

“Yes I’m trying, but it’s not working, there’s something wrong with my abilities.“She cried.

“No there isn’t, your mind is fluttering because your upset,” another voice replied it sounded firm and matured.

“Stop the tears sweetheart and focus, you’re a healer, you’re the only one that can save him.”

The uneasiness in her breath calmed a bit when she placed her cool palm on my forehead.

Their voices growing distant by each passing second, i forced to hold on, only to feel myself slipping

.“Stay with me, Nathan! Please stay with me,” her distant voice was the last thing i heard.

A warm bright light, a white room when i opened my eyes, don’t worry I’m sure its not heaven.

I was propped up on an uneven bed with rails, a light blue curtain hung on he window behind, the gentle sunray on my skin.

I made it, after all that happened, I’m still alive. A smile stretched across my lips, i was grateful to be this time.

Then it hit me, damn it! I didn’t make it back home for dinner, i did it again, i have put my grand folks under a lot of pressure by now the hospital must have informed them I’m here,

Well, right now i wasn’t feeling any form pain or discomfort anywhere, which was a good sign plus i was famished though i felt very weary.

I noticed the IV on my hand when i tried to move, i lifted my other arm to rip it off, my fingers slipped through the clear tubes like air, I couldn’t hold it. It stunned me for a sec, then i tried again and grabbed it. I sighed, the hunger was already making me delirious.

I hoped i was just brought in yesterday, cause the last i awake in a room like this Three solid weeks had passed.

I pray its not the case again this time, in fact, I’m positive on it, cause inside me i feel lighter, healthier somehow.

Memories flooded in as my hands strayed towards my belly, the event yesterday when that catlike moving redhead sank her claws into me,

From what i could detect down there, my stomach was smooth, no scars, no injury all smooth like nothing happened, luckily i knew who to thank for that.

“Hey, you’re awake!” There she was, her radiant smile lit up the place the moment she walked in, i found myself more at ease.

“How’re you feeling? ”

“I feel fine, for someone’s who was recently in the jaws of death, i guess i have you for thank for that,” I said cheerfully.

" i brought you a little something to eat,”

“Oh,”

She pulled out the adjustable table joined to the bed placing a lights bag containing a bottle of orange juice and cheeseburgers.

“Hospital food sucks, so i figured i should...”

“Wow! Thanks,” i grinned nodding, she’s such a life saver, i was very hungry, without hesitation, i pounced on it.

“Mhmm, this is good,” I muttered

God! The taste was so sublime, I savored it.

Something quickly caught my eye when i looked at her again, she seemed different somehow, i can’t explain.

My eyes strayed to her hands, there were markings on it alike to the one’s i saw on her little cousins when i had dinner at her place, i was very certain those weren’t there yesterday from what i could remember, i stopped eating as uneasiness crept into me again,

“What’s wrong? ” she asked sitting besides me when she noticed the puzzled look on my face.

“Tell me, how long have i been here?” i carefully took her hand, rolling up the sleeve of her jacket, the marking looked like they extended into her arms.

The grin on her face faded.

“Nathan, you just awoke, you’ve been through a great ordeal, i think it’s best you focus on your health, that’s what matters,” oh no! this can’t be good, she talking almost the same way as doctor Shannon, the last Time I came out of a coma.

“How long?” I urged sternly.

" Four months and two days,” she answered.

“What! No, no, no, that can’t be right, we just went through hell yesterday.” i couldn’t let myself believe it.. no, no, not again, four months of my life can’t be gone, i was distraught.

" please, just tell me its not true or i might just loose my shit here,” she sat calmly watching my reaction with her poker face. Then she chuckled.

“What’s funny?”

“It doesn’t take much to rile you up does it, don’t worry i was just kidding, you were brought in last night,” she said laughing.

“That wasn’t funny, you shouldn’t play with a patient’s emotions like that.” i exhaled in relief.

“I like you scared, i wanted to see the look on your face.”

“Did everyone make it? ”

“Yeah, we’re all fine for now. Eat, you’ll need your strength.”

“What about my grand folks? ” i asked.

“The hospital contacted them, they came last night, they should be back any moment from now, for all they know you were diagnosed with low blood pressure.”

“Really, only that. That’s ironic considering the fact I almost had my insides almost pulled out.” I scoffed.

" i healed you but you lost a lot of blood,”

“Alright, so what’s with the marking on your arm. i didn’t see that yesterday or did it just happen overnight,” i asked.

Raven took a deep breath.

“Don’t worry it’s nothing, ” she grimaced.

“It’s your awakening thing isn’t it, it’s started,” I said, the marking was part of the signs.

“It’s not your problem,” she muttered straightening her sleeve.

“It is, when I know I might be the cause of it, this wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t trying to help me."

“Oh! let me guess you want to take the blame, what good with that do?”

“What triggered it, how did it happen to tell me, please.”

“It doesn’t matter Nate, its happened there’s nothing we can do to change that,” she murmured.

“It matters to me,”

“Fine! You want to know, okay, i jumped you to a safe place to give you a chance at survival then you come back and ruin everything is that what you want to hear.”

" if i hadn’t come back, she would have killed you,” i stated clearly.

" i had it under control, “she said.

“You can’t fault me for not thinking only about myself, i came back because i care about you,”

“I know, I’m sorry, i just don’t want to think about what follows with this.” She muttered lowly.

“The moment she hurt you something snapped in me, i haven’t felt such rage before, i lost myself in it, that was the trigger.”

“What you did was a marvel, you ripped out that poor woman’s arm, jeez!logically speaking do you know the amount of force it would take to do that,” I said amazed.

“Looks, like you’re a hell of a lot stronger when you’re angry, remind me not to piss you off,“I gently took Her hand in mine.

“You’re scared of me now aren’t you?” She smirked.

" it’s a joke,”

“I know, but I’ll keep your request in mind anyway.”

“Since I’m alive and so is everyone else that means we won right,”

“This time, the council had plans for you and we ruined that, so I’m not sure what’s next.”

“But don’t worry, Michael and lock plan on traveling to Rome, they’ll meet with the council and they’ll probably work something out,” she assured.

" so your Dad and old boy will Just walk into the belly of the beast,”

“They’re doing it for us, this war, this fighting, my brothers and I are just at the first stages of our lives and its the 21st century they shouldn’t be a meaningless feud between us and our kind.”

“Take it as them trying to consider all options.”

" and if dialogue doesn’t work? ”

“Let’s hope it does,” Raven said, I let it drop.

“We need to get your story straight, for your folks before they get here,”

“Yeah, about that,” I muttered remembering how necessary it was, the second they I’ll have a lot of explanation to do.

Now I wish the car hadn’t crashed and Adam and Chris didn’t have to rip the doors to pull raven and me out.

Those things would definitely put holes in, my story. I have to find a way to fill that up.

“Here’s what you tell them, you were driving fast to get home, you followed a lonesome shortcut. it was raining you couldn’t clearly see a wild dog trying to cross and the moment you did, you hit the brakes and tried Sterling away, the car flipped instead and you don’t remember much of anything else,”

“A wild dog really?” I tried to put it into consideration, I mean it sounded kind of funny.

“Well, I’m all ear’s if you’ve got something better besides you’re a guy, creative lies should come easily to you.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. don’t use the guy thing against me, all I’m trying to say is there might be a flaw in my story is laid down like that.”

“For one your brothers ripped both my car doors when trying to help us and Frank is a mechanic he’ll figure out I might know more than saying, plus I don’t have a single scratch on me that indicates I was even in an accident,” I explained.

“seems like your blood healed me a bit too well.”

“It did,” she agreed.

“Then there’s the issue about the two patrol cops that saw us, and one of them got flipped. God knows what happened to him.” I was just analyzing the whole situation wishing there was someway we could cover our tracks. I mean by now my car would have been found a couple of miles on that same route and if they connect the dots it leads straight to me, cops should be at the door any time from now.

“That cop, the one that got flipped with his vehicle, his name was Shane Wright, he died instantly, he’s been on the news all morning.”

“Jesus! ” I grumbled.

“There’s nothing to be worried about Adam’s been busy, he’s covered our tracked in a way it doesn’t lead back to any of us, he met with the sheriff, the other patrol cop and the detectives on the case made a little adjustment in their minds. ” Raven said.

“you don’t have to worry much, besides your grandparents will happy to see you well, than ask a lot of questions, and your grandfather is a mechanic, not a detective, there’s no way he’ll know your not completely telling the truth.”

“I’m sure I’ll figure something out,” I replied.

“You’ll have to make it very convincing,”

“I know,“I used the juice to quench the dryness in my throat. Our activity yesterday had cost a cop his life, I tried not to quickly slip down into guilt, God helps me. Raven sat cautiously static, her eyes observant but not of me, her mind strayed somewhere else.

“What’s wrong? ” I asked.

“Time for the real performance, your grandparents are here, they just walked into the reception hall.” She gave a half smile.

“You can feel them from here?” She nodded, that shouldn’t be a surprise to me either.

“I’ll need to go away for a bit.” She perked me on cheek about to leave.

“Wait, you can do your cloaking and stay, I’ll only be able to see you.”

“I think you guys need the privacy, we’ll meet later though after they check you out of this place.”

I nodded slightly in agreement.

I understand it was necessary to keep my grandparents from the things I know and raven not being around was also a smart idea. Now the question is for me what next after all of this.

A normal person should be scared shitless enough to bolt out of town.

I tried to grab the juice on the table, suddenly it leaps from my grasp to the floor, I stared at my hands frightfully cause it happened before my eyes and I can’t deny it, it took place for real, it’s not my mind playing tricks on me.

I could hear Frank’s voice as they approached the room doors, a minutes later after Raven had left, Judy was talking to someone perhaps a nurse, she sounded tired and stressed out, I’d wager she didn’t really sleep well last night hate doing this to them.

Judy was the first to walk in, Frank was behind her, the relieved look on her face like always.

There are two Types of secret, the ones you don’t want to share and the ones you should never let out.

Both with their weights, the longer you keep them the harder it is to move on. True talk. Except there’s a good reason for keeping them.

I explained to Judy about what happened using raven’s idea it was convenient at the time, Frank said he’s towed my car to the garage, from what he noticed, there were unexplained things about its appearance that didn’t totally match what I had told them. He gave me the I might know more than saying look.

I knew he’d be the difficult one, Judy was just glad I was okay.

Well, I tried making it convincing using the I don’t recall much cause I passed out card.

But I don’t think my appearance sold it without making him a bit suspicious. I looked too unscathed for a person involved in an accident like that.

Judy believes it was the lord’s handwork, he protected me cause of her, she wouldn’t have known what to tell Diane.

By noon I got checked out and I was back home trying to return to normalcy, the calm feeling of alleviation settled in when I thought about all we’ve been through Over these past few months finally over.

On the news was a broadcast of a double homicide investigation in green river forest, a couple on a camping trip with their six-year-old son, based on the child’s statement to the cops they were murdered by a redhead female, he got taken in by social services.

Another dead body found on the freeway from Utah to Denver, a middle-aged Mexican. His stolen car found in front of a motel in Franklinton. An investigation concluded that the female suspect of the murders of the couple in a park river was also the same assailant.

But I already knew who she was, she almost killed me yesterday, cops shouldn’t bother looking for her, I’m guessing the Lansdale’s must tucked her body in a place where no one will find her.

I skipped to the towns news channel, the sheriff on an interview relating to a suicide in a gas station.

A cab driver had driven into a gas station at late noon yesterday, picking up the refilling hose according to the gas station manager, showering himself with gasoline from the top of his head and took had his lighter from his pocket setting himself ablaze.

A lot of weird things happened yesterday.

Scarlet shared message coming from Franklinton high board of administration, no schools for the week until repairs and clean up are done,

Seems apart from the school block the sports field was also littered with blackbirds.

Then another about a weekend party at Wade’s place on Friday,

Oh, I’m so not going, pretty much cause I’ve got something better and incredibly satisfying that will be happening on my end, me and the prettiest girl in school on a second date at my place since the first last week didn’t end up so well. Plus this time I was a bit more sure about how she felt about me, yesterday proved it. Although she’d want to use her tough personality to cover her softer side. Raven’s wired like every other just a bit complicated.

We only live once, I should make every minute of life worth it.

I got a call from Raven, she suggested we meet at my porch in an hour, she had something for me.

I went up and got a shower, fitted myself into some fresh clothes, made a sandwich from the fridge and downed it with a soda.

I waited while watching an interview of a scientists or maybe some environmentalist giving his expertise on a reasonable explanation to the crows going haywire on the town’s school, there were just bunch of confused people trying to find a rational explanation for what they can’t understand.

My favorite was when a man called in giving his own opinion on what might have been the cause. His voice was sour and erratic like he’s had too much to drink.

“What happened was a sign from God, revealing there was something wrong with this town, there might not be any scientific convincing enough explanation on why it happened because it’s occurrence wasn’t natural, it was supernatural and this might not be the end.”

The way the fella talked, he might as well be high as a kite, his comment didn’t totally make much sense but he was right on track.

I stepped outside after turning off the TV-set, raven arrived a few minutes later parking at her usual spot across the street, she had dark gloves on this time, I’m sure it’s to cover the markings on her hand, not to draw unwanted attention cause they looked pretty weird.

She handed me my backpack which she said recovered from the Pontiac after they took me back to crash site and called 911, Adam wiped the memory of their faces from the paramedics that showed up, putting in a new idea that they got a report from an unknown caller.

In the bag was the dagger she gave me, and the colt I used though it was pretty useless on the occasion but served its purpose.

I’m guessing Raven returned it cause she knew it had some sentimental value to me, it was my Dad’s.

Underneath the look in her eyes and her soft smile, I could see the worry she had for herself, a storm had past ushering in a new one, the way she talked about her awakening like a nightmare that evening at the cabin.

In someway I can’t shake this feeling that all of this is partly my fault, she was just trying to help me and now it’s about to cost her.

I sat at my computer at night sorting through my emails and social media messages, message from old friends, schoolmates and whatnot from Arkansas, pictures of my old basketball team on Instagram with coach Tanner, broad, tall and dark always too stern for his own good, a lot of history between both of us. part of the reason I stopped enjoying to play basketball. this time looks like they won the states championship, my buddy Larry a shooting guard, right next to him was Connor, rich white boy, always felt too self-important although he was the captain so that kind of counts.

The emails were mostly from Diane, she’s always whining about something like why I haven’t written back to her in weeks, why haven’t called her and she gets to be the one always doing it, you know stuff like that.

I know I was kind of being a jerk about it, so I decided to start tonight I begin to make amends, not just her also some other things.

It’s funny I had to step an inch closer to death twice to order realize that.

I called Diane that night, we talked for almost an hour, actually it was a pretty much one-sided conversation, she kept narrating all her exotic experiences she’s had with Harvey, the cooperate case he won and they’ve bought a mansion, the place they’ve set out their vacation, you know how women talk when they’re obsessed about a good looking guy with deep pocket, I just sat quiet and let her talk, responding when I needed.

Seems like She’s been having a great with him since I left, I’m truly happy for her.

The call ended over a minute ago when I started feeling this intense migraine at one side of my head like it was about to explode, I had aspirin in one of my desk drawers, i took it hoping in some minutes I’ll be relieved of the pull.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face, the pull only got worse, i thought at some point it might even drop me when i saw how dim my eyes were at the mirror.

I tried getting some water on face, there something weird about the it when i turned the tap, it rustled pouring down the sink for seconds then it began slanting slowly shifting away, next I was staring at floating water in a long twist out of the sink pouring to bathroom floor, i don’t know if this was real or i was hallucinating.

I sharp felt a release from the migraine, that seized my breath, my eyes bulging out in response when inhaled, the mirror suddenly cracked splitting my reflection, bathroom light started to fluctuate. From my dozen half faces, i saw blood streaming down one side of nose.

I knew there was something seriously wrong with me, this wasn’t the first time today, it started at the hospital and then when i got home, some of the stuff in my room when i just kind of look at them, they start shifting on the their own.

I stayed awake till 1 am thinking about it, this can’t be a side effect for cheating death twice, i mean, I’m sure a some people in the world have gone further that, or is it happening because an unnatural means was used to achieve it.

God! Now I’m getting superstitious.

I can’t tell raven about this, she has enough on her plate already, maybe a good rest and in a couple of hours, this thing will wane away.

I started with house chores by morning, mostly cleaning, i had breakfast with my folks after that, Frank left for work. I told him I’ll be coming over to the shop later to asses the damages on the Pontiac, I’ll want to use my savings for repairs, i wouldn’t want him doing it for free.

For the past few days my room had been a wreck, i decided to take the morning and get things in order, i kept shoving the taught of what happened last night away, i had my life back, for now, that’s all that matters even if its some versions of it.

Last night sleep topped the best i have had in months, plain dark and peaceful, no dreams, no nightmares.

I began by unloading my wardrobe, i first hid the contents of my bag raven brought in yesterday then took down Aaron wall board photos dropping them into a box same with some books around i didn’t deem useful.

Putting back the wardrobe contents, i took out that leather covered journal i got from the lake house weeks ago.

While scouring around corners and deep into the desk drawers i found a picture with date written in a cursive written behind, APRIL 16th 1986, i turned to teenage Aaron smooching a blond haired girl on a beach, Dad you stud! i couldn’t totally make out her face cause of how buried she was in his, but i had my suspicion on who it was.

Amanda Blackwell scribbled at the lower part of picture.

Cold sunrise.

A title written at the first page of the journal.

- We come from different worlds, but from the moment we met, we knew our lives would never be the same.

The sentence at the back page then nothing else written after that, it was blank pages. An empty book.

i knew Aaron was referring to her. Their Relationship went beyond their teenage lives, so wasn’t just hormones or mere infatuation,

But they never ended up together.

Who would have guessed a little bit of history would try repeating itself between Raven and I

He never wrote anything else on the journal, cause maybe they wasn’t anything much to be written about, Who knows maybe the journal wasn’t for him to begin with, I took the empty journal to table, picking up a pen when a thought crossed my mind, i had something to say but I couldn’t make it out, so I took breath shutting my eyes for a second to clearly listen to the first in line my head as I recalled all my experiences since I step foot in this town and I started.

I live, I die, I live again.

Nathan was led into a private room by a nurse in an acute long-term care hospital, an unconscious man laid on the bed before him.

E.t tubes inserted in his mouth, other clear tubes on the chest and arms, at least the visible ones, today being his first time of seeing a live patient in a coma, the expression of plain nothingness on Aarons’ face, it was sad, the absence of the mind from body.

Why did he come? what had urged him, after all, this time Nathan questioned himself, yes, the man was his Dad, but he barely knows him anyway, so why should he care.

Closure, he thought. The answer to the question to his mind.

He needed to meet his father for the first Time in the real world, they owed themselves that much even if it was a one-sided experience,

They’ve met once although it was more of a surreal experience.

Nathan sat in the chair beside the bed staring at the calm-faced brown-skinned man, he once believed was somewhere out there and one day might probably come home, but in truth there might not be much of a life for him to be a part of anymore, he’s kid is all grown up, his wife Diane mourned for years and now she’s moved on, His old girlfriend Amanda Blackwell died five years and a lot has changed in seventeen years.

“I don’t know where to start, I don’t know if I should address you as Dad or Aaron but honestly I think I prefer Aaron it comes with a less complex feeling when I say it,” Nathan said.

“I’m here cause I finally decided to do something right for a change, I’m not sure you can hear me but I think I kind of understand what it is to be in your shoes, part of your life completely gone while your asleep or trapped inside yourself, although you can’t compare three weeks to seventeen years, plus I had someone as a safety net. ” He paused listening to the monitor at the same time lost in deep thought.

" part of me still wishes you’d just one day miraculously open your eyes, I know that highly unlikely guessing what happened to you, I mean why hope on a miracle that had seventeen years to happen but never did.

“Still I want you to know if in case you do, I’ll be here every step of the way to help you adjust to the new world. I know it sounds like a child’s dream but I don’t mind.”

He hesitated before deciding to take Aaron’s hand, he gave a slight nod for goodbye, unexpectedly the sound of the monitor went haywire, seconds after he made contact.

The eye of the motionless patient flicked wide open, he swiftly grabbed Nathan by the wrist with a firm grip.

“What the hell...Nurse! Nurse! Somebody get over here I need help.” Nathan yelled in Alarm.

Outside the hospital building, two men on a dark trench coat and Stetson with black umbrellas standing at the lot staring at the room window upstairs as Nurses rushed in.

“It appears everything is going according to plan, ”

“Yes,”

“So what do we do now?”

“I guess it’s time we introduce ourselves,”