deeper, then, he reaches her. 

      Em, sinking, looks up for her last glimpse of the light.  As she floats down, she sees Jay coming to get her.  She closes her eyes and lets herself go as Jay pulls her toward the light.  She surrenders.  She's done.

       

Ch. 10

 

     Cole pulls Em out of the water into a small cave under the waterfall.  They'rebsp;     Cole turns around to see a whole pack of hyenas.  There are enough to kill him and Em if they try.  He sees this, but tries to keep them from knowing.  He just stands if front of Em.  He's not going to lose her.  Not now.  He needs to tell her the truth.  "Back off.  Go kill yourself some antelope."

      "There aren't anymore antelope.  The herd has left.  A band of lions chased them away.  You are the only good source of food around."  The hyena chuckles as the pack moves in.  "We haven't had a good meal in three days.  There's been a shortage of antelope because of two certain lions."

       "Leave us alone.  You have no idea who you're messing with."  Cole doesn't move.  He's ready to fight for Em again.  This time, he won't lose.

       "Come on.  Don't make this more difficult than it has to be.  Tell ya what.  If you don't put up a fight, we might let your girl go."  The hyena licks it's lips. 

        "I won't take a chance on a might."  Cole turns to Em.  When he turns around, he sees her standing up.  She has no sign of tears on her face.  She turns and takes her place beside Cole.  

       "Don't hold back.  Go right ahead."

       Cole's shocked.  She's giving them her life!  She's letting them kill her!  No!  This isn't right.  She can't die this way.  But before he can react, hyenas have already leapt at her.  He starts to fight them away.  Then he realizes she was fighting back.  It was a trick!

       Em fights the hyenas.  She may not love Cole, but he doesn't deserve to die.  No one does.  She kicks and bites and hits until she's backed up to the pond.  Before she can get away, two hyenas leap and push her into the water.  She tries to swim but the hyenas hold her down.  She can't breath.

      Meanwhile, Cole is pushing back they hyenas.  When he hears a splash, he figures it's one of they hyenas.  When he hears another little splash, he realizes it was smaller than the first.  When he doesn't see Em, he knows.  He turns and jumps into the water, not caring about his secret anymore. 

      Em is losing time.  She can't breath.  She breathes in water in her panic.  She chokes.  The hyenas swim up.  Em sinks.  She doesn't care if she dies.  She might as well die now.  She doesn't even think of Cole.  Her heart has never grown back.  She just doesn't care.

      Cole swims down to her.  He can see her.   The hyenas let go.  She's still sinking.  He keeps going down to get her.  He's losing air.  His lungs are contracting.  He pushes away the burning sensation and keeps going down.  Deeper, deeper, deeper, then, he reaches her. 

      Em, sinking, looks up for her last glimpse of the light.  As she floats down, she sees Jay coming to get her.  She closes her eyes and lets herself go as Jay pulls her toward the light.  She surrenders.  She's done.

hidden from the hyenas.  "Em, Em, c'mon, wake up."  He nudges her.  She doesn't move.  Cole starts to panic.  "Em!"  He puts his head against her chest.  He hears no heartbeat.  He starts to do what Drew had showed him. 

      Em wakes up choking.  All the water in her lungs comes out and she chokes and coughs breathing again.  She feels arms around her.  She closes her eyes.  It's not Jay.  It's Cole.  I'm still alive she thinks.  She lets her head lay on Cole's shoulder.  But when she turns to see Cole, it's not Cole.  She catches her breath and backs away. 

      Jay is standing in front of her.  But, it's like a mixture of Cole and Jay.  It's like Jay with Cole's scars.  Then, her dream flashes in her mind.  The changing of scars to bleeding scratches.  All in the same spot.  There is no Cole.  Cole does not exist.  There is only Jay.

      She can't speak.  She stands there with her mouth open looking at a very uncomfortable Jay.  She watches him as he shifts around and tries to find a way to explain himself.  "Jay.....?"  She finally breathes out those words.

      "Ummm, yeah.  I don't know where to start.  Ummm, you have Drew to thank for my life.....ummmm....." 

      "Jay?  I....I don't understand.  I thought you were dead." 

      Jay doesn't try to explain anymore.  Em just isn't in the right state of mind to process this information.  Almost drowning and lack of oxygen has got her head all messed up.  "Em, how 'bout we just get back to the cave.  I'll explain everything in the morning."  He walks up to Em.

     "No.  No get back.  You're not Jay.  I saw Jay die.  You're not him.  You may look like him, but you're not."  Em backs away.  Her heart is in denial. She doesn't want to believe it.  There's no way it can be true.

     "Em, listen.  Can you not hear my voice?  Can you not see that I am who I was without the scars?  Or has pain blinded you?  Do you not love at all anymore?"  Jay looks at Em for the first time for who she has become.  Not what she used to be.

     "I can love no one but Jay.  There is no way you are him.  He...he...."

     "I love you.  I cannot let you go.  Drew kept me alive.  I don't know what he did, but he knew you loved me.  He told me you never really loved him more than me.  I didn't believe him.  He came up with this whole plan.  I would be dead right now."

     "If you were really Jay, you wouldn't have done this to me.  You would have seen how broken I was."  Em has closed her  heart.  It has been closed for a long time.  It will take a lot of convincing to make her believe Jay could be alive.  A lot of healing.

      "I had no choice.  You think I liked seeing you cry.  I cried with you.  It took all of my self control to keep from holding you when you were sad.  It broke my heart as much as it hurt.....what used to be yours.  You have blotted out every form of love.  You do not even believe that I can love you so much, that is the only reason I am still alive."  Tears are running down his face.  He doesn't know what else to say to make her believe.  To touch her in some way.

      "I can't believe you."  A tear rolls down Em's face.  "I just can't."

      Jay walks toward her.  Em just sits there with her head bowed crying.  He puts his paw to her face and lifts her head.  He looks her in the eye and says the one sentence, he knows will finally prove that he's the one she loved.  "You have no idea how far I would go for you."

      At those words, all of the barriers in her heart broke down.  She herself breaks down.  She starts sobbing uncontrollably.  She cries and cries saying his name over and over.  All the while, Jay holds his girl through the night, telling her how much he loves her.  Telling her, everything is going to be alright.

 

ole's scars.  Then, her dream flashes in her mind.  The changing of scars to bleeding scratches.  All in the same spot.  There is no Cole.  Cole does not exist.  There is only Jay.

      She can't speak.  She stands there with her mouth open looking at a very uncomfortable Jay.  She watches him as he shifts around and tries to find a way to explain himself.  "Jay.....?"  She finally breathes out those words.

      "Ummm, yeah.  I don't know where to start.  Ummm, you have Drew to thank for my life.....ummmm....." 

      "Jay?  I....I don't understand.  I thought you were dead." 

      Jay doesn't try to explain anymore.  Em just isn't in the right state of mind to process this information.  Almost drowning and lack of oxygen has got her head all messed up.  "Em, how 'bout we just get back to the cave.  I'll explain everything in the morning."  He walks up to Em.

     "No.  No get back.  You're not Jay.  I saw Jay die.  You're not him.  You may look like him, but you're

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Next page