Desert Snow... Pt 6

Sharu wasted no time letting the three of them know she was Angry. With the wave of her hand, Dan and Bernie were tossed across the sand dune like rag dolls. She waved her hand again at Marlene. As the ripples of force struck Marlene, a look crossed Sharu face of both surprise and knowing. Marlene stood exactly where she had been before the wave of Sharu's hand.
"Then it is as I suspected. That baby inside of you is protecting you. It is also blocking your thoughts and words from being heard by me. But then, you already know that, don't you Marlene? I wonder what else the little one can do. Shall we find out, Marlene?"
"Sharu, there is no reason for all of this. You don't have anything to prove to anyone. You have already killed one of us and we are your prisoners here. What more is there to show who-ever it is you are trying to impress?"
Sharu waved her hand again. The sound waves made the sand around Marlene roll like a huge wave. It rose into the air as if it were made of water and not sand. High above Marlene's head the wave of sand climbed until it was twenty feet above her head. As Sharu lowered her hand, the sand wave followed her movement and dropped on top of Marlene, burying her under it's weight. Dan called out as Marlene's entire body disappeared under tons of sand.
"Noooooooo!!!!!! Damn you, you didn't have to kill her! She didn't do anything to you! I will Kill you myself! What is it you wanted from us!!??"
Sharu held her hand up again. Dan waited for the blast to hit him. Nothing came. He opened his eyes and saw Sharu looking at him. "What do I want? I want my people to live."
"Who are your people? Where do you come from? Damn you, we deserve answers before you kill us all."
"I told you who my people are. We were once a very mighty race of people. Amazons your people call us. We found the secret to mind use and along with it, the truth to near immortality. We live for Centuries because we have learned how to control our bodies and slow the process of aging down. We are not some alien being come to Earth to rule it, though rule it some day we might. We simply want to put things back where they were before the ice took all that was ours. We need the water-crafts and flying machines to move the sand for us. It must look like ice until we are finished and can conceal our existence. Already we have covered much of your Antarctica with our ice."
"Why has it taken you so long to do that? With all the powers you have harnessed, I would think it would have been easy for you to move sand where you needed it."
"Though we are a powerful people, we can still die, Dan. The world has become a very strong force to be reckoned with. Your kind has shown time and again that what it fears or does not understand, it kills or enslaves. What do you think they would do to us, Dan?"
"So it is kill or be killed for you?" It was Bernie that spoke out. "You have already killed two of us. When do we go next?"
"We kill only to protect ourselves. That is more than I can say for your race of people. Egypt enslaved Israel for 400 years. Your "Hitler" almost erased an entire people from the world. You kill for selfish reason. We kill to protect our own."
"Yes, I forgot. Marcus and Marlene were such gigantic threats to a mighty warrior such as yourself. Wow! Good thing you got rid of them! Who knows what havoc those two little people could have caused for your people!"
"Choose your words carefully, Bernie. My anger is not yet tempered."
"And I care, why? You have taken from me all that matters anyways. If you kill me, you would be doing me a favor!"
Sharu waved her hand slightly. Bernie was tossed a short distance away to the sand.
"Weak," Sharu said in disgust. "How I detest woman that are weak like you, Bernie. Perhaps I will give you your wish now." Sharu raised her hand high into the air.
"Wait," Dan shouted out. "What happens to all of this here when you are finished? The Dragon and machines and all you have stolen here."
Sharu lowered her hand. "We have stolen nothing. All you see here either saw what they should not have or has been created from thoughts taken from the minds of those we captured. The dragon and water creature have all been from images in your own peoples minds. The craft??? They were taken when we were transporting our ice to our home. We can not always stay completely concealed when moving the ice. The path we take passes over what your people have named the "Bermuda Triangle." Your own curiosities have allowed us the chance to take as you are too filled with fantasies of what might be."
"You have answered a lot of things we had no way of knowing. Now we do. What happens to us now?"
"Truly, I have no use for you anymore, now with Marlene and the child gone. I will give you both peace. It is the best I can do."
Sharu lifted her hands high into the air. She clasped her hands together and a loud rumble, like thunder came from them. The wind began to blow and Dan and Bernie held tight to one another, waiting for the final blow that would kill them both. As Sharu lowered her hands in a quick, hard motion, Dan and Bernie watched her being tossed backwards, onto the sand dune behind her. A look of total shock was on her face as she layed in the sand.
"This, is impossible!!!!! You could not possibly be still standing and I on the ground! It will not happen again! Prepare to die, Now!!!"
The fire in her eyes was so hot the sand around her began to Crystallize. As she began to stand, Sharu was knocked off of her feet again.
"Nooooooooooooooo!!!!! I will kill you!"
As the sand settled from her first attack, all three of them looked at the sand dune between them. There, in the middle of the sand, stood Marlene, very much alive. Beside her stood a young girl. The girl appeared to be about 5 years old. Marlene held her tiny hand in her own.
"You should not have been so long winded, Sharu. And you should have never, ever tried to kill my Love and my best friend. Now, it is lesson time for you." With that said, Marlene raised the hand that was holding the little girls hand. She raised them both in the air and turned to face Sharu.

Desert Snow... Pt 5

All four stared into the burning eyes of Sharu. She began to move her hand across the sand. The sand responded to her like a Cobra responds to the music of a flute. The sand wrapped through the air and began to take form. As the shape of a sword became visible, Marcus stepped forward.
"It was Marlene. Marlene cried out because the baby kicked her. It was a terrible pain and she could not help but..."
The sword flew through the air and found it's mark. Marcus' words were cut off instantly. He grabbed the handle, total shock in his eyes. The impact from the sword tossed him backwards into the very sand dune that had moments before been a Phoenix. Bernie screamed out as she fell down beside his lifeless body. She cupped his face in her hands. Slowly she turned to look up at Sharu.
"You cruel cold creature. This man never did anything wrong to anyone in his life. He was the gentlest soul and knew only goodness. He would have let you live if we had found a way to kill you. You might as well kill me too. He was all I had in this vile world."
"He was a poor liar and served no purpose at all." Sharu lifted her hand again.
"No!!!!!!!" It was Marlene that spoke out. "No more killing. I screamed because this baby is growing inside of me at an abnormal rate. It is causing my whole body to cramp and send pain all through me. He was telling you the truth and you killed him for it. Why do you have to be so cruel!? You have all the power you will ever need to make the world do what ever it is you command. You don't have to kill innocent people to prove yourself."
The heat and glow faded from Sharu. She looked down at Marcus' body and then too Bernie. "We will be finished here soon. When we go, perhaps I will restore his life to him. Until then, you will all remain here."
As SHaru spoke, Dan began to think hard. He concentrated on ways to kill Sharu. He pressed into the deepest part of his mind and thought exactly how he would kill her, if only he was given the chance. He stared directly at Sharu as he thought. She was still talking to them. "And I will give you all your freedom, but the baby will be staying with us."
"Not my baby! You are crazy if you think I am giving up this baby just because you say so!"
"Then, dear Marlene, you will give her up when you die."
She was gone in an instant. Bernie lay beside Marcus. She began to cry. Marlene knelt beside her and hugged her. "We will find a way out of here, Bernie. And somehow, I don't know how, but we will get Marcus back."
Dan's voice broke the moment like a mirror shattering. "Ladies, I have discovered something. I want to test my theory a few more times before we act on it."
"Did I miss something Dan?"
"I noticed that Sharu had to ask us what was happening here, Marlene. She could not tell simply by reading our thoughts."
"Does it Matter, Dan!? Marcus is still dead!"
"And he would have been just as dead if she could have read his thoughts. He was in fact Lieing, Bernie."
Bernie stood up suddenly. She stood directly in front of Dan, her tears streaming down her face. "He was lieing to try and save us, Dan! Did you forget that!!?"
Dan spoke softly. "No, Bernie, I did not forget. I know the sacrifice he gave for us. But we still have to find a way out of here. I shot the most aggressive thoughts at Sharu while she was talking. I knew it was risky but staying here is No more risky. Please hear Mme out."
"We are listening, Dan"
"Thank you Bernie. She didn't know what had happened and I believe it is because of the baby. I think it is running Offense for us."
"What are you talking about, Dan!?!?"
"I believe there is a whole lot of smarts in that baby you are carrying. This place must have also increased it's mind as much as it has it's physical growth. It knows how to block our thoughts from Sharu. We can speak freely and discus how we are going tp get out of here. I really do want to test it more before we act on it."
The ladies agreed and the next few weeks were used to determine if Dan's theory was correct. The watched as the dragon took more and more sand and turned it to ice and snow.
"You do realize that we have got to stop that dragon somehow. Taking the sand as it is and moving it somewhere else will throw the entire eco-system out of control and way out of balance."
"You are right, Dan. We can not allow that to happen. Any thoughts on how we are going to stop all of this?"
"I have to really think on it Marlene."
"Well you don't have 9 months to think, Dan. If I am not mistaken, I think our little bundle is very close to coming out into this world."
"How long, Marlene?"
"Two weeks Dan, at the very most."
"Then I guess we better start thinking. Bernie, you are the bug Guru. Is their any Insect, that if it was as big as that dragon, that it could defeat?"
"Pound for pound, Dan, the only thing I would put against that dragon would be a giant Praying Mantis. But how do you propose to get it close enough to let them fight without Sharu figuring out what is going on?"
"I am working on that Bernie."
"Well work fast because here comes Sharu and she looks very angry!"

Desert Snow... Pt 4

Marlene and the rest of them were led away to a small camp. As they walked, the Dragon continued to sweep the sand with it's breath. As it did, the sand turn to ice crystals. Behind the dragon were large trucks that looked to be World War II vintage. Bulldozers picked the frozen sand and loaded it into the trucks. They watched in amazement at what the were seeing.
"I have seen the world over more times than I can count. I have never seen any creatures like what we are seeing here."
"Dan, this isn't anything of this world, I can tell you that!"
"Please, please be careful what you say, Marcus. That thing can hear what we say. Hell, she or it... whatever it is, can read our thoughts. The last thing I want is to be on the bad side of it."
"We can't just stop thinking, Bernie." Dan looked at Marcus. "It just came to me, Marcus. You are walking and there are no marks on you. How the.."
"They touched me and it was done, Dan. I wasn't going to argue with them."
"Them? Who was them, Marcus?"
"The woman that came to get us, Marlene. They were all beautiful and all touched hands to make me well."
"Bernie, didn't you take some classes concerning the power of mind healing?"
"I did, Marlene, long ago."
"That has to be what they did to Marcus. Can you do the same thing, Bernie?"
"Sometimes. It doesn't always work. It takes a lot of practice and closing your mind off to make it happen."
"But can you do it!?"
"I think so. I haven't tried it in years. I can't promise you anything. Why are you asking?
They sat down near a tent that was set up near a watering hole. Marlene made the motion for them to be silent and pointed at the sand. She began to write in the sand. She hoped that Sharu was busy again and was not listening to them. That was how she and Dan had caught her off guard the first time. All being knowledgeable in Hieroglyphics, they watched as Marlene "signed" them her thoughts. She wanted to somehow appear as powerful as Sharu. It was a huge risk but she felt the baby would keep her safe somehow. After she finished her drawings, she waited to see if Sharu would appear. When she did not, she knew they were safe to talk.
"We don't have long. She could stop to listen anytime. If one of you would hurt themselves, nothing serious, just enough to be visable, Bernie could stand close enough to me to make it appear that I had healed the wound. That might give me enough of an edge to get closer to the others and find a way out of here."
"It sounds like a suicide mission to me, Marlene. We need to really think on this."
"We don't have time to think on this Dan! Trust me on this one!"
"I can't promise anything, Marlene and I won't be responsible for yours or anyone elses death! You are asking to much here!"
"Too much! You think that Bernie? Come here and place your hand on my stomach."
Bernie did as Marlene asked. The men saw the look of shock in Bernie's eyes. She held her hand there and reached back and took Dan's hand. Placing it on Marlene's stomach, Marcus saw the same look in Dan's eyes as he had seen in Bernie's.
"What is it!? What do you feel? Are you sick, Marlene!?"
Bernie turned and looked at Marcus. "Not sick, sweetie. Marlene is pregnant."
"We knew that from the Amazon, Marlene, but I thought you were only just pregnant?"
"I was, Love. Something about this place has caused a change inside of me. Sharu knew it would. That is why she told me to take care. She knows this baby will be born soon."
"Soon? Define soon for me because last I read, 7 months was soon. Eight months is soon. What soon are you talking about?"
"From the feeling inside of me, Dan, soon will be very soon. We have got to find a way to get out of here. If not, then this baby will not be ours to raise."
"What are these things? They are not human!"
"Oh, I think they are very human, Marcus. The most advanced of humans. They imagine it and it becomes reality. At least in part."
"In part? Do you want to explain that, Bernie?"
"In my studies, I learned that the mind can cause images to appear... a mirage if you will. These images can sustain solidity for a time and even be used to do things. I think these people share the same depth of mind use as did the people of Atlantis."
"That was a myth, Bernie!"
"Did you see that freaking Dragon out there, Marcus?!?! Did you see the creatures in the water!? Those are myths too! Those aren't suppose to exist anymore than you think Atlantis did! But there they are! I think these people share that same quality and power of mind suggestions. They use it to build and work the desert."
"All of this means what to us, Bernie?"
"It means that that baby inside of you possesses that same mind set simply because it's all part of this place we are in. That power transfers to you, Marlene. You simply have to reach inside your self and use it."
Marlene looked at Bernie. It was all so ridiculous that it made sense to her. She turned towards a sand dune behind their tent. As she stared at it, the sand dune began to shift. It gathered around itself and began to form what appeared to be a bird of sorts. Not just any bird. In moments, a Phoenix, another mythical creature of fire that was immortal. As it completed it's transformation, it screeched loudly, then as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.
"Oh my God! You did it! You really did it!"
"We did it," Marlene replied, rubbing her stomach tenderly. "Our baby and I did it, Dan."
Suddenly, above them on a hill stood Sharu. The heat was all over her body again. They covered their faces to shield their eyes.
"What was that sound!? What did I just hear? Tell me now or simply die. All of you!"

Desert Snow... Pt 3

The man looked down at Marlene. He stared at her for a moment before slowly lowering his hand.
"Why... why should I spare him or your friends? What are they to me?"
Marlene looked up at him. Her tears ended and she pulled herself from the ground.
"They are nothing to you. To me, they are my love and my friends. Does that mean anything to you or are you as cold as the stone you stand on?"
The anger in the man's eyes was so evident that it almost caused Marlene to step back but stepping back wasn't something she was accustomed to doing. She stood her ground.
"I should kill you for your tone... but the child has done nothing to earn it's ending. I will spare you for her sake... only once. Our people once held the passion and compassion as you do now. We found it was only a tool that our enemies turned against us. Our strength returned to us only after we stopped caring for anything or anyone but our own." There was a sadness in his voice as he spoke now. "A day will come that you too will understand this that i have told you. So shall your daughter."
"I pray that we never know that coldness."
"I am Sharu. I am the leader of my people. I find you to be strong, Marlene. It is that strength that has saved your life. Allow me to end the life of the weaker man and you can sit at my side. We would be a strong tie for my people."
"I would never allow you to hurt the man I love. I would die first before that happened."
Sharu looked into her eyes. He himself was amazed to find such a strong woman among a people he could conquer with just a wave of his hand. "It is good that you have come here. I wish for you to sit with our woman and teach them some of your strengths. It will be good for our colony that they can protect themselves when the men are gathering."
As Marlene helped Dan to his feet, she saw what was to be another first for her in this crazy valley they had stumbled on. As she looked at Sharu, he began changing right before her eyes. Marlene and Dan watched as this cold man became a beautiful woman. Her long hair, touching the tip of her buttocks, shined in the Sun's light. Her huge fawn-like eyes of almost purple looked back at them. She was still tall and her long legs were as perfect as the rest of her body. Marlene took her blouse off and covered the woman's top as much as she could.
"Are you embarrassed by my nakedness, Marlene? Are you not more shocked at my transformation?"
" I don't want my man to have a stroke out here," she answered with a smile. "What is it that I am looking at?"
"This is what I truly am. I appeared to you as a man because in your world, that is who is respected and feared. Few would fear a woman as they do a man. It was not always so with my people."
It all became clear to Marlene then. "You, are the lost civilization of the Amazon women we have read of and written books and comics about. We called you "Wonder Woman." What is it you want here?"
"We wish only to be left alone and go back to where we once called our home. We need certain things to survive there and we are gathering all we can. Our home was once like this that you see. And then the great ice came and we lost it all. We are freezing what we need and will take it back with us when we leave. Animals and trees and people to help us rebuild our home will go with us. We will freeze your desert and take it with us also."
"Where is it that you once lived?"
"In a place you call Antarctica. We will make it our home again. And then we will find those that tried to destroy us and we will take back everything with their blood."
"Those people that you fought then are long gone."
"Not their ancestry!" Marlene and Dan stepped back from her as she spoke. Heat came from her body that seared the hair on Dan's arm. Her body glowed like hot embers. "Do not try and protect them, Dan! We know their families and we Will have our vengeance!"
Dan wished he not spoken out. He did not want to anger this, this creature, whatever it was. He was certain it was not from Earth.
"Where we came from is of no concern of yours, Dan! Worry for your own safety and the safety of your friends. They are being brought to us now as we speak."
"Then you will spare their lives, Sharu?"
"For now, Marlene. They owe their lives to You. Their lives are in your hands. You are respected but make no mistakes. I will kill you and them as quickly as I blink should you press my anger."
As Marlene stood and listened, a Dragon suddenly came into view. It was enormous and walked across the desert sand swinging it's head from side to side. But there was something different about this Dragon. Instead of spewing fire from it's mouth, Marlene and Dan watched in awe as ice came from it's huge jaws. It froze everything that came into contact with the ice, sand and creatures alike.
"It's snowing in the desert! I have seen it all now" was all Marlene could say.
"No, you have not yet, but you will, if you live long enough. Take care of the child."
Marlene wondered what Sharu meant by her words. It sent a chill down her spine.

Desert Snow... Pt 2

"Are you sure that you didn't hit your head when we crashed, Dan?"
"I told you it was probably the Sun, Marlene. We need to get walking if we are going to find the complex before dark. Let's just hope someone comes along for us. I am worried about you and Marcus, Bernie."
"I promise we will be fine, Dan. You get going so we can get out of here quicker."
Dan and Marlene gathered a few things and then started to walk. Without a clear vision of where they were going, Dan headed North as the map indicated. The wind was up a little and helped to cool them, if the word cool could be used in this desert. Now and again, Dan would look towards the East as if he had heard something. Marlene watched him for signs of heat exhaustion. They traveled as fast as their breathing would allow them to. Nightfall was not far away and Dan wished they had a place to hide from the darkness.
"We should be coming to a ravine soon, Marlene. Hopefully it will hold some water and shelter for us."
"Dan, are we going to be alright?"
"We have been in a lot more frightening situations than this, sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine."
As they topped the hill, Dan and Marlene both stood silent. Looking down into the ravine below them, they both wondered if the Sun had finally taken it's toll on them.
"Dan, I am not sure if I want you to tell me you Do see what I do or that you Don't see it."
"Would not matter much, sweetheart. From that statement, I am guessing we are both seeing the same thing. I just don't believe what we are seeing."
Dan looked down at the ravine. It appeared to be more of a valley than a ravine. In the middle of the desert was a huge green pasture. Water ran freely as if they were standing in the middle of any place other than the desert. A lake sat to the East of the pasture and in it were creatures Dan had never seen. Ever. Old Viking ships, looking like they had just been crafted and fully loaded with their own Vikings sailed the lake. A sea serpent dodged the sharp blade of one of the Vikings as it tried to devour him. Beyond the lake sat an air-field, complete with vintage World War II aircraft. Beside them sat the most sophisticated fighter jets of modern time. Smaller boats filled the lake and the water was teaming with fishes of every sort, including some that had not existed in 10,000 years.
"It looks like a museum down there."
"Dan, there are things down there that No museum has because they never existed. When was the time you saw a sea serpent at Sea World?"
Dan knew that Marlene's jabbing was a cover for her fear of what she was seeing. He was no less frightened of what he was seeing. Frightened and fascinated all at once. Looking to the West, Dan saw something that should have seemed out of place but here... in this valley, it fit perfectly. A Pyramid reached out to the sky and filled the air with sounds of workers laying bricks around it.
One man stood atop of a huge stone that over looked the entire valley. As he turned towards them, Dan and Marlene tried to hide themselves. They both knew it was too late. They had been seen. In an instant, the man that had been on the other side of the valley was standing next to them. Dan covered Marlene's body with his own, trying his best to protect her. The man from the stone looked down at them.
"You have come far to view our secret place. I was remiss in not seeing you coming in time to shield our colony from your eyes. It matters none now. No one will ever know what you have seen."
Dan stood up. "Secret!!?? You call half a desert of a collection of everything we have on earth and some we do NOT, to be a secret!? How is it you could be here and no one know?"
"We have been here for a very long time. We hide our colony from planes that fly over or others that have come too near us with our own essence. It appears to be a desert to them just as it did to you. Those that see us before we can cover our selves simply become part of our workers. Their crafts become ours too."
"Who are you? Where are you from?" Marlene was too scared not to talk out. She wanted answers.
"We are a people your world thought long ago extinct. We hid away until we could discover all the secrets of the mind so we could exist here amongst you without notice. The mind is more powerful than you could fathom. We have cultivated it and made it our way of life."
"We just want to get to where we were going. We will remain silent about this if you just let us go." Dan surprised himself at the pleading he could hear in his own voice.
"That can not be. we trusted your kind many lives ago, only to be betrayed and slaughtered. We can not allow that to happen again. You will be our guests for now, for it was I that did not see you. But you will be helpful to us as you have much knowledge of creatures we have not yet harnessed."
"How do you know what we know!?"
"Daniel, as I have told you... the mind is more powerful than you have ever imagined. Your thoughts are ours to read freely. The one called Marlene will be cared for by our midwives. She and her baby will be safe here."
Marlene stared at him as she touched her stomach. "Baby??? What are you talking about!? I am not going to have a baby? I think I would know something like that!"
"You are with child now, Marlene. These things we know."
"Damn you! Get out of my head and stay the hell away from my body!"
Dan held her close to him. He wanted to reach out and attack this man. He wanted to run away with Marlene. He knew he didn't dare. Not yet. He thought of Marcus and Bernie.
"They are injured. They would serve no purpose to us. We shall send some people to end their sufferings. It is a good thing."
Dan suddenly felt rage flare inside of him. As if this man felt it too, the man lifted his arm as Dan was grabbing for him. In a single moment, Dan was tossed across the ground. His body slammed into a rock with a thud. He layed on the ground, moaning in pain. The man lifted his hand again and Marlene screamed out.
"No!!!! Please... don't hurt him, please. We just want our friends safe. We will do whatever you say. Just don't hurt them and I beg you, don't hurt the father of my unborn child."
As the man raised his hand higher, Marlene fell at his feet, sobbing. "I beg of you, don't hurt him. He is my love."

Desert Snow

The desert sun beat down harder today than it had in the past 3 days. Marlena cursed the day she had agreed to come with Dan to Africa. It was to be a days flight in and two days at the Sanctuary and a day's flight home. She had agreed only because she wanted to see the new "Freedom" exhibit that Dan had created. She had her own sanctuary in Australia that kept her busy. She didn't like being separated from Dan so much but what they were doing was important to them both.
"Dan, maybe we should try to walk out of here. We have waited for 3 days and no one has come searching for us."
"I know Marlene but I think without the shade of the truck's canopy, we would be burned to death.And with Marcus and Bernie hurt, we don't dare leave them here alone. Something would find them and kill them."
Dan was right and she knew it. Marcus and Bernie had been their closest friends for ten years and went with them where-ever Dan and Marlene traveled. Marcus and Bernie had signed on to assist them on a trip to the America's to help start a new cat complex. So impressed with their work were Dan and Marlene, they asked them to stay on for good.
Marlene was 32 years old and wanted only one thing more than she wanted the animals. With her cold black hair blowing in the slight breeze, the sparkle in her green eyes was fading with each passing hour. She was as beautiful as a moon-lit night and intelligent beyond her schooling. She knew anything there was to know about the Outback and every animal it held in it's beautiful landscape. Only a baby would give her completion in this already perfect world of hers.
Dan was a year younger than she was but had the same mentality and love for animals as Marlene did. Built for the outdoors, he stood 6'2" and had sandy blonde hair. His baby blues had captured Marlene from the first hello. Never needing to work out, he was graced with a body that took everything life had to give and convert it into muscle and energy. Their love was beautiful and their life dedicated to only one another.
"Dan, I only have a busted ankle. I can take care of Marcus while you go find help. Our water is going to be gone soon and our food supply is all but finished."
Dan turned and looked at Bernie. She was 25 years old and full of spunk. She loved all creatures and was educated in insects. Marcus was the same age as Dan. His build was smaller but his dark hair and almost black eyes made him a gift to look at for any lady passing.
Dan watched as Bernie wiped the blood from the side of his face. Marcus seemed to have taken the full blow of the crash. They were traveling towards the complex when out of no-where, a dust storm came upon them. Blinding all four almost instantly, Dan had lost control of the truck. It shifted under the sand and flipped over two times before landing on it's top side. Marcus had been thrown from the truck and landed some 100 yards from where the truck had stopped. He had a broken arm, a broken leg and almost for certain a concussion.
"We don't know how far we are from the Complex, Bernie. I only have a map that tells me where it is. We are within 25 miles I am sure but I would hate to be wrong."
"We need to do something Dan. The message from Larse sounded urgent. I didn't understand what he meant by the animals were freezing. Nothing could freeze in this desert!?"
"That is why we need to get there as soon as possible. Something isn't right and I can feel it. I think we really have no choice anymore. Marlene and I will walk and hopefully meet up with some one before Something... meets up with us."
As Dan stood, out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. He turned to see the what looked to be huge lizard. Not just huge as in very large. This creature appeared to be as big as a Train Engine. He shook his head and took a small drink of water.
"Dan... are you alright?"
"I think the heat is effecting me worse than I thought. I swore I just saw a... A..."
"A what, Dan? What did you see?"
"I thought I saw a Dragon."

Thoughts...

Today is not unlike most other days for me. It started early, though not as early as most. I did the unheard of and slept in a little. Sometimes that only seems to bring on the morning "bipolars" it seems. As I said, it isn't really much unlike any other morning. But there was a little carry over from last night for me today. I fell asleep thinking about life and my daughters. I wondered if they were happy. I wondered if they felt like life was good to them or if they wished things were different. As I thought of this, emotions, as per normal took me over. I began to think of them as if they might not be totally happy with life as it is. I wondered how much my actions in their lives had effected this. Being empathic sometimes has side effects of it's own. To feel someones sadness is not for sure a great gift. Not always. And then you take Bipolar and toss it into the mix and you have got a recipe for disaster.
Today, I think back to my life and theirs. Certainly actions I took effected them and I wonder if they have caused them to look at life or perhaps approach life differently, more cautiously. Hurting their mother by leaving because I had lost touch with what was real had to have effected them. Leaving but never really going must have left them confused as to what was supposed to be and what was. Watching their father slowly drift into a new world, a different place and even yes, a different man must have left them wondering a lot. I lived in a made up world and yet the people were very real. The things I did that effected them, the decisions I made not only changed me for ever, they changed their lives forever also. Their cautiousness in approaching a relationship is part of it.
Not all of it was bad. I see strengths in them that perhaps were always there but were brought to the surface by things I did. This morning... I feel it all. Easily brought to emotions, sadness, thinking I have upset someone when maybe I didn't. fear that whatever I do today will have an adverse effect on those I love. So long this Low has carried on and I have tried to rise above it and yet, it seems to have me in it's grip tight.
Signs of the depression hanging on are so evident. Things that perhaps others of you or a loved one are going through and wonder what it is. Abstract thoughts. A passion of mine is fishing. Maybe even an obsession. I love it and spend so much time at the lake. But not this year. I have fished less than a half dozen times and it is way into June. The desire to get out and go are few and far. Gardening. Another Passion of mine. Having to force myself out to weed or just to smile at the plants as they grow and produce. Singing, writing... all the things I love, sitting idle as I try my best to get past this low. A low that I fear is slowly winning.
And so, I worry. I worry and cause anxieties to rise and wonder when it will all settle in to what ever is normal for me. Hearts I have hurt never did anything to me to be hurt. Losses that can not be measured nor forgotten. Not forgetting of course meaning they resurface and resurface over and over again. Sitting quietly in the dark, wondering how some are and trying to make some sense of the losses I have felt, most caused by my own hand. Wondering deep inside, if anyone really knows the hurt and pain I live with daily. How losing touch with someone is the same to me as losing touch with life. It leaves me strangely confused and tired inside.
I really do wonder what peoples lives would have been like, could have been if I had never existed...

Things I Learned About Bipolar Today.

Bipolar. Not a word that I nor my readers are unfamiliar with seeing here in my blog. I talk of it freely here and never give it another thought. So why am I writing again?
Something happened today that both shocked and confused me. I was in Poker on line and a terrible Low set in from no-where. There was no warning, as is usually the case but there was something more this time. As the Low took over my thoughts and actions, the mood apparently became noticeable to those that were at the same table as me. I found myself "off" somewhere else and had to concentrate very hard to play my cards. I lost over and over again. The anxieties were filling me with emotions and fright. Those that I call friends at the table questioned what was wrong. As I usually do when asked, I began to type the answer. I was telling them what was happening at that very moment. So... what is so different from that and any other day. I tell people almost daily about this disorder I have.
What was different? As I typed to tell them, complete and total embarrassment over took me. I began to cry, though they had no way of knowing that. My fears welled up and I thought to myself that perhaps they would do as so many do... shun me. I merely told them that I had a little disorder that flares up and makes me sad now and then. They were kind and I was thankful for their kindness. One said very little at all. So totally embarrassed that I had told them anything, I found myself not even knowing what cards I was playing. Losing terribly, I found myself wishing I could hide my issues from them. I did not tell them it was Bipolar and I did not say I have Turret's either. I was amazed at the embarrassment that settled inside of me. God, how I wanted them NOT to see me this. I was never so happy there was a screen between us. This disorder has so many sides to it. There are things that after so many, many years of living with Bipolar and all that comes with it, still take me by surprise. This was one of them. I lost control of myself and of my emotions. I was vulnerable and crying so hard. Still trying to work through this one, I am not sure where it will take me today. Already I am feeling all the effects of this damned disorder. My day is shot and doubts about things like love and friends and who I am. God, I hate this disorder.
To those in Poker that follow my blog, I say I am so sorry. I tell you here what I could not at the table. I will spend my day and evening pondering all of this. I will pray you don't but my "bipolar" mind tells me you WILL look at me differently when you see me again. I can not control the Lows nor the "highs." they come and go as they please.
Embarrassed... Hmmm. I didn't know this until today at that Poker Table that it embarrassed me to talk about it. I so want to be like everyone else but sadly, I Am not. Welcome to My World. A world of confusion and uncertainties. A world few would survive in and even fewer want to see.
Thank you for reading this and thank you for taking time out to read this.
Always I am, Simply Darrel.

Depression: not just for the mind.

Depression is an issue that does not just alter your mind-set. Depression can effect your health and truly, your ability to think things out in a safe manner. In every life, sometime or another, people feel down or as if nothing is going right. That is something that just comes with life. For some, they deal, they move on and live their life with no real issues. If life comes against them, they simply find a way to get around it and carry on.
This is Not the case for someone that suffers from Chronic or Manic Depression. It is also known as Bipolar Syndrome and it's effects are far from mild or "dealt with." I could just insert link after link but that wouldn't really show you any more than you could find yourself. Sometimes, direct from a person that knows the disorder intimately is a better way to learn. Some of the effects that Manic depression can manifest can not simply be harmful... they can be deadly. The way the mind can go from total chaos to almost shut down in 30 seconds also brings on other health conditions besides the terrible depression.
Insomnia doesn't simply deprive you of a restful sleep. It eats away at your ability to think or make decisions. It wears the body down to the point that you become susceptible to all manner of illnesses from the common cold to the flu to heart disease. There are so many "side effects" from Manic Depression and all of them can cause a great amount of damage to ones body and mind. When a person is in a severe depression, sometimes it is beyond friends and families ability to find a way to bring them out. There are times when medication and therapy are a very needed addition to the love and concern that is given by those that love a Manic/Bipolar person. And sadly, in one out of 20 cases, nothing works in time.
I write this today because I know all to well the effects that bipolar and terrible depression can have on a person. To cause ones self to shut off from the outside world unless they have no choice than to interact is a harsh effect. Loves and Lives are lost to this illness and a lot of the time, the fact that people do not accept it or try and acknowledge it's potential to literally destroy a person is a huge cause of such things. My body knows the harsh reality of depression and it's effects. Every time I have an anxiety attack or find my self awake for days at a time, I know and feel it's burn.
To lose touch with someone you love because your mind simply can not find a way to explain why you are away is very hard to face. To want so badly to speak with a loved one, but find that you can not tears at the very soul of a person. there are things I have lost to this disorder that I can never ever recover. There are people and desires and needs that are left to simply fade because of the fact that one can not find a way to give all of themselves. It is embarrassing and frightening for the one suffering to have to talk to a friend or loved one about how they feel inside. Fear of rejection. Fear of being mocked or scoffed is enough to close the inflicted off from the rest of the world.
Yes... we are high maintenance. Yes, we are nearly impossible to live with at times. And yes, sometimes it appears that we take more than we give back. The truth is, we give back as much as we can and that is sometimes more than we wish too. But because we love someone and fear them going away, we reach out into what for us is a scary place. We reach out into the unknown and unsecured regions of the safe zones for us. But... the love you get back will never be truer nor ever be more intense from another. It is everything we have and that makes it so very much.
I want those of you who know me to know this... I have not faded because I do not care nor because I do not hold you dear in my heart. Life happens sometimes and when a low hits, there is little to be done but ride the wave and roller-coaster and pray that you are still intact when it finally settles. I am sorry for being away so long and sorry that my mind doesn't always allow me to explain myself. If you have chosen to leave me behind, then my heart will always understand. If you choose to love me as i am and understand that myself, and a million others just like me wish we could be like you. Walking through life the way we do is not something that ANYONE would ever enjoy, not even us. But as someone I have cherished and loved in my heart for a very long time said to me... "It is what it is."
Should you look for me to be all sad and down and crying 24/7? On the contrary. My Highs are bigger than anything you have ever seen. My smiles and my belief that I CAN conquer the world, that I CAN save all those that are sad or without love are as huge as My lows are deep and dark. I will win this battle as I have a great support team in my life and heart. And I have the greatest of all looking out for me from heaven. I have been and am More blessed than any man on this earth deserves to be. I know that.
This is my world and i know it isn't always understood. I am sorry for that. It does not mean I care less or think of you all less. It simply means "Life 1, Darrel 0 right now. Remember, depression isn't just about the mind. It is about the body and soul also. It's destructive nature knows no boundaries nor prejudices. It effects anyone and is not shy about doing so. Love us, pray for us and try to understand... we do our best to show you our love and friendship. Depression... it IS a thing I know about... Always, Darrel

Blessed or Fortunate????

Blessed:Enjoying great happiness, eternal bliss,rewarded or holy.
Fortunate: Good, unforeseen, having good luck, favorable or victorious.
These are two words that have caused me to sit and really think lately. I have watched the news and watched Plant after Plant close down. I have read and heard of the thousands on thousands of people that are losing their jobs. It is a frightening time and especially for those directly touched by the economic situation world-wide. I sat back and looked at myself. Being Bipolar, too often even when life is great, I am down or saddened.I listen to the World issues and hear the word "fortunate" brought up. People fortunate to have jobs or money put aside for these "rainy" days. I thought to myself, am I blessed or am I simply fortunate? Strange question, I am sure to some but to me a very real question.
I looked up both words and though I found similarities, I also noticed a few differences. Fortunate seemed to have more to do with "luck." Luck being "the chance happening of fortunate" and "One's personal fate or lot." Blessed had more to do with something given to one rather than simply by chance. I thought about my up-coming vacation and the fact that I am able to go and enjoy. The very fact that I have the income to take a vacation while others strive simply to feed their family seems to bother me. And yet at the same time, I feel extremely blessed. I know in my heart of hearts that I have been blessed more than any one man ever deserved to be... especially THIS man.
I didn't grow up in a family of love by chance. I didn't have the opportunity to reach out and help my blind brother nor the friends that I hung with. I chose to do so and was rewarded for doing so in more ways than I can convey here. It wasn't fortune that a beautiful lady, filled with love for me came into my life. Being fortunate did not have anything to do with being a published author. All of these things came to me because I was blessed. Someone bigger than me saw fit to reach down and touch my life in a beautiful way. The things I had experienced in my life, good and bad, have taught me the things I need to survive in a world that cares more for the income of money than the in-flow of love into their lives.
I think that we need to sit down sometimes, look hard at what we have and where we are in our lives. We need to realize that blessings need to be acknowledged and praise given to the one that brings to us the blessings of our lives. There are many things in this world that seem to seek us out and try to take from us the bliss that comes with blessings. It is up to us to embrace what we DO have and be thankful.
My heart goes out to those that are suffering because of jobs being taken from them. But I think that through what happens in our lives, it may be an opportunity for those we love and love us to bless their family and in turn be blessed themselves. Reaching out to loved ones that have fallen prey to the economy is a perfect opportunity to give of ourselves and to touch the lives of those we love. Will we let them seek out being fortunate, leaving it to "chance" what happens to our family... or will we reach out and bless them? Giving of our selves and helping them to see blessings also. I think that when a door closes, another does not always open. But... it does appear and we do have the choice to open it or leave it closed. I hope that we are a people that Will open that door and allow the blessings to flow.
Fortunate or Blessed. I want my life to be blessed. I don't want it left to chance whether i survive in this sometimes very cold, very frightening world. Sometimes, issues such as this cause me to simply sit down and think. And I take the time to say "thank you" to the one that has indeed blessed me so in this life.
Why I write what I write sometimes, I am not always sure. A feeling that compels me to do so. I hope you do not mind the ramblings of a man that knows he has been blessed. Always, Darrel

The End Of The World is 2012?????

Today, I am going somewhere I do not often go in my blogs. Though I am not in any way ashamed nor deny my religious background, that of a "born again christian", I do not write of it often because I respect that there are many beliefs and many cultures that are present in the cyber world. Each of their own accord and each with their own thoughts. These are simply my own thoughts.
Widely spoken of and answers sought after for is the date December 21st, 2012. Brought to our attention because of the Mayan Calendar, many believe this to be the day the end of times will be. Some call it the day of rapture while others simply say it is the end of the world. I am reminded for a moment of the Y2K and how people stocked their basements with canned goods and all sorts of things. As January 1,2000 came and went, a great many people had, well, a lot of canned goods to eat.
Being curious, just like anyone else is, I did a study of the Mayan Calendar and of it's "prophecies." I am often fascinated with people and their unquenchable desire to know when the last days will be. Is this so they are prepared? Are they trying to calculate when they need to behave so they aren't caught being naughty on the day that Christ returns? Everyone, I am sure has their own agenda for that time. I am also amazed at the fact that with all the "seers" or "prophets" we have encountered through out history, the one that truly mattered and should still matter, we easily pass over and try and find a way past his words.
When the passages of Nostradamus were brought to our attention, it was all about his words and his "prophecies." He told of the Kennedy's and of wars and deaths. We read of him and still do today. He said "In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb", The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"
- Nostradamus 1654
I question this only in asking When the "City of God" became New York City?" Hmmm???
But his predictions have faded with the new Mayan Issue. A people that simply vanished into the mountains of the Yucatan Peninsula, they left behind buildings and temples and evidence of human sacrifices. They left pottery and bark made books. And... they left behind a Calendar. The very essence of the "2012" end times. A large number of scholars today do NOT believe they left a calling card for the end of the world. Most believe that it was simply a warning of things to come. A fascinating people and culture, I too have read and written on their lives as much as we know. The Spanish feared them as satanic and barbaric and destroyed a huge amount of the things the Mayans left behind. When a German scholar read the Dresden Codex and cracked the code of the Mayan calendar, he brought forth the fact that the calendar ended in 2012. It is this reason that so many believe the "end times" are upon us and will be finished on December 21, 2012.
Though interesting and thought provoking, there is another "book" of events and prophecies that has seemingly been past over. That "book" also tells of the past and has many "Prophecies" that give us some knowledge into the end times and the answer to when Christ will return. The Holy Bible speaks to us of the millennium times. It also speaks of the end times and the apostle Paul spoke of the end times and rapture. The millenniumtimes is a time when chaos and Satan will run rampant for 1000 years. There will be a time when the Lion and the Lamb will lay with one another. Peace for a time. The Bible tells us what we need to know and answers the question concerning 2012 or any other year we choose to be the "end of the world."
Mark 13:32 answers whether 2012 is The Day! Matthew 24:36 says it too.Jesus tells us that ONLY the father in heaven knows when the end will be. It will be when we least expect it, according to Jesus' word. So if this is said and believed to be so, as I believe, then the Mayan Calendar and the 2012, end of the world issues is Mute. What exactly the date means, I can not tell you, nor do I believe anyone can. If even his "only begotten Son" {John 3:16} doesn't know, then why do we think God decided to whisper in peoples ear and tell them?
Why did the calendar end where it did? I don't know. Could this be the date for the second coming of Christ? I do not have that answer but... I do know that if it is to be "Unexpected" and it is to come like a thief in the night, then that means we will NOT have years to think about all that matters. It will just Happen! The end times are upon us. Satan is loosed and having a fun time with the people of the Earth, But...I do Not believe that 2012 will end our world and life on it. That one... I will leave to my Father God in heaven.

Bipolar: Understood or Pacified?

It seems to me that there is a huge difference between truly trying to understand a person who is Bipolar and simply Pacifying them. It is hard to understand a bipolar persons inward thoughts or their acts as they go through their daily walk. Sometimes it is hard even for those of us that suffer through it. But the question remains... Are we understood or do those dearest to us simply choose not to open to much of a door to our inner thoughts for fear that it may be more than they care to follow along with. Repetitive mentions of where we go and how are minds work is there because we do not see the understanding many times.
There are times when "life" is happening for me and perhaps happening too fast and it sets me on a tail-spin in the wrong direction. Asking for a breather from it all often results in a confrontation. Something I simply do my best to avoid. I want so badly for my loved ones to see me when I am stumbling. I want them to try and understand that there truly is Nothing I can do about the tumbles I take into dark places few would ever wan to go. Something as simple as moving a picture or changing where a table is setting is all too often enough to take me downward.
In talking about these things, sometimes when I Do try and explain why I am reacting to a certain scenario, the results are the creating of another issue or another discussion that my already racing mind can not handle. I try to explain and am met with "yea, I understand!" Those words are very often "pacifying" words meant only to say "let's move on" or "get over it." I don't want to be pacified. I don't want you to agree with me simply to move on to the next activity of the day. Can they see our hands shaking? Can they hear the stress in our voices? Is it hard to detect the impact a certain conversation is having on us? I know we are "high maintenance... I know we are not easy to live with. I also know that when I freak out because someone dear touched me or suggested we do something, without warning, I can not help nor stop what I do or how I react. Oh God, how I wish i could do it or make it different. I Can Not!
As a man that suffers from not only Bipolar disorder but also Tourret airdrome, I know that there are things I will do and simply try to avoid crowded places. those of us that suffer in this way want to simply hide and cry our hearts out. We want to get away from whatever it is that is sending us into a mind frenzy. Too often, the loved one causing the racing doesn't see what is happening until it is physically manifesting itself. The "tics" and the squirming and the out-bursts {though they may be loud or soft} are dead give-aways that we are experiencing difficulties with the conversation at hand. We try as hard as we can to get through it but often times, Our hearts are crying and it moves to the outside. Now we are fully exposed and the issues go on and on.
Rather than say to us that you understand and then go on about your business, ask us what is on our minds. Take the time to try and really listen and hear the sorrows and guilt's and sadness and disconnections that we live with every single day of our lives. Sometimes we are a "push" away from doing something bad that we will not be able to go back and fix later. Don't just smile or glare at us when we are talking. If we ARE talking to you, then you have earned our trust and that is Monumental. To pacify us is to ignore and say to us "I don't want talk about this." Our minds process things and at times, it can take a long time do so. So please, don't nod or agree or roll your eyes at me. Do not say yes if you mean no. It will only serve to take us further away from you.
Does any of this make sense? It truly does make sense to me, and it truly is my heart. Thank you for reading this and if you are a loved one of someone suffering, please remember that they do their best. they love you and trust you and that says more than I could ever convey here to you.

What Makes You Scream... Final Part.

The trees seemed to go on forever. James carried Margo for as long as he could before needing to stop and rest. he checked her stomach and saw the bleeding had lessened. He wasn't sure if it was because it had closed or if she was bleeding to death. Margo opened her eyes.
"We aren't going to make it, Love. I am so sorry."
"Sorry? This is not your fault, baby, and we ARE going to make it. We just have to find a safe place until the Sheriff finds us. Just stay with me, please."
"I am trying, James. I don't want to die." Her tears flowed and James kissed them.
"I won't let you die... I promise." James heard the sound of a truck coming towards them. He laid flat on the ground and covered Margo's body with his. He watched through the trees to see who it was. He prayed it was the Sheriff.
"I can not wait to get you in my hands! I am going to take you way-y-y-y-y-y back in the woods so no one hears you screaming for the hours and hours I am going to torture you! It is going to be so fun! You won't have my baby brother to help you either. I had to kill him because of you! Do you hear me out there??!!! I know you can hear me! Someone is bleeding real bad. Too bad i won't be able to torture you both!"
James laid motionless on the ground. Terrified that Cleedace would find them, he held tight to Margo. He had to find a way to get to safety. He simply didn't know how. He heard a door slam shut. His heart raced at the thought of Cleedace now outside the truck. He could hear the branches snapping to the side of where he laid. The snapping was ow in front of him and getting further away. He had walked passed them. It would not be long before he would back-track. James had to do something. He slid off of Margo and was going to move her. He felt her body. It seemed cold. Too cold for his body to have been laying on her. Panicking, James felt her wrist for a pulse. He could feel nothing. He felt her neck and got the same thing. His whole body sagged into the ground as he pulled her to him. He tried to get her to move but she stayed motionless.
"Baby... please, wake up baby, please," he whispered into her ear. There was no response. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he hugged her lifeless body to his. "No-o-o-o-o-o! No baby, don't leave me like this. God, help me!"
The snap was loud and directly behind James. He laid Margo's body down gently and then turned to face Cleedace.
"Dang, I was hoping she and I would become good friends. Shame to lose such a pretty thing. Guess it won't be as much fun with out her, huh? But then, you won't be far behind her."
Cleedace reached down and grabbed James by his shirt collar. He tossed him into a tree. James felt the impact on his back and slid to the ground. As he watched Cleedace poking Margo's body with a stick, something exploded inside of him. As Cleedace turned towards James, James grabbed a long branch laying at his feet. With all the energy he could find, he stood and waited for Cleedace to get closer. Not expecting any resistance, Cleedace walked right up to James. Suddenly, James lift the branch in the air and brought it down on Cleedace's neck. Taken by surprise, Cleedace was knocked to his knees. James rushed forward and struck him again, hard in the face. The branch hit with such force, it broke in half.
"You killed my wife! You took the only thing I loved away from me. You are going to die!" he lifted the branch again as Cleedace was trying to stand. Blood covered his face and he was trying to wipe it from his eyes as the branch hit him again. "You won't ever kill again!"
Cleedace laid motionless on the ground. James went over to Margo's body. He held her in his arms, rocking her body as he cried hard. He didn't hear the movement behind him. He didn't see the gun raised and aimed at his head. He only heard the sound of the gun being fired. He closed his eyes and waited for the impact of the bullet. He would die with his Margo in his arms.
"I love you forever, baby. I will see you in heaven," he whispered.
The impact never came. James heard the sound of Cleedace's body hitting the ground. He turned to look into the face of a Sheriff and his deputy. Cleedace laid dead beside them.
"Sir... are you alright? It is alright now, he is dead. Is there anyone else?"
James tried to focus on the sheriff's words. "He killed my wife! He killed her and I couldn't save her."
"Is there anyone else out here, Sir?"
"No, no one else. The ranger is dead.His brother killed him for helping us. There is no one else."
The deputy walked over to Margo's body. He felt for a pulse and then laid his head on her chest. He felt her neck. "Sir, this woman is still alive. She hasn't got long to live. We need to get her out of here now!"
James could not believe the words he was hearing. Margo was still alive. The sheriff called in a helicopter to transport Margo to a nearby Hospital. James had to ride in with the Sheriff while the deputy called in help to take Cleedace and Bobby's bodies in. James told everything to the Sheriff and explained that the ranger had saved their lives. He was a hero. He told him of the camping gear stash too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the hospital that night, James sat silently beside Margo. The doctors said she would be fine after a few days in the hospital recovering. She had needed a lot of blood and stitches but otherwise, she was going to be fine. He felt her hand move slowly across his. She tried to talk but was very weak.
"Shhhh, don't talk Love. I thought I lost you out there. I wouldn't have cared if that maniac killed me if I lost you. I love you so much."
She smiled soft. "I love you too" she said in a whisper. "James..."
"What baby? What can I do for you."
"No camping for a while, please." She smiled at him.
James smiled big back at her. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "No My Love... No camping for a while. I promise..."

What Makes You Scream... Part 6

Margo ran for what seemed like forever. Her face was bleeding again from the branches scratching her. She ran until she found the cabin that the note had mentioned. It was a small cabin with a window missing. She pushed on the door but it did not open. She pushed it hard with her shoulder but still it stayed closed. She went to the side of the house that the window was out of. As she climbed through, a shard of glass cut her across her stomach. She held it until she was inside. The bleeding was more than she needed but she had to stay focused on getting safe. She found the phone and picked it up. She was thankful there was a dial-tone. Margo dialed 911. When the operator picked up, her whole body sagged in relief.
"You need to listen to me carefully. My name is Margo Spencer and I am somewhere in the Pine Lake Park area. I don't know where but it is a cabin out here. They have my husband and I need your help. Please!!!!"
"Ma'am, who has your husband?"
"The ranger and his brother! I don't know who they are! Please send someone out here!"
"We have you on our monitor and I am calling the Sheriff's office now. You need to stay where you are until help arrives."
"I am bleeding very badly! I cut my stomach and it hurts so bad."
"You need to stay with me on the line if you can. It is very important that you do that, Margo."
"I am not going anywhere!" Margo found some towels and pressed them against her stomach. She could feel herself wanting to pass out and the voice on the phone seemed to be getting farther away each minute. "Please hurry... I don't know how much longer I can stay awake."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We passed that Broad somewhere, Bobby. I am turning around and going back through the trees. She could not have made it this far!"
Bobby looked at Cleedace and then at James. "Yes, we can turn around anytime. I think she lost energy and is hiding somewhere."
"Unless she made it to that cabin a mile or so ahead. We might as well go that far. We can turn around there."
"Why waste the time? Let's just go back. We can get rid of this guy. He isn't doing us any good."
"It's only a mile up the road. It isn't going to hurt us to go there! Why are you so fidgety!?"
"I just want to be done with this! I am tired of covering your tracks! This has to stop, Cleedace!"
The truck came to an abrupt halt. James was tossed against the back window of the truck. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Listen to me brother! Nothing stops 'till I stop it! Your bad shootin' is why I do these things! You are to blame for my problems and you know it! That's why you cover for me and that's why you will always cover for me!"
"I never meant to shoot you! It was 20 years ago, damn it! What you do is because you need help... not because we were playing and I shot you in the head! And you know what Cleedace!!!??? It stops now! I am done with it! I would rather spend the rest of my life in prison than watch you kill another person."
Bobby pulled his gun from it's holster. As he turned to aim it at Cleedace, a fist struck him in the face. The power from the hit knock him out of the truck. Before he could stand up, he felt his brothers hands grab him by the hair. Another punch sent him rolling across the ground. James was trying to untie the rope around his neck while the men fought. He watched Bobby stand up and knock Cleedace down. The two men wrestled on the ground, both intent on winning. James felt the rpe fall from his neck. He jumped over the side of the truck. He wanted to just run but the ranger had helped him and he could not leave him like this. He jumped on Cleedace and pulled him off of Bobby. The rage in Cleedace was like a wild animal. He turned around and threw James to the ground. Kicking him in the sides, he raced to where the gun had fallen. Reaching it before Bobby could, he turned and aimed it at the two men.
"See... now I have to kill you both! This is your fault again, Brother. It's all your fault! You never were as smart as me!"
"Cleedace, just let him go and we will work this out. There will be other campers, other chances."
"I don't want other campers! I want them!" Cleedace waved the gun at James. James expected the sting of a bullet anytime.
"Just give me the gun... or keep it and let's go. It will be alright!"
"So he can call the cops and tell them where we are!"
"It's too late now, anyways. His wife went to the cabin and called the sheriff. They will be coming soon for both of us. This is our only chance to get away."
"How do you know that!"
"I told her. She was in the trees when we stopped back a ways. I left her a note telling her where to go. Don't you see... it is done."
The gun went of so fast, it even seemed to surprise Cleedace. Bobby felt the sting in his left side. The warmth of blood filled his shirt instantly. He stared at Cleedace and then at his blood-stained shirt.
"Look! Look what you made me do! Now what am I gonna do?! This wasn't supposed to happen!"
Bobby looked at James. He knew he had only one last chance to redeem himself. He lunged forward with all the strength he had left in him. The surprise hit took Cleedace to the ground. Bobby knew he couldn't hold his brother for long.
"James... run damn you, RUN!!!!!!!!! Get to that cabin and get your wife out of there. Just keep running until you are out of the forest! Don't stop for anything. If she called, the sherriff isn't far away! Just get out of here!"
Bobby tightened his grip on Cleedace.
"I can't leave you here! I have to..."
"You have to run and save your wife! It is too late for me! Now Go! I can't hold him much longer! I am so sorry!"
James saw Cleedace turning the gun towards him. He ran as fast as he could towards the cabin. "Thank you, Sheriff!" he yelled as he ran. he spotted the cabin and raced to the door. It was locked. "Margo... Margo, open the door, it's me!" With no answer, James shoved as hard as he could against the door. The wood splintered around the Jam and it opened. There on the floor, in a pool of blood was Margo.
"Oh My God! Margo, wake up baby. We have to get out of here!"
Margo opened her eyes. She wrapped around James and cried. "I am hurt baby. I don't know if I can get up."
"Then I will carry you!" James took the phone from her. "Hello!?"
"Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Margo husband! We are getting out of this cabin and running! The killer is going to be here soon! Just send help, fast!"
"Sir, you need to stay where you are. The Sheriff is very close to your location. Just wait for..."
James tossed the phone to the ground. "Wait, my ass! Come on Margo, we are going!"
He leaned down and took his wife in his arms. He headed straight for the thickest part of the woods. A shot rang out behind them. James knew what it meant. He began to move as fast as he could. A voice rang out from somewhere behind them.
"You won't get away from me! You made me kill my brother! I am coming to get you! I am going to kill you both!!!!!!!!!"

What Makes You Scream... part 5

Cleedace watched James as they drove through the forests. The smell in the truck was terrible and James rolled his window down.
"What are you doing, Boy?"
"I am just rolling the window down so I can call out to Margo. You want to find her, don't you?"
James knew that if they did find Margo that Cleedace would be even harder to keep at bay. He hoped she had gotten far enough away not to be found.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margo felt the branches striking her face as she ran. The blood ran down her face and she wiped it away without slowing down. She knew she had to find help soon. The men that had James would kill him without hesitation. Tears mingled with the blood and she tried to stop the crying. She could see the road from the trees and stayed just out of site without being seen. She had seen nobody and fear gripped her. She stopped to rest for a moment using her top to wipe the blood from her face and eyes. The stinging from blood and sweat in her eyes made it hard to see. As she sat, trying to breath normal, Margo heard a sound coming from the road below her. She tilted her head towards the sound.
"A truck! Oh my God, it sounds like a truck coming" she said aloud. She ran down towards the road to see if she could see anything. She could hear a voice calling out her name. "James" she whispered. "Why are you calling me, Love? Do I come to you or keep running?"
The truck rounded a bend in the road and Margo could see inside. Her heart felt heavy and her breathing increased as she looked through the windshield of the truck. There sat the Ranger and his brother. James was in the back of the truck, calling out to her. She could see a rope around his neck. It went from his neck, through a small window between the cab and the bed of the truck. She slid herself back into the trees and laid flat on the ground. She was certain they were forcing James to call for her. She watched as the truck neared where she was hiding.
"Stop!" she heard James call out. The brother slammed on the brakes and pulled the truck off the road. He turned to look at James.
"What the hell do you want?! Did you see her!?"
"No, I need to go to the bathroom."
The face on Cleedace turned to anger again. He jumped out of the truck and grabbed James. The rope tightened around his neck as James struggled not to be pulled over the side of the truck. "You call out like that to pee!? I should let you choke to death for that!"
"Please, I can't wait now." James' voice was gravely from the rope squeezing his throat. "I only need a minute!"
"You can do it right in the truck! Get it over with before i just shoot you!"
Watching from the trees, tears filled Margo's eyes again. She could not bare to see her husband like this. She began to stand up to show herself. It was better to die with James than to watch him suffer this way. Suddenly, she saw the ranger get out of the truck. He looked directly at her and she was certain he would tell his brother. Panic set in again and she gripped the ground, digging her nails into the soil. The ranger walked towards her and then stopped. He turned and looked at Cleedace and James.
"Cleedace, he won't be any good to us if you kill him now. Let him breath and pee and we can get out of here. I am going to go myself."
As Margo began to stand she saw the ranger look at her. He shook his head as if to tell her no. Confusion took over for her and she wondered why he was doing this. She saw him writing on a note pad he had in his shirt pocket. When he had finished, he dropped the note pad and looked down at where it was laying. He nodded at Margo and then turned back to the truck. He pointed behind him at the note pad once more as if he wanted to be sure she saw it. Looking back at her, he saw her shake her head yes.
"We need too get going, Cleedace. We need to find that wench before it turns dark. Load up!"
Cleedace released his grip on James and got in the truck. Bobby walked around the back of the truck. He stopped where James was now kneeling and leaned in towards James. He talked low and tried not to move his lips to much.
"She is in the trees right beside us. Do Not look at her. I left her a note. She will read it when we leave. She is going to be fine. Just keep doing what you are doing."
James wanted more than anything to look up at where she was. He knew he dared not until they were moving again. Bobby reached out and slapped James hard in the face and then got into the truck.
"Alright, let's go!"
As they pulled away, James looked into the trees. He saw Margo, staring at him and crying. He placed his arms across his chest to say I love you to her. Tears filled his eyes as she blew a kiss to him. In a moment, they were past her and James' heart broke. Leaving her alone this way was the hardest thing he had ever done. He knew it was her only chance to live.
When the truck was out of sight, Margo ran to the road. She picked up the notepad and opened it. A note was inside the first page.
"You are 3 miles from a cabin in the forest. Stay going straight along the road and you will find it. There is a phone inside. Call the Sheriff's Office and tell him where you are. Call the rangers station and tell them what is happening. You will be safe there until someone shows up."
Margo read the letter and cried. She folded it up and went back into the forest. darkness would be on her before she reached the cabin. She began to run as fast as she could. She did not want to be out in the dark more than she had to be. Why the ranger was helping her, she had no clue. All that mattered was that he was. Margo ran and ran and ran.