"What was that?" Aubrey mimics my thoughts.
I'm not sure what to tell her. Brooke's shrubs, roots, vines everything she grew, collapse in a heep and her oak tree -her, is the last to fall. She slowly shrinks back into her girl form as she lays on the grass with her knees tucked to her chest. She gasps for air, clean air but only smoke slips out of her mouth.
"Where's Grace?" Panic rises from my voice as I scramble to my feet. Brooke lets out a gagging noise then weezes. I know she's not breathing anymore. The wind around her is dead, giving me an unnerving sensation . I have to get to her. I did this. I have to fix it.
Aubrey's voice is only a whisper. "The darkness got her." And then I see her. Grace is just past Brooke, eyes black, her skin changing color.
"No." I gasp, stopping at Brooke's side wondering for a split second, what the hell am I even going to do? But it doesn't take me long to think of first aid. I took a class last year for a week, trying to get a job at the public swimming pool. I failed the class and didn't get the job. But I have to try something.
I take a quick glance at Naomi, hoping she'll understand. "Do this." I say and roll Brooke to her back.
Support her neck, I push her forehead back and lean down so my cheek is to her mouth. "One, two, three." I count to five, she's definitely not breathing. I list off the steps for CPR to Naomi and immediately follow them myself on Brooke. Pinch her nose, breathe in clean air and then I plumage to Brooke's mouth pushing the air into her lungs. Her chest rises with each breath. I release and position myself to compress her heart. In out, in out. Thirty times. With each compression smoke flys out as if it knows there's no where else for it to go. In the corner of my eye, Naomi and Aubrey are pushing the smoke out of Grace. I hope this is working. God, the Eye, Buddha, Gandhi, universe whoever, please please, please make this work.
By the time I breath air into Brooke's lungs the second time. Her eyes fling open and she gasps for air, deeper, stronger than her weezing a moment ago. With a sigh of relief, I roll her to her side as she couches out the last remaining smoke. She's alive. When I know she stable, when her hand digs into the dirt under her and the color of her skin turns back to normal. I rush over to Grace. She should be back by now. She should be awake.... alive.
I fall to my knees at just the site of Grace. Her face is frozen in fright and her little body is so cold, weak and damaged. I look to Aubrey as she sits back watching Naomi perform a better CPR than I've ever done. She bits her nails as tears run down her face. Aubrey glances at me. "What dose this mean?" She quivers. I can't answer her. I can't get the lump out of my throat to let me answer. "I'm so cold." She hugs her legs.
Naomi's power is seeping out of her as well, it's only moments for their magic finds a new host and leave all three of them lifeless. I can't let that happen. They can't die because of me, for me. They must live.
I close my eyes, letting my own tear fall and let the magic from my star flow. Pulsing like the heart beats around me, it soars down my arms, past my fingers, through the dirt and grass, until it reaches Grace.
The wind pulses through her body pushing, twisting, squashing every darkness out. Grace's hand twitches ever so slightly and I feel her heart pound once. The energy inside of me sparks with delight and I pulse air and magic and whatever else I can feel into Grace.
Naomi gasps as her power returns to her. -Grace's heart beats again. Aubrey shivers but releases her legs and leans closer to the other pixies. -Grace's heart beats again. Gently the wind flows from Grace's feet, up her body and past her head. Tossing her hair as it leaves -cleansing every inch of the darkness out of her. Grace gasps for air and her heart beats as if it's running a marathon.
I can't help but smile in releaf and let out a silent "thank you" for no one in particular.
Weak, sore in muscles I didn't know I had, I feel like I've just gotten off a roller-coaster that forbidden to ever stop. From the moment I got up this morning. Wait no. The moment I walked into Wade and Stephanie's house, it's been an overwhelming roller-coaster of emotions, of unexplained, crazy, amazing things and somehow, I'm alive and now these four are still alive.
I grib onto that aspect as if it's my lifeline and the only thing holding me up. That is until Naomi glears at me and starts shouting with her new found power.
"What the hell... are you?"
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