Chapter 33
Tom and Zeke arrived a few days later. One night they had a fire on the beach and talked about everything that came to their mind. They sat up for hours at night, listening and telling stories. A few days had passed and Mer had to go back into the city to work. Crix, Holidee, Tom, and Zeke worked on the school. They had done a lot, but were not near finished. They worked hard, though, determined to finish it in a couple years.
“So where’s Crix today?”
“He went to the village.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe get more supplies.”
“Oh. Okay.” Tom, Zeke, and Holidee worked all day and when the sun began to set, they went inside to clean up and relax. Holidee was the first to be done and she sat in a chair in the living room to read. Zeke finished showering and cuddled up with her, reading over her shoulder. Tom was last and he took his time, letting the water hit his face for several minutes. After he finished and changed, he looked out a window from the upstairs hallway and saw yellow and red flames dancing near the shore. He walked quickly down the stairs to where Holidee and Zeke were.
“Did we have a fire on the beach again?” They looked up at him.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.” Tom rushed over to the front door and threw it open. Holidee and Zeke followed him. They walked out onto the porch, the humid sea air hitting their faces. “Look.” Tom pointed to the flames he saw earlier.
“Oh My God.”
“Please tell me that’s not the school.” Holidee was about in tears, but her mind quickly chose another route.
“We have to try to put it out.” Tom and Zeke looked at each other and nodded. They ran toward the burning school, confused as to how the fire started. Flames danced around the building and the heat reached their faces. “Let’s split up!” Tom and Zeke agreed and they all went separate ways. Tom ran to the back of the school, trying to figure out how the fire started and how to put it out, when something hit him hard in the back of the head and knocked him to the ground. He touched the back of his head and felt warm moisture seeping from it. Then he turned around to see his dad’s figure standing over him. Fear crept into Tom as he realized how the fire started and why he had come here. Tom tried to scramble away, but James leaned over, grabbed his shirt, and lifted him into the air. Tom struggled to get free.
“You’re gonna die a slow and painful death.” Tom saw hatred in his eyes and squirmed in his hands. Then James threw Tom so hard to the ground that he heard his wrist snap. Tom screamed in pain, but no one could hear him over the crackling of the fire. James picked up a lead pipe and walked over to Tom. He hit him once on the back and once in the ribs. Then he threw the lead pipe at Tom, hitting him in the stomach. He picked Tom up by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the side of the school. Tom crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, his body aching. James walked toward Tom again, picked him up, trapped him against the stone, and threw his fist into his jaw. Blood and spit flew from his mouth. Tom didn’t know how long he could endure this beating. He just prayed that Zeke and Holidee stayed away, because he knew James would only kill them too if they tried to interfere.
As James was about to strike him again, Tom pulled out his bowie knife and stabbed James in the arm. He howled in pain and let go of Tom as he pulled the knife out of his arm. He glared at Tom, who was on the ground.
“Just for that, I’m gonna make you suffer.” Tom tried to crawl away, but wasn’t quick enough. He grabbed Tom’s ankle and swung him around to hit the stone wall again. Blood covered Tom’s teeth and he spit some out onto the ground. His breathing was harder to control because he could feel a few ribs collapsed over his lungs. He was wheezing. His body ached all over. It was hard for him to move, but he tried to get up anyway. Useless. James walked over to Tom and kicked him onto his back. He took out a small vile from inside his jacket and opened it. Then he smiled down at Tom as he pinned his hands with his knees and pulled his head back by his hair. He poured the yellow liquid into Tom’s eyes. Tom screamed and tried to free himself. James then pulled Tom’s bandana over his eyes, tightened it, and got off of him. James laughed as he watched Tom struggle with his bandana, unable to get it off. Then James spotted Tom’s bowie knife lying on the ground behind him. He smiled and picked it up. He walked over to Tom again. Tom couldn’t see him, but he heard his footsteps on the ground and tried to retreat. James picked Tom up and pinned him against the wall as he thrust the knife into his abdomen. Tom tried to scream, but nothing came out. He tried to grab James, but his muscles were weakening. James pulled the knife out of Tom. Red droplets fell to the ground. Tom fell, his body rigid. He couldn’t breathe. His heart was slowing down. He felt cold. Very cold. James leaned over Tom and whispered, “Now you’re gonna die like that beloved uncle of yours.” Tom gasped for air, only to get none. He couldn’t see his wound, but he felt it. He pressed his hand on the hole, hoping to stop the bleeding. It kept bleeding. He knew it wouldn’t stop. It kept hurting. Tom’s stomach rose and fell slower. He got colder. He raised his hand in one last effort to receive help. None came. His arm fell to his side. Tom took one final breath before his heart finally slowed to a stop. His body went limp as life left it.
Zeke ran to the other side of the school to find Holidee. She was throwing and kicking dirt onto the flames. Nothing was working. The fire was out of control. Zeke ran up to her.
“It’s no use! The school’s lost! We can’t save it! Let’s go find Tom and get out of here before the whole thing collapses!” Holidee shook her head.
“We can still save it!”
“Holidee! It’s gone! I’m sorry, but there’s nothing more we can do!” Holidee looked at Zeke and knew he was right. She nodded in agreement and they ran to find Tom. The flames roared as they engulfed the school. Holidee looked up at the unfinished school. Why? A tree next to the school caught on fire. There was a crack and a branch fell. Zeke grabbed Holidee around the waist and jumped out of the burning branch’s way. As Zeke and Holidee lay on the ground, he looked at her. “C’mon!” He helped Holidee up and they ran around to the back of the building only to find Tom’s father holding a bloody knife and Tom lying on the ground, lifeless. Holidee was in shock, too many events happening all at once. Zeke, however, was filled with rage, and he ran toward James and tackled him to the ground before James even knew what happened.
“You…you…what did you do to him?!” Zeke was on top of James, hitting him with all of his strength. “What did you do to Tom, you bastard?!” While Zeke beat on James, Holidee walked very slowly over to Tom’s body. She dropped down beside him. His stomach didn’t move up and down. His skin was pale and cold. He was dead. Holidee turned around to see James and Zeke rolling around on the ground. James had a knife in his hand, and Zeke was trying to get it from him. They wrestled for awhile until James landed on top of Zeke, while he was holding the knife. The six-inch bowie knife penetrated James’ stomach and killed him instantly. Zeke pushed James’ body off of him and crawled over to Tom’s body and Holidee, still holding the bloody knife. Zeke stuck the knife and the ground and looked at Tom, blood covering his body and his bandana over his eyes. Tears welled up in his eyes. “He was the brother I never had. My best friend. He didn’t deserve this. He was a good person. He did nothing wrong. He didn’t deserve this!” Zeke pounded the ground and then started to cry. Tears poured down his cheeks as he faced the ground. Then a thought came to him. He looked up at Holidee. The tears had stopped falling. “Holidee.” She looked at him in bewilderment. “Holidee, you can bring him back! You can make Tom live again! Do it, Holidee! Save Tom!” Holidee looked into his green eyes.
“I…I…” Holidee knew she could. She also knew it would kill her. Zeke didn’t know that. She knew the consequences. She was told the warnings. Now she had to make a choice.
“Holidee, do it! Save him! Save Tom!” Zeke looked into her eyes, pleadingly. “Please. He’s my best friend, my brother. P
lease, Holidee. Save him. Please.” Holidee looked into his pleading eyes. Images of her parents and Crix flashed though her mind. Memories filled her head.
“…there are no other Oceains. You’re the last one.”
“Do you think I wanted to watch my best friend die? C’mon, Holidee, you know me better than that. No human being wants to watch a loved one pass on.”
“My baby girl’s gonna be in your hands now.”
“I don’t need you giving your life to someone who’s not an Oceain.”
“Holidee, you could never fail. You are stronger than every Oceain combined. You carry our race. You are an Oceain. A true Oceain. And you, alone, can bring us out of the depths of confusion and teach us how to live.”
“Just because you’re an Oceain doesn’t mean you’re invincible!”
“We can do it. We can overcome the impossible and achieve miraculous things. All you have to do, Holidee, is believe.”
“It would kill you. Holidee, you’d have to give most of your soul, if not all of it, if you brought a non-Oceain back to life. And I see no purpose in doing that, so don’t think about it. Just promise me you won’t ever do that.”
“All you have to do, Holidee, is believe.”
She knew what she had to do. She leaned over Tom and pressed her hands to his chest and stomach. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt her strength come into her hands. She felt her power and soul enter Tom’s body. Zeke watched as the blood slowly started to fade away and Tom’s body started to glow blue. Holidee felt herself getting weaker as she put life back into Tom’s body. Slowly, her soul was poured into his body, along with her healing. She felt his heart start up again. She slowly lifted her hands off of him, her eyes still closed. Zeke leaned down and felt for Tom’s pulse. It was faint, but it was there.
“Holidee, you did it! You really did it! He’s alive! You did it, Holidee! You did…” Zeke turned to look at her, but she had collapsed onto the ground. She looked weak and pale. Her breathing was slow and her skin was cold. Zeke ran to her side. “Holidee?” She opened her eyes and looked up into his green irises.
“Tell Crix…I’m sorry.” Then she fell limp in Zeke’s arms as darkness took her. Zeke was petrified.
“Holidee?” No answer. He looked at Tom and then back at Holidee. Panic started to pour into Zeke. He knew he had to find Crix and fast.
Crix. Take care of Holidee for me. Crix! Save my baby! Crix! Help her! Help my baby! Save Holidee! Crix!
“Ah!” Crix was breathing fast and hard. He wiped his forehead of sweat as he continued to drive home. He closed his eyes briefly to rub his head. It hurt like hell.
Save her Crix! Crix!
He opened his eyes. The car reached the house and he stopped it. He remembered that Holidee was with Tom and Zeke. Crix ran to the door and went inside, searching the house for them. They weren’t there. Then he sprinted outside. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw three figures off in the distance. The only one standing was Zeke. He watched as Zeke struggled with the other two figures. Neither were moving on their own. Crix ran toward them. Fear crept into his body as he neared Zeke. Zeke saw Crix coming and stopped. Crix ran and fell in between Tom and Holidee. He looked at Tom and saw that he barely breathing. Then he turned and looked at Holidee. She wasn’t breathing.
“Oh, no.” Crix looked up at Zeke. Tears were in his eyes. “What happened?” Tears rolled down Zeke’s cheeks as he fell to his knees. “Zeke! What happened?!” Zeke opened his mouth to form words but nothing came out. Crix read his lips. I’m sorry.
It’s funny what things run through a person’s mind at that moment. Some panic or freeze. Some people jump right in over their head to save the person. Others wander. Their minds wander to memories. Memories that resurface by themselves. Crix was one of those people. Memories flooded back into him, but only a few stood out to him. One of them was a letter that Gregoric had written before his death. Crix had found it next to his ring in the desk like Gregoric said. He opened the letter with trembling hands and read it slowly over and over. That was when the reality of his best friend never coming back kicked in.
My Brother,
You are, first and foremost, my brother, helper, and friend. You have trekked through this journey of life with me. You have undergone pain and happiness for me. You have offered your life to me. Now there is just one more sacrifice I am asking you to make: to raise my daughter as your own.
You have never disappointed me, and, for that, I could find no greater thanks except my love and my family. When you read this, I will have passed on into the next world. That does not mean that you are without me. Before I left, I gave you my soul. So, though I may not be with you physically, I will be with you spiritually. Always.
Time is a precious thing, and if there is one word of wisdom that I may offer to you, it would be this: do not waste life with petty little things, but cherish it and cherish time for it is the only thing that holds you to your loved ones. I do not know if you will read this ten minutes after my death or ten years after my death, but what I do know is that when you do read this letter, you will be sitting on a chair, or perhaps on the edge of a bed as you sometimes did, bent over reading this letter in your left hand, while your right is touching your forehead as tears drop onto the paper. And, as you smile at these last words, I want you to hold that feeling, because the feeling of a smile is the only thing that will help you survive over these next few years. Be strong for my little girl, Crix. Be strong for Mer. Be strong for me. I am giving you this burden, Crix, because I know you can carry it. You have more strength and courage than anyone I have known. You have the heart of a true Oceain and the spirit to go with it. Never forget the good times, Crix. They will help you through the bad. Never forget who you are. You are my brother. You are an Oceain. You are a healer. Just remember, Crix, that life will be easier if you only believe. Just believe, Crix. Believe.
Your loving friend,
Gregoric
As those last words from Gregoric’s letter ran through Crix’ mind, another memory popped into his head. This was a much happier memory. This was one of the times that Holidee was playing in the ocean with Micrip and Fye. She was splashing around in the water, happy as can be, with no worries in her head. And as Crix saw her smile in his mind, he thought of the time when he showed her the memory of his last Christmas with his friends. He remembered her crying afterwards. He remembered hugging her. He remembered her warmth, and he knew that he would never feel that again.
Crix placed his hands around Holidee and slowly lifted her up. He pressed his whole body to her and gave her his soul. Holidee glowed bright blue as Crix felt coldness come into his body. He felt her pulse start up again, but kept going. He wanted to make sure she would live. His body started shaking, but he held onto Holidee. Then, when darkness was about to succumb him, he let go of her and fell to the ground. Darkness took him and he joined his brother shortly after.
Zeke had been watching one friend die after another. He couldn’t take much more of this dying and living. His body was going into shock as he realized that Crix had given his life to Holidee just like Holidee had given her life to Tom.
Holidee’s head was throbbing as pain seared through it. She slowly sat up, confused. She was a little dizzy and didn’t know where she was. Then, she spotted Crix lying on his back in the grass. He wasn’t breathing. His skin was white. His body was cold. Holidee turned her head and saw Zeke sitting on his knees, looking horrified. She saw Tom, barely breathing, lying near her. Then everything came back to her. The fire. The school. Tom’s dad. Tom’s lifeless body. Her soul. And then, she figured it out. She crawled over to Crix’ body and listened for a pulse.
“Crix!” Nothing. “Crix! No, Crix!” She started to do CPR, but stopped when she knew it was useless. Tears blurred her vision. “Crix. No. Come back. Don’t leave me.” She touched his chest and knelt her head down in defeat. “Crix.” Silence kicked in all around her. She looked at Crix as tea
rs rolled down her face. Then she saw the necklace. Holidee. She touched it and turned it around. Believe. She grabbed Crix’ shirt collar and pulled, but he didn’t budge. She looked at Zeke. “Zeke! Come help me!” Zeke was still in a daze, but he somehow managed to get up and help Holidee drag Crix to the beach. They stopped on the shoreline, and Holidee continued to drag him until the water hit her chest. Crix’ body floated over the waves as Holidee held onto him. Then she let go, closed her eyes, and lifted her arms up. Suddenly the waves stopped and the water was calm. There was not one ripple in the ocean. Crix’ body was also still; it didn’t move from Holidee’s side. Holidee took her arms above her head to make a point. Then she turned them as she lowered them. The water around Crix started to churn. The rotation of her arms got faster as did the water around Crix. Then she stopped and lifted her arms abruptly up above her head. Crix’ body was lifted into the air by the seawater beneath him. The plateau of water held him up, even though his body was limp and lifeless. Then Holidee started humming. Animals of every kind started gathering around her. They all floated in the water as they looked up at Crix. Holidee brought her hands down to her sides and looked out over the horizon.
“Ancestors. Hear my plea.” Pause. “I would not come to you for help if I could complete the task that is before me. But I cannot. I am too weak at the moment to put enough soul into my friend, Crix. Please.” Tears stung her eyes. “Please help me bring him back. He is all I have. I need him to live.” A tear hit the still water with a tiny splash. “I cannot save him.” Holidee bowed her head, unaware of what would happen. She started crying, thinking Crix could not be saved. Then she heard faint, wispy voices close to her.
Don’t.
Cry.
She looked up, and to her astonishment, saw six blue spheres floating toward her. They were glowing slightly. The orbs floated in the air toward her. Then they spun around her so fast that Holidee’s body started to lift into the air. The water below her feet lifted into the air and her body was thrust out of the water to stand parallel to Crix’ body. The six spheres, which were about the size of Holidee’s head, flew around her at a rapid speed. The tears dried on her face. She held her arms wide and threw her face toward the sky. Different voices came from each orb.
Pure.
Blood.
Heart.
True.
Plea.
Heard.
Then they all spoke together.
Will answer.
The six spheres flew over and encircled Crix’ body. Then, slowly, one orb hit Crix’ body and disappeared into his flesh. Crix’ body jerked. A second orb hit and entered Crix’ body after the first one had disappeared. Four spheres remained circling him. Then, with a force of a machine gun, all four remaining spheres shot into Crix’ body, one after another. A bright blue light blinded Holidee from seeing Crix. She shielded her eyes, but stood still. She felt herself being lowered into the water as the light vanished. Holidee looked up to see Crix, but his body was no longer there. She looked all around her in panic. He was gone. After several minutes, Holidee slowly started walking back to the beach. Tears streaked her face. The waves hit her legs. The animals swam away. Her feet hit soft sand and she sank to her knees in ankle-deep water. She started crying uncontrollably.
“Crix!” Her hands were covering her face. “Why?”
Then a warmth came into her body. She knew this warmth. It wasn’t from the ocean. She stopped crying and looked up. There, on the beach, lifeless and still, was Crix’ body. He was on his back, not breathing. She hit the water and ran toward him.
“Crix!” She slid to a halt and sat on her knees next to his body. “Crix.” His skin was glowing light blue. She touched his face. He was warm, but still not breathing. “Crix. You can’t leave me. You can’t” She laid her head down on his chest. “Come back. Please.” Then she remembered something that Crix had said a long time ago.
“If an Oceain kisses another Oceain that is hurt, and they kiss near the cut or whatever, their healing power almost doubles. It is a very powerful healing remedy. But it only works if you love that Oceain with all of your heart.”
Holidee slowly bent down and touched Crix’ forehead with her lips. Crix gave an immediate gasp and his body jerked back to life. He gasped for air as if there were none. Holidee was astounded and helped control his breathing. His eyes were wide. Holidee looked into them to try to calm them, but noticed a difference.
“Oh My God.” She leaned back, still fixed on his eyes. Then, with one final jerk, Crix was thrown into unconsciousness. His chest rose and fell slowly. So many thoughts ran through her head. She was exhausted. She couldn’t move.
“Zeke!” She heard footsteps running toward her. “Call…” Her eyelids were heavy. Sleep. Just let me… “…91-” Then she collapsed next to Crix, into a deep sleep.