“Oh, by the way, happy birthday,” Jake said interrupting her thoughts.
“Thank you,” she said with a shy smile.
“You’re the same age as Paige now, right?”
“No, I’m older than Paige,” she almost whispered. “I’m twenty today.” She trailed off when she saw the confusion flash across his face.
“But yo--.”
“It is a long story,” Sara muttered. “My mom didn’t want me to go to school. She wanted me to tend the shrine and it took my dad two years to talk her into letting me go.”
“Oh,” Jake responded. He had no idea that she was older than he thought. He started to ask another question when he noticed that she was looking back down at the floor. With a frown, he turned his attention back to where they were going.
After leaving the hotel, they headed around Fisherman’s Warf. Paige found a laser challenge that she insisted they do. Sara was not the most coordinated and came in last on the first several attempts. Jake teamed up with her after that and with his help she managed to beat Paige. Once Sara beat her, she pouted and wanted to move on. After the laser challenge, they spent several hours at the Aquarium of the Bay, which Sara enjoyed. She loved seeing the variety of sea life. Next, much to Paige’s displeasure, they made their way to the USS Pampanito, which was a fully restored WWII submarine. Jake insisted they at least stop by one of the two WWII attraction. By the time they were done, it was already evening, and they headed back toward the hotel.
“Did you have fun today?” Jake asked while they were walking. Sara only nodded in response since she was tired and ready to rest. Her head was still bothering her, but she did not want to complain.
“No, “Paige whined. “You guys really are no fun. We should’ve ridden the Darkride roller coaster or gone to Alcatraz.”
“I don’t think Sara would have enjoyed those,” he said with a knowing look. “And wasn’t this supposed to be for her birthday?”
“Yeah, I know,” Paige grumbled.
Jake chuckled at her before they fell silent. Once they arrived back at the hotel the girls and Jake went back to their separate rooms. Paige tossed her jacket on the bed and went to her bag again.
“Present time,” she said.
Sara sat down on her bed as Paige handed her two boxes. She opened the larger of the two first. It was a book of Irish sheet music for the violin.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “I needed new music since I’ve already learned everything I had at home.”
“I know,” Paige said as Sara reached for the second box. “And just so you know, that one is from Jake. He told me to tell you it was from me too.” A sly smile crossed her face.
Sara paused as she stared at the box before she opened it. Inside was a small delicate white gold charm bracelet. There were several different charms on it. A small violin, willow tree, music note, and a single bloomed rose. Sara smiled as she looked at it.
“Aww, that’s cute,” Paige said as she looked over her shoulder. Sara held the box up, so she could see it better. “See I told you,” Paige added when she walked away. This time Sara did not argue she just smiled.
Early the following morning Jake, Paige, and Sara headed out from San Francisco for Colorado. It was an uneventful two-day drive since Jake was back in control of travel plans, and they reached their destination in good time.
Leaving the narrow two-lane road, they drove up a steep mountain gravel driveway and pulled up to a cabin in the late afternoon of the second day. The one and a half story log cabin was nestled among large pine trees. It was constructed from trees on the property, which gave it a rustic feel. There were large windows all along the cabin and a wrap-around front porch with a swing that gave a place to enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding forest.
When they climbed out of the jeep an older gentleman with blond hair and the same blue-grey eyes as Jake and Paige walked out the front door. He had a large smile on his face.
“Kids,” he called. “It’s so good to see you. It has been far too long.”
Paige ran up the steps and gave him a huge hug. Her uncle chuckled when he had to peel her off him. She frowned until she noticed Sara standing at the bottom of the steps.
“Oh,” Paige said with a grin. “Uncle Steve, this is my friend Sara.”
“Hi,” Sara said, her voice quiet.
“Nice to meet you,” Steve said. His mannerisms were warm and welcoming. He turned to Jake and gave him a hug before he beckoned for them to follow him into the house. “The two downstairs bedrooms are set up for the girls and Jake, I set up the office for you. I hope that will be okay.”
“Of course,” Jake said with a smile. “We’ll stay wherever you have room.” His uncle patted him on the shoulder.
“I assume all of you’d like to get settled, so I will head upstairs to the living room. Come find me when you are all set.”
They all nodded and headed back out to the jeep to get their things. Sara carried hers to the first of the downstairs bedrooms. She walked inside and smiled. The room had two, floor to ceiling, windows that provided an unobstructed view of the mountains. There was a large stone fireplace on the back wall and a large, thick black rug covering the light brown wood floor. Situated on the rug was a large queen-sized bed made from more logs, and a wooden dresser.
She set her bag down next to the dresser and looked out the window. The smile did not leave her face as she stared at the massive trees just on the other side of the window. She was already missing the forest around her home in Japan, so this was a nice distraction. It took her several minutes to be able to pull herself away from the view. Once she did, she left her room and headed down the hallway to go see Paige’s room. She stopped when she heard Jake’s voice coming from Paige’s room.
“I said we would talk about things later,” he said. “Let’s go up with uncle Steve.”
Sara ducked back into her room just as the two left Paige’s room and headed upstairs. It was not long before she could hear raised voices through the floor.
“Paige, you have to think about other people and not just yourself,” Jake said.
“I do think about other people,” Paige snapped back at him.
“That drive to California,” he said, struggling to keep his voice level. “Who were you thinking about then? I’m sure it wasn’t Sara and me.”
“It was for Sara’s birthday.”
“No, that is just the excuse you came up with to justify your irresponsible actions. I trusted you to drive us where we needed to go.”
“Wanting to have fun once in a while is not irresponsible,” she yelled. “You might not be so mean if you had fun occasionally. I mean all you do is study and work!”
“I have to work. I have to support both of us.”
“You aren’t my dad,” she continued to yell. “He has to take care of me, not you! Besides I’m eighteen now and I don’t need you to take care of me.”
“No, Paige,” Jake said with a heavy sigh. “I have to take care of you. I have for a long time.”
Sara put her hands over her ears. She could not stand listening to the fighting and looked around for a way to get away from it. Her eyes went to the windows and she decided a short walk would be the best. She hurried to her bag and pulled out a notebook. After leaving a note on Paige’s bed she slipped out of the cabin.
Once she was outside, she breathed a huge breath of fresh air. She was so relieved to be away from the fighting in the house that she did not mind the light rain. Her smile returned as she gazed at the forest surrounding her. There were enormous pine trees everywhere and a few piles of snow left over from the last major storm. She closed her eyes and allowed the forest sounds to flood her senses. Her eyes opened again when the faint sound of a stream caught her attention. She headed in the direction of the sound and it was not long before a small mountain stream running down the steep slope came into view. It was barely two feet wide, but Sara watched the water flowing over the rocks for a while b
efore she decided to follow it. She ventured deeper into the woods and before she knew it, the sun was starting to slip behind the mountains.
When she glanced up and noticed the orange glow to the sky she stopped and looked back over her shoulder. There was no indication that there was a cabin anywhere near her. With a heavy sigh, she turned around to head back when she caught sight of a cave out of the corner of her eye. Turning to face it, she stared into the blackness and took an involuntary step toward it before she stopped and hesitated. Normally, she would have been too nervous to go inside alone but she felt like something was beckoning her to come inside. Swallowing hard, she took slow steps toward the entrance.
“Do not!” Sara flinched when the voice yelled in her head.
“Why?” She asked out loud as she tried to peer inside the cave. When she got no answer from the voice, she started to approach the cave again.
“No!” Sara gasped when she was thrown backwards by a hurricane force wind. It was so strong it picked her up off the ground and hurled her toward a dead pine tree near the entrance. She slammed into it and screamed in agony when she was impaled by a large branch. Her breath came in quick gasps as she collapsed, and the branch slid back out of her stomach. She sank to the ground as blood poured from the large wound.
“What have I done?” The voice gasped.
Sara tried to focus on the voice as she clutched at her stomach. Darkness was already closing in on her.
“I… I am going to die,” she stammered.
“No! You must hang on. We cannot die yet!” Sara could hear the voice calling to her but could not make sense of what she was saying. The darkness was encroaching, and she could feel her consciousness slipping away. Suddenly, she felt a strange burning and tingling sensation in her stomach and back, the darkness trying to swallow her was pushed back. She tried to make sense of what was happening but could not form a coherent thought. It took her several moments to realize the voice was speaking to her again.
“The wound is healed. The bleeding has stopped but you must get up.”
Sara attempted to roll onto her stomach but cried out in pain the moment she tried to move.
“The pain will fade soon but you must get out of the rain.”
She tried again but collapsed back on the ground.
“Get up!”
With tears streaming down her face, Sara managed to get onto her knees, and dragged herself up the small slope to the mouth of the cave. Once she made it over the threshold she collapsed again. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and warm up. The front and back of her clothes were soaked with blood causing her to shiver in the cold. Her face was deathly pale from the blood loss. She tightened her grip and frowned when she realized it felt like she was burning with fever.
“Why?” She gasped. When the voice did not answer right away, she hit her hand on the ground in frustration. She gasped again when the impact with the ground jarred her and caused pain to lance through her body.
“I am so sorry.”
“Why?” She demanded again, her voice becoming angry.
“I… I do not know. I cannot remember why, but I fear this cave.”
Sara shook her head in frustration before she passed out.
***
Paige stormed down the stairs and slammed the door of her room behind her. Jake watched her leave before he sat down on the couch and rested his head on his hand. His uncle sat down next to him.
“I’m sorry,” Steve said as he patted him on the back. “She has always been a handful. I would have taken you both in if I had known.”
“I know,” Jake said without looking up. “She really has no idea what I’ve had to do and give up for her. I mean I’d do it all again, but heaven help me she is so frustrating.”
“Most kids don’t have a clue what the adults, or in this case older brother, in their lives give up for them, but yours is not a normal case. No one should ever hand a three-year-old to a ten-year-old child and say raise them.”
“No, they shouldn’t,” Jake said, unable to contain the bitterness in his voice. “Though, it wasn’t until I was fourteen that he just quit coming home. He’d just send me money. I know he blames Paige for mom’s death bu--.”
“Which is not fair to both of you,” his uncle said. “But all we can do now is move forward. Look at all you’ve accomplished since then.”
“I didn’t really have much of a choice,” Jake replied. He started to say something more when Paige came rushing back up the stairs.
“I can’t find Sara,” she said as she held out a slip of paper. “She left this and said she was going for a walk. It’s already dark outside.”
Jake jumped up and grabbed the paper from her hand before he glanced at the clock, “We’ve been up here for three hours? I had no idea we were up here that long.” He started to make his way for the stairs, but Steve grabbed his shoulder.
“Jake wait,” he said. “You can’t go out there now. It’d be too dangerous to try and look in the dark, especially since it is raining.”
“I have to. I can’t leave her out there all night.”
Steve tightened his grip, “She could come back at any time and then we’d have to search for you instead. We don’t need anyone else out there getting lost.”
When Jake realized his uncle was not going to budge, he clenched his hand into a fist. He could not stand the idea of just sitting and waiting.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” his uncle continued.
“You don’t know Sara,” Jake replied with a shake of his head. “She seems to be a bad luck magnet.” He sighed and when his uncle let go of his shoulder he headed toward the kitchen. He knew it was going to be another long night and he needed coffee.
***
Several hours passed before Sara woke with a loud groan. She looked around in confusion. She felt terrible and struggled to piece together how she had gotten in this cave. When she tried to move, and severe pain lanced through her stomach and back, the pieces started falling into place. She pushed off the floor and got into a sitting position before she leaned against the cave wall breathing heavily. Glancing down for the first time, she noticed a small fire lit beside her. Her brows furrowed when she had no idea where it came from, but she did not think about it long as she reached out and tried to hold her freezing fingers over it. With a frown, she pulled her hand back when she was shaking too bad to manage it. Her gaze shifted when the jingle of the bracelet on her wrist caught her attention.
“What am I going to tell him this time?” Her voice was laced with uncertainty and fear.
“The truth?”
“What?” Sara squeaked. “I don’t know where you come from but, around here people would think I was insane.” She frowned when she heard the voice chuckle.
“In my experience, the truth is always the best option.”
Sara did not respond and leaned her head back against the wall. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what to do next. It was not long before she shook her head. She knew she needed to get back to the cabin as soon as possible. Her shivering was getting worse from the chill in the air, and she could tell she was still feverish. She glanced down at the fire and realized it was only helping a little bit since her clothes were still soaked. After debating for a few minutes more she got onto her knees and tried to stand. Her whole head began to spin, and she grasped at the wall to keep from falling.
“Careful! You lost a lot of blood.” Sara bit back a sharp reply when she heard the worry when the voice spoke this time. She ground her teeth together against the pain and took a weak step out of the cave. After only taking a few steps she knew she was not going to make it back without something to hold onto. She was too weak. Scanning the ground in the dark she spotted a large branch laying on the ground not far from her. It took her several minutes to make it over to it. Once she reached it, she pulled it up off the ground before she leaned on it.
Now that she was not in danger of falling, she took the time to
look around as best she could. The rain seemed to have slowed and she could just make out the stream as she made her way toward it. When she reached it, she could barely see the flowing water in the dim moonlight that was struggling to shine through the rain clouds. Taking a deep breath, she started following the stream. She hung onto the branch with every labored step and had to stop multiple times on the way back up the slope when everything would start to spin.
“I thought you said the pain would fade soon,” Sara snapped. Her hand was pressed hard to her stomach.
“I said fade, not be gone. It must be better than it was.”
Sara frowned before she admitted that, yes, it had faded a little bit, but it was still more pain than she had ever experience in her life.
“Healing takes away the wound, but the pain will remain for a day or two. An injury cannot be taken away in an instant.”
Sara’s frown deepened before she forced her attention back to moving back up the mountain. It took her almost an hour before the lights of the cabin could be seen around the trees in the distance. She put her head down and kept moving up the slope at a crawl. When she reached the top, she paused to catch her breath. Her face clouded with worry when she realized she was about to have to face Jake. She bit her lip before she decided she would try and slip back inside without being seen. If they were still fighting it gave her a good chance.
She started moving again, but when she got closer to the cabin she noticed figures moving around in the kitchen. Adjusting her course, she headed for the front, maybe she could slip in that way without being seen. The idea of all the attention caused her to try and walk faster. She only made it about halfway when she stumbled and fell. When she landed hard on her stomach, she cried out in pain. Before she could move the door to the kitchen flew open.
“Sara?” Jake asked. He could not quite make out the figure in the dark as he approached her. She struggled to get back to her feet before he reached her.
Whispers of Time Page 10