by David Harp
Chapter 21
The Awakening
Childhood memories had caused Brian to shun Haley, but Jamie was Haley’s best friend.
It was raining when Jamie stopped by the restaurant a little before 9 a.m. The trip down the 7.6 mile muddy road off Pine Island Drive to the Adams’ shack was rough. Haley was afraid they would get stuck, so she was relieved when the parking area came into view.
“This is strange,” Jamie commented. “Matt Jackson’s jeep is here, but I don’t see my parent’s SUV.” She parked the truck before they headed out on foot for the final mile. The rain had stopped, but the thunder and lightning was getting worse.
“Brian sounded very mysterious. He didn’t say why he wanted me to come out here today. Do you have any idea?” Haley asked.
“I think he wants to apologize for the way he’s treated you. He’s been such a jerk. His behavior doesn’t make sense. He’s usually a very nice person, but don’t tell him I said so.”
“I like Brian, always have,” Haley said. “I can’t explain it, but I’ve felt a strong connection to him from the first time we met. Even when he was being mean to me, I understood.”
Haley paused to think, then continued talking. “I didn’t actually understand, but somehow knew he had his reasons for acting the way he did. Does that make sense?”
“Not really,” Jamie replied. “I just hope this isn’t one of Brian’s jokes.”
Matt was at the shack with Brian waiting on the porch when Jamie and Haley arrived.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Jamie asked.
“They aren’t coming. They went to Archbold.” Brian answered.
“You know they wouldn’t approve of you inviting a girl out here when they’re gone. So why do it?” Jamie asked. She knew Brian’s behavior was unpredictable when it came to Haley. Hopefully he wasn’t going to do something stupid.
“We want to talk to her in private without anyone else around.” Brian answered.
At that moment, a bolt of lightning hit a tree less than three hundred yards away. The thunder shook the ground like an earthquake. Jamie and Haley ran to the building for protection.
The shack was an eyesore, but it was sturdy, waterproof, and protected by a lightning rod affixed to the top of a tall cypress tree. The furnishings in the building consisted of five hand-carved wooden chairs, a rustic dining table, and two sets of bunkbeds. After everyone was seated, they fidgeted for several minutes like kids at their first dance.
“These chairs are nice. Where did you find them?” Haley asked Brian.
“Our dad made them.” he answered. Then the awkward silence returned. It lasted a few minutes but felt like an hour.
Jamie was fuming and growing angrier by the moment. “O.K., I’ve had enough! As soon as the rain lets up, we’re leaving unless you tell us right now why we’re here.”
Brian took a deep breath. He was speaking to Jamie, but made repeated eye contact with Haley as he spoke.
“Do you remember the old man at Archbold who told us those stories?”
Jamie braced herself as if preparing for a punch in the stomach.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Do you remember his eyes when he took off his sunglasses?”
Jamie shook her head. “You’re telling me you mistreated Haley for five years because she has an eye condition similar to that old man?”
“No,” he answered. He looked at Haley and the words burst out, “I was afraid of you. I think there’s a reason why you dream of an ancient civilization. You are the reincarnated queen.”
“What?” Jamie shouted, turning red in the face. “This is one of your jokes. How could you be so cruel? It’s not funny!” Tears were running down her cheek. “We’re leaving!”
“Wait,” Haley said as she touched Jamie’s hand. “I’d like to hear what he has to say.”
“You don’t have to play this game,” Jamie said, still sniffling. Haley smiled and said, “I want to.”
Brian started from the beginning. He repeated the whole story the way Archie told it. It didn’t seem like Jamie could be more upset, but when Brian described the recent events where Anastasius gave him the golden medallion, she jumped to her feet, slapped him hard across the face, and ran out to the porch.
“Stop it! Just stop it! This isn’t funny!” she shouted.
Haley went after her. She put her arm around Jamie and described the dreams she had been having her whole life. She said Brian’s story was fascinating and she wanted to see the medallion.
Jamie stopped crying long enough to laugh a little and say, “You’re as crazy as my brother.” They went back inside where Brian and Matt were waiting.
Brian opened the box in which the jeweler had placed the medallion. He separated the tissue paper to reveal the intricate Etz Chayim engraving.
“Ohhhh,” both Jamie and Haley sighed at the artifact’s stunning beauty. It was more than an intricately carved gold medallion. It glowed like Haley’s eyes.
“Touch it,” Matt said to Jamie. It was ice cold, but had a pulse like a living organism.
“It feels like it’s alive,” Jamie whispered.
“Let me,” Haley said as she reached for the medallion.
“Wait,” Brian pulled the box away. “Anastasius gave me specific instructions. Put your left hand out, palm up.” He lifted the medallion out of the box and placed it with the engraved side down against Haley’s palm. The pattern fit perfectly in her hand like a tree with the branches aligned with her fingers.
When the medallion made contact, her fingers grasped it so fast they made a snapping sound like a whip. Brian and Matt instantly fell to the floor in pain. The Etz Chayim scars on their feet appeared to be glowing. Jamie tried to scream, but she could only groan. She was frozen in place.
The room filled with static electricity like a thousand fireflies. Haley’s eyes were glowing so bright the light was escaping around the edges of her contact lenses. Her long hair was extended in all directions, writhing like snakes on the head of Medusa. Her body was contorted and shaking as if having a seizure. Jamie tried to hold her, but Haley’s body levitated and floated out of reach. It was the last thing Jamie remembered before blacking out.
Over an hour had passed when Jamie, Brian and Matt woke up. The first thing they saw was Haley’s smiling face. She looked different somehow, like an angel.
“What happened?” Jamie asked.
“You fainted.” Haley answered. She glanced sympathetically toward Brian and Matt. “How do your feet feel?”
Brian glanced at Matt and answered, “Better, but that was painful! I hope this isn’t going to happen every time you touch the medallion.”
“The artifact is part of me now,” Haley replied. “It won’t hurt you again.”
Jamie was still trying to understand. She asked Haley, “What happened to you? Are you O.K.?”
Haley looked a little puzzled. “I’m not sure, but I know where I need to go for answers.”
Jamie sat in stunned silence wondering what Haley meant by where she needed to go. Then she realized, this isn’t a joke.