Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion

by Joseph Paradis

  Boom

  Chapter 6

  Egress

  Cole was back in the river. He and the familiar presence had joined once more, leading the throngs far away from the world. Far away from the pain. Their colors were not so varied this time. Following Cole’s lead, they were all some shade of sad blue, weeping a mournful melody. Cole had chosen their color this time and He was now steering. Upwards and onwards they flowed through the river, swirling and coalescing like a flock of starlings. After a minute, or perhaps an eon, they arrived not at a meadow, but a lagoon. The pulsing spheres crashed into the water without disturbing the surface. The same opalescent moon from Cole’s dream loomed above, bathing the lagoon in gentle hues of sapphire and violet. Below, shoals of fish darted about, startled by the sudden appearance of the glowing motes.

  While the other orbs started changing colors and dancing, Cole remained a dark blue, letting himself sink to the bottom. He didn’t object. This was a terrible moment for both of them. They continued their descent like a falling leaf until they nestled into a patch of undisturbed sand. Others came by and attempted to make contact in hopes of cheering them up; however, their grief was utterly unshakable and consuming. Cole’s orb radiated such palpable sorrow that the others avoided him entirely for risk of being infected.

  After a time the fish returned, unable to resist the tempting euphoria emitted by the others. Larger creatures were also drawn towards the gathering as they twirled amongst the dancing orbs. The coral and plants swayed and quivered with new growth as they bloomed with spectacular displays of flowers and spores. The celebrations filled the lagoon with romantic undulations of color, lights, and song. The lagoon and its reef were now their stage, and this would be a show to remember.

  For all its beauty, the symphony could not pierce the shroud that He and Cole had placed upon themselves. They would stay there alone on the bottom forever, for returning to that cobblestone alley meant facing a crippling truth. With no urge or desire to speak of, they wallowed and sobbed, saturating the surrounding sand and water with fetid sorrow.

  There was an abrupt pause in the festivity as a shadow swept over the lagoon. Above, something immense had blocked out the moonlight. A hulking whale broke the surface from the air above. The whale emitted a beautiful moan that ended with a high echoing note. The fish as well as the other lights were not alarmed by the whale’s appearance, they merely parted the waters and allowed it to pass. Its massive size belied how fast it was moving, and its movement was directly towards Cole. The skin of the whale was adorned with colorful growths, but as it got closer Cole could see they were actually decorative jewelries. The stone and gem accents embellished the flowing curves of its body and fins. The whale alighted upon the sandy patch and brought its stunning eye to Cole’s morose blue orb. Cole’s despair seeped into the whale, but it drew closer, unaffected as it continued baying its song of terrible beauty. The song was wretched, yet perfect, as if the whale had made it just for Cole and his loss. He could feel it touching upon every facet of his grief, drawing it painfully out of him. Within the eye Cole could see intelligence and empathy as it blinked in understanding. A low hum bellowed from deep inside the creature as the cloud of azure sadness swirled and siphoned into its gargantuan eye. When it was finished, the whale blinked once more and, with an audible swish of its tale, rose to the surface and left the water. As the whale’s shadow moved across the reef, Cole could feel his color changing from sad blue to a pale, empty grey. The pain was still there, but it was no longer overwhelming. With a gentle nudge, He steered them back towards the others. By unspoken agreement, the other diodes rose to the surface, waiting for Cole to lead them back. Cole wasn’t ready, but how could someone be ready to face such a truth? With His consent, they rose out of the water to the fore of the river, upwards and onwards.

  • • • •

  The first thing Cole noticed was that he was wet. Wet and very cold. Slowly, he raised himself up and out of the puddle, spitting out the dirty water that had crept into his mouth. He was alone, save for the small figure lying a few paces away. Fear joined the cold that shook limbs as he approached the tiny figure that lay prone in its own dark puddle. He knew what he was about to see. Bending down, Cole pulled back the red hood and moaned. He pulled Joshua’s limp body into himself and sobbed into his jacket. Cole couldn’t help but notice how cold and light the body felt. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a whale’s song played a mournful tune.

  • • • •

  “Tara dear, he’s waking up.”

  “Colton! Oh Colton, honey how are you feeling?” Tara plopped herself onto the bed and placed a hand on his cheek.

  Disoriented, Cole pulled himself upright. “Mom?”

  Tara hugged her son, barely able to speak through her sobbing. “Colton, y-you’re in a hospital, honey. An ambulance brought you in last n-night. D-do you know what happened?”

  Cole’s face fell as the memories came flooding back; the suit, the alley, the crack-head. It couldn’t be real, it must have been a dream. “Where’s Joshy?” Cole demanded, looking his mother square in the eye.

  Hyperventilating gasps wracked her chest. She tried to speak but couldn’t get a word out. Nana Beth rose from her chair and joined them on the bed.

  “Colton, look at me. Joshua is dead.” Nana Beth’s voice was steady and sure. “A woman phoned the police when her husband found you and Joshua on their doorstep this morning. You were delirious with hypothermia and Joshua had sustained some sort of trauma to his head. The police found Joshua’s blood in the alley by the strip mall. You are now in the ICU at Saint Judith’s and it is four-thirty in the afternoon.”

  “No, no, no, no,” Cole buried his face in his hands, digging his fingernails into his forehead. “It was my fault. Joshy shouldn’t have been there, but I made him. I killed Joshy.”

  If Nana Beth was disturbed by Cole’s words, it didn’t show on her face. Stoic and gentle as ever, she waited with her hands on her lap for Cole to finish crying. After a few minutes, she spoke with a voice solid as granite: “Colton, when you’re ready, you’re going to tell us what happened after school yesterday.”

  Cole blew his nose and slowed his breathing. He needed to be strong now. It was difficult at first. He found he couldn’t remember much from yesterday before the incident. Slowly, he told them about how they got off at the first stop and went to the strip mall where he bought a suit. He elaborated about his time in the store; Joshua’s meltdown, the salesman, Joshua’s hat. He was afraid to come out of that store again, even in narration. He was stalling.

  “By the time we left the store it was pretty dark out. We took the alley over by the dollar store to save time. There was a man. He was crazy, doped up on something. He was screaming and yelling at no one and beating the wall with a pipe or something. I should have gone around. Why didn’t I just go around?” Wracking sobs consumed Cole as he twisted the collar of his hospital gown.

  Tara had stopped crying now, her watery eyes piercing and unblinking as she gripped the blankets with white knuckles. Nana Beth continued to listen politely, as if she were merely talking to a stranger on the bus about the weather.

  When Cole was ready, he continued, “I put Joshua on my right side and tried to sneak by the guy, but he saw us. He thought we were somebody else, thought that my bags from the store were a package of drugs or something. I told Joshy to keep walking, and he did. The guy took my bags and dumped them. When he didn’t find what he wanted I gave him my wallet, but dropped it. I bent down to pick it up and he shoved me. He was screaming his head off, swinging that pipe around. I was so scared he was going to hit me with it…” Cole paused. This was it. This was the part he didn’t want to say. He could hear the snapping, crunching thud. He could smell the crotch-funk and chemicals. His eyes looked off into nowhere as his breath raced away. He was no longer in the hospital room.

  “And that’s when the man hit Joshua with the pipe?” Nana Beth spoke in a loud, clear voice, breaking C
ole from his trance.

  “Joshy tried to give the man his hat.” Cole’s tone became eager and defensive, as if he needed to defend Joshy’s actions. “He loved that stupid hat. You should have seen the smile on his face when he picked it out. He crossed his arms and did his cool-guy pose in the mirror. Probably thought he looked like one of the actors on the Spanish channel. He loved that hat but he thought that the man in the alley needed it more, so he tried to give it to him.”

  “And what happened after the man hit Joshua with the pipe?” Nana Beth asked before Cole could go too far into his tangent.

  Cole made to speak, but something caught in his throat. He threw off the blankets and jumped out of bed. His hand was barely on the bathroom door before vomit shot from in between his fingers.

  “Oh Cole! Here, here take the trash can. There you go,” Tara patted his back. “We don’t need to talk any more just now. Let me go get the nurse in here.”

  “No.” Nana Beth stood from the bed.

  “What are you talking about, Beth? He’s had enough for now, obviously.” Voice rising, Tara rounded on Nana Beth. Her fiery eyes were barely level with the old woman’s navel. “We’re taking a break.”

  “No, we’re not,” Nana Beth’s voice was as calm as ever. “Colton is going to finish vomiting, and then he’s going to sit back down on this bed and finish telling us what happened. There is something missing from this story.” Seeing that Tara was about to become unhinged, Nana Beth reached down and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Tara, in my years I’ve seen tragedies and horrors that still haunt me. It has been my experience that it’s best to pull these things all out at once. He might not be able to start again if we put it off. Now that he’s awake the police will be in shortly to question him. He may need us to help him retell it.” Her eyes sharpened as her gaze turned to Cole, “And I believe Colton has been keeping something from us for some time now.”

  “Mom she’s right. I need to do it now.” Stepping around the puddle on the floor, Cole returned to the bed, legs shaking.

  Deflated, Tara joined Cole on the bed. Nana Beth remained standing, keeping an eye on the door.

  Cole waited a moment, unsure. Just as Tara was about to speak, he blurted, “It’s happening again.”

  Mouth agape, Tara asked, “What’s happening again?”

  Cole searched the floor in front of him, looking for a way to explain it. “In the alley, after…after Joshy…got hit, I got real tired and…I went somewhere.”

  “What do you mean you went somewhere? Did you leave him in the alley?” Tara said, horrified.

  “Yes. I disappeared, just like when I was a kid. It’s happening again except this time I’m remembering it all. It happened the other night too and I think it’s been happening in school. It’s worse this time though. It’s more than once a day now. I feel like I’m not all here, like I’m fading. I lied about the lights. The lights Joshy talks about. I saw them. I was the lights.” Cole looked at his mother, heart sinking.

  The distress and color drained completely from Tara’s face, looking like she might be sick herself. “I knew it. I’ve been feeling it too, in my heart. It’s like you’re not in me anymore. My heart is empty now. I’m going to lose both my sons.”

  Nana Beth shot Cole a shrewd look. “Colton you know you may have only passed out. What you saw in that alley may have just put you into shock. Are you quite sure?”

  Cole nodded. “I’m sure. And I don’t know how to explain it…but I have this feeling. Like I’m not supposed to be here. Like I might not come back next time.”

  The room went quiet. Even Nana Beth was shaken, letting out a small gasp. There was a knock and the door inched open. A young female nurse walked in, only to be halted by Nana Beth’s towering frame.

  “Not a good time,” Nana Beth spoke as if there was no other alternative.

  The nurse gave a weak smile as she craned her neck to meet Nana Beth. “Just wanted to let you know that there’s two detectives on their way up. They’re here to talk to Mister Carter.”

  “I appreciate the forewarning. You may go now.” Not needing a second telling, the nurse turned heel and exited the room. “Tara, we should go head them off. We need more time with Colton before they interrogate him.”

  Tara stood up, eyes ablaze, “You’re right. They’ll never believe the vanishing thing. We need a better story. Cole, honey, clean yourself up. We’ll be back in a minute.”

  • • • •

  Nana Beth and Tara had only just closed the door to Cole’s room when they were approached by two men in suits. One was even taller than Nana Beth.

  “Gentleman, you’ll find that young Colton is in no fit state to play host to interrogations. I’m terribly sorry but you’ll both have to come back later.” Nana Beth’s voice was calm, but carried with it the severity of an executioner at the gallows.

  The shorter detective stepped forward, unaffected by Nana Beth’s imposing glare. “Miss Carter, we need to talk to your son. Now. There’s been a development in the case and we need to hear his take on it. And you, are you his grandmother or something?”

  “Why yes, I am.” Nana Beth crossed her arms, now locked in a staring contest with the taller detective.

  The taller man spoke, “It’s only going to be us and the boy’s guardian in the room. You’ll have to wait outside.”

  Spreading her arms, Tara stepped in between the detectives and Nana Beth. “No. We told you he’s not ready. He’s still asleep and he’s not stable right now.”

  “The hospital staff told us the boy was stable. It won’t be long, just a half hour or so, and you’ll be in the room with him.” The shorter detective sounded cheerful, as if he was offering them a good bargain.

  “No,” Tara said in a low voice.

  The shorter detective sighed, shaking his head before nodding to his taller partner. With no apparent effort the man gently pushed the two women out of the way. Nana Beth crowed indignantly and Tara clung to his arm, completely suspended off the floor. The shorter detective strode into the room, only to come out a moment later after Tara spouted off the most colorful insult that her upbringing in the Tree Streets had taught her.

  The shorter detective filled the doorframe, teeth bared. “Miss Carter, we are trying to find your son’s killer. This is time-sensitive. Protecting Cole is not in your best interest right now!”

  Breathing heavily, Tara shrugged off the huge arm that was wrapped around her middle. “Fine! Let’s get this over with.”

  The man didn’t move.

  Tara stared at the man, furious. “What do you want? An apology from me or something? Move your ass so we can get started.”

  The detective jabbed his thumb over his shoulder: “There’s no one in this room.”

  Chapter 7

  Arrival

  Cole opened his eyes, blinded by the blazing sun. He could hear birds and little creatures scurrying around him. When his eyes adjusted, Cole found himself in the middle of a forest. Some of the plants there were oddly familiar but he had absolutely no idea where he was. Rubbing his eyes, he took inventory of his most recent memories.

  He was in the hospital bed, Nana Beth and his mother were arguing with some detectives outside the room. And then… He showed up. Cole remembered the concussing boom that filled his mind and the fading-falling sensation. They were in the river, but it was just the two of them this time. He couldn’t recall how he’d gotten here though. This was unlike every vanishing before. This time there were no dancing lights and he was in his own body. Perhaps this was part of a dream?

  Cole held his breath, trying to force himself to wake. Nothing. He pinched his thigh. The pain was real enough. He called out into the forest, but the only answer was the offended cries of the birds above. The chilly breeze that caressed his exposed backside felt real as well. Looking down, Cole discovered he was still in the hospital gown, complete with wrist-tag and sock-shoes.

  A slight panic set his heart fluttering as Cole stood up
, looking about. He was alone, half naked, and in a strange place. He spoke to himself as calmly as possible: “It’s ok, it’s ok. I just need to wait it out. After an hour or so I’ll reappear back in the hospital bed. I’ll just tell everyone that I went downstairs to the café or something.”

  The thought of food made Cole’s stomach gurgle. He hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. After tightening the back of the hospital gown and brushing the dirt off his rear, Cole walked towards what he hoped to be uphill. He intended to find some kind of elevation point or a good tree to climb so he could see if there was a nearby town. There was no telling how long he would be here, so he may as well find some food and water too. He wondered if some of the plants were edible, though they could just as well make him sick or worse. The trees, as it turned out, were closer to ferns. They had no bark and towered higher than Cole could even guess. Their branches ended in evergreen spikes, like pine needles back home. Some of the smaller bushes were patterned with odd colors, and bore fleshy flowers that wafted a tempting sweet aroma. Cole stepped on what he thought was a rock, only to have his foot sink right into it. Alarmed, Cole yanked out his foot, which was now sockless and covered in warm, pink goo. He used the other sock to clean his foot, hoping it wasn’t some kind of flesh-eating acid.

  “Maybe exploring isn’t such a good idea,” Cole admitted to no one.

  The squishy rock gave a sharp hiss as if it agreed. Annoyed with being even more naked, he looked around for a safe, or at least comfortable, spot to wait out his stint in this weird place. A change in the pattern of greenery flicked his periphery. There was something big and solid a little farther up the hill. Cole crouched and snuck towards the thing, careful to avoid every rock. As he approached, he could see it was actually some sort of structure the size of a one-room cabin. The exterior was made of a stone-colored moss and there were no features save for a flat spot that may have been a door. He took one cautious step after another, ready for anything. As he approached he realized the structure was made for someone twice his height.