Nathan hugged him again and then squirmed out of the embrace. He splashed into the cave blood and took Jason’s hand.
“We have to hurry,” he said and began pulling him along by the hand.
Jason couldn’t think of anything to say so they continued on in silence. He thought he needed to explain some things to Nathan, but maybe the lessons of his memories were only for him. He thought he knew what the other-him tried to tell him. Up ahead he saw the tunnel begin to widen and the glow in the air grew even more intense. He tugged Nathan to a stop.
“Nathan, listen,” Jason said. The boy turned and looked at him with fire in his eyes.
“We have to hurry, Jason,” he said. “My mommy doesn’t have much time.”
“I know,” he answered. “I know, but listen a sec, okay?”
Nathan stared back patiently, the grown up indulging his child.
“Two things, real quick,” Jason said. “First, whatever you have to do there, just do it, okay. I mean don’t worry about me. I want to help you but you can’t worry about me and fail your mom, alright?” The boy nodded. “Okay, second,” he paused. He didn’t know what to say exactly and maybe Nathan knew all of this better than he did. He continued anyway. “Second, the creatures can’t hurt you, Nathan. They’re afraid of you and they know the power you have. But, you have to know it too. You can’t be afraid, not even a little. You can do that, though, if you believe in yourself. You have to believe in yourself, like I believe in you. Nathan, I think the power is from the believing.”
Nathan looked at him with a slightly cocked grin as if an idiot had just tried to convince him that fish lived in water. “I know, Jason,” he said. “I needed you to help me be brave, but now you have to stay behind me okay?”
Jason arched his eyebrows in surprise. He was not the rescuer he had imagined. He nodded and Nathan turned and led him by the hand a few more yards until the tunnel ended and they entered the large room and the source of the light.
It felt like he had walked into the center of a light bulb. Despite the brightness, it didn’t make him squint—didn’t hurt his eyes at all, in fact. The light seemed pale, almost liquid, and shimmered outward from a pulsing, watery ball in the middle of the otherwise-ordinary room. Even though the light ball sat on a slight elevation, the cave blood flowed to it and splashed in a little swirling circle at its base—an upside-down version of water, swirling down a drain. Here a water spout stood on its head and the ball of light sucked the purple liquid up into its center.
The light he had seen from Jazz’s body—the light the creatures had sucked into their open mouths—had been harsh white. The light that had erupted from Nathan’s fingertips and face had been almost blue. This light seemed much duller, a dirty yellow. Nathan pulled Jason’s hand to step them out of the cave-blood river. He couldn’t pull his eyes off the bizarre sight, though vaguely aware that the horrible tingling in his feet and the tightness in his groin and stomach stopped immediately.
“Wow,” he whispered.
Nathan said nothing and led him in a wide circle around the orb. On the far side of the light ball Jason saw that no other tunnels or passageways led into the room.
One way in and one way out. Now what?
The other-him stayed stubbornly quiet and Jason decided he would do best to just shut up and see what happened.
Then he smelled the shit smell and felt his pulse quicken and his throat tighten. He looked around the large room for the Lizard Men, but didn’t see them. For a moment Jason considered snatching Nathan up and sprinting to the tunnel.
“No, stay still,” Nathan whispered to him as if he had read his mind. His voice seemed too large for a little boy. “I have to destroy the light.”
It took every bit of strength he had to obey the boy and stay still. Then he heard a voice in his head, but not the guiding, other-him voice.
Remember me, Jason? At last we have you. Now you can go and meet your mother while we feast on you like we did the others.
It was the voice from the alley, and the cave and his nightmares. Panic consumed him and he looked down at Nathan.
The fire in the boy’s eyes filled him with shame and hope.
“Stay behind me, Jason,” he said and pulled his small body between Jason and the tunnel.
The two Lizard Men appeared from the passageway and moved swiftly, their mouths open, yellow liquid dripping from their long, razor-sharp teeth.
* * *
Nathan stepped backward and angled himself between Jason and the creatures. He didn’t feel afraid. He felt mad. His mind flashed on images of Steve as he had picked Nathan up by his broken arm and shoved his hand into the blue flame. He felt the fear of the doctors when they came to peel skin from his deformed fingers. Then he pictured Jenny, curled up with the milky-white, dead eyes—and his mother. He couldn’t have been afraid even if he’d wanted to.
You can’t hurt me.
“Power Rangers—POWER UP!”
The power exploded outward from deep inside of him and he again floated upward in the air. He held up his hands and watched as they began to glow, flickers of sparkler-like blue light fizzled from the tips of them. He smiled and felt hot inside—and angry.
You can’t hurt us.
Blue light flew out from his hands and eyes. Nathan focused on the dull yellow orb in the middle of the room and watched as his own light sparked out toward it like lightening. When it hit the dirty little sun, sparks flew in the air and the light ball pulsed weakly and began to fade. Around the light ball the cave blood began to boil and pop, stinking like old garbage.
Nathan sensed a sudden movement and looked away from the electric scene. When he did he felt his power weaken. He saw the taller creature move with remarkable speed toward them from the tunnel. No, not toward them—toward Jason.
We can’t hurt you, but we can certainly tear him to pieces.
Behind him a white light begin to bleed out from Jason. The creature’s lizard mouth smiled and sucked it in. Nathan heard Jason scream in terror and he spun around in the air in time to see the creature’s claw tear through the flesh on Jason’s chest. Blood showered the Lizard Man as Jason crumpled to the floor.
“No,” Nathan screamed, and redirected the blue light from his fingers and eyes. Lightning struck the creature in the neck and chest. Thin trails of foul-smelling smoke twisted from the green skin as an animalistic cry filled the room.
Beneath him, Jason shook his head clear, looked up at Nathan and nodded. Then he noticed the shorter creature circling around the other way from the tunnel.
“Nathan,” Jason hollered up at him over the sizzling of the Lizard Man’s skin. “Nathan, you have to destroy the light.”
Nathan already knew that, but he didn’t think he could keep the Lizard Men from killing Jason and destroy the light at the same time. He tried to move his power back over to the light ball, but when he did the taller Lizard Man gave out a terrible howl, the sound of an attacking animal, and moved again toward Jason. He started to feel frightened as he realized that he could save his mother or Jason, but not both. As his fear grew he saw his blue light fade in intensity.
“Nathan, destroy the light!” Jason called out again.
Nathan sent another bolt at the Lizard Man and propelled him backward, then sent another at the shorter creature who rounded the top of the circle and reached out for Jason.
“I can’t,” he cried as the shorter creature fell backward against his strike. “They’ll kill you.”
“No, they won’t.” Jason’s voice sounded different—stronger somehow. “They can’t, Nathan. I believe too.” Jason struggled to his feet and dashed toward the tunnel. Both creatures whirled around and followed him. “I’ll take care of the Lizard Men, you destroy that goddamn light so we can go home!”
With that, he disappeared into the tunnel and the Lizard Men followed him. Nathan hovered near the ceiling and tried to catch another glimpse of them, but they had disappeared. For a moment he thought abo
ut following them.
No, Ranger. Your mission is here. Your team is helping you, so finish your job.
What about Jason?
That is for Jason to decide. Destroy the light and set your mother free.
Nathan took a deep breath; the air felt cool and dry in his lungs. He closed his eyes tightly and summoned all the power he could. His skin began to tingle and his eyes filled with cold heat.
“I love you, Mommy,” he whispered. Then he opened his eyes and opened his mouth. A huge and brilliant blue cone of light erupted from the middle of him and slammed into the light ball with a tremendous flash. This time the animal howl was his.
Chapter
29
Jason knew he probably would die, torn to pieces by the creatures, but he didn’t care anymore. The important thing was only that Nathan could finish his work and be safe. He believed that meant that Jenny and Sherry would be safe also—always safe. He had to give the boy as much time as he could.
I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry I found my strength too late for you.
The cave blood splashed up all the way to his thighs as his bare feet pounded through the puddles. He could hear his breathing, raspy and shrill, and the animal grunts of the creatures behind him. Salty sweat burned in the ragged gash on his chest and streams of hot blood rolled down his side. If he could get out of the tunnel, maybe he could make it across the large room and up the rise to the other passageway. From there he could scurry into the little cave he’d hidden in with Nathan—and alone so many years ago.
Or you could stop and fight. Be a man for once. Be at least as much a man as the five-year-old you left in the other cave.
Not yet, Jedi. Keep running. Give him a little more time.
Jason pushed into a full sprint. He held his elbows up, pumping his arms furiously and using them to bounce himself off the walls, tearing through the never-ending, winding tunnel.
Suddenly, the grunting of the Lizard Men faded behind a new sound, a rising animalistic howl that seemed to penetrate through his torn and bleeding chest. Then a tremendous blue light exploded from behind him and the force of it picked him up and propelled him forward. The shock wave continued past him; he watched swirling tornados of blue bounce their way down the tunnel beyond him and he tumbled headfirst to the floor. His face and throat tingled from the cave blood. Jason rolled onto his back as he continued his slide down the tunnel and watched one last pulse of bluish light disappear. The dirty, yellow glow disappeared with it.
Nathan.
Jason shook his head and felt tears spill out onto his cheeks. He could not imagine any way that Nathan could have survived that explosion of power, especially not at ground zero. His throat tightened at the realization that the little boy he had come to love so much had just given his life to save them all.
* * *
Jenny jumped nearly out of her skin as Sherry let out a sudden, shrill gasp and sat up on the chair-bed, covers clutched in her white-knuckled hands. Once she realized where the sound came from she jumped up and snapped on the light behind Nathan’s bed, then went quickly to Sherry’s side.
“Oh, my God!” Sherry breathed. “Oh shit. Oh, God, what a terrible dream.”
She looked around the room and then looked at Jenny, her face twisted in confusion.
“What are you doing here? Oh, my God. What a nightmare.” She grabbed Jenny painfully by the wrists. “Where is Nathan? Where is my boy?”
Jenny broke her wrist free and held Sherry by the shoulders. “It’s okay, Sherry. Everything is alright. Nathan is here.” She gestured behind them at the figure curled up under the bed covers. “He’s right there. He’s sleeping.”
“I have to see him.” Sherry broke away and went to the bed, where she half crawled in beside her son and pulled the covers back.
Jenny squeezed past the outstretched legs of Jason, who slumped backward, mouth open, on the bench seat where she had cradled him moments ago. She placed a hand on Sherry’s shoulder. Sherry put a hand over her mouth.
“What’s wrong with him? Why won’t he wake up?” She looked around the room and her gaze fell on Jason. “Why is Dr. Gelman not waking up? What the hell is going on?” Sherry’s voice became a piercing shriek and Jenny worried that someone would come and check on them.
“Shhhh… Sherry listen to me.” She pulled the woman’s face away from the lifeless shape of her boy. “Listen. Everything is going to be okay. You have to trust me. Jason and Nathan will be right back.”
“What do you mean, right back? They’re right here. I…” She paused and drifted off. “I had this awful dream. There was like a sort of operating room and somewhere else. A…”
“Cave?” Jenny finished.
“What?”
“Sherry, listen. You have to calm down.”
“How do you know about the cave? How can you know about my nightmare? What the hell is wrong with Nathan?” Sherry’s voice rose again and Jenny looked anxiously at the door.
She took Sherry’s hands gently in hers and took a deep breath. How did she explain this? “It’s not a dream, Sherry. I can’t explain it to you, but the cave is not a dream. It’s real—I’ve been there too.”
Sherry swayed and Jenny worried she might pass out.
“What? How? This is crazy...” She started to cry. “The creatures? The dinosaur creatures? Are they real too?”
Jenny wrapped her arms around the crying woman, pulling her close. “I’ll tell you everything I know, but we have to be quiet.” She looked at her watch. The resident doctors would be coming soon. Then what? “I don’t understand it all, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
She rocked Nathan’s near-hysterical mother in her arms and explained the nightmare as best she could.
* * *
Jason lay on his back wracked with grief until he heard a grunt behind him followed by a stirring in the darkness. The creatures were still behind him. Whatever power Nathan’s death may have stolen from them, it had not killed them. Surrounded by the inky blackness, he struggled to his feet. The cave blood felt more like mud to him now, thick and sticky. It clung to his chest and neck, but the tingling and tightness in his stomach were gone. He pushed both arms out in front of him and continued to run down the tunnel. His hands and arms dug painfully into the drying walls of the cave as he fled back toward the room where he imagined that Sherry and Jazz would still lie on the ground.
The darkness began to thin and Jason felt he should be very close. He thought for a moment about all the movies he had seen where the characters fumbled in the dark, but a weird grayish light let the audience see them.
He could make out the ragged walls of the tunnel now and at his feet he could see dark irregular circles where the cave blood slowly dried up. Ahead he could just make out where the tunnel walls ended and a softer hue of gray marked the cave room. The grunt of the creatures behind him seemed to have fallen farther back, but he could still hear the pounding of powerful legs as they drove large, clawed feet into the dirt.
He pushed himself to speed up more, to widen the gap. Then he broke into the large room and skidded to a halt.
The dirt floor remained disturbed where Jazz’s body had been, and he saw the dark brown of blood. But the body was gone. Jason nearly tore a muscle in his neck spinning his head to check.
Sherry had disappeared.
Nathan had done it. He had saved his mom.
He succeeded where I failed. He gave his life for her, for Jenny and for me as well.
Jason heard the grunt as the creatures entered the room behind him. He looked up at the rise, but felt no desire to sprint for the other tunnel and safety.
I love you, Nathan.
A peculiar tingle went up Jason’s spine as he turned slowly and faced the Lizard Men. The two creatures weaved back and forth beside each other, two predators sizing up their prey. Their skin had turned a mottled gray and deep wounds striped their faces and bodies, but they still looked powerful. The two looked at each other with dull yello
w eyes and nodded. He felt the tingle spread like heat to his chest and an electric ache that contracted his muscles in a painful but wonderful way. A bluish halo tinged his vision. The taller creature stopped his side-to-side shuffle as if it sensed something very wrong. The shorter one sniffed the air.
The heat inside him grew so great he knew he could no longer contain it and he tilted his head back and spread out his arms. Then his mouth fell open and he screamed out blue light which rose above him in the cave and began to swirl. The swirl solidified into a brightening globe. Finally, when he felt he might implode, the energy completely drained from the very center of him, and the globe of blue light began to shudder.
The Lizard Men seemed to understand they had made a terrible mistake and turned back into the tunnel just as the blue globe exploded in a shower of sparks. A blinding column of light poured from it, the diameter of a small tree. It struck the creatures and they disappeared into it. Jason fell backward, his hands in front of his eyes.
The light vanished.
And the creatures vanished with it.
Jason coughed painfully as his eyes adapted to the darkness. The faint glow of light revealed an empty cave, but at the entrance to the tunnel two thin spirals of smoke twirled upward toward the ceiling and disappeared. Jason struggled to his feet and an old man grunt escaped him. He stood nearly motionless and stared at the now-dark tunnel.
“Nathan,” he whispered. He took a step toward the tunnel and then stopped.
Jason fell first to his knees and then fell forward, his hands over his face. Anguish engulfed him and he cried a long, deep cry for Nathan. He let himself rock back and forth and wailed his pain and loss.
“Nathan. Oh, God, no, little Nathan.” He sobbed over and over.
“Jason?”
Jason froze, his hands still clutched over his face. The voice in his head sounded close, and young, and well.
Nathan? Nathan, are you alright?
He sent the thought out and prayed the voice had not been his imagination. He waited for what seemed an eternity, hands still clutched over his face and eyes shut tight. He always did better with his eyes closed.
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