Veiled Existence

by Barbara Pietron

  The next time they came back she heard Max say softly, “If you don’t find anything, I’m calling it. We’ve got to get her out of here.”

  Jeni squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears leak out and run down the sides of her face. She drew in a lungful of thick air, willing her body to absorb the meager oxygen. The search must not be called off because of her bad judgment call.

  A shout rang from their left and Max gently pulled her upright. “You okay to walk?” he asked. “I think they found something.”

  It was the incentive she needed. At her nod, Max motioned for her to lead and she shuffled through the sewage toward the lights ahead. Dale and Whitey stood at the mouth of a tunnel illuminating a clear set of tracks in a drier muck. Jeni’s optimism for getting her feet out of the wet sludge soon faded as each step in the sticky silt took extra effort.

  The sound of rushing water reached them minutes later. Max commented, “We’re going up,” and Jeni realized that the steeper the incline became, the thinner and drier the muck. As the roar of water grew louder, Jeni remembered walking behind Niagara Falls with her parents. She was only about seven, and clutched her mom’s hand tightly, intimidated by the sheer power of the cascading water.

  Looking up, she saw an arched opening revealed in the beam of Max’s flashlight. Her breath came raggedly but she had the sudden realization that the air was thinner, fresher.

  Max paused for a moment at the end of the tunnel, and then flashed a smile over his shoulder. “It’s a rain water runoff sewer.”

  The heaviness of the close tunnels fell away as Jeni stepped into the cavernous junction of drainage pipes. She opened her mouth and gulped in the non-toxic air while taking in the sights revealed by their lights. The crash of multiple water sources spilling into a central trough thundered in the large space, but Jeni heard Dale yell.

  She jerked her light in the direction of the sound and almost missed him as he dashed toward a gushing water pipe. Lines crimped her forehead until she saw what had drawn Dale’s attention: a hooded figure on the ledge above the pipe.

  Dale scrambled up the protrusion. Jeni was only a few feet behind when he pushed the hood back and revealed Ice’s face, deathly pale in the beam of her light. Fear streaked through her, but he opened his eyes.

  Her vision blurred and she realized she was sobbing. Emitting a crazy laugh, she pulled off a glove and knuckled the tears from her eyes so she could see clearly. Dale eased Ice off the ledge and Jeni looped her arm through Ice’s, supporting his weak frame.

  Dark circles ringed his blue eyes, filled with confusion. “Dale?” he muttered. Turning to her, his eyebrows lifted and his eyes lit in recognition. “Jeni.”

  Dale held Ice propped against the wall and Jeni slipped her shoulder under his arm, circling her other arm around his chest in part hug, part support.

  Ice lowered his head, burying his face in her hair. “Jeni. Is it really you?” he mumbled.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks. “It’s really me.”

  “I can’t leave here,” he croaked.

  Jeni opened her eyes to see Tyler’s face mashed against the pillow on Danny’s bed, his eyes closed and an arm hanging over the side of the mattress. The warmth of a body pressed against her back made her lips curl into a contented grin. As her brain roused to wakefulness, she also registered the weight of an arm slung over her side. She sighed.

  They had yet to hear Ice’s full account of his underground ordeal. He was half out of his mind by the time they reached the sandstone crawl tunnels, still muttering about not being able to leave. He’d been so exhausted and weak, Max made a makeshift travois out of a rope and Ice’s jacket. The guys took turns dragging him out.

  Rather than carry Ice though the woods, Max went with Dale to retrieve the car so he could direct him to a loading dock on the riverfront much closer to the cave entrance. All five of them piled in and went directly to the hospital, Dale notifying Ice’s mom on the way. By the time Ice was in the emergency room, his nonsensical muttering had ceased, and he lay passively as a nurse hooked him up to receive intravenous fluids. She then cleaned and bandaged the wound on his head and his hand. He wore an oxygen mask for a while, and then the doctor gave him two shots, releasing him with instructions to take it easy and drink plenty of water to flush the toxins from his system.

  When Dale said he’d drive Max and Whitey back to their cars, Jeni opted to stay and ride with Ice and his mom. Before the guys left, Jeni gave each of the Action Squad members a hug and thanked them for saving Ice’s life. “That was quite a leap of faith, helping us after hearing our unbelievable theories,” she said.

  “I’m certainly going to be more wary of beautiful girls.” Max smiled, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

  Jeni returned the smile, then became serious. “Hey, if you ever get into any… otherworldly trouble, call the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and ask for Nik or Ice. Nik’s the medicine man and Ice is his apprentice.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Max nodded, pressing his lips together, eyes thoughtful. “I meant what I said before. I’m constantly discovering that the world is multi-dimensional. Did you read ‘Teapots Happen’ when you looked me up?”

  Jeni shook her head, a slight crinkle between her eyes.

  “There’s a link on the Action Squad blog. When things settle down, check it out.”

  “Okay. I will,” Jeni said, meaning it. She watched the guys in their grungy clothes tramp through the white hospital halls thinking that that’s what real heroes looked like.

  Jeni returned to emergency and found Ice dressed in some borrowed scrubs, his mom handing him a sweatshirt with the hospital logo on the front. Jeni hovered at the edge of the privacy curtain, twiddling with her purse strap. She’d been introduced to Ice’s mom once during a video chat, but this was the first time meeting her in person. Certainly less than ideal circumstances. But Ice’s mom had been nothing but gracious, thanking each of them for helping to rescue her son.

  Jeni could tell that Ice’s mom wished he’d stay with her at the hotel, but she agreed that the university security measures made the dorm the safest place. On the way, they were able to find a late night fast food place where Ice demolished a three-pack of tacos. Jeni had located Tyler on campus at the Student Center, and after he and Dale both arrived at the dorm, the tiny room was overcrowded for a while.

  Ice’s mom stood sentinel outside the bathroom while he showered, but once he was safely in bed, she left so everyone could get some sleep. Jeni wasn’t sure how Dale and Tyler decided who got the bed and who got the futon, but she never thought twice about where she’d sleep.

  It was weird climbing into Ice’s bed with Tyler just five feet away, but she was far too exhausted to dwell on it. Her cousin had rolled over, and she flicked the light off, curling up next to Ice. In the quiet she whispered, “Tyler.”

  “What?” he mumbled.

  “Thanks for what you did.”

  He’d responded with a grunt and minutes later, Jeni was asleep.

  Now, with blue light creeping around the edge of the window shade, Jeni slid her hand under the pillow and located her phone to check the time: just past eight thirty. Good. She had a little time before she needed to text her mom.

  Ice made a noise in the back of his throat and rolled to his back. Jeni peered over her shoulder. He was still asleep, but lines etched his forehead, wrinkling the bandage there. His eyeballs moved rapidly under the lids. She turned to face him. Her plan had been to let him sleep as long as possible, but if he was reliving the horrific ordeal in his dreams, she would wake him. His left arm twitched and he moaned.

  Lifting her hand to his face, she hesitated, realizing the skin to skin contact would trigger visions. Oh well. If her touch would chase away the bad dream while allowing him to continue sleeping, then let the images come. As her fingertips alighted on his cheek, she closed her eyes. Nothing ha
ppened. Even with his jaw bone cupped in her palm. Huh. Interesting. Apparently the spiritual imagery only happened when both people were conscious.

  She raised her hand to the unbandaged side of Ice’s head and softly smoothed the creases there. His eyelids fluttered and he knocked her hand aside, thrashing for a moment before focusing on her face. Then he went limp. “Jeni.” His voice was rough.

  Jeni pushed up to her elbow. “Hey. Let me get you some water.”

  “Not yet.” Ice rolled to his side. With a hand on her shoulder, he applied gentle pressure until she returned her head to the pillow and they were face to face. “Thanks for spending the night.”

  “Are you kidding?” Jeni smiled. “Wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away.”

  Ice arched an eyebrow. “Maybe not horses, but what about your parents?”

  “They know I’m here. That’s why we have a chaperone.” Jeni inclined her head toward the other bed. “They think you have the flu.”

  Ice lifted his head to look over her shoulder. “Wait, that’s not Danny.”

  “No, definitely not. Danny went home for the weekend. And Dale’s on the futon.”

  “Dale.” He clenched his eyes. “That’s right. What’s he doing here?”

  “A favor for Nik, apparently.”

  Understanding dawned in Ice’s eyes. Then he asked, “Wasn’t there someone else, too? In the caves?”

  “Max Action and Whitey of the Action Squad,” she informed him. “Urban explorers. They’re familiar with caves in the area and we needed experts.”

  “I thought I was hallucinating seeing you down there. I know how much you hate caves.”

  The first thing that came to Jeni’s mind was: Yeah, but I love you. “Some things are worth facing your fears for,” she said instead.

  Ice was quiet a moment, brow furrowed as he searched her face. When he spoke, his voice was hushed and low. “I figure I’ll tell the entire story when everyone is together again, but there’s something I need to tell you first.”

  Not trusting her voice, Jeni nodded.

  Ice took a deep breath. “It was a girl from Danny’s party that…kidnapped me. I didn’t leave with her. I left to get away from her.” He held Jeni’s gaze. “She really freaked me out. Like, all of my internal warnings went haywire. So I got out of there. Then, she just appeared out of nowhere.” He shook his head, breaking eye contact. “She was abnormally strong and…” His throat worked as he swallowed. “And she pinned me against the Jeep and kissed me.” His eyes returned to hers, the irises shadowed a stormy gray. “I didn’t want to kiss her. Everything in my head screamed ‘no,’ but it was like I was paralyzed. That’s how she enchanted me. When she let me go, I did whatever she said.”

  Jeni’s chest ached at the injustice. “Ice. You were a victim. You have nothing to feel bad about.”

  Ice reached out and pulled her close, rolling to his back so he could circle both arms around her. Jeni rested her head on his chest and entwined a leg with his. At the sound of his heart beating steadily she let out a small sigh, the corners of her mouth lifting. This. This is what she wanted.

  “Please do not start making out. I’m awake,” Tyler announced. The bed squeaked and after a rustle of covers, there was the sound of feet padding across the floor.

  Ice’s chuckle rumbled under Jeni’s ear and her smile broadened. After hearing the toilet flush, a faucet screeched, followed by the spatter of the shower.

  Ice asked, “So your parents sent Tyler with you? What about Carolyn?”

  “Believe it or not, I asked Tyler.” Jeni explained that Carolyn had had to leave and she had no other alternative. “He’s been his usual combative self, but he did totally save us last night.”

  A phone rang, interrupting her story.

  Ice pushed up to his elbows. “That’s my mom’s ring.”

  “I’ll find it.” Jeni slipped out of bed, following the sound, and easily located Ice’s phone on his desk.

  The coarseness of Ice’s voice as he began talking reminded Jeni that he needed water. She retrieved a bottle, wondering if his mom was asking him to come home until classes started. Although she could hardly blame her, Jeni also couldn’t help feeling depressed. Her time with Ice had consisted of a few hours of sleep.

  “Yeah, sounds good,” he said. “All right, see you out front around nine thirty.”

  “Breakfast with your mom?” Jeni asked.

  “Yeah.” Ice stood, running his hands through his hair. “I suppose I don’t need to shower since I just did a few hours ago.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Jeni handed him the water bottle and Ice took it with a grateful smile.

  As she finished her sentence, Tyler emerged from the bathroom. “Where can I get coffee?”

  Ice pointed to the door. “Turn left, follow the hallway until the end, then turn left again. There are a bunch of eateries. One is a coffee shop.”

  Stuffing his feet into his shoes, Tyler was out the door before Jeni even thought to ask if he’d get her something.

  Dale rolled over on the futon and sat up. “Did someone say coffee?”

  “Yeah, but we weren’t quick enough to ask for it,” Jeni said. “I’ll run down there once I’m dressed.”

  Ice sat on his desk chair facing Dale. “Thanks for coming out to rescue me.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

  Dale’s eyebrows twitched. “Guess we’re even.”

  “Guess so.” Ice glanced to Jeni and then back to Dale. “So how did you guys find me?”

  Between Dale and Jeni, they recounted Nik’s odd vision and finding Father Kerr’s diary.

  “Did someone call Nik?” Ice asked.

  “Yeah, I called last night,” Dale answered. “When I didn’t get Nik, I left a message on his phone and at the Tribal Council Office.”

  Ice rose in response to a knock at the door and then stood out of the way as Tyler entered with a tray of four coffee cups. “I didn’t get anything fancy, it’s all black coffee. But I brought some cream and sugar.”

  “Thanks, Tyler.” Jeni wiggled a cup from the tray, trying not to sound surprised.

  He didn’t respond, just kicked his shoes off so he could swing his feet onto Danny’s bed.

  Ice sipped his coffee, scrunched up his face, and then set the cup aside, opting for the bottle of water. “So this nurse used some kind of druid magic to resurrect…what’s her name?”

  “Deirdre,” Dale supplied.

  “And Deirdre’s spirit must have been tied to her bones because when the priest dug her up, the nurse followed him here?” Ice said.

  Jeni nodded. “That’s our working theory.”

  “You guys must read your horoscopes,” Tyler commented.

  Jeni imagined Dale and Ice’s puzzled expressions mirrored her own. “What are you talking about?” she asked her cousin.

  “People who read their horoscopes. They conveniently align the things that happen that day with what they read. Like you guys.” Taking a swallow of coffee, he set his cup on the floor next to the bed and then went back to browsing his phone.

  Jeni rolled her eyes, lips clamped together.

  Sensing an ongoing conflict, Ice ignored the interruption. “Well you’re right that Elletre—Deirdre—and the witch are working together. And I don’t believe that Elletre was acting against her will, either.”

  Dale retrieved a second sugar packet and dumped it into his cup. “Last night you kept mumbling about not being able to leave. Do you remember that?”

  Ice rubbed his forehead and shifted in his seat. “I’m still kind of off…I don’t know. I feel like when you leave for somewhere and have that nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something.”

  “It’s probably something the witch did. So you’d just wander around down there.” The end of Jeni’s thought—until you
died—was implied. She couldn’t say it out loud.

  “Well, thanks to you guys,” Ice said, his voice sincere, “I’m not doing that.”

  Jeni sighed. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

  Dale directed a troubled look at Ice, his lips parting as if he had something to say, but Ice had risen from the chair to gather clothes and Dale let his mouth fall closed. Jeni was glad he let the subject drop. Ice was safe now. They could move on from the horrific experience.

  Ice squeezed Jeni’s hand, releasing her as his mom’s car rolled up to the dorm. Jeni’s smile seemed uncertain, but then she turned, joining Dale and Tyler. The trio headed across campus to find breakfast as Ice climbed into the passenger side of the car. His mom leaned over the console to hug him and he breathed in the comforting smells of her—of home—and sighed.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked, checking the rearview mirror before pulling from the curb.

  “My stomach has been growling, but I feel kind of sick at the same time.”

  “I suppose that’s not too surprising. Hopefully food will fix both things.” She clicked on the turn signal and surveyed him as they waited at a traffic light. “Have you at least had water?’

  Ice nodded. “An entire bottle.”

  The light changed and his mom turned left. “I thought we’d go to that diner we ate at when we were here for registration this summer.”

  “Sure, sounds good.” Ice knew his mom well enough to know something was on her mind. And he was pretty sure he knew what it was. This scenario had become a kind of ritual they performed more and more as Ice grew old enough to take charge of parts of his life. When his mom wanted him to do something she was fairly sure he would not want to do, she created a bonding moment and then slipped the subject into the conversation.