“I may not be the next Albert Einstein,” I said, “but I’m not exactly an idiot either. You might as well tell me the truth now because I’m not going to give up; eventually I’m going to figure things out.”
He stood and paced in a small circle. “Personally, I think you deserve the truth, but it’s not really up to me.”
“You said it yourself just a few minutes ago…deep down you want me to know.”
He shook his head, trying to convince himself. “No. I can’t. I made a promise.”
This whole conversation was stressing me out and his pacing around the room wasn’t helping. I gestured to him with my hand. “Just come over here and sit down for a minute. You’re making me dizzy.”
He finally stopped moving and took a deep breath, sitting in the chair beside my bed.
I reached out my hand to him and spoke with a warm tone. “You’re here and I’m here, that’s it, no one else. You can trust me. No one else is going to know.”
“But I’ll know. I’ll know I broke my promise. You can’t ask me to do that.”
“This is about you doing the right thing?” I asked. “That’s what you’re worried about?”
He scratched his head. “Well, when you put it that way, yes, I guess it is.”
“Okay, that’s something I can understand,” I said.
I had to sit and think for a minute. What he was saying made sense, but at the same time it felt like he was completely contradicting himself.
I rolled over on my elbow and looked him square in the eyes. “If you can honestly say that telling me the truth about my own life and my own safety is really the wrong thing to do, that you truly believe it is morally better or more admirable to show up in my life out of nowhere again and again, then leave me completely in the dark and keep this information about my own life a secret from me; if you can look me in the eye and honestly say all that…then I’ll let it go.”
I continued to peer into his gaze, pushing him for an answer. He hesitated, calculating, pondering my challenge. He looked at the ceiling with a stressful sigh, closing his eyes until he finally pulled his sullen face back to me.
His voice was quiet and defeated. “No…I can’t say that.”
I looked at him and waited to see if he had anything else to say, not wanting to seem too forceful, but he just gazed back at me.
“So…” I said, hesitating. “You’ll tell me the truth then?”
He stared at me reluctantly. “Are you sure this is what you want? I can’t promise it won’t complicate your life.”
I pondered for a second but made my mind up easily. “Yes, I’m sure. I want to know the truth.”
“I guess it’s decided then,” he said. “I just don’t really know where to start.”
I felt major relief he was finally willing to talk.
“Well, I already know about the silver flask,” I said. “Can you tell me more about that? What’s the liquid stuff for?”
His confident smile finally returned to his face. “I think that will be answered best if I show you.”
He moved nimbly around the foot of the bed wearing a strange look of either fear or excitement, I couldn’t tell. A similar feeling grew inside me as I awaited his secret to be revealed. Several flower bouquets were lined up on a table in front of the window. He pulled a single flower from a vase and carried it to my bedside.
I wrinkled my forehead at the wilted flower. The stem bowed over and the petals were withered and dried. I glanced back to the vibrant floral arrangements across the room. Out of all the possibilities, this was the one he’d chosen to present me?
He chuckled at my response. “Here, just hold this. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
I took the fragile plant and held it between my fingertips, careful not to knock off any loose petals.
I watched intently as Rayne pulled a small metal flask from his pocket. It was similar to the one I’d found in his sweater before, only this one was shaped like a flat circle and it was more plain with a simple pattern in a ring around the base. He opened the cap with a quick flip of his finger, like he could do it in his sleep if he wanted to.
His steady hand tilted the bottle above the lifeless flower, allowing one drop of silvery liquid to trickle down the center. The drop moved slowly down, then absorbed into the flower so quickly it seemed to disappear.
I waited a moment but nothing happened. I glanced back at Rayne.
“Just wait,” he said.
As I turned my attention back to the brown flower, the petals moved. They grew and lifted right before my eyes. Life sprung into the stem until it stood upright and strong. The dingy brown film transformed to crisp green. My mouth dropped open, eyes wide. The dried petals became animate and supple, turning into a large sphere of vibrant orange with a yellowish-green center.
I sat astonished and unmoving. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? Did my injury cause a malfunction in my brain? The flower was completely dead, and now it transformed into a fully bloomed gerbera daisy with just a single drop of liquid. How was it possible? Did he have access to some kind of top-secret government Miracle-Gro?
I stumbled over my words bewildered. “How did…what just…I mean, how did you do that?”
I was glad my body remembered to breathe, otherwise I might have forgotten. I sat unmoving, in awe at the now lively flower.
“That’s incredible,” I finally said.
Rayne’s face was beaming. “Isn’t it? No matter how many times I see it, it never ceases to amaze me.”
“So…that’s how you…you helped me?” I asked. I wasn’t really sure what to call it.
“Yes, that’s how you healed so quickly,” he said. “I used a little bit more than a drop though. I thought I might lose you and I panicked. I almost exhausted my entire supply. Even so, you healed quicker than I ever imagined possible.”
Any normal person would’ve been completely freaked out by now or at least convinced they were losing their mind, but it felt strangely right to me.
“At the beach the other day, when I fell off the rock, you used that stuff on me then too?”
“Well, in much smaller doses, but yes, it was mixed into the water I gave you.”
For a short moment it felt good to link some of the pieces together, but then my mind was overcome by all the other missing parts of the puzzle.
“But how did you know I was there in the first place?” I asked, anxiety growing inside me. “The beach was practically deserted, and what about at the school? I wasn’t even hurt yet.”
His gentle touch on my shoulder interrupted my angst. “It’s going to be okay.”
The calm of his presence glided down my arms. One of his hands touched my forehead and traced along the edge of my hair until brushing the side of my cheek. A surge of tingling energy fluttered up my neck, like I could sense his heartbeat pulsing from his fingers.
“I promise it will all make sense,” he whispered. “Just give me a chance to explain.” His aquamarine eyes hovered, hypnotizing me. “I was there at the beach because…I guess you could say I’ve been assigned to you.”
“Assigned to me?” I asked. “But why? By who?”
What was he saying? I was his assignment? Was his interest in me purely due to some job he was required to perform? I felt suddenly embarrassed for having believed there was something more between us.
“Is this some kind of crazy, government spy thing?” I said. “Let me guess, you’re my handler, right?” The words felt ridiculous as they passed through my lips, but I honestly couldn’t come up with any other explanation.
“Not exactly, but you’re on the right track,” he said.
My jaw dropped.
“Although, in some ways that’s not even close,” he added quickly. “It’s complicated.”
There was that word again—complicated. Why did it seem like every word he said confused me even more?
“Do you think you could un-complicate it for me?” I asked.
“I think it’s best if I let you in on things gently. A lot of this is too overwhelming to hear all at once.”
I didn’t like how he dragged things out and left me in suspense. Whatever other secrets he had, I doubted they could be much crazier than what I’d just witnessed with the flower. Plus, I couldn’t imagine anything more agonizing than knowing there was a secret but never getting to find out what it was.
“Maybe it would be easier though, like tearing off a Band-Aid. Can’t you just rip it off and get it over with?” I said.
He laughed. “This would be more like a huge strip of duct tape wrapped around your entire body, trust me.”
The weird thing was—I did trust him. I couldn’t explain why. I just knew that in whatever sense, he was meant to be here. I had to trust that instinct.
“Okay fine, we’ll take it slow,” I said. “But, isn’t there anything more you could expand on? You’ve barely explained anything.”
“I definitely don’t work for the CIA, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he teased.
At least he finally gave me a specific. To him it might seem like a joke, but CIA agent was one of the possibilities on my list.
“I’m serious,” I said. I looked at him straight in the eyes. “Who are you Rayne? I need to know.”
He hesitated but finally conceded. “Okay. I’ll give you a few more details, but it probably won’t make sense right away. I can’t promise you’re going to like or understand everything I tell you.”
I nodded but didn’t say anything, waiting intently for his explanation.
“I’m a Water Keeper,” he said cautiously. “Technically I’m a Security and Health Agent, but we usually call ourselves Keepers for short.” He stopped talking and looked at me for a response.
He spoke so fast. I struggled to decipher his words. Was he speaking the same language as me? I knew I heard something about water in there, and maybe he mentioned security, but he definitely said the word agent. That was the only word that really stood out in my head.
“So you are some kind of agent,” I accused.
“Well, yes, but I know what you’re probably thinking and this isn’t like anything you’ve heard of before.”
“So then what exactly is a Keeper?” I asked.
The term sounded funny to me, like something out of a movie or a character from a video game.
“This is a bad idea,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
He started to turn away but I reached for his hand.
“You can trust me,” I said.
I saw the look on his face and I knew he believed me.
He kept his hand in mine. “There are many of us dispersed around the world. We…spend a large portion of our time finding people who are sick or hurt and using the Healing Water to help them.” He paused, still hesitating.
I nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“We’re supposed to remain completely invisible. We’re trained to come and go without being noticed. And we have a code we must follow; we take an oath never to break it. We must never reveal our true identities to anyone, especially those we treat with the Healing Water.”
It was a lot to take in and it raised a dozen new questions in my mind, but it had taken a lot to get Rayne to the point of talking and I didn’t want to scare him off. I wanted so badly to understand. I tried to keep my questions subdued.
“So…you’re like a member of some secret society, good Samaritan organization?” I asked, keeping an even tone.
“Something like that,” he said.
“So how did they know I was going to get hurt?”
For a minute I almost expected him to pull a crystal ball from his pocket.
“Actually, nobody knew you were going to get hurt,” he said. It’s not like we can see the future.”
Right, I thought, because that of course would be completely ludicrous, nothing like causing dead flowers to bloom to life with magic water or healing people miraculously from their death beds.
“Why was I assigned to you then? Do they randomly pick people from some lucky, miracle lottery or something?”
He laughed at me. Everything probably seemed pretty hilarious to the person who actually knew the whole truth.
“No,” he chuckled. “Normally Keepers don’t even have assignments. We usually work independently and we’re given a lot of freedom to seek out people to help on our own. It’s typical to help numerous people over time, maybe one or two a month, and then we find new people to help.”
My expression fell. “Does that mean, now that you’ve already helped me, you’re going to move on and find someone new?”
“No,” he said with a quiet smile. “I told you, I’m not leaving you. I’m the only Keeper I’ve ever heard of that’s been assigned to one specific person for an extended period of time. That’s you, Sadie.”
At first all I heard was he wasn’t leaving. That was crucial to my happiness now. It took a moment to register the rest of his statement.
He said one specific person—he was talking about me. He was assigned to me. I was his assignment. I wasn’t sure I liked the stigma of being an assignment, but that meant he was supposed to stay with me…like my own personal, irresistible bodyguard.
“How long’s an extended period of time?” I asked hopefully.
He looked grim. “I don’t know. I think it was supposed to be a long time, but now that you know things, maybe just until someone finds out I told you.”
“No one has to find out,” I said. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, not even my mom.”
“Let’s hope it’s that simple,” he said, unable to hide the concern on his face.
There was silence for a moment. My mind raced, over-stimulated with information. Why were they called Keepers? What did that have to do with using Healing Water to help people? Wouldn’t something like Healers make more sense? He mentioned another, longer name though. What was it again?
I couldn’t remember, but his title was the least of my concerns. My own personal Keeper…I could live with that, especially when the Keeper was Rayne. He could keep me as long as he wanted. My thoughts trailed off to a daydream of his arms wrapping around me.
Then it occurred to me; as great as it sounded to have my own personal mystery boy following me around for the rest of my life, why did I need one?
He said he was the only Keeper ever assigned to one specific person. That meant I was the only person he’d ever known who needed a Keeper personally assigned to them. Did I have some horrible fate he needed to save me from? Was I going to be the sickest person on Earth or something? He said they couldn’t see the future. How could this secret society of healers possibly know if I was going to get hurt or sick?
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Why do I need my own personal Keeper? It can’t just be dumb luck. It doesn’t make sense. What aren’t you telling me?”
He pulled a hand through the waves in his sandy hair. “I was hoping you wouldn’t realize that point. I think that’s a conversation for another day.”
“No, please, that’s not fair,” I said.
My complaint was diverted by movement in the corner of my eye. I stopped talking and looked more closely at the glass wall next to the door. Although the curtains were drawn, there was a small gap I could see through at the corner.
He peered around the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I saw something outside the door. It was probably nothing.” Before I could finish the thought, the door opened.
A youthful nurse with a dark ponytail stopped in the doorway. “You’re awake,” she said. She gasped and rushed out of the room as quickly as she’d entered.
“I have to go,” Rayne said.
I felt something sink inside me.
“Promise me you’ll come back,” I said urgently, searching his face for a positive response.
He leaned down near my face. “Don’t be alarmed when you see your eyes,” he whispered. “It’s a normal re
action.”
“What?” I said, caught off guard.
He pointed to a bandage on my wrist. “And try to keep them from removing this, it could raise questions.
“But…”
Rayne moved quickly to the exit with one last smile. “I promise. I’ll be back,” he said and he slipped out the door.
I stared at the closed door. Just like that he was gone again. But this time it was different, this time I had his promise. He would return. Somehow I knew I could trust him.
I mulled over his last few words before departing. What did he mean about my eyes?
Before the nurses could return I slid off the mechanical bed and hurried to the private bathroom a few feet away. I flipped the light switch and jumped back. For a moment I thought I was seeing someone else in the mirror.
Since birth, my eyes had been a deep shade of dark blue, but now a pair of vivid, almost crystalized, ice blue eyes stared back at me. I gaped in astonishment and pulled my face closer to the mirror. Thin rings of sapphire encircled the outer edge of my irises.
They reminded me of Rayne’s shimmering eyes, only his were definitely green. They had the same luminosity that had been so mesmerizing, with gem-like facets that caught the light and sparkled like diamonds. This was a normal reaction?
Rayne mentioned something about my wrist too. I pulled back the bandage, carefully restraining my desire to find whatever it was concealing. The half-peeled bandage froze in my fingers. I shot a glance around the room searching for any unwanted visitors. I was alone. I removed the bandage completely to confirm my eyes weren’t deceived.
The tear-shaped birthmark was practically glowing, the icy blue surface perfectly matched with my eyes.
In a whim of curiosity I switched off the lights. The bathroom had no windows. It was pitch black aside from a slight crack along the door’s bottom edge. I stared forward with disbelief. Through the dark, a faint blue glow flickered with each blink.
12. CONFESSIONS
After a never-ending series of tests and exams by hospital staff, they finally determined I was in perfect health. I tried to tell them it wouldn’t be necessary. I felt completely healthy. But of course they didn’t believe me.
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