by Marian Stack
Back on the mountain
The full moon beam of light shone through the trees so brightly that Blair at first had trouble adjusting her tired dry grainy eyes as she looked around at their resting place. It was apparent that she had dozed off for a few hours of much needed recovery rest so it took her a few minutes to focus in on where she was and the dilemma they remained in. As her memory began to fill in the vacant spots she reached for the woman she held so tightly and took a deep breath of relief. Turtle remained unconscious but breathing.
As she remained in the moment her memory went back to the first time that this poor woman had her bell rung, and how she was able to recover. However Blair was intelligent enough to know the damage that a blow to the head can cause. And once again she took full responsibility for all of this, “If you would have just showed up on time… none of this would have happened.” She silently cried out as she hugged and kissed the top of the head of the woman she was shielding from the dangers of the world she had caused.
And then much to her amazement she heard Turtle speak, “I hope you are not getting any boogers on my head with all that crying and sniffling you are doing.” Turtle jokingly spoke in a whisper, as she attempted to sit upright.
“Holy fuck, you are awake and talking.” Blair informed Turtle as if this would have been new news to her.
“Yes.” Turtle laughingly spoke, “I’m alive, and what about you? Are you alive?”
“Yes… you crazy woman! We are both alive.” She spoke a little softer now, as she helped her girl to sit upright then continued to help her secure her body against the tree.
Then snuggling as close as she could, using the tree as support, “How’s your head? I can’t believe you took another blow to your pretty little head.” As she spoke she attempted to inspect the area that the log caught. “Oh my, you seem to have a nasty bump on the side of your head, but this time there doesn’t seem to be any bleeding. Do you have much of a headache?”
“Well my mother always said I had a hard head. And once again I have proven her right. Truth be told I think the log caught my shoulder more than my head, but I do still feel a little groggy, but that may be due to the number of beatings I took. Grace was one very strong and determined fighter.” Then Turtle attempted to stand to defend her travelling family again. “Where is she? How is it that we are not tied up or worse with that frightening woman around here?” Turtle asked in a whisper fearful that the stranger remained in the area.
“Turtle honey, please sit back down. She is gone and we are fine. A little worse for wear as we have very little supplies,” Blair spoke as she pulled on Turtle’s shirt tails to settle her back onto the ground so that she could tell her the ending of the terror filled night.
“But you are ok.” Turtle wanted confirmation regarding her guest and now lover’s health status.
“Considering, everything that occurred I seem to be fine. A little beaten and bruised but all in all, “she attempted to add a little humour, “not to mention a little hungry but all in all I’m fine.” Blair’s voice showed signs of a weaken spirit desperately trying to sound strong.
“And what do you mean by ‘she is gone?’” Turtle questioned with renewed probing.
“Well I’m not exactly sure what really happened after you told me to grab Rain and run out the burning cabin. Rain and I waited for you outside for a few seconds but the flames and the smoke were building so fast that I was afraid you couldn’t pull the full weight of the unconscious body outside by yourself so I put Rain on the ground and I ran back into the cabin to help you drag the crazy woman out but as I got in there you had passed out on the floor, and that crazy woman was laying half on you and half beside you, and I assumed it was because of the smoke. So I made the only decision I could, so I pull you out first. Then once I got you…” Blair’s voice cracked under the gloom of the event and was unable to continue. But what she was really doing was shielding herself from discussing what really happened in the cabin.
She remembered everything and wanted to remember nothing.
As Turtle let the full weight of the story sink into her mind she turned towards her guest and offered a life-giving smile to the person that just saved her life, “Miss Foster, I am truly indebted to you for what you did. Running back into a burning building has to be the bravest act of courage. Thank you.” It was clear that Turtle understood what Blair had done for her and was unable to control her voice from cracking and her eyes from filling with joyful tears.
Accepting the gratitude Blair moved in for a confronting kiss and embrace.
Once the couple settled back onto the ground in close proximity, Blair wanted to express a thought she had, “Turtle honey, do you think we should travel back to the cave? I know going backwards seems silly but at least the cave is safe and your friends know about it and maybe…” And then she stopped talking.
She knew going backwards was a bad idea, and once again she was stuck by her own greedy behaviour and her aggression that prompted Turtle to leave the safety of the cave in the first place but going forward seemed to offer more dangers and uncertainties, and although she had just survived the brutal assault from the worst person she had ever known, she was unsure she would have the courage to continue this wilderness fight, and come out sane.
Turtle noticed Blair’s melancholy body posture and wanted to say or do something that would lighten the mood, but she too was at a loss. However she knew she needed to respond to Blair’s question, “Sweetie we made that decision together and it was the right one. We found the hunters cabin. As for everything else no one could have predicted last night events. So we will rest here, regroup and forge ahead, that was our plan.” Her voice trailed off into soft emptiness.
The cabin experience seemed to send a strong message that the world they were trying so hard to survive in was temporarily winning. For the very first time in Turtle’s life, and as far back as she could remember she was never afraid of her mountain, until now.
Remaining in the afterglow of the enormous cabin fire and with the morning sun not ready to come into its own, the two women sat as close as two bodies could sit, but sadly they seem to be as far away as two lovers could be.
Then as if she needed to get something off her chest Blair began by lovingly taking Turtles’ exposed hand and then she turned her body making absolutely sure that the person sitting beside her could take note of every word and gesture that was about to be offered by what she believed was her dying declaration. “Turtle honey, I want to say something to you and I do not want to be interrupted until I’m finished. Do you think you could do this for me?” As the question was waiting for a response, Blair gently pulled Turtles’ hand towards her mouth and then ever-so-gently kissed the hand allowing her lips to passionately linger on the exposed skin.
Pulling the joined hands towards her mouth offering equal love and passion, and with a gently lingering kiss, Turtle looked into Blair’s moistened eyes and states, “you have my full attention.”
“That’s wonderful.” Then as if beginning one of her many opening arguments Blair delicately cleared her throat and began, “Turtle honey, we stared this journey eight, no now nine days ago as total strangers. We could not have been more opposite in all aspect of our lives. I remember from the first moment that I saw you,” a slight smile appears, “there was something different about you. The way you carried yourself with such confidence and strength that it made me instantly mad, and envious. I know to the outside world I have everything that others only dream about having. A solid career, excess money, a long family dynasty, loving friends and family and by all accounts a devoted fiancée. As for my sinful indulgences, I have always played hard at getting what I want regardless of the path taken, or the victims left in my wake, especially when it came to lovers.”
Unaware of her slight body gesture, Turtle had cocked her head just slightly enough to the right that it caught Blair’s attention, “What?”
“Sorry you asked not to be interrupt
ed. So I’m trying not to interrupt you.” Turtle’s voice was sincere in her apology.
“Ok, let me start this again. Turtle I’ll keep this plain and simple, and that is why I love you so much, you are not complicated, you’re so easy to be around, you are so smart and you don’t even care. You make me feel good about myself, and except for my brother Joe, you are the only one that lets me be me. So yes I love you, I’m in love with you. I have fallen in love with you. I know the other day when you were teasing me about saying love, and I got mad at you, but I was really getting mad at myself, for not understanding this sooner, and for being such a jerk for playing those games in the beginning but you freaked me out, because everything about you, THIS!” She moved her hands to cradle Turtles’ face in a loving gesture of sweetness and kissed her on the nose, “goes against everything I was. Do you understand what I am trying to say?” Blair took a deep breath waiting for a logical response about this being a stress filled adventure and all that.
Turtle reached for Blair’s hand to gently kiss it again but this time she chose to turn her hand over and kiss her palm. “Miss Blair Foster, I have watched you change and become that person you seem to want to be. There is little doubt that you have allowed me to fall in love with you. But when it comes to loving another you are better at this game than I and I’m afraid that once we arrive back on planet earth, my heart that is now filled with your love will break apart, never to recover from watching you walk straight into another’s arms.” Turtle’s sharp honesty forced Blair to sit back and absorb her short but powerful message.
For the first time in days she spoke in a low octave whisper. “Megan.”
As the sky began to gently lighten above what was left of the burnt cabin, both Turtle and Blair sat side by side with each head resting on each other shoulders with their arms linked at the elbow holding onto each other’s exposed hand, each other now firmly in their own thoughts.
Again it was Blair who spoke first, “So what do we do now?”
“Well I’ve been thinking about that. I think we need to rest for a couple more hours before we decide on anything major. We are both exhausted and hurt and resting here is our best option, and” Turtle paused for a few seconds determining if she should complete her thought.
“And then what?” Blair expelled out with a weary voice.
“Well the size of the cabin fire should have alerted the forestry lookout station that is just south of this position. If we are lucky and the station was manned with an attentive worker for all we know there could be a search party out looking for her…”
“Then they will be mounting a rescue. Of course, see you are so smart. That person was in a prisoners jumpsuit which means that there will be a mountain of officers looking for her, and when they come looking they will find us.” Blair’s voice filled the surrounding air with hope.
“Exactly.”
As the two women snuggled closer together attempting to ward off the dampness from the ground they were sitting on, both seem to fall asleep unaware of each other’s internal turmoil.
The Rescue Convergence
As the hovering helicopter rotor blades filled the air above the landslide sight, the spotter sitting in the rear open door access viewing seat noticed the distinct orange colour cloth of the escapee’s jumpsuit and in doing so sent out a radio announcement to the recuse team on this side of the mountain to converge on this spot.
As the two travel weary rafters, lay in wait for their presumed rescue they both slept soundly, as if believing that nothing from this point onward could place them in any more danger.
It was the sleeping wolf pup who heard sounds coming from all three directions at once and immediately rose to defend his sleeping pack members. She became so distressed by the foreign sounds that she inched her way onto the two bodies that remained locked in sound sleep. As the sounds became louder she became more frantic to the point that she attempted to barricade her little body into her master’s partially opened shirt. It was the scratching of her little nails on Turtle’s chest skin that brought her back to awareness.
As she struggled to understand Rain’s need for sanctuary, “Ouch, ouch, ouch, little one.” Turtle whispered out her painful encounter with the pups sharp nails on her chest, not to mention her puzzlement by Rain’s strange reaction to find immediate shelter. And as she struggled to pull the wolf pup out of her shirt, only then did she finally hear the first signs of a vehicle engine. As her hearing sharpened, so did her perception of what was to come. Wanting to share in on the jubilation of their rescue, she immediately turned and kissed the sleeping beauty that seemed to be locked in peaceful sleep, enjoying every moment of this well desired rest, defended by the deep throat snoring sounds that every-now-and-then escaped her quivering lips.
And then if by some miracle the heavens opened and from all different directions came rescue. The large military rescue helicopter hovered directly above the site, shinning the bright beam of light directly on the smoldering cabin, two all-terrain vehicles arrived from the south and several hikers, and warden officers converged from the east.
As the commotion erupted both women sat in silence, with Blair holding onto Turtle’s hand as if waiting to be awaken from this delightful dream. Turtle did everything she could to contain the little angry and frightened wolf pup as she had just gone from defender to fearing for her life from so many pairs of legs, lights and loud noises.
It was only when one of the rescuers placed a large hand held two-way radio in Blair’s hand did the realization of rescue become crystal clear. With her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold onto the radio, she apprehensively moved the radio to her ear and slowly cried out, “Hello.”
“Yes, brother it’s great to hear your voice too.” Hearing his voice seemed to calm her down considerably, as she cried out in jubilation. “And by the way, this little trip taught me every lesson you had been trying to teach me over these past thirty something years. And it worked.” And then after a microsecond of a paused, “You owe me for this one.” Her voice was filled with elation almost to the point of giddy.
“Yes, put her on.” Blair wanted to stand to remove her close proximity to all the commotion, but the EMT wanted her to remain seated so they could begin field diagnostics, so rather than get into a big conversation with her fiancée she just rapidly stated, “Megan I’m fine. I don’t know let me ask?” She placed her hand over the receiver and asks the EMT treating her where they will be transported to?
“Carterville. The EMT woman says it Carterville. Great… see you there. Yes, me too.”
Blair annoyingly stated again, “Yes… I said me too. I don’t know how long. I will see you when we get there. Good bye.”
“Miss Foster, Miss Blair Foster, is that correct?” The EMT wanted confirmation as to whom she was treating, as part of their steps to ensure cognitive alertness and whether the patient responses were rational or had shock taken a tight grip, and which treatments were required.
“Yes I’m Blair Foster.” The sudden commotion from sound sleep to a full on rescue had silenced Blair’s normal aggressive personality to the point she seemed almost timid. She looked around for Turtle, and her normal reassuring presence, but she had been removed to a different location just meters away from her but to Blair she could have been a mile away from her, and in that moment she felt oddly alone.
Strange feelings began rushing back. Her emotions were all over the board as she watched the EMT’s work on her girlfriend. Without realization that she too was being treated she suddenly felt a hand on her shirt and an object touch her exposed skin causing her frail nerves to ignite. She began to scream for Turtle, which placed the entire group of rescuers on full alert.
“Get your fucking hands off my breasts!” Blair’s irrational reaction was swift and unnecessary to the untrained eye but to the EMT this outburst was a sure sign of shock from an unforeseen trauma.
“Calm down Miss Foster, we are…” but before the full statement coul
d be conveyed.
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! You have no fucking idea what we have gone through! There was a crazy person...” And then she stopped talking as all eyes were focused on her next words. “Turtle honey help.” She cried out with such distress in her voice that Turtle struggled to stand, pull away from her treatment and continue her responsibility.
“Oh no… no… no... You my dear are not going anywhere. It’s clear you have taken quit a beating and we need to get you back for immediate treatment.” The EMT treating Turtle’s injuries stopped all forward progress, and at the same time yelled out to the pilot, “We need to load this patient first.”
The lead field triage nurse took command of the extraction of the two survivors by sending out precise and orderly instructions.
Once Turtle was strapped into the cage style basket, with all four fasteners and lead lines secure, Blair who had been by Turtles’ side for many reasons, one being that she was much more mobile and another being she wanted to ensure that everything possible was done for her girlfriends health and well-being including, demanding that she be the first to be secured on the helicopter before her, even though she carried little to no authority during this extraction.
As the commander gave the all clear for the wrench to begin the lifting processes, the entire area heard the scream of, “STOP EVERYTHING.”
All startled bodies stopped all movement expecting to observe something horrific, but all they witnessed was Blair placing the frightened wolf pup on the ascending basket, into the waiting arms of her leader. And with her normal commanding arrogance she then turned around to express to the bewildered group, “The wolf pup stays with her.”
The Reunion
“What in god’s name is taking so long? They received permission to use our helicopter hour’s ago to rescue my fiancée and now you are telling me that there have been more delays. Really if our company conducted business like these backwater dulling banjos, we would all be out on the streets.” Megan announced to no one in particular, as she continued to pace the floor of the town hall entrance area, stopping every now and then to stare out the tiny window of the beautifully hand carved front door. “Finally.” She exclaims as she observed Joe exiting from another room.