Solstice - Of The Heart

by John Blenkush

  I saw little people too, midgets if you will. They hid in the shadows, disappearing from here to there, as though they had the power to become invisible at will. I heard no sound coming from them.

  Walls of gold rose high and ever higher above me until all I could see of their tops was darkness. I was too tiny, too far away to see the ceiling. There were roads paved with jewels, houses built out of silver and copper. Trees, flowers, and crop plants grew in abundance, fed by light and mist that seemed to have no source, but just was. Animals roamed at will, at peace with each other and their care takers.

  From nearby I smelled a sweet aroma. The smell battered my senses. It was a potent drug, numbing my ability to resist. I struggled against Aaron’s grip.

  Aaron held strong. He pulled me along, away from the smell.

  I dug my heels in, cast hateful eyes on him, and wrenched my hand away.

  As soon as our hands parted, I could no longer walk. My feet and ankles sank into the floor of rock. They became embedded. I couldn’t move, one way or the other. The murmur of the ten-footers grew louder, the spotting of the midgets, quicker. I looked into Aaron’s eyes. They showed sorrow, dismay, and the effects of having been betrayed.

  I slipped into the rock floor as though it were a bed of quicksand. I called out, crying Aaron’s name. I asked for forgiveness for my unfaithfulness.

  Aaron’s eyes softened. His face relaxed. He reached out his hand.

  I could not raise my hand. I sank beneath the surface. My memory of Aaron closed like a book that has been read and shelved. He disappeared from my consciousness.

  And then I awoke.

  I was dripping in sweat.

  Dierdra placed her hand on my forehead. She turned away. I heard her yelling for a nurse to come. One arrived.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s soaked.”

  The nurse checked the monitor. “Nothing abnormal,” she said. She fiddled with the IV, checking to make sure it hadn’t become detached. “Probably sweating out the hypertonic saline.”

  “Does she still need it?”

  The nurse gave Dierdra a variation of the text book description for use and purpose of the liquid.

  “We use saline for short-term cardiovascular stabilization following trauma to prevent elevated intracranial pressure. I think she is out of danger, so I’ll check with the doctor.”

  They were all big words, beyond my comprehension at the moment. I spotted Cherrie in the background, deep asleep in a chair, working her way through a rhythmic snore pattern.

  The nurse turned her attention to me. “How are you doing, Sweetie?”

  I tried to pull myself up, to sit up.

  The nurse—her name tag said, KM—reached under my arms and helped me slide into position.

  “That your name?” I said. “KM?”

  “Stands for Katherine-Margaret,” KM said. “I just don’t want to put folks out, so KM works. Do you need to visit the bathroom?”

  I hadn’t thought about it until this moment, but yes! I did.

  KM helped me slide out of bed. Dierdra grabbed my other arm.

  “Hi Mom.”

  “Hi baby. How’re you feeling?”

  “Bloated. Light headed.”

  They helped me to the bathroom. KM brought the IV pole along.

  “I’m going to talk to the doctor about getting you unplugged,” she said.

  I sat on the toilet and peed for what seemed a very long time. KM and Dierdra stood idly by chatting between themselves about my condition.

  I looked a lot better. I probably could go home today.

  “What day is it?” I asked.

  Dierdra leaned in. “It’s Thursday, baby.”

  I remembered. I was crossing the street after talking with Cherrie. Something hit me from behind. Wednesday afternoon. I hadn’t been out long.

  I finished my task and they helped me back to bed.

  “What happened? What hit me?”

  “A freaking snowboard.” Cherrie had awakened. She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and yawned. “You’re lucky to be alive. If you didn’t recover I was going to give Jason one of these.” She held up a fist.

  “Jason did this?” I pointed to my head as if the gesture was needed.

  “No,” Dierdra said. “It was another boy.”

  “But Jason was with him,” Cherrie offered. “He should have known better than to snowboard down the street.”

  “They do it all the time,” Km said. “They do it on our street too. I’ve talked to the police, but they say they can only do something if someone gets hurt and presses charges. Something for you to think about, young lady.”

  I didn’t think I wanted to press charges. I didn’t know how Mom was going to pay the hospital bill. Maybe the boy’s parents could help with the bills, but press charges? No, I didn’t want to go there.

  “I don’t want to press charges,” I said. “They were just having fun.”

  “At your expense,” Cherrie said.

  KM tucked the covers around my neck. “Don’t get chilled, Sweetie. I’ve got to go and tend to my other patients. I’ll be back in a bit to check on you.”

  Dierdra sat down in a chair beside my bed.

  She looked exhausted, emotionally drained. If I had died I wondered if she would have survived the loss of another loved one. I didn’t think so.

  “Mom,” I said. “Go home. Get some rest. I’m okay.”

  She reluctantly got up. She leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. Tears welled up her eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done...”

  She didn’t dare finish the sentence. I knew it was too painful a thought for her.

  “I love you, Mom.”

  She kissed my forehead again. She let out a huge breath. I saw the tension fade from her face.

  “I love you so much, Julissa.”

  “I know, Mom.”

  Cherrie guided Dierdra to the door. Dierdra turned for one last look before disappearing down the corridor.

  Cherrie pulled up a chair.

  “You don’t have to stay,” I said.

  “And what? Ruin a perfectly good excuse for not going to school? Now I know you were hit in the head something fierce.”

  I touched my bandage and felt the bump. “Pretty traumatic, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. You’re the talk of the town.”

  “Why?”

  “Mayor is calling for a city ordinance to ban snow boards from the streets.”

  “That was fast.”

  “It’s been on the agenda for a while. You’re little bump on the head just brought it to the front burner.”

  “Is the kid going to get in trouble, the boy who hit me?”

  “Maybe from his parents, but since there isn’t a law that says you can’t ride snowboards on city streets there’s not much the cops can do.”

  “Do you know the boy?”

  “No. There were a bunch of them. Jason was with them.”

  “What’d you tell him?”

  “You don’t want to hear it.”

  “Pretty mad at him, huh?”

  “I was freaked out. We were all freaked out. Your mom was in hysterics. For all we knew you were gone. You looked dead, laying there in the street. Blood gushing from your forehead. Your eyes were open, but they weren’t moving. We yelled your name. You didn’t respond. Was I mad at Jason? Damn right I was. I was furious with him. Furious with all of them. I ripped them a good one.”

  I smiled. “Wish I had been there to see it.”

  “You can bet they’ll be around apologizing.”

  “Cherrie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you tell me the story of you taking your grandpa to a shack in Oregon and him dying, or did I dream that?”

  “No. I told you.” Cherrie looked over her shoulder. “Not a word said, okay?”

  I nodded. “I did have a dream of clouds and geese and Aaron was there. Aaron..,” I said with a startled expression, remembering we were supposed
to go on a hike.

  “Aaron’s in the waiting room.”

  “He’s where? In the hospital waiting room?”

  “Yes. He’s been there pretty much all night.”

  “I’m supposed to go hiking with him this afternoon.”

  “I think you’re going to have to put that date on hold. You’re not going anywhere but to bed for a few days.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “I don’t know. It’s against hospital rules. No visitors after hours.”

  “You’re here.”

  Cherrie winked. “Yes, because today I’m family.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Your mom was great. She told the hospital staff I was your sister. I don’t think they believed her, but they caved anyway.”

  “Do you think you can sneak Aaron in?”

  “You know me, Julis, I’m always up for a challenge. I just don’t know I want to do it. If you remember the grandpa story, you should take heed. You’re in a weakened state. Any transference of energy from you to him and you’re a goner.”

  “He’d never let that happen.”

  “No. Probably not. Not on purpose anyway. But who knows what the Leprechauns are thinking.”

  “I’d really like to see him.”

  “Yeah. Puppy love is alive and well, I see. Okay, I’ll do it on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You don’t let him touch you. And you don’t go traipsing off with this guy hiking. At least for a couple of days.”

  “That’s two things.”

  “Yeah, well, today I’m your sister so I’m entitled.”

  “You got my word, sister.”

  “Okay.”

  A few minutes later, Cherrie returned with Aaron in tow. As usual he lit up the room, leastways in my eyes. But I couldn’t help but notice he looked a little pale, as though he had not gotten any sleep.

  I asked Cherrie to give us a few minutes alone. She nodded and said something about finding a cup of coffee.

  Aaron pulled up a chair beside the bed. “I tried to get in earlier,” he said. “They wouldn’t let me. Said it was after hours and to come back later.”

  “You stayed in the waiting room all night?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I was worried about you. After all, you’re my partner in biology. Who else is going to help me dissect the pig?”

  He said this with a twinkle in his blue eyes and a sly grin on his face.

  I could think of a few girls who would be more than willing to help him dissect the pig (and move on to other things), but I kept my mouth shut.

  “I appreciate it but you didn’t have to stay in the hospital all night.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You couldn’t worry from home, in bed?”

  “I needed to be close.”

  “Are you trying to tell me something? You have feelings for me?”

  I knew, since it was early in our relationship, I was being a bit forward. But, hey, what better time to act presumptuous than when you have a knock on the head and have an excuse should you need to apologize and offer an excuse for your impolite behavior?

  “I do care for you, Julissa. I wanted to be close in case something happened.”

  I grew cold. “Like what?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Like me dying?”

  “I’d never let it get that far.”

  The chill deepened. “You think you could stop it?”

  “Give me your hand.”

  I hesitated. Thought about what Cherrie had just made me promise her; Don’t let him touch you.

  “I won’t bite.”

  He sweetened the offer with a smile.

  I broke.

  I looked to see if Cherrie was anywhere in sight. She wasn’t. I gave Aaron my hand.

  Aaron took my hand and raised it up as though about to give me a high-five. He brought his hand flat to mine. One by one, he laced his fingers through my fingers. He squeezed his palm against my palm.

  I felt his grip tighten.

  Aaron bowed his head and, from where I sat, it looked like he closed his eyes as though deep concentration would be required.

  At first I felt nothing but the warmth of his palm against my hand and my palm sweating. The touching alone increased my heart rate, which we could hear as a beep-beep on the monitor.

  And then it happened.

  I felt a surge of energy as though I had just flushed my system with a high charged caffeinated drink, the kind we students use when we stay up all night to cram for a big final.

  The ache in my head receded. The pain subsided. Vigor replaced exhaustion. Color returned to my face. My breathing softened. My pulse shortened. I didn’t need the full amount of air I inhaled. I exhaled; forcing the air out like Cherrie taught me to do on the mountain. The sound of the beep-beep quickened.

  I tugged at my hand, but Aaron’s grip stayed strong. It took several yanks before I sprung my fingers free.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Helping you.”

  I could see the hurt in his eyes.

  “Why did you pull away?”

  “I’m afraid of what you’re doing?”

  “Why?”

  “The way it makes me feel.”

  “It should feel good.”

  “It does, but how?”

  “You’ve never felt this way when someone places a hand on you and tells you they love you?”

  He was right, to a degree. The simple touch of a hand by a loved one while voicing their feelings could warm the heart and soul of anyone. But I had never felt anything this intense.

  “What you are doing is different.” And, I added in my head, but didn’t say it out loud; you didn’t say you loved me!

  Aaron shook his head. “Not really. Pretty much the same. The transference of energy from one body to another. It’s called vampirism.”

  “You’re not one of those guys who has sparkly skin and goes around sucking blood, are you?”

  “I don’t know.” Aaron flashed me his teeth. “What do you think?”

  I pointed to where the sun streamed through the window. “Stand over there.”

  Aaron followed my order and stepped into the sun.

  “Nope. No sparkles, no fangs. You’re good.”

  “Glad to meet with your approval.”

  “Isn’t vampirism the belief in vampires?”

  “Partly. More of a belief in what they do.”

  “You mean like suck blood?”

  “I mean like drain a person of their life force. For us, vampirism means the transference of energy from one person to another.”

  “But you weren’t draining my life force. You were adding to it.”

  “Yes.”

  “And that doesn’t hurt you?”

  “Perfectly natural function which, I might add, follows the Laws of Physics.”

  “But it does make you weaker.”

  “Somewhat. Yes. But I can afford to give a little, same as if I was giving a pint of blood.”

  “Still makes you weaker.”

  “I’m okay. Really. See.”

  Aaron stood and flexed a bicep.”

  “Nice,” I said. “Looks strong, but is it?”

  Aaron placed his elbow on the table in front of me. He opened his hand, smiled, and said, “Give it a try.”

  “You want me to arm wrestle you?”

  “No, I don’t.” He pulled his arm back and sat down. “Just want you to know the transference didn’t hurt me. I know my limits.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you know your limit when you pulled our car off the mountainside?”

  “That was different.”

  “So you admit it. You saved us.”

  Aaron looked away.

  “Why was Bernard so mad at you? Was he angry you saved us from certain death?”

  Aaron rose up out of his chair. “That wasn�
�t it at all. He would have done the same thing if he had seen what I saw.”

  “So why was he so mad?”

  Aaron sat back down.

  “Because,” Aaron stopped for a second as though wanting to make sure he chose the right words, “we’re not supposed to reveal our gift.”

  “What gift?”

  “You just saw it.”

  “The ability to transfer energy.”

  “Yes.”

  “But you said anybody can do it.”

  “They can. It’s done all the time. Ever sat next to someone and felt depleted or depressed or vice-versa? Energetic?”

  “Sure. But if anybody can do it, what’s the gift?”

  Aaron bowed his head.

  “You don’t want to tell me.”

  He looked at me. “I don’t think I have to spell it out for you, Julissa. You just experienced it.”

  I nodded. “Yes. I think I know what you’re saying. Most people transfer energy without realizing it. It just happens. You can somehow manipulate and control it.”

  “And store it at will.”

  “More than other people?”

  “Other people don’t store it. They have no control over their energy. It just comes and goes.”

  “And that’s your secret gift?”

  “I like to think of it as a skill.”

  “But on the mountain you looked exhausted, like you over did it.”

  “I did. But it was for a good cause. We had just come off the mountain. We were fully charged. And now I was running on empty. Bernard had a right to be concerned.”

  “Concerned about what? Were you dying?”

  “I would never let it go that far.”

  “But you do become depleted, don’t you?”

  “To a certain extent, yes.”

  By now, I was imagining, Aaron wished he hadn’t given me such a heavy dose of life sustaining energy. Clarity returned to my mind. I felt in full control. I felt I could question Aaron into a corner. I could get him to tell me everything I wanted to know about him. I felt above him, as a parent feels superior to a child.

  “And what happens, Aaron, when you become depleted? Where do you go to replenish your life-sustaining energy?”

  “There are things it’s best you don’t know.”

  “But I already do. You said you are recharged by the mountain, but not always, are you? You don’t think I know where this,” I pointed to my hand, “energy came from?”