Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers)

by Davis-Lindsey, Zelda

  “Mason, it's Mason. He yelled my name and now he's gone. I can't find him in my head any more Joe. Something's happened to him.”

  Flynn was standing nearby and I heard him yell for Ken, Riley and Howard. While they were getting things ready to go, I managed to get my sight back. Joe took my blood pressure and pulse and all that other crap.

  “Dammit, Joe it was a psychic attack not a heart attack. I have to go to him.” I fought him tooth and nail until he finally gave up and went in search of his med bag. I jumped up, reeled around in a circle and sat back down on the chair. Okay, give me a minute. I searched for Mason again and again, nothing. You better not be dead, asshole, or I'll kill you.

  By the time we were ready to leave I was yanking on that damned gate. If they didn't fix it soon, I would and they wouldn't like the results. Fighting nausea, I finally got some help and then went nuts waiting for them to close the damned thing. When it was almost closed I took off and by the time they caught up with me they were all huffing and puffing. Sandy was in better shape that I would have thought, but Howard was having a hard time keeping up with me. I set the pace and it was a wild one. Every once in a while they would make me stop so they could drink water and catch their breath. I'd spend that time yelling for Mason in my mind. I took sips out of the water bottle while hurrying along the deer trail.

  It was hot today. It was July after all so it was to be expected but I didn't notice it too much. I didn't notice the mosquitoes and no see ums either but I found out about it later when I was being treated for the bites. I was so relieved to see the pile of stone indicating the trail to the cave, I began to pull my heavy gloves on. There was a lot of dust in the air so I knew it was a cave in. I just could not imagine anyone dying in there. Each person was just too special.

  When we rounded the bend leading to the cave I was shocked at the amount of rubble. It looked like the whole hillside slid down in front of the entrance. The ground still vibrated from the rock slide and we had to stand back as more rubble continued to bounce down in front of us, one of them hitting my ankle. I yelled for Mason but there was still nothing, so I began to pull rocks out of the way. Soon, the others were doing the same and all you could hear was the tumbling of rocks and labored breathing.

  After a few minutes, I stopped everyone and we listened to see if we could hear anyone. I thought only good thoughts to Mason, telling him we were there, moving rocks out of the way and we'd get him out soon. Then we went back to throwing rocks like maniac's. This went on for a couple of hours till Howard let out a moan and sat quickly on a boulder. Joe went to help and decided Howard's back was feeling the strain. I wanted to scream at him to work past the pain, but I was hurting too so I kept my mouth shut, nodded at Howard to let him know it was okay and went back to moving a mountain.

  I was about ready to pass out when I felt a cool breeze coming from inside the cave. That renewed all of us and we put more into our efforts. Soon we had a small hole opened and when I tried to wiggle through it, Flynn pulled me out of the way.

  “Let us make the opening bigger first in case more of the mountain decides to fall on us.”

  I started to tell him what I thought of that idea when I felt Mason. I held up my hand, closed my eyes and sought him out. There he was, back where he belonged but he was in so much pain, I nearly doubled over with it.

  “Step back from him, JD.” Joe said. “You need to stay close to him but not close enough to take on his pain.”

  “If I can take it from him I will, Joe. No one should hurt that bad.”

  “I know, honey, but you need to stay strong for him and the others. We don't know what we're going to find in there.”

  “I know, Joe. You're right.” I put my head on his chest a minute while I listened to the others making the opening bigger. I took the water he offered and drank deep, then took what was left over to Howard.

  “He's alive Howard but hurting awful bad.” He took the water and put his arm around me.

  “What about the others, girl. You know how they are?”

  “No. Mason can't tell me anything about that. He hurts too much. We'll know soon though.” I stood next to him while the opening got about as wide as we needed it to be. Then we slowly and quietly slipped inside. The dust was so thick that I had to pull my tee shirt up over my nose and mouth. I didn't need my asthma to kick up right now. Joe would try to throw me out if it did.

  When my eyes finally adjusted to being inside out of the glaring sun, I was finally able to make out several forms lying on the dirt. I rushed to one and saw it was Clint. He was unconscious and cut up pretty badly. Lying next to him was Randy who was moaning and trying to raise his head. I didn't see Mason.

  “Mason!” I yelled, looking all over for him. “Mason, dammit, where are you?”

  I heard a moan behind me and spun around. There behind me, half covered in rock and dirt lay Mason. I started to pull rocks and boulders off him and barely noticed when Howard started to help. Joe was helping Clint and Flynn was helping Randy. I remembered Lacy all of a sudden and sent her a mental note that we'd found them and they were alive.

  There was an unusually large boulder on Mason legs. He had a gash that was bleeding pretty good on his head, but head wounds bled that way. I put my hand on it and applied pressure as blood seeped through my fingers. Howard gave me a dressing and I put it against his head, then tried to get him to sip some water.

  “Watch out with that water, JD. He has a head injury so he might throw up. I'll be there in a minute.” He finally left Clint to Sandy, and checked on Randy who was finally sitting up before coming to help Mason. He shone his flashlight around Masons legs but couldn't see anything. Then he gently shoved the boulder to see if it'd move.

  “We need to get this thing off him. I won't know how badly his legs are injured until we get it off.” About then Mason moaned and I nearly died. I hope I never had to hear that sound again. My stomach clinched and I nearly got sick again but I didn't leave his side.

  “Flynn, see if you can find a branch somewhere so we can lever this rock off his legs.” He ran from the cave, momentarily blocking the light. Mason moaned again then opened his eyes. “Hey,” he croaked out. “You're here.” I smiled through my tears and brushed the dirt from his forehead.

  “Hang in there, cave man, we'll get you out in a jiffy.” He nodded, winched and closed his eyes again. I'm sorry, he thought. I teared up but smiled, Don't worry about it, I'll kick your ass for not being careful in a few days. That brought another smile to his battered face. He was starting to sport some pretty impressive bruises. His nose might be broken which meant two black eyes later, a large almost black bruise was forming on his left cheek and he had cuts all over the place. His arm lay in a strange angle so it might be broken and we still didn't know about his legs yet. He was alive and that's all I could think about right then.

  Flynn ran back inside with a branch thinker than his arm. It looked like it had been broken off and when I looked at Flynn he just said, “I was in a hurry.” I had to move out of the way so they could work on the boulder but I didn't move as far as Joe wanted me to. Sandy, with the help of Howard, moved Clint and Randy out of the cave to check them out further while Joe and Flynn worked on the rock. It didn't budge, not even a bit. I knew if we didn't get it off his legs soon, the circulation t would be cut off and he would lose them. I put my weight with theirs and still we couldn't move it.

  “We have to get this damned thing off him and right now.” Joe said, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Just then we heard the sound of creaking and moaning. The cave was getting ready to have another fit, so as one we jumped back on that branch, putting all our weight on it again. Just when I thought that boulder was getting ready to move, the branch broke and we all nearly fell onto Mason. He, thank God, was unconscious again. There has to be something we could do but in my panic I couldn't think of anything. It would take too long to go to Hazels and get more manpower. His legs had to be uncovered, now and from the so
unds the cave was making we needed to get out of here, soon.

  We were standing there staring at each other when the cave opening darkened again. I turned, thinking I would see Sandy and I did but another smaller person stood in the cave entrance in front of her. They had a large head, big, almond shaped, black eyes that shone in the semi darkness and long skinny arms with four long, skinny fingers at the end. Its skin was a dark color with what looked like tattoos all over it. It looked like swirls to me and in the middle of its forehead there was a symbol of a yellowish hourglass. Sandy stood behind it, with her mouth hanging open. It didn't take long for my mouth to drop either.

  Chapter 20

  May I be of assistance? A voice sang in my head. The familiar buzzing was back but under the circumstances I didn't pay much attention to it.

  “I...ah...” I looked at Howard who was staring open mouthed at the little guy. “Yes...assistance... please.” I said, stepping to one side. I was getting some really stupid looks from everyone so I just pointed to my head and then ignored them. He/it didn't move forward but simply raised his hand, palm down towards Mason. My hair started to raise on my head and my arms then I started to feel lighter but the only thing that levitated was the huge boulder on Mason. We all stood around like statues then as if we'd been hit in the ass by a cattle prod, we jumped forward and pulled Mason free of the rubble.

  I believe haste is necessary. The remainder of the cave will collapse soon.

  We gathered Mason up and managed to get everyone away from the cave just moments before the cave finished falling in on itself. Dust and debris covered us and I'd just managed to get a rag over Mason face and using the tee shirt again, cover mine. When the dust cleared we were relieved to see everyone was safe. The little guy stood at the entrance to the cave with his hand up again, quietly staring and a feeling of intense peace and well being enveloped us all. Joe was busy tending to Masons legs while I tried to clean some of the mess off his face.

  The buzzing returned and I noticed it near Masons legs. Where Mason had been moaning and twisting with pain, he now relaxed and almost smiled. Joe looked at me then checked his legs again.

  “I don't know what he did, but the breaks in his legs are better. Not healed, mind you but a lot better. He must be healing him.” The little alien moved his hand from Masons feet slowly to his head and back again, then moved over to Randy. He started to put his hand in front of Randy's face but he back away, the hand following him.

  “Oh come on Randy, don't be a puss.” Flynn said.

  The alien stopped and looked back at me over his very skinny shoulder. What is a puss? My eyebrows climbed into my bangs and then I frowned at Flynn. I saw he was serious so I tried to explain. “Randy is feeling apprehensive and Flynn,” I said pointing at Flynn, “used a derogatory term to shame Randy into relaxing.” The large eyes didn't show any emotion so I had trouble figuring out what it could possibly be thinking. But then again, did I really want to know what it's thinking? Naw.

  It finally turned and looked at Flynn. This is the one that Hazel hit in the head with a cooking utensil? I grinned. “Yes, he is the one.”

  “The one what?” Flynn asked, looking from the alien to me and back again. It turned back and when he tried to heal Randy again, he let him. Soon he was smiling and said thanks before it moved to Howard. By this time, we all knew the drill so they sat for the healing process and in a short time it was finished.

  They are not healed completely but they will in time. Hazel asked this of me. I regret I couldn't get here in time to heal the other.

  Other? What other? Then it hit me. Andy. Where was Andy? “Andy! My God, Andy's still in there. We have to get him out.” I started throwing rocks again when a feeling of peace stole over me. “Stop that. I have to get Andy.” I said. The child man you call Andy is no longer there. He left his body when the rock first fell. I understand your human death rituals involve burial. It has been done. Your grief is understandable. I have done all that I can except to deliver a message from Hazel.

  I couldn't dig him out by myself and the others were just standing there with their heads down. I was heartbroken and crumpled into a pile of misery at the entrance to the cave that took Andy from us. Great sobs were ripped from me as tears ran down my cheeks. The alien approached me and before I knew it some of the grief subsided. I almost felt like it was taking from Andy's memory by not grieving but I knew that was unfair. Andy wouldn't want me to tear my hair out over his loss.

  I looked up at the thing before me. For some reason it wasn't cover from head to foot in the light film of dust as the rest of us were. No facial expressions made it difficult to know what it was thinking but there I go again, wondering.

  You are welcome. Hazel said you had great character. You are a human female but not weak. You are a warrior and talked about among the stars.

  Huh

  “Do you have a name?”

  Yes but you would not be able to pronounce it. Hazel calls me Paul.

  “Paul?”

  Yes, she said she saw a movie with an alien in it named Paul, so she gave this name to me. She said it is a proud name.

  I did everything in my power to keep my face straight and my thoughts away from the movie. I'd seen it too and had laughed my ass off.

  “Yes, it is a proud name. You have given us a great gift today. Healing is an honored profession and many would be envious of you. Our gratitude is great. Please give our love to Hazel and tell her we miss her daily.”

  This I will do. I wish to return the animal that is her pet. But her love for it is great. Paul bowed at the waist, then there was a great explosion of light making us all duck. When our eyes adjusted again, Paul was gone. I turned and looked back at the cave, put my hand on a rock and pushed myself to my feet. Goodbye Andy. I'll never forget you. We began the trek back to the fort. I relayed most of what happened to Lacy and dearly hoped she would tell Kevin so I wouldn't have to. I had enough on my plate without that. Chicken of me I know but I'd had a really bad day.

  I walked beside the litter carrying Mason as much as the path would let me. Holding my hand he slept most of the way. He complained of his many injuries itching at one point so that meant they were healing. It was also at that point that I started itching and realized mine were more mundane. I was nearly crazy from it by the time the fort came into view. Mosquitoes and No See Ums. I had allergies, what can I say.

  We were met at the gate by a quiet bunch of people. Mercy flew into Clint's arms as Lacy tackled Randy. Howard and Samantha embraced and I yearned to do the same with Mason but since he was the only one still too hurt to stand, I walked beside him to the clinic. I glanced back just as I was following the litter inside and saw Kevin on the catwalk, looking for Andy. Lacy. Didn't you tell Kevin about Andy?

  I didn't have the heart, sis. I just couldn't do it.

  “Do I have to do everything around here? Crap! Thanks a lot.” I left Mason in Joes care and went to Kevin. Bring him to me, will you please. Mason whispered.

  Give me a few minutes.

  I stood next to Kevin as he watched the path we'd taken. I didn't know whether to put my arm around him or not.

  “You don't have to tell me, JD, I felt him die. I was showing Nevada how to tie a knot in a fishing line so the hook would stay on and I felt him touch me on the shoulder. I know you don't believe me and that's okay. I just want to know why.” He looked at me and I realized he'd grown several inches since we'd left New Mexico. He was almost looking me in the eye and his eyes were brimming with tears.

  “I don't know why, Kevin. I wish I did but I don't. We're all going to miss him like crazy, you the most. We'll grieve and we should but he wouldn't want us to grieve too much cause that was just the way he was. I'll be there if you need me and so will Mason, you know that. But I just can't explain why you lost your best friend, Kev.”

  He nodded his head like I'd made sense although I didn't think I had. He put his arms around my shoulders and cried his heart out. I joined
him and soon we were both sitting on the catwalk with our backs to the logs, legs spread out in front of us. I took the time to tell him about Paul and how he healed everyone. I didn't tell him that I had forgotten about Andy till it was way to late. I don't think I'll ever get over that one. He finally stood and then pulled me up so we could go see Mason. I figured Joe and Sandy had him settled and had tortured him enough by then and I was right. Mason was pale and dozing lightly when we entered.

  Lacy was sitting with Randy, wiping the dust from his face with a wet rag. She took in our wet faces and blushed. I hope someone is telling the others. I don't want to go through that again.

  Yes, Sarah is telling them now. George is comforting a couple of them in her room.

  I looked back and saw Kevin sitting beside Masons bed, shoulders bent, elbows on his knees, head down. My throat tightened again but I willed the tears away at least until tonight. Then I planned to have a good cry in the shower. Although, I don't know why I had to hide my grief when everyone else was openly showing theirs.

  Mason reached out and touched Kevin's arm, making him jump. He turned and leaned down to hear something Mason was telling him. Then he straightened and looked at me. Nodding his head, he touched Masons shoulder before he left the room.

  I sat beside him and took his bruised hand. “What did you say to him?”

  “I told him that the cave was really a mine. Andy and I were further inside than the rest so when the roof started to come down, Andy shoved me away as hard as he could. He saved my life, JD. He gave his life for my own. I don't know if I could ever repay that kind of sacrifice but I'm damned sure going to try.”

  “Me too, caveman. I'll be right by your side helping you make Andy proud of us because he gave us another shot at life. Regardless of what life has in store for us we'll meet it head on, together. The walkers better beware because we have Andy, Paul and Hazel on our side. Thanks to them, we've finally found sanctuary.