Because Sean went down first, he hit the water before I got to him. The strong and forceful current quickly pulled him under just as I reached his arm and managed to grab a hold of his sleeve. The sleeve started tearing and I swung my other arm over to get a better grip on my brother, both of us getting pulled down under the water this time. My surprised inhale of breath taken at the wrong moment caused water to go down my air pipe, leaving me with very little left over to last long in the water, so I fought my way to the top as quickly as I could, dragging Sean up with me. If he hadn’t helped break our heads up through the water I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone, between the extra weight of holding on to him and the current pulling at us things were getting dire indeed. As he struck out towards the bank I kicked my feet, eager to reach the side and get out of the water, not that we were going to dry off any time soon with the way this rain kept coming down.

Once we finally got there, we managed to pull ourselves up out of the water using the thick brush along the sides. I laid there a few moments, thankful to be alive, waiting until my breath calmed down before sitting up, looking around, and taking stock of the situation.

Sean was right beside me on the ground also catching his breath, eyes closed until I asked him if he was alright. “This place sucks, wherever we are.” He grimaced as he sat up, probably as sore as I felt right now.

“It may, but we still need to find some type of shelter, and soon before we get sick or something.”

“I know, I know, geez.” His exhausted voice groaned as he heaved himself up off the ground, holding out a hand to help me up as well.

I got up and hugged him, surprising him for a moment before he hugged me back. “I’m sorry, was just scared for a moment, and thankful you’re still here with me.”

“Never be sorry Sis, I am too.”

He smiled down at me and we took another look around the spot the water had brought us to. “So where do you want to go from here?” he asked me.

“It looks like there’s sort of a path right over there.” I pointed towards what looked like a small trail over to the side from where we stood. “Why don’t we try that? If it is a trail it may actually lead to somewhere.”

We stepped out of the thick brush and started walking along the trail that lead into a more densely wooded area, watching our footing while we were still by the water so we didn’t end up right back in it. As we got closer to the small trail, and the trees overhead started sheltering us from a large portion of the rain falling down, I noticed a couple of things that struck me as strange. You mean besides being transported somewhere else? ….shut up brain that’s still not helping! On the ground, along with the large rocks strewn about, there were different things growing on small short bushes that almost seemed to move on their own – which isn’t possible of course. Also the rocks themselves were square in shape, and had multihued patterns grooved into them that made no sense to me. Possibly a monument of some kind? I put that to the back of my mind as we walked, knowing nothing else was more important at the moment then finding better shelter. We needed to get dry and warm as quickly as we could and figure out how to get home. Everyone has to be worried sick.

I set my hand on a tree to step over roots that were growing above the ground and felt a sharp jab on my palm. Jerking my hand back to myself I looked at it in shock to find a couple of drops of blood had risen from a pin-pick wound. When I looked over at the tree again, I saw tiny little branches sticking out from the bark, thin as needles, and just as sharp. What the h-e-double hockey sticks is going on? We shouldn’t swear brain, but for once I am in agreement. What the hell is going on??

Sean turned back at me, wondering why I had stopped, took the couple of steps back to where I was standing and I showed him what I found on the tree.

“Don’t touch anything without looking first Sean, it is dangerous to your health.”

“I see that! Are you ok?” he took my hand to take a look at the sore spot.

 I pulled my hand back, replying “its fine, just a pin prick. Hardly notice it now, was more surprised than anything else.” I didn’t tell him it felt just as sore now as when it happened, no need to worry him over what was nothing after all.

Back on the trail again, we walked for a while longer, searching around as we went keeping our eyes peeled for anything to get in out of the rain, or to help figure out where we ended up at, but nothing stood out in either case, just a lot of trees and underbrush with the occasional wildflower.

The trail went left, then right, left and right, endlessly, so I knew at least we weren’t going around in circles, but that’s all I could tell for sure. When my legs were ready to give out on me and every step had muddled together, Sean stopped and stood at a fork in the trail….er road…when did it turn into a road for crying out loud? And a crossroads at that! Sleep walking again Sasha? Too tired to yell at my brain for its’ traitorous thoughts, I was ready to weep out loud for a nice soft comfy chair to sink into right about now.

“I don’t know where to turn now Sasha, I can’t tell by looking which way will lead to a phone, or car, or home, or anything at all!”

As we stood there thinking but undecided yet, a noise made itself known over in the direction of the road on the right. Startled, we both turned that way just as it came again, Thunk!... Thunk!, a now steady beat rather than occasionally, the noise sounded like it was coming closer because it became louder than before. The noise brought with it an oppressive feeling of foreboding as it came nearer, weighing down on me, leaving me feeling like I was going to run away in a blind panic. Much like the darkness, I thought.

With that thought foremost on my mind, I grabbed Sean’s arm and pulled him onto the left road, running and tugging him to go faster and faster, until we were both running all out. As we ran for several minutes and put some distance between us and the noise, I grew calmer, the prickle at the back of my neck gentled and we slowed down to a more temperate speed until we stopped to catch our breath.

“What was that about Sasha?” Sean huffed his breath out as he slowed down to a walk, then stopped.

“It was intense Sean, I thought for sure we were going to die in the next few moments once that noise came into view. I can’t explain exactly, I just know how I felt as I listened to it come nearer. As soon as my brain compared it to the darkness I knew we had to get out of there.” I stopped beside him and tried to explain what went on in my decision to run away from the fork in the road.

“It’s ok Sis, I trust your feelings.” He set his hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze making me wince a little. I tried to hide it but my eagle-eyed brother noticed with ease. “What’s wrong with you?” I tried to step away from him but he wouldn’t let go of my shoulder.

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Don’t give me that, you never wince unless you’re in pain.”

“Of course I wince, I’m a wimp after all.”

Trying to sidetrack him wasn’t working and he kept hold of my shoulder until I finally admitted sheepishly, “My hand hurts, and the pain has travelled up my arm.”

“What? Why wouldn’t you say something before now?” He turned my arm around to look at my palm, instantly noticing the red mark with a dark center that used to be a small pin-prick, but that has grown into as large as a small coin.

“Well there have been a lot of other things going on and there wasn’t really time to update you while we were running for our lives.”

“Ok, ok, I get it, but we need to do something about this before it gets worse. You don’t want to get an infection – although it looks like that may be already beginning, it’s looking rather ugly and painful.”

“Thanks for the cheering up brother, I knew I could count on you.” He looked at me, his face a nice shade of blush.

“Sorry, just telling you the truth.”

“I know, don’t mind me, pain causes the sarcasm to flow.” With you Sasha, everything causes sarcasm…shut up brain! “What do we do now Sean, I’m so tired I think I could fall asleep standing up.” Um, you already did…Ugh! Give it a rest brain!

“We’ll we better keep going down this road, hopefully we can find someone to help us soon. Promise you’ll tell me if your hand or arm starts feeling worse, ok?”

“Ok” I said to make him feel better.

“No, I need you to promise me that you’ll say something.”

Sighing I nodded. Sean knew if I promised him something then I wouldn’t stop until I did it. “Alright, I promise you I will tell you if it gets worse.”

“Good enough. Let’s move.” He put his feet to the words and began the trek again along the road, letting me trail a little behind as I tried to bolster my flagging energy.

After what seemed an endless mile after mile, but that was probably only about a half hour, I looked over to the side. Several somethings moved quickly in the distance weaving through the trees. Sure I was seeing things, I rubbed my eyes forgetting about my injury, and cried out at the pain created from that gesture, causing Sean to turn and come back to where I had stopped in the road.

“Let me see” he said as he held out his hand for mine.

Knowing there was no use in trying to hide it from him, I turned my hand palm up to show him that the dark circle that was coin sized had grown and become almost the entire size of my palm.

As he studied it he turned my palm a little to the left, almost mumbling to himself. “It looks like….almost think there was…”

“Can you speak normal English please? I don’t understand mumble very well.” Oops there went that sarcasm again.

Exasperated he repeated himself. “I see markings in your hand Sasha, and I don’t know what this means.”

“No way, you’re just seeing things, you must be as tired as I am now. I was seeing things too, out in the woods. It looked like there was something moving in there.” I looked over at the woods again as Sean returned to studying my injury.

“Honestly, I think these markings resemble the ones on the rocks we saw at the beginning of the trail, where we pulled ourselves out of the water. You know, those square shaped ones with the markings on them. In fact, I’m sure of it.” He pulled out a small rock he had stashed in his pocket and showed me the symbols on it, setting it on my hand next to the center of the sore spot to show me the similarities.

As soon as the rock touched my hand my body went into small convulsions, my muscles locking up tight, causing Sean to drop the rock so he could grab me and hold on, barely keeping me from falling to the ground and bashing my head open.

He set me down gently, cradling my head with his hands, tears filling up in his eyes. He shook his head back and forth, crying softly “No, no no! Come on Sasha, I can’t do this without you, you have to be ok, please be ok. I can’t go on all alone. What am I going to do, how can I fix this?” With the tears spilling over onto his cheeks and his head against my shoulder, he kept tight hold of me until my muscles started easing up on their spasms, unlocking slowly one by one starting with my toes. He continued whispering prayers, or wishes as the easing slowly made its way up my body. After a while I was finally able to take a breath, the small movement of my chest alerting him to the change in my condition. He lifted his head, hopeful and eager to find me able to stare back at him. He set his hands on my cheeks and leaned closer to kiss my forehead.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, and I mean never again!” He brushed my hair away from my face with trembling fingers.

I was still having small muscle twitches as I laid there recovering, so I just gave him a small smile, hoping it wasn’t a grimace. “I’ll do my best” I said. “What happened?” I asked softly, unable to talk any louder than a whisper.

“I don’t know exactly, I was trying to see if the marks on your hand were the same as the ones on the rock when you starting going into convulsions. “ He watched my face. “I thought I was going to lose you Sasha, and I couldn’t bear it.” His misery was plain for me to see as I saw him swallow over a knot in his throat.

“You should know it would take more than a little convulsions to keep me from sticking around to bug you little brother.”

“4 minutes Sasha, 4 minutes.” He laughed quietly while I began moving under my own power once again.

He reached over to help me sit up, then stand, and I thanked him setting my sore hand palm down on the dirt to push off the ground before realizing it didn’t hurt anymore. Puzzled I quickly lifted it up to view, Sean’s eyes growing larger as he and I comprehended what we were seeing. My hand wasn’t sore any longer because the injury was gone. But what was left in its place was just as confusing as the injury had been to begin with.