Darkness Rising by Bruce D. Edwards

Author:Bruce D. Edwards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2012-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

The lunker below:

September 25

My chest heaves with a final sob as I hear the sound of hidden machinery coming into action. High above, the cavern opening is closing, Morda's gone, and I have no memory since she threatened Lightfeather. This mental black hole is triggered by stress and randomly sucks my awareness of prior events. One moment I'm interacting with others and the next moment everyone's gone. When this happens I struggle with the incomprehensible and don't have a Goddamn clue what happened. It's a combination of bad mojo and mental illness that spawns this bastard of a coping mechanism. So, on a scale of 'one' to 'oh shit', this is definitely 'oh shit!'

Panic rages through my mind and it's the kind that renders me helpless. I took my last dose of anxiety medication five hours ago and I'm way overdue. Fear lacerates my thinking and I instinctively bring my legs up to my chest. In a fetal position, I rock back and forth and drift through a tapestry of comforting memories. I sing a lullaby Mother sang to me as a child, then, from a distance, I hear laughter and voices from my childhood. In the protective embrace of my emotional cocoon, I remember Mother and Father waiting at the bottom of the slide for me.

"Come on down, honey," Daddy says. "First time's the hardest, but you'll be okay." He gives me an oily smile and takes Mommy's hand.

I'm sitting at the top of a very high, very scary slide, with my hands locked around the platform rail. My bare legs are resting on the top of the metal incline and I don't want to let go. My heart pounds as I look out over the park. Large elm trees move from the breeze and the sun warms my face. Someone I know is standing next to a stone wall and over at the baseball diamond the Pee Wee league is starting up.

I look back at Mommy and she leans forward. She puts her hands around her mouth and shouts, "Come down now! We haven't got all day."

I know I need to do something, but I'm not ready.

Daddy's hollers, "You heard your Mother. For Christ's sake, let go!"

My arms shake and I scoot further onto the slide. Daddy looks at the ground and says the 's' word. He shakes his head then he and Mommy walk away.

Wind blows my hair and the bright sun hurts my eyes. I wiggle even further down the sloping metal until my fingertips barely grip the rail. From the edge of the park, Mommy slams the car door and Daddy starts the engine.

I cry at the top of my lungs, "Don't leave me!" But the engine roars and he shouts out the window, "You know the way home!"

I close my eyes and let go. The hot metal burns my legs as I slide faster and faster toward the hard, rocky ground. I know I'll hurt myself on the gravel, but as I shoot out the end of the slide, rough hands catch me.

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