Bonded (The Raegan Mason Trilogy) (2 page)

I wasn’t still sitting in the hollow of the Rock.  Instead, I was sprawled out on the sandy shore.  The gentle waves were lapping up against my foot.  Sand stuck to my arms and legs.  I sat up and searched the beach for any sign of life.  The palm trees swayed in the distance.  The condos were over a mile way.  There was not even a ship on the water.    I turned to the ocean searching for the source but could not find anything but the buoy teetering in the waves.

I stood up, dusted the sand from my arms, and returned to my cradle position at the Rock and listened again.  Nothing.  Frustrated, I sighed and closed my eyes again.  Still searching for the source of the music in my memory, my eyes snapped open as I realized that my headache was gone, not just less pain, but completely gone.  It was as if a stone wall was lifted off my head.  I sat up quickly, stunned and waiting for the pain to knock me back, but it didn’t.  I put my hands on my head to make sure touching my head was pain free too.  I did not experience the stabbing pain as I felt around my head and neck.  Earlier, this would have been excruciating.  My hair was wet above my forehead, not damp, but wet.  The Rock was several yards away from the ocean, but I woke up on the ground. Most of my hair was dry, except for right around my face.  I felt again and looked at my hand fearful that it was blood, but it shimmered in the moonlight like water.  My clothes were wet too.  Did I fall in the water?  Did I sleep walk?  Panic tried to surface as I quickly realized I could have drowned.  I took a deep breath and tried to calm my heart that was beating like a drum.

Confused, I began my walk back home.  Aunt Sarah would still be sleeping.  She never mentioned my moonlit walks, and I really doubted she even knew I left each night.  My steps were no longer labored by the pain.  I even tried a skip or two down the shoreline.  A smile crossed my lips.  No pain.  I wondered how long this would last.  I wanted to run through the water and splash around; actually, I wanted to swim.  I had not been in the water since the accident, but right now I felt no fear of its power.  The panic I felt seconds ago was gone.  I glanced around again looking for the source of the music I heard, but still no one moved in the moonlight.  I stopped at the water’s edge looking down at the small waves that reached my toes.  No familiar panic at the thought of returning to the water.  I glanced around again for any movement, took off my clothes and slowly walked into the water.

The water was warmed by the late July sun.  As I slowly inched my way deeper into the ocean, the waves crashed against my body.  This was exhilarating. I felt energized. When I got waist deep, I sunk down beneath the water.  The waves were not big this late at night, but I could feel the pull of the ocean current as it rolled in and out, beckoning me to be pulled in.  I floated easily in the salt water and allowed the waves to move me where they wished.  The warm sea breeze was gently blowing across the water and my body as I floated weightlessly.  Still, there was no pain.  I closed my eyes again and spread my arms out beside me.  The water caressed my skin and the gentle breeze kissed my face.  I was in heaven. 

Unexpectedly, I began to hear the whispers of the music again.  I did not open my eyes for fear that it would stop.  My heart pulsated rapidly in my chest.  The adrenaline rushed through my blood as the melody got louder and closer to me.  It was in the water.  How could that be?  I appreciated a new fear as I floated exposed to whatever, or whoever, was out here. How far away were the shore and my clothes?  The enchanting song was desirable to my ears.  I was drawn to it but I didn’t want to move.  The better part of me realized this was not a good idea.  I slowly opened my eyes and brought my feet in so I could stand in the water.  I could still hear the music but it was fading away.  I gradually walked toward the shore while the music drifted.  I had to walk back toward the south to find my clothes.  The warm breeze dried my body by the time I found them again.  I dressed quickly before looking around again.  Nothing moved on the quiet beach.  I turned to the ocean again, sat in the sand and stared.  I whispered, “What are you?”  The only answer I received was the waves crashing on the beach.

CHAPTER 3 – A NEW DAY

“Good morning, Raegan,” my aunt said as I came from my bedroom.  “How are you feeling?” she asked like she did every morning for the past six months.

“Great!” I smiled at her.

Aunt Sarah dropped the egg she was holding as she turned open mouthed and stared at me.  I rushed to her side to start cleaning up the spill but she grabbed me before I could crouch down.

“Are you really better?” her anxious brown eyes searched mine.  “How do you feel? Are you dizzy or in pain?” she rattled off her relief.

“Nothing, I am completely fine.  No pain, no tenderness, and best of all, no medication today.”  I hugged her tightly and took a step back to show her the new me.

She clapped her hands.  “Oh, Raegan!  I’ve been praying for this day to come.  You said no medicine?  When was the last time you took some?”  She grabbed a dish rag out of the drawer and began to clean up the egg, still waiting for my reply.

“Let me do that for you.”  I took the dish towel from her hands and wiped up the egg as I began to tell her about my walk.  “I took my medicine at dinner time last night around seven, but like usual it didn’t help.  I decided to take a walk on the beach.”  I left out the part about my walks taking place for over six months.  “I found this huge rock about a mile or two down the beach.  It had a spot to sit in, sort of bowl shaped and hammock-like.  It was very comfortable and smooth.  I sat there and closed my eyes listening to – to the sound of the waves, and I fell asleep.  When I woke up, I felt better.  I had no pain.  I was afraid that once I came home and went back to sleep, I would wake up with another headache.  But they are gone!”  I grinned enthusiastically at her.

She just stared at me astonished and shook her head back and forth.  “I can’t believe it.  All these months of medication and doctors and you just needed a nap on the beach!  Humf!” she scoffed.  “What do those high priced doctors know?” she mumbled to herself as she continued cooking breakfast. 

The eggs and bacon smelled delicious.  I was starving after my walk, and swim, late last night.  I was still intrigued by the mysterious music in the water and whether it contributed to my miraculous healing.  I didn’t want to stir Aunt Sarah up with unexplainable music and the mysteries of the ocean that I experienced.  Plus I would have had to admit my slightly illegal act of skinny-dipping that went along with the experience.  I wondered if I would be brave enough to try again.  The temptation of the music was too alluring not to try, but the fear of being exposed to something, or someone, unknown was too intense.  I thought to myself, next time I will take my swimsuit.

I ate my breakfast in deep thought.  I would have to wait until Aunt Sarah fell asleep and then slip out again just like the past months.  This time I would walk to the Rock with my swimsuit under my clothes and the anticipation for the mysterious music.  This time, I would not be afraid.  How could something so beautiful be dangerous?

Aunt Sarah distracted my thoughts by asking, “What do you want to do today?  I’ve waited for over six months do be able to go somewhere with you and just be together.  Anywhere special you want to go?”

I felt ashamed about dragging Aunt Sarah through this ordeal.  I could not help it or control the headaches, but I still felt responsible for imprisoning Aunt Sarah with me and my pain.  I forced a grin and said, “Anywhere you want to go is fine with me.  We both need to get out of the house and have some fun.”  I really only wanted to go to the beach again, but I didn’t think Aunt Sarah would be up for sunbathing.

We decided on shopping.  My wardrobe was in dire need of a makeover.  I hadn’t really needed any new clothes since the accident and the headaches.  I had been able to finish my last semester of high school at home.  It helped that I took all the advanced classes and loaded myself down with extra classes during the previous 3 years.  I did miss graduation though.  I couldn’t bear the lights of the stadium or the noise.  I didn’t apply to colleges like most seniors.  I was either too sad or in too much pain.  I lost my parents in November and mourned myself into excruciating pain over the next few months.  College was not on top of my list of priorities.  Now it seemed like I had time to think about those decisions.

Our local mall wasn’t too bad.  It was a multi-level mall with plenty of stores to choose from.  I needed to get some new clothes, and I didn’t really care where we shopped.  Aunt Sarah was always the shopper.  She could find sales like a blood hound.  We spent most of the day trying on outfits and shoes.  It seemed like Aunt Sarah would ask me how I was feeling every ten minutes.  And each time, I could actually smile and tell her I was great.

We ate lunch at a restaurant on the bay side of the island.  It wasn’t so hot that we couldn’t sit outside.  Food tasted so good to me.  I could taste all the flavors mixed together.  You would think I’d never eaten food.  Aunt Sarah laughed as I shoved my lunch into my mouth.  “Slow down honey.  I don’t believe anyone will take your plate away soon.”

“Sowwy,” I apologized with my mouth full, “everything tastes so good.”

“Well you haven’t actually been eating very much for a while.  I suppose everything does taste good compared to pills and a bland diet.” Aunt Sarah pointed out the fact that everything was considered a trigger for my headaches, including foods.  I had been living on toast, oatmeal and soup.

I had strawberry cheesecake for dessert to finish off the wonderful lunch.  After eating so much I wasn’t sure I was up for more shopping so we decided to go to the Aquarium. 

The Aquarium opened in the spring.  You would think living on an island, you would get tired of seeing the marine life, but for me it was always a new and exciting discovery waiting to be made.   To think that creatures of all sizes and shapes living together in the ocean makes me feel so small and insignificant.  Something as beautiful and dangerous as a jelly fish or something as large and graceful as a whale, there’s room for everything.  What creatures have we not discovered?  What does the ocean hold in her depths that we cannot reach?  Just thinking of that reminded me of the music I heard last night.  Could one of these beautiful creatures make that music? 

We walked toward the dolphin show.  The dolphins jumped through hoops, tossed balls to each other and splashed the audience.  Aunt Sarah laughed each time they waved their fins and splashed some more.  We weren’t soaking wet, but it was very refreshing in the heat of the day.  During the fun of getting showered with salt water, I began to hear a faint humming.  It seemed very familiar and I searched the area for anything that would be making that sound.  It was a faint sound, but I knew it was the same music sounds I heard last night.  I scanned the group of people around me.  There wasn’t anyone looking in my direction, no one was playing an instrument or a radio.  I felt an intense desire to find the source.

We got up to leave the seats and I kept searching the crowds.  The music they played for the dolphin show was definitely louder and faster paced than what I was hearing.  It seemed far away but at the same time it felt personal and alluring.  We walked to the indoor aquarium where the fish and other small sea creatures were housed.  The music seemed to follow me.  I kept turning around looking for the source, but only found faces of other people admiring the ocean life.  It didn’t get louder or closer but stayed at the same level as we walked through the indoor aquarium.

We left that building and went to the deep sea creature house.  It was dark.  Many of these creatures were found at the deepest parts of the ocean.  Light wasn’t necessary for them.  Black lights were used to illuminate their bodies.  It was beautiful to see the glowing colors highlighted by the black lights.  People bumped and shuffled through the rope lined tour.  I could hear the music getting closer and my heart beat increased.  A current of electricity streamed over my skin as someone brushed by me.  Their skin was damp and cool leaving a residue of moisture on my arm.  I reached out to find the person but only grasped air.  The music trailed away and then ended abruptly as the door to the building opened and closed.  Whoever it was left the building.

Aunt Sarah and I finished our tour of the Aquarium and headed home for dinner.  I helped her wash the vegetables and put some chicken in the oven to bake.  We enjoyed a quiet evening discussing my miraculous recovery.  She told me my parents had left an inheritance; one I had no idea about growing up.  Evidently, my parents were heavily invested in various stocks and bonds on top of their life insurance.  A trust fund had been established in my name by my mother’s parents when I was just a baby.  They died before I met them.  No one ever talked about what happened to them, only that they were gone and left behind some money for my mom and me.  I never asked since Mom never talked much about it.  I figured it was a painful subject.

Aunt Sarah was the only relative I had.  After she and my father lost their parents, she ended up spending a large part of her life caring for him and making sure he was safe.  She was almost ten years older than my father. I never met my grandparents on either side.  Supposedly, my dad and Aunt Sarah’s father was a mysterious man and went away on many business trips to different countries.  On one of those business trips to Columbia, when my father was a teenager, he was murdered.  The drug cartel was blamed.  Aunt Sarah and my father were taken care of financially, but he grew up without a father.  Their mother died a few months later.  I always heard it was a broken heart.  Aunt Sarah had found her in her bed.  She wasn’t breathing and by the time the ambulance go there, she was already gone.

It seems history has a way of repeating itself.  Here I was without my parents, their lives taken by a tragic accident.  The worst part was, I didn’t have closure.  Their bodies were never recovered, and for months I dreamt of them returning home after being lost at sea, having amnesia, held captive by some stranger.  All of my dreams left me anxious and confused.  Everyone told me time heals all wounds.  Time was dreadfully painful.