Uprising (7 page)

The floor was hard. I blew out a swift breath as realization took me and I remembered what we had just encountered. We were alive, somehow, and Cain had carried me somewhere. He stiffened as he realized I was awake.

“Sherry? Ah, thank God. Are y-you ok?” he said, sounding way too worried, his teeth chattering.

I turned, even though it hurt so bad, to face him. I couldn’t help thinking how highly inappropriate this was, lying on the floor, face to face, bodies pressed together and legs intertwined, his hands running over me.

Sounds romantic but it was anything but. We were both shaking so violently and his freezing ice cold hand was doing absolutely nothing to warm me but I figured it made him feel better to try so I didn’t say anything. We were too cold to even think about it being a compromising situation. Too close to it being something else way more morbid.

It felt like death. A slow painful death that was swiftly approaching. I finally mustered up the nerve to ask him, though I didn’t think I’d like the answer.

“What happened? W-where are w-we?” I chattered, wrapping my arm around his waist, not even asking for permission.

“There’s a cliff,” he said wrapping his arms around me too, “and some old caves a w-ways back from the s-store. I ran with you and hid in one. We’ll have to w-wait it out until morning.” I could feel his jaw shaking on my head as I was tucked under his chin. “You passed out,” he continued. “The Lighter must have thrown a rock or something at you. You’re leg looks horrible. Might be b-b-broken.”

I remembered the pain in my leg now. I also remembered the Lighter has recognized me. Crandle must have sent them all the image of me. Merrick was right. It would have been trouble for me to go on the trip with them yesterday.

“I can’t even feel it,” I stammered. “Too c-cold.”

“That’s probably the only good thing right now. We c-can’t leave. I still hear them out there screeching and yelling every now and then.”

“How did you see my leg in here?”

I hear him jingle something from his shirt pocket, he pulls out his key chain and turns on the little keyhole light on the end of the ring. It barely illuminates between us and he quickly turns it off to save it in case we need it.

“C-Cain. I...I don’t know. I feel like I’m dying already. Are we even going to make it until m-morning?”

“I t-tied off your leg with the pull string strap from my pants. If we can just keep as w-warm as possible until then-” As he spoke I immediately pulled him to me even closer as if that would some how be the answer to our survival.

He wrapped tighter around me too.

“I’m sorry, Sherry. I s-should never have let you come with me,” he said like it was a confession.

“N-no. It wasn’t your fault. I s-should’ve woken Merrick like I had wanted to but...I was the one who pushed you out the door, remember?”

“Merrick is not gonna be happy with me.”

I had to chuckle a little at that despite the situation.

“You mean for my getting hurt or for us laying all over each other, lounging around laughing on some romantic w-warm getaway somewhere?” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

I feel him chuckle.

“Either one,” he said and then laughed again.

I’ve heard that you can’t feel defeated and give up when it looks hopeless. So I joke. You have to fight it, you can’t give in so I wanna try to make the most of what little coherency I have left.

We must have fallen asleep somehow after that. When your body gets so cold it starts to shut down. Your heart rate slows and so does your breathing, trying to preserve your energy. It does this against your will, I guess that’s the only reason we fell asleep.

I awaken some time later with a voice in my mind. Merrick!

Sherry?

I wait. Counting the seconds. Then minutes.

Sherry? Sherry?! Come on, honey. I’m getting worried.

I’m so ecstatic to hear him. He must be looking for me around the bunker. A few more minutes pass and then again, I hear him.

Sherry. I know you can’t answer me, but if can hear me, send me a signal of some kind if you can. What happened? What-

I actually heard him mutter a few curses and then say something about his stupid gift only being one way communication.

Sherry, please. I’m dying here, baby. Gah, I wish I knew where you were! I assume that Cain is with you. I hope he is... Unless he’s the one who... I’d kill him. I have no idea what happened but don’t be scared, honey. If nothing else just hear my voice and know I’m coming for you. We’re heading out right now to come look for you two. I love you. Stay out of danger. I’ll find you. I promise.

Oh no! They’ll probably head into town instead of back here and crazy Jeff and Merrick’s tempers will get them caught. Ah! Merrick’s right. This stupid one way communication is useless! But it was so good to hear his voice.

I realize my teeth aren’t chattering nearly as much anymore but it’s still insanely cold and dark. I can’t know if it’s morning yet or not. I reluctantly try to wake Cain, not wanting to disturb him if he can still sleep but, I guess we need to see what time it is.

Merrick must have woken up early and went to look for me when I wasn’t there with him. Then woke everyone else when he couldn’t find me, then they noticed Cain was missing too. Maybe we can head off the search party before they leave to get themselves killed.

I scratch Cain’s arm lightly to wake him and he stirs, pulls out his keychain light.

“Hey. Are you ok?” he says groggily as he squints to look at me.

“Yeah but I can hear Merrick. He says they are going out to look for us.”

“Hmmm. I wonder if it’s daylight yet. I moved us back far in figuring we’d be safer. Let me go check. Stay here, I’ll be right back,” he stated as he began to unlock himself from my grasp.

The thought of being left alone in the complete darkness of a cave with no light and no weapon to defend myself and a hurt leg to boot was terrifying. I grabbed his arm and clung to him.

“Please, don’t leave me alone,” I said but felt ashamed of my initial reaction and quickly try to recover. “I... I know you need to go look but...ok. Ok. I know. Just hurry. Please,” I said as I slowly talked myself into it.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to. We can just wait here and see.”

The thought of Merrick or Jeff or Ryan or Danny getting hurt or worse because I was afraid to let Cain go signal them was even more unbearable that the silent dark.

“No. It’s ok. Just hurry, please,” I pleaded breathlessly.

He got up easy and slow, laying my leg back down with ease and now that I had thawed out just a little bit, I was beginning to feel the sting and throb of the wound.

“I’ll be right back. I promise.” He touched my cheek briefly then I could hear his swift footsteps as he ran with the minuscule light from his key chain making small rings on the ground in front of him.

The cave was total darkness. No sound. I couldn’t even hear Cain anymore. The utter silence and darkness was unnerving and everywhere. I tried to keep it together but it was unraveling my self control. I could feel the shaking starting again, and not just from being cold with Cain’s body heat being gone.

Then my angel.

Sherry, if you can still hear me, listen. We can’t come look for you yet. There are Markers everywhere, I’ve never seen so many in all my years. At least fifty, all in one place. That’s just...unheard of. It’s still dark. But first thing in the morning, we’re coming. It’s right at 5:00 so about an hour and a half. Hang on, baby, I’m coming. God I hope you can hear me. I love you.

Miraculously as soon as Merrick finished, Cain’s footsteps sound in my ear and relief sweeps over me. They both save me from my panic attack and don’t even know it.

“Still dark,” he said gloomily.

“I know. Merrick. He said they’ll be leaving in an hour and a half. It’s about 5:00 am.”

“Ok. Well we’ll leave the second the suns hits the horizon and try to catch them,” he said, seeming reluctant to sit back down.

I feel around and my hand catches the cave wall above my head. I slide myself up towards it, wanting to sit up and lean. Cain hears me shuffling around and flashes me with his light.

“Wait. Let me help you,” he said lifting me under my arms and settling me back against the wall. “How’s the leg?” he asked, bending on his haunches down to inspect it.

“I can feel it some now. Even though it’s still freezing in here.”

“You want me to sit with you?” he asked tentatively.

“Please.”

He flicked off his light and settled down beside me pulling me under his arm. He was warm but no where near the warmth of Merrick. He didn’t seem to be struggling with the cold as much as me anymore. I wonder if it’s because I’d lost so much blood from my leg.

Both of our knees were drawn up, with me extending my bad leg and leaning my good leg on his, we huddled there and talked about nothing and everything. Families, famous people we’d met, past girlfriends or boyfriends. Anything to keep our minds busy.

He explained that Pap and Maggie were not his real grandparents but since his parents were gone and he had no other family, he took in his neighbors, them, as his own. He also told me that the Lighter he’d seen outside had been Josh’s father. He said he was twenty six years old, which surprised me, he didn’t look that old. He’d been engaged once but she’d cheated on him, with her boss. The old lawyer and his secretary travesty.

Then I told him about Merrick and me, he especially found it fascinating that Merrick had somehow haphazardly chosen Matt’s, my ex’s, body. I told him I’d met Arnold Schwarzenegger on an assignment for the paper one time. He was an incredibly nice guy but scarily huge. He thought my childhood and parents were by far the most hilarious thing. Hippies.

We sat there passing the time as my teeth started to chatter again, Cain pulling me to him tighter, waiting for dawn to make an appearance.

When we think enough time has past, he helps me up and I hobble while he guides me with his arm. I have heard Merrick a few more times since and he still seems angry and worried but always reassuring that he’s coming for me.

We make our way through the darkness to the entrance. I can barely see the glow of morning settling in as we peek out and survey the area. Sky is clear of flying menace and the freezing air carries no sounds.

I immediately start to shiver and my hair is blown erratically from the high winds. We can’t see anything near the store. Too far, so we decide to go ahead and head that way and hope we can make it to them.

After a few yards I see the gun that Cain must have dropped in our escape last night. He picks it up throwing it over his shoulder by the strap and then readjusts me to further lean on his arm, mumbling about how there’s only two shots left.

All right, Sherry. We’re coming. Tell Cain if he’s there with you. You two hold tight wherever you are. Love you, honey.

I feel relief course through me. My leg is killing me though. Throbbing and I can feel and see blood oozing out of the makeshift bandage with every step. Must not be broken after all since I can hobble on it but the pain is nothing to snoot about. Before I even think about complaining I hear a gunshot. I jump and glance at Cain. He looks around to see where it could have come from.

I’m trying to focus on Merrick but also look for a shooter and listen to Cain for instructions and deal with the pain in my leg. I see nothing. We hear another shot. Since I’m paying attention it sounds far away.

“Oh no. It’s them. They must be already outside looking for us. What the heck are they shooting at?” Cain says getting agitated and we begin to walk again.

Then a black blur whips out from behind us to stop about ten feet in our path. Dang it! Can we get a friggin’ break. At this point a Lighter is a Lighter is a Lighter. I’m just sick of them and their horrible timing.

Then a thought. Merrick and them must have seen a Lighter too, maybe this one, or they wouldn’t be shooting.

Cain pulls me behind him and I have to grab the back of his shirt to keep from falling over. I’m so weak and tired. If I have to physically fight, I know I’m done for. Even though Miguel’s classes seem to have been helping.

“So. You think you can keep your little mate away from Crandle?” The Lighter smirks at us. “Oh, wait. You’re not the Keeper. Hmmm. I wonder does your Keeper know you are out canoodling with a mere human, Sherry?”

The sound of my name of the Lighters tongue brings bile to my mouth. I hold it down but say nothing. No point in provoking, especially when I can’t back it up physically. Cain on the other hand...

“Shut it Lighter. Move it or lose it,” he cocks the gun as he barks the order.

“Oh human. You won’t kill me with your blast stick. But even if you could, what I do is for the good of my people, my species. Whether you kill me or not is of no consequence. There will always be another one to take my place, always one to come after you until you surrender. Just give me the girl and I’ll let you die quickly instead of slowly.”

“Not likely.”

“Shame to hear that. For you. For me, I think I’ll rather enjoy this.” And he smiled wickedly as he said it but I thought Merrick and Jeff said only the Taker could show emotion.