Flashes of light, blinding to the soul, penetrated like swords. Searing heat roasted the body then numbing cold froze limbs. Odors rankled and made one’s belly roil in torment. Squashing pressures and daggers of pain. Horrible dark things fought with blazing things of the light. Unearthly howls and roars pierced the world and rose to the heavens. Then silence, indeterminable silence that seemed to last for eternity in this prison of darkness.
An acrid odor stung her nostrils. She flinched from it and the invasive light. She cracked open an eyelid and tried to brush away the light.
“Good. She’s coming around.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She croaked.
“No, you are not. You rest. Your parents are here, Andrea. Can you open your eyes and see them?”
“It’s too bright.” She closed her eye and tried to put a hand to her face. “I can’t move.”
“Pull the drapes and dim the light. Let her awaken slowly. It’s all right Andrea, you had a bad accident. So, things aren’t working properly yet.”
“I’m Andi.” She choked drily on the words.
“Good. Here are your folks. Stay only a minute or two.” Quiet words then, “She’s not very lucid.”
Andi felt someone grip her hand. “Ouch.”
“Sorry. How do you feel, honey?”
“Like I’ve been in hell. Is this home?”
“Not quite. You’ve been in the hospital for some time.”
“How long?”
“Almost seven months.”
Andi nodded gently because any movement hurt. “What happened? And where is my cat, Ain-u-tep? And have you seen Sefu?” She rested her head with her eyes closed. “Or Mtembe, is he here?”
“Oh, Andi!” Someone made a choking sob.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey. I’m here, don’t worry, baby.”
“I’m glad. Dad? Can I have some ice cream? We were gonna talk about something over sundaes. I can’t remember what, though.”
“You rest, baby-girl.”
Andi tried to open her eyes but it hurt too much. “Have you seen Scott and Dylan? Did they come home yet?”
Mom burst into tears and noisily left the room, crying, “She doesn’t remember they are both gone. Oh, how can we tell her?”
Andi squinted to see her father standing there, his face frowning with worry lines pebbling his brow. Her mother weeping in the hallway. She asked, “Why is she so—”
“Upset?” He patted her cheek then kissed her forehead. “We can talk later. I’m going to let you rest.” He stopped at the door to say softly, “I am glad you are back with us, honey. I missed you terribly, we all did.” Sniffling, he opened the door.
Andi lay quietly as she heard the door close. She could smell the cologne of someone new, as they picked up her hand, then set it on the bed. “Where is here and what year is it?”
“Don’t worry about that right now. I’ve given you something to help you sleep. A little later you might feel up to some juice or broth.”
“I’m a vegan. I think I only eat vegetables, no meat. I’m thirsty.”
“That isn’t important right now. Rest.”
The room grew darker then the sound of footsteps retreating out the door. She lay in near silence, except for a faint hissing and beeping noise. She shifted on the bed, feeling constrained. She tried to kick away the covers to sit up, but couldn’t do it. She opened an eye, the other not working well, the room was blurry.
“I’m in a hospital. Crud. What happened to me?” She asked as she turned her head to see the curtain-enclosed space and the monitor, with IV tubes plugged into her hand and arm. She could hear distant voices, two were her parents and someone else. She strained to hear them. “Fine time for me to be a normal person. Cat and the animals are always in my head. Now I can’t hear hardly a thing.” She caught smidgens of their conversation.
“Her spinal injuries will keep her bedbound for now. I can only hope she’ll regain use of her legs with proper physical therapy. I am glad she has regained consciousness, that is a step in the right direction. As to her mental condition, she’ll need psychiatric assessment and counseling. She may find her injuries hard to cope with.”
“Andi is a strong girl. I’m sure with love and care, she’ll make a comeback. I am just worried about the things she has been talking about. Is she delusional, for some reason? Maybe the drugs are making her hallucinate.”
The voices faded away.
Andi’s heart thudded. “Shoot. They think I’m nuts.” The monitor began beeping louder, her breath labored as she struggled to move. “I can’t let them do that.” She tried to get up but her lower half didn’t move. She grunted and yelled, then the monitor began to screech. The doctor rushed in and pushed her head back up on the pillow.
“You must stay in bed, you’ll hurt yourself, Andrea.”
Andi trying to move again, yelled, “Dad! Tell them I’m okay! I want to go home.” Hot tears burned her eyes as they ran down her cheeks.
She saw her father hovering in the doorway but he was pushed aside by a nurse and orderly. The pair rushed to her bedside where the orderly tightened belts about her legs and the nurse checked her IV’s.
“Why am I confined? I don’t need those!” Andi sobbed.
“Give her another 2cc’s, she’ll go quick.”
“I don’t want drugs, please, I won’t go anywhere.”
The orderly snickered and stepped back as the nurse injected the drug into the IV dam. “It’s to keep you from falling out of bed.” The orderly said.
“Help me, please?”
“You be a good girl and rest.” The doctor said as he turned off the light over her bed.
Andi fell quickly into marshmallow soft clouds in a blue sky that quickly darkened and it was night.
☼
Something rough and damp licked her face and then licked for a long time at her temple. Andi lifted a hand to brush it away. She opened her eyes, they felt gummy and stuck together. She rolled a little to get some leverage to rise off the rocks she lay upon. “Man, that was a nightmare!”
“I am so happy you are with us again!” The black cat rubbed her body against Andi’s shoulder and chin. “Mm, I have missed you. Thank you for my life too. I was ready to die and you brought me back. You wasted Aaliyah’s last wish.”
“And whose fault was that? You supposedly gave me your power. And if I remember, I said it correctly. I love you Ain-u-tep, so I couldn’t let you die, not here.”
The cat sat, she seemed no worse for wear. “You have my power and that of Ce-Ce.” The cat purred. “You have a bad wound on your head, you should repair that.”
Andi put a hand to her head, it came away bloody. “I remember crawling out of the cave and nothing more here.” She felt wobbly as she stood, her legs nearly collapsing. Then a warm arm came about her waist to steady her. She looked at the elephant’s trunk. “Is that you Mtembe? Thanks, friend. I am glad you are still here.”
“I am wherever you need me as is your cat.” He made a low moan, “But poor Ce-Ce is lost. She was brave and helped you to gain your power.”
Andi looked around, “Who is she?”
“Ce-Ce cared for the little mage until you came. She was a fine healer and highly revered in her family.” Mtembe rumbled.
Andi felt her throat close, “Oh no! Was she the little monkey who helped me with Cat?”
“Yes. But she was old and could not hold the power, it killed her when it transferred between the three of us.” Ain-u-tep said.
“Where is she?”
“Her family took her home. She is legend now. Not many people can say they helped to bring an immortal into the world. She witnessed your birth—” the cat looked up at Andi with pride.
“And it seems I caused her death. I am so sorry.” Andi sat again on the ground at the huge feet of the elephant. He squeaked and stroked her with his trunk.
“So, what do we do now? Has anyone seen Sefu? Is he still alive? Is there a war still on?”
The cat stood and paced in front of Andi. “Yes, to all. He knows you are here. I used your stone to send him a message.”
Andi stroked the black cat. “Do you have any power left? Or did I hog it all?”
“Some, but perhaps it is less of a burden for me now. You have all my knowledge and experience, it is up to you to direct us now.”
Andi stood and brushed dirt from her skirt, and backside “Ha, I’m still wearing the same clothes. I need something more practical.” She said as she picked up her walking stick. “It was weird, just before I woke up here, I dreamed I was in a hospital and they thought I was crazy.”
She shook her head. “Well, this crazy girl is not amused. Come on, let’s get this show on the road and find the king. But first I gotta pee.”
Andi darted away into the thick brush as the animals about her laughed. “Hey, I’m not built like you all, you just dump as you go. I gotta … never mind.” A large nose poked into the shrubbery, “Privacy, please!” she said shoving it away and turning about.
The jackal sauntered away sniggering.
“So how long has it been? Does anyone have a date so I can figure out what to do?” She asked from the bushes.
“This is the ‘Horrible Year’,” Mtembe grumbled, “and we have been trying to figure out what to do, without the King’s directions. We try to bring some peace to our tribes and families. The lions have been very upset, their land is ruined and many of their prey are dead or have vanished.”
The jackal sat and scratched his side. “It hasn’t bothered us none. There have been many things to eat. But yes, the lions have not always been willing to share the spoils of the Man War.”
Andi finished in the shrubbery, adjusted her clothes and returned to the circle of animals. “That is kinda gross, guys.” Rubbing her hands together, she said, “How about we eat first, then we go?” She looked up at the sky, “I think it is morning, yes? Last I recall, it was late afternoon.”
A few heads nodded. She could hear several animals’ thoughts agreeing with the idea of a meal. “I need some fruit and water, maybe some kind of grains or something.”
“I found a dead Impala, this morning, that a leopard killed,” a spotted hyena offered, “you can have its leg to eat.”
She patted the hunched creature. “Thanks, you carnivores enjoy it. I think I’ll hang out with the elephants and apes, they know the best watering spots and fruit.” She looked around at the growing crowd of animals, now there were more elephants coming through the woods, and several monkeys hunkered on the rocks., numerous bush rodents crowded the rocks and a leopard was lazily draped over the cave she had gone into … whenever that was.
“I have an idea. Anyone who is a mother, they should stay home with their babies. You can keep us informed if anything is happening by spreading the word through the Jungle Telephone.”
Cat shifted paw to paw as she anxiously said, “They do not have these things or know of them.”
“I know. But we will make one. You tell a friend what you saw, and that friend passes the word to another, until we get the word. Understand?”
“The elephants do it best.” A female elephant said as she stepped into the circle.
“No, the monkeys are loudest and we are swift in the trees.” Several spoke excitedly, finishing each other’s sentence.
Soon many voices rose loudly offering to do the job and promising they were better at communicating. Finally, she heard one sour complaint. “The monkeys get it wrong. They like to make up things to get everyone excited. Leave them out.”
“Who said that?” Andi eyed each animal.
A Lemur scuttled sideways through the animal crowd. His white and black striped fur was shiny. His black eyes were alert as he sat before Andi. “My tribe will help. We are fast in the trees. We tell the truth. We do as you ask.”
“Your name?”
“Paha. I am leader.” He raised a paw and made the attempt to smile.
“Paha, thanks. We can use all help.” She looked around the group. “I am proud of you all. I say this for the King too. He must have needed you all very much and respected your lives. The other day I fell in a Tiger pit,”
Murmurs erupted and she held up her hand, “I escaped but a dire wolf named Truth died there. He fought at the King’s side and saw him fall in battle. Do anyone of you, know where to find him?”
The lemur raised its hand and stood, his tail quivering. “I see him. He is not far. He is wounded too. Maybe it is good you are powerful so you can heal him.”
A rush of voices grew to shouts and then quieted as Andi put her hand to her head. “Thank you. Let’s eat first, and then go.” She stood and putting her arm over her chest she avowed, “I promise you, we will find and heal him with your help. We’ll turn this Horrible Year around and make it the best this world has ever known!” She petted the lemur’s head in passing. “We all need friends. I need you all to teach me how best to fight. I want to make the King proud too.”
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