There
really wasn’t much more I could do. I
still couldn’t move very well, though that was improving every minute. I didn’t recognize where we were and had no
idea how long I was out. It was overcast,
but no storms, so I was struggling to even figure out which direction we were
going. I was in a world of hurt and had
no way out. I found myself wishing
Caiden would turn up somehow.
We
drove for at least two more hours, all of which were in the middle of
nowhere. After an eternity, we turned
off the highway onto a dirt road that ended at a dilapidated farmhouse.
We’d
gone north. I could tell that from the
vestiges of snow under the trees and in the shadow of the house as we pulled up
in the almost non-existent driveway. The
spring thunderstorms hadn’t made it this far north yet. However, there were no other clues so I still
didn’t know much more about our destination.
Two men
came to the car. I’d missed them at
first, though they had been waiting on the porch. They pulled me out of the car with a
disturbing nonchalance. They were
neither taking special care to assist me, nor were they deliberately
cruel. I was no more than a bit of
luggage to them.
“You
sure she’s the one?” the taller of the two men asked.
“Yes. There is no doubt.”
“You
said that last time, Edward.”
“Enough,
Micah. It is not as if the ones we seek
will advertise their presence to us.
Besides, she was able to fulfill what we needed with her talent. She lacked the strength. This one is stronger.”
“Any of
you want to fill me in on this?” I glanced around.
“What
have I not answered for you? I have explained
that we are in dire need of your assistance.”
I
blinked several times. Had I heard
Edward right? He really thought he’d explained
it all to me even though he’d told me nothing.
“You
never told me what you need me so badly for.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm that
crept into my voice at that point.
“As I
said previously, that will be made plain soon.
Please, step inside.”
Micah
and his partner still had me by the arms so I didn’t have much choice but to
follow Edward through a screen door that dangled by one hinge and was lacking
most of the screen.
The
smell hit me first while my eyes worked to adjust to the dim interior. Unwashed bodies riddled with disease. The house wasn’t unsanitary, but filled with
many people who gave the distinct impression there was something seriously
wrong with them. Visual details started
to solidify. Most of the people in the house
were male. Thin. Clean.
Sick.
“Do you
see what we face?”
My jaw
worked for several seconds before my voice caught up, “Yeah. But what do you want me to do? I’m a chef, not a doctor.”
“It is
not a doctor they need. They, we, need
your power.”
“You
want me to guide a storm here? How would
that help?”
“It
would not, and that is not what we need.
We need your power directly from your body and soul.”
Yep. Caiden could come riding in any time to
rescue me as my shocked brain worked to process what Edward really wanted from
me. All I heard was a gust of wind catch
the screen door and slam it against the jam on its one poor abused hinge.
Also - the Don't Panic Picture Prompt is live and you have until Sunday at ll:59 pm CST to take the challenge!
