Chapter 6
Holidee arose out of bed wide-awake. She put on a blue and green striped bikini. Then she threw on some jean shorts and a cami. Once dressed, Holidee went over to the window and looked outside. The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon. The air seemed calm. Too calm. Holidee grabbed a mesh bag, stuffed it into one of her pockets, and ran down the stairs and to the beach, where she was to meet Fye. She sat on the sand and listened to the sounds the ocean made. She waited for Fye. Sunlight streaked the sky with vibrant colors.
Fye appeared a few minutes later. Holidee greeted her with a smile and stroked her fin. Then she waded into the salty water and waited for Fye to lead the way to the clams and oysters.
Can you keep up?
Yes.
I swim fast.
Don’t worry. I’ll keep up.
Holidee smiled. Crix was right. It was easy and she already knew how to talk to animals. It didn’t take as much concentration as Holidee thought it would. Maybe it was easier for her because of her dad’s abilities and because of her ancestors’ abilities.
Fye turned sideways in the water and looked at Holidee with one eye. She made a couple clicking sounds and then dove into the water.
Okay, then, follow me!
Holidee dove in after her. The water was warm to her. It filled her with energy. Fye guided her through the murky waters. She didn’t take her eyes off of Fye’s tail. Holidee found it remarkably comfortable to swim with her eyes open. She also found it easy to keep up with Fye. Holidee was a born swimmer. It was in her blood.
They swam deeper and farther out to sea. It got darker, and the water got dirtier. Holidee saw a lot of little fish swimming. Every now and then she would see a larger fish, and once she saw a squid.
Holidee’s arms and legs started to cramp. How long have we been swimming? But she didn’t quit, because Micrip needed food, and she needed to know where to find it.
We’re almost there.
Fye, we need to hurry up. I feel a storm coming. It doesn’t feel good either. I think it’s going to be a bad one.
It’s not much further. It’ll be harder to swim back, though, because of the clams and oysters, but we’ll make in time.
Okay. I trust you. I just don’t want you to get stuck in the storm.
Don’t worry about me. I live here.
Holidee laughed to herself and kept swimming. She looked at the watch she never took off. 6:33. Holidee suspected they had several more hours before the storm hit. They had plenty of time. It shouldn’t hit until around eleven. She did know, though, that when it hit, it would hit fast and hard, with no warning.
Holidee could see the sunlight shining into the water. There were no clouds. That’s odd, she thought. She expected it to be gloomy all day because of the storm that was rolling in. Maybe she was wrong about the storm. Maybe there wasn’t going to be one. She hoped so.
Holidee tapped back into reality and realized she had lost sight of Fye. She looked around franticly. Her head twisted this way and that trying to find the dolphin. Panic started to take over her. Where was she?
Fye!
She saw no sign of her.
Fye!
Nothing. Holidee looked around again. How could she be so stupid to let her out of her sight? How could she daydream like that and get lost?
“Stupid!” She said aloud.
Fy-
I’m underneath you! C’mon!
Fye flicked her tail and started to swim downward. Holidee quickly followed after her. Relief swept over Holidee as she swam. The water got darker as depth pushed all sunlight out. Holidee could only see specks of dirt and Fye’s tail. Then she saw Fye stop in front of her.
It’s this way. It might be a little tight.
Fye swam ahead of Holidee again. Holidee followed her into an underwater tunnel. It was only about two feet wide. Holidee fit in it, but she didn’t have much room. After she swam about twenty feet, she came to an opening where Fye was waiting for her.
You’re keeping up very well. I’m impressed. The clams and oysters are right below us. I’ll help you pick the good ones. They are the ones that are a little brown. They’re better that way.
Holidee and Fye swam down another ten feet and came to the bottom where there were clams and oysters mixed in with sand and rocks. It was hard to tell the clams and oysters from the rocks, but after a while, Holidee started to get the hang of it.
Holidee smiled at Fye as they picked clams and oysters. Fye would nudge them over to Holidee or carry them in her mouth. Holidee stuffed as many of them as she could in her mesh bag. She examined a clam that wasn’t quite brown. It was more of a cream color. Holidee picked it up and turned it over in her hands. She fingered the mouth of the clam. Then it opened abruptly. Inside was a little white ball, sitting in the middle. It was a pearl.
Wow! Fye look at this!
Fye swam over to Holidee and examined the little white pearl.
Pretty, huh?
Beautiful! Isn’t it remarkable and amazing that this precious ball was made from sand? I find that fascinating.
They both hovered in the water starring at the pearl. Then Fye broke the silence.
Take it.
What? No. I couldn’t take this clam’s pearl. It’d be wrong of me.
Go ahead. She wants you to have it. As a gift.
Holidee picked up the small gift and cradled it in her hands. Magnificent! She felt the smooth pearl with he fingers. It was perfect.
Thank you. I’ll treasure this forever.
Then she closed her fingers over the pearl and set the clam back in the sand. Holidee and Fye continued their clam and oyster hunt. After a couple hours, they became tired. Holidee counted thirty meals for Micrip. They had been in the water for hours. Holidee turned to Fye and nodded. They both swam up and to the tunnel. Holidee, reaching the end of the tunnel, felt the waters becoming rougher. She looked down at her watch. 10:41. The storm had come, early.
We’d better hurry. It could get dangerous out here for you.
Holidee agreed, and they both swam as fast as they could to reach the beach. Holidee felt her arms and legs going weak. The only thing that kept her going was the warmth from the ocean and the storm. Fye was swimming faster than she had before. Holidee had trouble keeping up with her this time.
Fye! Slow down! I can’t keep up!
Fye slowed down a little, but not a lot. Holidee had to use all of her energy to keep up with her. As Holidee was swimming, she saw no signs of any marine life. There were no fish or squid swimming blithely in the waters next to her. They must sense the danger, thought Holidee. It was eerie. She didn’t like it. Holidee could feel the pressure in her ears drop, so she knew that they were getting closer to the surface and beach. They were entering shallower waters. No light, though, came piercing through the waves into the ocean. It was still dark. It was very dark. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. The waves made it difficult for both Fye and Holidee to swim. Winds were pushing the waves in every direction. Fye and Holidee, especially, got tossed about in the storm. It was getting worse. The weight of the clams and oysters didn’t help either. Holidee found it extremely difficult to keep a hold of the mesh bag. A flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder made both Holidee and Fye swim faster. Holidee just hoped that Crix wasn’t worrying about her. Then, in front of Holidee, she saw Fye surface. She followed and sucked in the humid sea air. Holidee looked around her and saw black skies with flashes of yellowish-white lightning every few seconds. Waves were rocking her back and forth. The waves had gotten bigger. Much bigger. They had to be at least twenty feet high. Holidee was ten feet from the shore. She started swimming toward the shore. She looked back at Fye one last time before she dove back under the twelve foot swells. Holidee swam until she felt the sand beneath her feet. Then she quickly walked up onto the beach. She crawled the last few feet to the dry sand and then collapsed. She turned over onto her back to face the dark, menaci
ng sky. Her breathing was hard, but she was fine. She lifted her arm up and looked at her watch. 11:20. Her arm fell to the ground, where she left it for a few minutes. Then she started to get up. She had to get back to the house before the storm hit its peak. She wondered if the old house they stayed in could withstand the pressure of the storm. She hoped it could.
As she was on her hands and knees, she heard a groan some feet away on the beach. She turned her head, still breathing heavy. Her eyes grew wide as she looked upon a boy, who was not much older than her. He was lying on his side with his hands around himself. Holidee wasn’t sure, but it looked like he was shivering uncontrollably. Holidee got up and walked on her stiff legs. She reached him minutes later.
The storm was getting worse. Thunder followed by lightning came more frequently. The menacing sky grew darker. Holidee suspected it to start pouring down rain at any second. She knelt down next to the guy and rolled him onto his back. His lips were purple and he was shivering. His clothes and skin were soaked with water. Holidee touched his face, and his eyes opened and looked at her. His teeth stopped chattering and he stared into her bright, blue eyes. He was still shivering and cold. Her hand was warm. He wanted to hold it and derive all of the warmth from it.
“Can you stand up?” Holidee asked him after a few minutes. He nodded, and Holidee helped him up. Once up, Holidee looked at his face. Oh my Gosh! It’s him? She pushed it out of her head and helped him not to fall.
“Are you steady?”
“Y-Yeah, I think so.”
Holidee let go of him, but then he collapsed on her. She set him back down on the sand. He was very wet and cold. He had to get dry and warm or else it could be fatal. Holidee was going to ask if he could stand up again, but then she noticed he fell unconscious.
“Crix!” she yelled as loudly as she could over the clap of thunder. The storm was getting restless and wouldn’t hold off much longer. Crix must have either heard her or felt her strain, because Holidee could see him running across the yard to the beach. Sand was kicked up into the air as he ran across the beach. He skidded to a halt next to Holidee.
“Help me get him to the house,” she stammered.
“I…I thought you were with Fye getting clams?” said Crix as he knelt down to help her lift him.
“I was. I did.” She motioned down to the boy. “We need to get him to the house and warmed up. He could die.” Then rained started to pour down on them, and it drenched all of them as she added. “He’s a guy from my school.”
Crix looked at her and raised an eyebrow. He didn’t say anything, though. The two of them lifted and carried the heavy boy to the house. They were only delayed when they both slipped on the wet grass. The rain was massively thick. It was like a curtain that could not be seen through.
“Get the door!” yelled Crix over the storm as he held the boy in his arms. He was starting to wake up again. The raindrops were pelting their skin. They felt like stingers. Holidee held the door open as Crix passed through it and up to one of the spare bedrooms. Holidee shut the door and followed up the stairs after them. The boy was awake by the time Crix reached the room. He set him down in a chair and turned towards Holidee.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going go get some more blankets and dry clothes.” He hurried out of the room and hollered over his shoulder, “Try to keep him warm any way you can!”
Holidee nodded to herself and looked at the blue figure huddled in the chair. Any way possible, she repeated to herself. Holidee walked over to the boy and helped him stand up. Then she grabbed the t-shirt that clung to his well-shaped body and pulled it over his head and off of him. She pulled a blanket off of the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. He was still severely quivering. His lips were still violet. He didn’t look good. Holidee, without hesitation, took off her cami and wrapped her arms around his body.
“Wh-What’re you doing?” he said between each shudder.
“I’m helping you warm up with my body heat. If your body heats up too fast, then your heart could shut down and you could die.”
“Oh.” He wrapped his shaking arms around her, along with the blanket, and closed his eyes. “You’re so warm.” Holidee was trying to put some of her warmth into him, and he was trying to take it. She didn’t know if it was working. She didn’t know if she could put it into someone who wasn’t an Oceain.
Crix walked into the bedroom with more blankets and some clothes. He stopped a few steps into the room and just looked at Holidee and the boy clinging to each other. Holidee looked at Crix.
“You told me to keep him warm.”
The boy heard her voice, opened his eyes, and looked at Crix. Crix looked at the pathetic being Holidee was holding and felt sympathy wash over him. His eyes were sad, and his skin was colorless, if not white.
“C’mon. Let’s get him in these dry clothes and then into bed. He needs to rest and get warm. We don’t want him to get pneumonia.” Crix went over to them. Holidee walked out of the room so that Crix could help him get into dry clothes. Holidee sat in the hallway, waiting for Crix to come out. After about thirty minutes, the door opened and Crix walked out. He shut the door and then turned to her.
“He’s asleep…and warm. He’ll be fine. He just needs to rest.” He set the wet clothes he had been carrying down on the floor. “Now do you want to explain to me what is going on?”
Holidee didn’t really know. She didn’t know why the boy was here or how he had gotten so cold and wet. In fact, she didn’t even know him personally.
“I…I don’t really know…exactly.” She looked up at Crix. “He’s just some boy from school. I’ve seen him in the hallways. I don’t know him, really. He needed our help, though. I wasn’t just going to leave him out there to die.” Her eyes pleaded with Crix for understanding.
“I know you wouldn’t. That’s why you’re going to be a great leader for marine life and for the Oceains who are left. Now get some rest and get changed into some warm clothes.” He shook his head and started to walk down the stairs. “I’ll check in on your friend every hour or so.”
Holidee was tired and felt like she could take a nap. She went into her bedroom, closed the door, changed into warmer clothes, and hopped into her bed. The storm rocked her to sleep in minutes, and she slept like a baby.
Holidee didn’t wake up until the next morning. Sunlight shone into her window and over her eyelids, waking her up. She stretched her arms over her head and laid in bed for a few minutes. Then she remembered the boy. She jumped out of bed, got a quick shower, put on clean clothes, and walked into the hallway. Crix was standing by the hall window, sipping hot tea, and looking out over the ocean.
“The storm’s gone. It didn’t last long, but it did quite a bit of damage to some trees.” He took a sip of his tea. “Your friend’s fine. He’s sleeping right now. He had a fever but sweat it off. His temperature is normal and his skin has color. He still shivers every now and then or sweats, but it’s nothing to worry about. It could be dreams, or nightmares. You can go in and see him if you wish.” Then Crix turned and walked down the stairs.
Holidee watched him leave and then looked to the room that the boy was in. She walked towards it and opened the door. She peered in before stepping inside. Then she shut the door behind her and walked to the bed, where he was sleeping soundlessly. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his serene face. His auburn hair was messed up and over his forehead. His hair didn’t quite reach his eyes. Holidee took a warm washcloth, which was in a basin beside the bed, rung the excess water out of it, and wiped his forehead. She swept his hair from his head and patted his skin with the cloth. She tilted her head as she looked at each curve and line on his face. All the girls at school were right. He is handsome. She turned and set the washcloth back in the basin of water. When she turned back around, though, she looked into two intense green eyes. They were expressionless as they stared at her.
“Thanks,” he finally said. She nodded to acknowledge his thanks, an
d then started to get up. “No. Don’t leave. Stay…here…with me.” He had reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. Holidee looked at his hand, holding hers, and then up at his eyes. How could she leave? She sat back down on the bed next to him. He let go of her hand, but didn’t let go of her eyes. “Thanks.”
“You don’t have to keep saying thanks. Plus, I had help. I couldn’t’ve done it alone.” Then Holidee added. “You’re lucky to be alive, you know.”
“I know. That’s why I keep thanking you.” Silence. “Is he your father?”
“Who? Crix? No. He’s my guar-“ she stopped. “He’s a friend.”
“Oh. Well, he stayed up all night keeping me alive and well. Will you tell him I said thank you?”
“Yeah. I will. Now you should rest.” Holidee went to leave again, but he stopped her, again.
“I’m not tired. I want to talk. Do you live here?”
“No, well, sort of. It’s my house. Well, kind of. It’s more of a summer home. I guess.” He laughed at her answer, but was interrupted with a coughing fit. Holidee took the washcloth again and put it on his head. “I live with my godmother in a town a few hours from here.”
“Oh. I don’t live here either. My mom lives here, but my father lives in a town a few hours from here too. Where do you go to school?”
Holidee smiled and paused. Then she said, “Your school, actually.”
“That’s funny. I don’t remember you.”
“You wouldn’t. I just moved here about four months ago. I did live in Ohio.”
“Ohio? Why’d you come down here?”
“Well,” Holidee dazed off for a minute or two. “my parents died in a car accident.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” They didn’t speak for a few minutes. Then he broke the silence. “What grade are you in?”
“I’m going into the eleventh grade. Like you.”
“Okay. This isn’t fair. You know me and I don’t even know your first name.”
“I don’t know you. I only know your status at school. You’re the most popular guy in our grade and all the girls swoon over you.” He rolled his eyes and she snickered. “I hear you’re pretty bright and that you can throw a mean pass to your runningback.”
“Okay, since you know my school status so well, what’s my name?”
“Zeke Wolford.”
“And what’s your name?” Holidee smiled.
“You’ll have to wait and find out,” she teased.
“Oh, I see how it is. You can know me, but I can’t know you.”
“You know me, just not my name. Not yet at least.”
“Okay. So you live in the same town as me, go to the same school, and are in the same grade as me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You saved me, and you live in a house, which you don’t know if it is yours or not.”
“Yeah,” laughed Holidee. “But I wasn’t the only one who saved you. Crix did too. He did more than me.”
“Crix. That’s an odd name.” Holidee laughed.
“Then you’ll really think my name is odd.”
“Really? Hmm…what were you doing out in the storm yesterday anyways?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
“Yes. Yes, you could.”
“Yes I could,” she repeated. “but I won’t. It was your business.”
“Then I won’t ask you to answer my question. It’d only be fair.” Holidee nodded and silence overcame both of them. She returned the washcloth to the basin and just sat there.
“I love your eyes,” the boy said. She looked at him.
“You do? Most people think they’re weird.”
“I don’t. I think they’re unique, mystifying, beautiful, but not weird.” Holidee blushed a little at his compliment, but recovered when Crix walked in.
“You guys hungry? I have some sandwiches made if you want lunch.”
“I’m starved!” Holidee said getting up. The boy stared after her. Then she spoke to him. “Do you want one of us to bring up yours?”
“No, thanks. I think I can come down and join you two. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all!” said Crix. “There’s plenty of sandwiches and plenty of seats. Here are some clean clothes.” He set them down on a chair and left the room.
“See ya at lunch,” said Holidee as she walked to the door. “Zeke.” Then she walked out and closed the door behind her. Her blue eyes lingered in his mind as he got dressed. How could he have not seen her at school? Was he blind? He must have been to have missed someone so beautiful as her. He wanted to learn more about her. He was going to learn more about her.
“So?”
“So what?”
“So are you going to tell me who this boy is or am I going to have to find out the hard way?” Crix grabbed another plate and set it on the table. Holidee was pouring a glass of orange juice.
“I told you. He’s a boy from school.”
“So I’m gonna have to find out the hard way.” Crix sat down and Holidee followed. Crix set his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers, except his index fingers and thumbs, which came to a point, like a gun pointing to the sky. He rested his chin on his thumbs, and his fingers touched his lips. He sat at the table and just looked at Holidee. His eyes spoke for him.
“His name’s Zeke Wolford. He’s my age. He’s the quarterback of the football team, which means he’s really popular. That’s it. I only know his status.” Crix’ eyebrows were raised, and he let his arms fall onto the table, gently crossing them.
“Do you want to know more?”
“What?”
“Do you want to get to know this Zeke fellow better?” Holidee didn’t answer. Her mouth hung a little open from the question and what she was thinking. Did she want to know him better? Did she like him? Impossible! It’d never work even if she did. Crix continued.
“Do you like this guy, Holidee?” Holidee was still silent, but then she recovered.
“How could I like someone I didn’t even-“
“’Cuz if you do, I’d gladly invite him back here, after he’s well and gone home first, of course,” interrupted Crix. Holidee quickly shut her mouth and thought for a moment.
“It doesn’t matter. Every girl at school likes him. What would make me any different?”
“Every girl at school didn’t save his life. Every girl at school didn’t sit by his bedside while he was sleeping and wipe his head with a washcloth. Every girl at school didn’t hug him to keep his heart from stopping. Every girl at sch-“
“Okay. Okay. I get it. But still…why would he think any differently about me? He’s not like the other guys. He’s…”
“He’s here. You have all summer to get to know him and grow closer to him. And plus, you may be surprised. He’s not like most boys your age. I noticed that. And for that reason, I believe that he doesn’t care if you’re not a cheerleader or jock or even,” Crix smiled, “a normal human being. I think he’ll look past all that and see your soul, your spirit. Just give him a chance. I think he’s pretty determined to know his rescuer better, too.”
Holidee looked down at the table and thought about the things Crix had said. Could he be right? It was hard to tell. Time will tell. A few minutes later, Zeke walked into the kitchen. He walked a little slow, but he made it to his chair alright. He sat down and the three of them started to eat breakfast. About halfway through their meal, Zeke spoke up.
“Thank you.”
Crix swallowed his food and asked, “For what?”
“For saving me. If it hadn’t been for you or…her, I wouldn’t be here.” Crix set down his fork and looked at Zeke.
“You’re welcome, but I must tell you, you’re not one hundred percent well yet. After you’re well, you can go back to your house. Until then, though, I would like your phone number so that I may contact your mother and tell her that her boy is fine and in good hands.” Zeke nodded in agreement and continued eating. Crix watched him for a f
ew minutes, and then he cleared his plate and put his dishes away.
“After you’re done eating, you should go and rest more.” Zeke looked up at Holidee, who had been quiet the whole meal, but she kept her eyes on the table. Finally, Zeke got up from the table and handed his dishes to Crix.
“Yeah, I think I should go rest some more. Thanks for the meal.” Crix nodded and watched Zeke ascend the stairs.
“You should watch him for awhile. He’s gonna need some help, and I think you’d be better at it.” Crix didn’t look at Holidee while he said this.
“Why?”
“Because he is going to be throwing up quite a bit once his meal settles.”
“What?”
“He swallowed a lot of salt water yesterday, Holidee. It needs to come out of his stomach. The food, mixed in the salt water, will make his stomach upset, and he will no doubt be vomiting for awhile.”
“Oh.” Poor guy, Holidee thought. First, he almost drowns and now he’s going to puke his brains out. “I’ll go as soon as I’m finished.”
Holidee finished her eggs and got up from the table. Then she walked upstairs towards the bedroom where Zeke was resting. She stopped outside his door and listened. Nothing. She held her knuckle up to the door and knocked twice before entering the room. Zeke was lying on his back on the bed.
“I don’t think your friend’s eggs agreed with my stomach,” he said groaning as he wrapped his arms around his waist.
“It wasn’t the eggs. You have a lot of salt water in your stomach and it’s gonna have to come up. You should probably go to the bathroom until it’s all out.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.” He got up and slowly staggered to the bathroom. Holidee followed him. He leaned next to the toilet. Holidee got a washcloth and drenched it in warm water.
“I’m sorry. I wish you didn’t see-“ Just then, he stuck his head over the toilet and upchucked his salt water breakfast. Holidee tried not to look at the orange mush, but the smell was overwhelming. She ignored it and knelt down next to Zeke. Between each vomiting session, as he gasped for air, she would wipe his forehead of the sweat and, with another washcloth, wipe his mouth. She cared for him through the whole thing. Then, after two hours, there was nothing left to come up. Zeke didn’t trust his stomach, however, and kept his head near the bowl. Holidee kept patting his head with the washcloth. Her eyes were soft and caring. Zeke wondered how anyone could take care of someone who was puking and not even flinch. He stared at her in wonderment. She was amazing! As each minute rolled by, his admiration toward Holidee increased along with his love.
Crix walked to the doorway and leaned against it.
“You should go rest some more. Holidee…” She turned and looked at him. “Could you get his number for me? Then I will call his mother and tell her he is safe.” Holidee nodded, and Crix left.
Holidee and Zeke walked quietly to the room he was staying in. Then Zeke scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Holidee.
“Here’s the number.” Holidee pocketed the piece of paper and made sure Zeke was comfortable in bed before leaving the room. She walked casually down the stairs into the kitchen, where Crix was cleaning.
“Here’s the number,” she said handing it to him. Crix nodded and set it on the counter. “When will he be able to go home?”
Crix stopped cleaning and sat down at the table. “Tomorrow. I want to make sure he is completely well.” Holidee was silent. She had so much on her mind.
“Crix, there’s something I want to ask you.” Crix looked up at her and raised his eyebrows. “Well, you’re a Healer, right? I mean is that what they call you?”
“Yes, if you’re an Oceain, otherwise I’m a biology teacher.” He smiled, but Holidee was distracted by the movement of her foot over the smooth, wooden floor. “I told you, Oceains are a dying race. We don’t practice our skills with each other, unless we’re friends. We practice them alone. So, if someone called me a Healer, I might wonder how they knew that, but my Oceain status to my friends and family is, yes, a Healer.”
“Well, I was wondering…you brought Micrip back to life…and you said you could bring a person back to life…so…” Crix could see where this was going. “…Crix, why didn’t you save my dad, who was your best friend? Or my mom, who was Mer’s best friend?” Crix sighed heavily.
“Now Holidee, as I said before, I can bring people back to life, but there are many…complications.”
“Complications? Can you bring people to life or not? You said you could, and, if you can, why didn’t you bring my parents back? Wouldn’t that of been the job of my Guardian?”
“Sit down.” Holidee pulled out a chair and sat down. Crix closed his eyes, held the bridge of his nose with his hand, and leaned on his elbow. Then his hand went over his mouth, in a thinking position. He wasn’t looking at Holidee. “Trust me, if I could’ve, I would’ve. There are certain things that have to happen in order for a person to be able to be brought back-”
“Did you try?” Crix looked at Holidee.
“Do you think I wanted to watch my best friend die? C’mon, Holidee, you know me better than that. No human being wants to watch a loved one pass on. There was nothing I could do.” Crix’ eyes were cold at first but softened. “Holidee, even if I had brought your dad back, I couldn’t bring your mom too. I was barely strong enough for one person, let alone two. They were both in critical condition, and Gregoric,” Crix felt a burning sensation in his throat, “he told me he didn’t want to live if Katre couldn’t also.”
“You spoke with my dad,” Holidee swallowed hard, fighting back tears, “before he died?”
“Yes.”
“Wh-what did he say? Did he talk about me?”
“Oh, Holidee,” he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “He talked of no one else.” Crix took his thumb and wiped a tear away from her cheek. “He told me to take care of his baby.” Crix saw her blue irises blur as her eyes welled. “What if I showed you what he said?”
“Huh?” Crix sighed.
“I promised myself I would never show you. I didn’t think you could handle it. If you had the choice, would you want to see your father right before he died, on his deathbed?”
Holidee thought for a moment. She wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to see him in pain. She liked to think it was a quick death, but she knew it wasn’t, because he lived long enough to go to the hospital and talk to Crix. Her mom, though, died instantly in the crash, or so she was told. “Yeah. I wanna see it.”
“Okay.” Crix put his hands on Holidee’s temples and closed his eyes. Holidee closed her eyes and felt a rush of images. She saw flashes of events. These must be Crix’ memories. Everything was speeding by so fast she couldn’t see the pictures clearly. Then, the images stopped whirling around her. Everything stopped. She looked around. She was in a hospital. She turned in circles and saw nurses and doctors and patients. It was like she was there. She had left the house by the beach and gone to a hospital. It was like watching a movie.
Then she saw a man run in and ask a nurse at the desk for something. He seemed in a hurry. He ran towards her. Crix! He ran right past her without noticing. Holidee followed him. She knew he would lead her to her dad.
He made several turns before stopping in front of a room. He took a big breath and turned the doorknob. Holidee followed him into a white room with two beds and a curtain. No one was in the first bed, but she saw feet underneath a blanket in the second bed. Her heart was racing. She wondered if it was too late to back out, but she knew she couldn’t. Crix walked around the curtain and stopped at the foot of the bed. Holidee followed and stopped right next to him.
Gregoric had his eyes closed and his hands at his side. Skeletal spider-like tubes and wires protruded from his flesh to give him a lurid appearance. Slow beeps pierced through the thick atmosphere like toxic fumes. His chest rose and staggered until it was down completely. White patches of gauze veiled the wounds that covered his body a
nd face, but a few failed to conceal the red ooze that seeped through the thick bandage.
Holidee was jolted back to the memory when Crix moved to the side of the bed. He sat down in a chair and pulled it close to Gregoric. Then he took Gregoric’s hand and grasped it with both of his hands. Gregoric’s eyes opened sluggishly and smiled weakly. Tears welled up in Crix’ eyes as he tried to smile back at his friend.
“Hey,” he said after a while. “You look horrible.” Gregoric weakly smiled. His chest couldn’t lift the heavy weight that was crushing his lungs. “How’re you doing?”
“Oh, you know, just tryin’ to live,” Gregoric said, closing his eyes when he breathed in and opening them when he breathed out. Holidee moved closer to the bed and Crix. Then she saw tears roll down Crix’ cheeks. Holidee wanted to comfort him, but she knew it would do no good.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get here fast enough. If I only knew about the crash sooner, I could have tried to save you both. If I…”
“C’mon man. You can’t dwell on the past. You and I both know that,” Gregoric said and laughed but was interrupted by a coughing fit. “Plus,” he said after he recovered his breath. “You would have died trying to save us, and I couldn’t’ve dealt with that. And,” he added after seeing Crix wasn’t convinced. “I don’t want to be saved if Katre can’t be saved. If she dies, I die.” Crix bowed his head in defeat. Tiny drops hit the floor one after another. “C’mon. You have to be strong, Crix.” Crix looked at Gregoric when he said his name. His cheeks were puffy and red. “For Holidee. My baby girl’s gonna be in your hands now. Teach her everything you know. Help her through her struggles, because there will be some. And,” Gregoric’s stomach tightened as he let out breath. “don’t let her forget who she is, why she’s here, and where she came from.” Crix nodded as more tears streamed down his cheeks.
“I will. I promise.”
“I know you will. You’ve always been a good friend, Crix. The best. I couldn’t’ve asked for a better one.” Gregoric clutched Crix’ hand tighter as he said this. “And that’s why I’m leaving everything I own to you. Give anything Mer might want of Katre’s to her. And your ring, don’t worry, I haven’t lost it. It’s in the third drawer of my desk. On top. I told you I’d keep it safe for you.” He smiled at Crix. Gregoric’s slow breathing filled the silence with heaviness.
“Does it hurt?” Crix said after a few minutes.
“Not really. No worse than some of the fights we’ve been in. They say I’ll die from internal bleeding. I’m drowning in my own blood.” Gregoric relished that thought. “Can you believe it? An Oceain drowning! Unheard of.” Crix smiled and so did Gregoric.
“Gregoric,” Crix was sad again. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, how am I supposed to raise your child, your baby girl? Holidee doesn’t even know I exist. Let me save you. There’s still time.”
“Crix, you and I both know that you would die if you did that. I need you to live. I need you to protect Holidee and be with her. Teach her and help her. I need you to make sure she’ll grow into the beautiful young woman I know she’ll be.” Gregoric lifted his left arm and pulled it across his stomach to Crix. Crix took a hold of his other hand and gripped it tightly. “Move to Georgia before she does. She’ll stay with Mer, since she has no other living relatives. When you find the right time to tell her, tell her. Tell her everything. Tell her about us and Mer and her ancestors and the creatures of the sea and the waves of the ocean and the sky of the earth and the house on the beach. Tell her about her brother, the otter, and her sister, the dolphin. Teach her your tricks and let her teach you some of hers. I wrote more details for you in a letter next to your ring.” Gregoric put Crix’ hands together and his over top of them. “I will always be with you. Always. Promise.” Crix looked into deep, cerulean eyes. “If you ever feel lost, you’ll know where to find me.” Gregoric took one of his hands and put it over Crix’ heart. His whole palm touched Crix’ chest as he felt a warm strength behind it. Crix felt a surge go through him. His chest jerked backwards and Gregoric took his hand away. Crix unbuttoned his shirt to see a blue handprint fading. Crix looked at Gregoric questioningly. “There.” Gregoric spoke softer. “Now you’re more than half. That should help you along your journey. Good luck…my brother.” Crix took Gregoric’s hand and squeezed it.
“Gregoric,” Crix saw Gregoric was having more trouble breathing. His heart was slowing down. “I love you. Sleep well, brother. I’ll see you in the next world.” Crix pressed Gregoric’s hand to his lips and then to his forehead. Then he laid his hand on the bed and started to walk out. Gregoric lifted his hand to say good-bye and Crix did the same. Then Crix walked out of the hospital room and shut the door quietly. The room vanished from around Holidee and now she stood in the hallway. She watched as Crix stopped and sat in a chair along the wall. He put his hand up to his forehead and rested his elbow on his knee. His shoulders shook violently and no one was there to comfort him as his emotions engulfed him. Holidee reached out, but remembered that she wasn’t really in this memory. Tears stained her cheeks. Then everything got smaller, but she could still hear the commotion of the hospital and the crying of Crix.
“No!” Everything was vanishing. She was being pulled back into the real world. The world with no Gregoric. The world with no Katre. The world with no love. “Dad! Crix!” Tears blurred her vision until there was nothing left to see. “Come back.” Then, all of sudden, she realized that she was back in the kitchen again. Crix took his hands away from Holidee’s temples. Holidee opened her eyes and stared off at nothing. They were both silent. Neither one of them talked. Neither one of them knew what to say. Dead silence filled the house.
Crix got up, after a few minutes, and walked to the sink to fill a glass of water. He filled it to the top and drank the whole glass without stopping. After he finished, he filled it up again. Then he walked back to the table and put a hand on Holidee’s shoulder.
“Holidee, your father loved you very much-”
“I know.” Silence. “You know, Crix, that night I thought my whole world crashed around me. But, really, I had only begun to live. I like to think I’m living two lives. One was with my parents in Ohio. The other one I’m living now, with you and Mer, in Georgia. It’s kinda like I died with my parents, but was reborn with you guys. Almost like a phoenix.” Silence. “I don’t know. I just like to think that.”
“I think you’re right. You know, Holidee, you have gone through more than any other teenage girl has gone through. And your journey’s not even close to being over. You’re strong. I know you are. But don’t ever be afraid to ask for help from someone. I’m always here and so is Mer. And if you don’t feel like talking to us, for whatever reason, you have Fye, Micrip, and even, Zeke. So you’re not alone. You have friends, who’re here for you.”
“Not friends.” Holidee turned around and looked at Crix. “Family.” Crix smiled.
“Yes. Family.” Crix took his hand off of her shoulder. “Whaddaya say we take Micrip to the beach and let him have a little fun?” Crix looked down at Holidee and smiled. She smiled back.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
The two of them went and got Micrip before going to the beach. Holidee cradled the tiny body while they walked. When they reached the sandy shore, Holidee let Micrip swim in the salty water. He stayed in the shallow water and waded around in circles. Holidee would splash him every now and then and he would splash her back. Crix laughed at them. Then Fye joined the party. The four of them were all laughing, playing, and enjoying the sunshine. Holidee ran into the ocean and swam with Micrip and Fye. Crix sat down on the sand and leaned back onto his hands. He crossed his ankles and watched the trio float on their backs together. Crix was thankful for this happy moment because he had had enough sad ones. He pushed all of the sad memories out of his mind for the time being. He needed all the happy moments he could get.
Zeke woke up momentarily and peered out the window. There she was, running around,
the water kicking high into the air. She was so happy down there in the salty water with a dolphin and a sea otter. Who ever heard of a dolphin, sea otter, and a girl being friends? It was odd, yes, but it intrigued Zeke. Holidee was filled with mystery, and so was her friend Crix, who looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t put his finger on whom. Why was she friends with someone who could be her dad? Why was she out in the storm the same night as him? Why was she friends with a dolphin and sea otter? Zeke wasn’t sure, but he felt like something was going on in the house. He felt like things were being kept from him and that the two people who were relaxing on the beach had secrets.
Zeke didn’t want to intrude on anyone’s privacy, though, especially theirs, because they had saved his life, and he was indebted to them. He could accept the fact that they had secrets. Heck! He had secrets too! He did, however, want to get to know them better. Both of them. He felt they could become very good and trusting friends to him.
As Crix watched Holidee, he tried to smile and laugh, but the memories of Gregoric’s death crept into his head. Then Holidee ran over and plopped onto the sand. Crix immediately put a smile on his face. He didn’t want Holidee to see him sad. He had to be strong, like Gregoric had told him. Holidee just sat there, staring out over the ocean. A few minutes went by.
“Crix?”
“Yeah?”
“What was it that my dad did? I mean, what did he give you?”
Crix turned his head to look at Holidee. Then he looked back at the ocean. “Well, he gave me his soul.” Tears stung his eyes.
“His soul?” Crix pushed the tears back.
“Uh-huh.” He cleared his throat and continued. “You see, Holidee, an Oceain has a choice of giving his soul to someone. His Oceain soul, that is. They can give a little or a lot. Now, you have to understand that an Oceain cannot live without his or her soul. So when and if an Oceain decides to give his soul to another Oceain, then that Oceain is pretty much choosing to die. Not many Oceains choose to do that. But your father,” Crix swallowed back more tears, “…he gave me his Oceain soul. He knew he was dying. He also knew that I would need help. So he gave me a part of him.”
“So you’re more than half Oceain now?”
“Yes. In my soul, but not in my blood.”
“So…I could give my soul to any Oceain?” Crix looked at Holidee.
“Yes, but don’t.” He smiled.
“But, I can’t give it to someone who isn’t an Oceain?” Crix sighed.
“Like I said before, there are complications. You can give your soul to someone who isn’t an Oceain, but I don’t advise it. You’d still die, but the person would be utterly confused because nothing would make sense to them.”
“So, then, can I not heal someone who isn’t an Oceain also?”
“Only if you give part of your soul to them. But, if not, then no. You can’t. You’d have to make them into an Oceain, even if it’s only a little. Then, you could heal them.”
“But wouldn’t I die?”
“No. You can control how much of your soul you put into someone. It’s only fatal if you put more than half of it in someone.”
“What would happen if I healed a non-Oceain?”
“Well, I’m not sure. It could hurt you badly, or nothing could happen. I don’t want you to ever take that risk, though.” He looked sternly at her. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Good. I don’t need you giving your life to someone who’s not an Oceain.” Crix smiled. “That would just be annoying.” Holidee smiled back at him. The ocean waves washed up onto the shore and rushed back into the ocean as silence filled the air.
“Crix?”
“Hm?”
“What if I fail?” Crix looked at Holidee. “I mean, what if I’m no good at the things you teach me?”
“Holidee, you could never fail. You are stronger than every Oceain combined. You carry our race. You are an Oceain. A true Oceain. And you, alone, can bring us out of the depths of confusion and teach us how to live. You’ll pick it up so fast; you’ll have to teach me before long. You might stumble a few times, but you could never fail.” Holidee didn’t look convinced. “Okay, here.” Crix pulled a knife out of jeans and opened it. Then he took it, placed it over his forearm, and very slowly sliced his skin so that it split into two, and deep red blood came gushing out. “Let’s have a healing lesson.” Holidee looked at him and couldn’t believe he had just cut his arm with a knife. “Okay, first, you have to clear your mind. You have to clear it of memories, friends, worries, schedules, everything. Then, once you have a cleared mind, you have to close your eyes and concentrate. You have to concentrate on what you have to heal. You have to picture the wound and picture it healed. Then, and this is the important part, you put your hands over the wound and search deep down into your Oceain soul and dig out your healing ancestors. Ask them for your help and they will help you. After you ask for help, search for your own strength and help. Search for Holidee Galygin, Gregoric and Katre’s daughter, the last of the Oceains, the heart of her people, the sixteen-year-old with dolphin friends, the caring girl who doesn’t have a single bone in her body that hates. Find that person and put all of your power into your hands. Just try. See what happens.”
Holidee was nervous. What if she couldn’t heal his cut? What if she disappointed him? She cleared her mind. Crix’ cut, Zeke, the storm, her dad dying, her mom, Mer, Micrip, Fye, the house, the ocean, the beach. She closed her eyes and pictured the split skin and blood. Then she pictured it healed, with no scar or scratch. She then searched deep down into her soul. She asked for help from her ancestors, and they replied. She felt their presence come and go. Then she searched for the person she was. She found the ocean. She was one with the ocean. She gathered its hurricane strength, its gentle waves, its silent creatures, and its beautiful sunsets. She slowly placed her hands on Crix’ arm. Blood squished in between her fingers. Holidee concentrated, and Crix watched. Her hands started to glow cyan blue. Crix cringed from a burning sensation. Holidee’s palms were completely blue now. The spot she was healing turned blue too. Crix felt his arm getting hotter. The cyan glow got brighter. Holidee concentrated harder. Then, the burning sensation stopped. Holidee opened her eyes. They were as blue as her palms. Her palms quickly faded whereas her eyes stayed vivid. She let go of Crix’ arm and looked at what had happened. Crix’ arm still glowed momentarily and then faded to reveal his skin unscarred and healed. It looked like it did before. Crix smiled and looked at Holidee. She was in awe.
“See? Told ya you could do it.” Holidee looked up at him in astonishment. How did she do that? It was easier than she thought. Holidee opened her mouth to talk, but was interrupted by another voice.
“Hey. Do you mind if I join you?” Holidee and Crix both looked up to see Zeke standing about ten feet behind them. He had a blanket wrapped around him because of the ocean breeze. He walked closer to them as he coughed a little bit.
“Well, sure. Have a seat.” Crix replied patting the sand next to him. Zeke sat down and pulled the blanket tighter around him.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah. I’m just a little cold, that’s all.” Crix didn’t believe Zeke.
“I, uh, called your mother and told her where you were and that you were fine. I said I would take you home sometime tomorrow if you’re feeling well.” Zeke coughed again. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to go home?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Really. It’s just a little cough. You’ve done enough for me already.” Crix glanced at Holidee and then back at Zeke.
“Okay. I better go back to the house. Holidee, you stay here with Zeke. He could use some fresh air.” Crix got up and walked toward the house.
“So your name is Holidee?” Zeke smiled. Holidee was going to explain her name, but Zeke stopped her. “I love it. It’s beautiful.” Holidee blushed and looked at the ocean waves rolling onto the shore. Zeke stared at her. “So, is there anything else that you??
?ve been hiding from me? Besides your name, which I happened to find out just now.”
Holidee looked at him.
“No,” she said quickly. “My last name is Galygin. That’s about it.”
“Galygin. And what about your friend, Crix?”
“What about him?”
“Well, how did you become friends? And, have I seen him somewhere, because he looks awfully familiar.”
“You might have seen him at the school. He teaches biology.”
“No way. He’s Mr. Jublemaker!” Zeke laughed. “Wow. How did you and him become friends?”
“He and my godmother are…dating, and he was best friends with my father. My godmother was my mother’s best friend. He’s…well…he’s my guardian.”
“Oh. Huh.” They sat there for a few minutes. The sun was starting to set. The sky lit up with oranges, reds, and yellows.
“Well,” Holidee said, “we should probably be heading back to the house. It’s getting late, and you have to leave in the morning.” Zeke and Holidee got up and walked toward the house.
“I’ll never forget you.” Zeke said as they walked. “I owe you and Mr. Jublemaker my life.” Both Holidee and Zeke walked into the house. Everyone went to bed soon after that. The house was silent, except for the rolling waves.