In His Eyes

Disclaimers: See Chapter 1.

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Sometimes life just gets in the way. You know—work, school, holidays, etc. I hope it's worth the wait! And for my faithful readers, this story is already written to approximately 25 chapters or so. It's got a ways to go yet!! Thanks for hanging in there!

Chapter 7--Connections

The rangers had arrived not long after the attack began. The warehouse district was swarming with cogs. Mondo's monster du jour was already 40 stories tall and tearing up buildings as it moved toward the heart of the city. Innocent civilians were everywhere, most of them panicked.

"Awww, man—not good," Tommy declared as he quickly surveyed the situation.

He engaged and defeated three cogs and saw Adam fighting off a few nearby. The other rangers were nowhere to be seen, but he figured they were close by, fighting their own battles. He ducked into a nearby building to try to call for backup.

"Billy, we need the zords now!" he ordered into his communicator, but he got only static in return. Something was blocking the signal.

"Great! Just great!" he exclaimed sarcastically.

Adam ran into the same building a moment later, breathing hard.

"Damn, they're everywhere! Mondo must have sent every cog he has!" He took a second to breathe. "Tommy, we need the zords!"

"I know! Communicators aren't working!" came the frustrated reply from several yards away.

Then the shaking began—terrible, violent quaking that threatened to tear that old building apart.

'We gotta get outta here!' thought the ranger commander as he began to sprint toward the closest exit.

Before he could reach it though, a crushing weight came down on him, blindsiding him and knocking him to the floor. The air was thick with dust and Tommy choked as he tried to breathe. His head throbbed like it was in a vice—his chest was being compressed under the mass of the huge chunk of ceiling that was on top of him. The pain was excruciating. Every breath was torment—he couldn't see.

"Tommy!" came a voice. It sounded familiar, but far away.

'What hit me? . . . O god, this hurts!'

Just when the pain became absolutely too much to bear, Tommy felt his body becoming lighter and what little light he could see was growing dimmer. His logical mind knew he was pinned to the floor, but defying logic, he felt his body floating. All went dark . . .

______________________________________________________________________

When he became aware of himself again, he heard voices around him—right over the top of him. He dared not open his eyes yet.

'I know those voices!'

A cold chill ran up Tommy's spine. He tried to quickly regain his wits and assess his situation. He could feel tight restraints on each wrist and across his thighs; his head and chest felt like they had weights on them—the pain was terrible. It was cold and damp—there was the smell of chemicals hanging in the air—he felt sick to his stomach.

"Can you do it, Finster? I need him at his evil best, just like he was before," came the all-too-familiar screeching voice of Rita Repulsa.

Tommy inwardly shuddered. 'How the hell . . . what are they trying to do to me?'

"I will certainly try, my queen . . ." Finster said in his usual quiet, cowering voice. ". . . but I must tell you that it won't be easy. This spell that you have proposed takes a lot of preparation . . ."

"I know that, you moron! I'm the sorceress here, remember?!" she barked, interrupting Finster.

"Yes, my queen, but my point is this: It would be difficult enough if he was healthy, but he's quite damaged. I don't know if he will survive long enough for me to prepare him."

Tommy's eyes nearly snapped open when he heard that.

'What?!' The pain was bad, he knew that, but . . . 'Am I that bad off?'

He tried to mentally take stock of his condition, but it was growing more and more difficult to think clearly. The throbbing pressure in his head was clouding his mind. He knew he had a pretty severe head injury.

'Maybe I'm hallucinating . . .'

Tommy felt hands touching his chest and abdomen. The pain emanating from that area was awful—his ribcage felt like it had been crushed making the simple act of drawing a breath agonizing. His gut was on fire. When he coughed, he tasted blood.

'I'm definitely not hallucinating.'

The hands that were moving over his body weren't hurting him, however. They seemed to be trying to heal him. Tommy noticed that the voices had quietened and he seemed to be alone with whoever was working on him.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision. His eyes were blurry, but he was able to make out the figure of Rita and Zedd's minion, Finster, standing over him concentrating hard on what he was doing.

He glanced over at the face of the injured young man and saw him looking back at him. The fear and pain must have shown on the red ranger's face.

"Tommy . . . you're conscious. I thought for sure you'd be out for a while," he paused and looked at him more closely. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I'm attempting to treat you."

"Yeah, right . . ."

"I'm going to have to put you under anesthetic to do this, though."

He reached for what looked like a gas mask and Tommy instinctively started to struggle. Finster's hands held him as still as he was able.

"Tommy, I know you don't trust me and I understand why, but you need to let me do this. You're in bad shape. Do you understand?"

Tommy tried to speak—to say something like, 'If you care so much, transport me to the power chamber and let Alpha take care of me'—but all he could do was groan. He coughed hard several times causing streams of blood to run from his mouth. He began to realize how bad off he was.

Finster seized the moment and pressed the mask over the red ranger's face. Tommy felt himself going under—the world was going black again.

____________________________________________________________________

When he finally awoke, he was quite groggy.

'Where am I? Why can't I move?'

He was disoriented and still in a lot of pain. Slowly though, he remembered Finster and hearing the voice of Rita. Fear struck him.

'I gotta get outta here! They'll kill me . . . or worse, turn me evil again!'

He was weak and uncoordinated, but he immediately started struggling against the restraints that still held him to the table. To his surprise, they gave away easily.

'They weren't locked . . .'

He glanced around the room—he was alone. Tommy struggled to sit upright—the pain throughout his body was awful. He looked down to find bandages on his stomach and chest.

'Well, I'm still alive. That's something.'

Slowly, he lowered himself to the floor and flinched when his bare feet touched the cold, damp stone floor. He was dressed only in blue jeans.

'Where are my clothes—my uniform? It's freezing in this place!' he thought as he crept along slowly, holding on to the stone wall in order to move.

His legs were so weak, but he had to try to find a way out. He really didn't know what he'd do if he found one. He didn't have his communicator or his zeonizers, but instinct told him that he had to at least try to escape.

The passageways were dark and eerie. He moved along slowly, trying to be quiet and stay out of sight. He held one arm tightly against his stomach, trying to slow the bleeding that had started when he sat up. The bloodstain on the bandage was growing by the minute. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult.

'If I'm gonna die in this god-forsaken hellhole, it's going to be while fighting—not while being used as a lab rat!'

Moving slowly along for what seemed like an hour, Tommy came upon a big set of secure-looking doors.

'I wonder if those lead outside?'

He hid in an alcove across from the doors and waited for the guards to walk past. Creeping out into the open, he was almost across the hallway when one of the guards suddenly turned.

"Stop! You! Stay where you are!"

Tommy lunged for the doors and tried to push one of them open, but they were way too heavy to move.

"You want out, boy? Okay, we'll let you out!"

They grasped Tommy by both arms and held him tightly between them. One of the guards reached out and worked a heavy latch and prepared to push one of the huge doors open. He turned back to his captive.

"Just remember—there's no air out there!" he laughed and together they shoved Tommy through the doorway and slammed it shut behind him, leaving him alone on the surface of the moon.

Tommy struggled for breath, grasping his throat. He couldn't utter a sound. His body began tingling all over and bright flashes appeared before his eyes. His sight left him and he crumpled to the ground, gasping and bleeding . . .

_________________________________________________________________________

(Sometime later)

'. . . bright light . . .mmmm, my head hurts . . . and my chest . . .'

Tommy blinked a few times and then slapped a hand across his eyes. His mind was muddled. With his other hand, he felt of his chest and stomach where the pain was coming from.

'What happened to me? Where are the guys?'

He tried again to open his eyes and look around. Once he adjusted to the suddenly bright light, he found himself lying on a bed of leaves and pine needles in a forest clearing.

'How did I get here? The last thing I remember . . .'

He thought for a moment. He didn't know. He vaguely remembered being in a building that was falling in.

'Is that when I got hurt? Must be . . .'

A picture of Finster standing over him suddenly popped into his mind. Then he remembered creeping along the dark, dank corridors of Rita and Zedd's fortress trying to find a way out. He recalled the feel of the guards' grip on his arms as they flung him through the big steel doors. His hand went to his throat. He remembered gasping and fighting for breath. He pulled himself up to a sitting position.

'Then how did I get here?'

Tommy rubbed his head and looked around again. The forest was pleasant and sunny. Rays of sunlight danced through the leaves and warmed his face. Birds sang in the trees as a gentle breeze blew Tommy's hair across his face. He stood up slowly and looked down at his injured body.

'Where did these clothes come from?'

He found himself wearing a white shirt and pants made of a gauzy material—like something he would have worn to the beach back in his white ranger days. His bronzed skin and dark hair stood out in sharp contrast to the crisp white of the material. His shirt was unbuttoned down past his chest and he was barefooted. Lifting the shirt, he examined the bandages on his body. He seemed to remember a sizeable bloodstain on his stomach, but there was no trace of it now. He wondered if he could really trust his memory.

Tommy began wandering without direction—he wanted to figure out where he was and how to get home, but he had no idea how to go about it. Sounds began reaching his ears.

'Are those voices? Where are they coming from?'

He moved in the direction of the voices and noticed that the forest got darker and denser the closer he got to the sound. He also perceived that the pain in his chest and head worsened as he moved in that direction. The voices became clearer, but still sounded distant.

"I don't know what happened--he's crashing! Call Dr. Jennings!" an excited female voice said.

'What is that about?'

"Where are you? Where am I?" he said loudly and clutched his chest in pain.

The voices came wafting back to his ears.

"Blood pressure and heart rate dropping . . ."

"Adrenaline injection now! Where's that doctor?"

"He had another emergency . . ."

Tommy leaned against the closest tree—he felt weak and a bit panicked, though he didn't understand why.

'What am I hearing? What's going on?'

"We're losing him!"

His breathing quickened and his heart pounded—his anxiety was threatening to overcome him. He could feel his body tingling—it radiated outward from his chest—something was happening to him—something bad.

Instinctively, he started to move away from the voices as quickly as he could. He stumbled a couple of times when his knees buckled. That sent waves of horrid pain surging through his body, but he continued to retreat. He really wished he could break into a run.

He paused and clutched his chest again. He was trying to breathe, but it hurt so badly. As he rested there, a familiar voice came floating to his ears.

"Tommy, don't leave us—I need you, bro . . ."

"Jase?! . . . Is that you?"

He looked around, hoping to see his old friend walking toward him, but he wasn't to be found.

'I'm losing my mind—that's what it is.'

He pushed himself along, trying to put some distance between him and the frightening sounds and feelings he'd just experienced. He traveled what seemed to be a fairly long distance. The forest began thinning out and he felt the sun on his face again. Ahead, he thought he saw a distant glow coming from an area straight in front of him. It seemed calm and inviting—he felt compelled to walk toward it. His mind calmed and his pain seemed to almost cease as he approached it.

'What is that light? It's so . . . warm, so comforting.'

He felt lighter and happier as he drew closer. Soon, he thought that the glow was almost tangible—like he could reach out and touch its warmth. Absently, he raised a hand in that direction and closed his eyes. He drew a deep breath and realized that his chest didn't hurt.

'This is amazing . . . I feel completely healed.'

Tommy then noticed that his hand had touched something solid. His eyes snapped open and he found himself looking into the face of a man that looked a lot like David. He was a little older, maybe late 20s, but the resemblance was amazing. The woman standing beside him was beautiful—she had long, wavy, honey brown hair and large, light brown eyes. She looked about the same age. They both smiled at him warmly and touched his shoulders.

"It's okay, Tommy. You're among friends—we won't hurt you," the man said.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"We're here to watch over you—to make sure that you find your way," the young woman answered.

Tommy noticed that they looked somewhat familiar and that they were definitely native. He studied them more closely.

"Do I know you? What are your names?"

The man spoke up. "My name is Joseph and this is my wife, Elizabeth. You don't recognize us?" He paused. "No, of course you don't—you were so little."

Tommy's eyes suddenly widened. "Mom? Dad?"

"Yes, son, we're your parents—your real parents," Elizabeth said warmly with a wide smile.

Tommy's mouth dropped open. "But . . . how? How is this possible?"

He thought for a few moments. Things started adding up, but he didn't like what he was coming up with.

"Am . . . am I . . . dead?" he asked quietly, petrified of the answer.

His father smiled at him. "No my dear little Tommy, you're not. It's not your time yet. As Elizabeth said, we are here to make sure that you find your way. We have been acting as your guardian angels since we passed from your world into ours. We also watch over your brother David. Admittedly, though, you need more watching!" He grinned at his son.

Tommy grinned back. Obviously, his parents knew all about him being a ranger and all that he had been through since being captured by Rita and forced to fight. The pleasant look disappeared from his face, however, when he remembered things in his past that he wouldn't want them to know. He would have wanted to spare them from all that. His parents sensed what he was thinking and they both wrapped him in a big, comforting hug.

"It's okay, son. We know you've had a lot of pain in your young life, but you are strong and brave. You have accomplished a lot of good so far and you are destined to do even more. We are so very proud of you, baby. You have grown into such a wonderful, handsome man," Tommy's mother said.

Tears spilled down his cheeks as he looked into their faces. He could see himself and David in their eyes—and an enormous amount of love. He had never felt so safe, so at peace, so . . . complete. They stayed there with their arms around each other for quite a while.

Eventually Joseph said, "Tommy, you must start your journey back now. We will watch over you and help if we're needed, but you have to find your own way."

"No . . . I don't want to leave you. Please let me stay." He turned to Elizabeth. "Mom, please."

"We would love nothing more than to keep you here with us, Falcon, but it's not your time yet. You have to return to your life—you have a lot of living left to do."

"She's right. One day, we'll all be together—me, you, your mom, and David. But for now . . ."

"Dad, listen to me. I have no one but David and Sam and they've done without me for most of my life. No one else would really even miss me," he said, lowering his head and sniffling as a few tears fell from his eyes.

"Tommy, baby, that's just not true. You have some very dear friends that love you so much. And I'll tell you something else—David might not show his emotions a lot, but he would be absolutely devastated if he lost you again."

Tommy found a small smile inching across his face.

"Darling, I know things seem bad right now, but you have to go back. There is a special person in your future—and marriage—and children—our grandkids!" She smiled widely and looked from Tommy to her husband.

"Kids? My kids?"

"Yes, your kids."

"Wow . . . marriage? To who?"

"Now Tommy, I can't tell you everything, even though you might not remember all of this."

"I won't remember you?! But I want to remember you! Please help me to—I need you both so much," Tommy pleaded.

"We'll try to see that you have some memory of us. Now, you have to start back," Joseph said. Putting his arm around his son's shoulders, he pointed off into the distance.

"Go in this direction and you'll come to a familiar place—you'll find someone to direct you further, okay?"

"Yes sir," Tommy said with a lot of sadness in his voice. He looked intently at his father, like he was trying to imprint his image onto his mind. Joseph and Tommy were almost exactly the same size and build, with Joseph being maybe an inch taller. He was lean and strong, with an angular face and handsome features. His hair was almost black and fell more than halfway down his back. The family resemblance was incredible.

Tommy pulled his father into a tight embrace and held him for a minute, trembling.

"Don't be afraid, Falcon. Everything will be fine," Joseph said, looking into his younger son's eyes.

"I just wish I could take you and Mom back with me. It's not fair that we have to be separated."

Elizabeth stepped up and touched Tommy's arm. "I know, but that's the way things are supposed to be for now. We'll all be together again."

Tommy turned to his mother and studied her closely like he'd done his father. He wanted to try his best to remember them.

Elizabeth Trueheart was average height and had a slim, athletic build. Her wavy, honey brown hair was almost as long as her husband's and her large, expressive eyes were the most beautiful mix of brown and gold. Her smile was warm, bright, and pretty. Tommy thought that he and David resembled their father more, but their facial features were very similar to hers as well.

He embraced her for a long moment and then pulled back and looked at them both.

"I never had the chance to get to know you, but I want to tell you how much I love you anyway. Sam has told me lots of stories about you and I have always wished there was a way for me to meet you. I'll try with all my might to remember you—you'll always be in my heart," he said while tears rolled down his handsome face.

"Tommy, you have always been in our hearts . . ." Joseph started.

". . . and you always will be. We're always with you, baby," Elizabeth finished.

Tommy knew it was time for him to go. He quickly hugged them again and with a last look, he turned and started off in the direction that his father had pointed out. After several yards, he turned to look back, but they were gone.

"Mom . . . Dad . . ."

________________________________________________________________________________

Making his way through the forest, Tommy thought carefully through everything that his parents had said. He felt comforted that he had a long life ahead of him—and two wonderful guardian angels to watch over him.

"At least I know that being a ranger won't kill me!"

He smiled when he remembered what his dad had said about him needing a lot of watching.

"I'll bet I am a handful for them!"

Even though he missed them already, he truly did feel their presence all around him.

"I wish David could have seen them."

As he continued his hike to he-knew-not-where, he grinned thinking about his mom's words: 'there's a special person in your future—and marriage—and children—our grandkids!'

"Kids. Me? Okay . . . and I wonder who this special person is? Do I know them already?" He thought through some likely candidates . . . and some unlikely ones.

"Oh, who knows? Guess I'll just have to wait and see. Right now, I need to figure out where I'm going. Dad said it would be familiar and so far . . . nothing."

Finally, he emerged from the trees and looked around. He still didn't recognize anything. He did see a house in the distance and decided that it was as good a place as any to start. He started off across the field that turned out to be a horse pasture. Several paints and appaloosas were grazing nearby.

As he came closer, Tommy could make out more details of the house. It was blue, with darker blue shutters, and a big porch. All at once, he started to move quickly in that direction. He still couldn't run, but he was covering ground as fast as he could.

"That's Sam and David's house!"

He reached the porch and leaned panting against the railing. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been in the dark forest, but it was returning after having completely left him during his time with his parents. He chanced to look down at himself while he was resting and realized that he was no longer wearing white.

'What is with these sudden wardrobe changes?'

He was now clad in well-worn faded jeans, a choker necklace, and an unbuttoned red shirt. There were no bandages. This is what he'd been wearing when this whole crazy day started.

Once he caught his breath, he climbed the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Maybe Sam or David is the one who can help me."

No answer. He knocked again, as loudly as he could. Still no answer. He tried opening the door, but it was locked tight.

"Great. They're not home. What now?"

He slumped back against the nearest post and tried to think. He heard a soft whinny come from behind him and he turned quickly. Standing at the bottom of the low stairs was Eaglefoot, a paint stallion with a distinct patch pattern on his face. He had taken a liking to Tommy during his many visits. The red ranger had ridden the big trail horse several times and afterward, he seemed to follow him around. Tommy went down to him and ran a hand down his muzzle.

"Hey boy, how'd you get out of the pasture, huh?"

He glanced over at the gate and found it closed and latched.

'That's weird.'

Eaglefoot nuzzled him repeatedly, like he was trying to tell him something. He was apparently inviting Tommy to climb onto his back. David had taught him how to ride bareback, so he used the bottom step on the porch and swung himself up onto the stallion. His ribs protested a bit, but not terribly bad. Tommy grabbed a handful of mane just as Eaglefoot starting moving toward the old dirt road that ran near the house.

He was a trained trail horse, but this wasn't the usual back country trail he was accustomed to. The horse seemed to know where he was going, however, and since Tommy didn't, he just let him go wherever he wanted.

After walking along slowly for a while, Eaglefoot broke into a trot. They seemed to be heading toward the low hills that rose up in the southwest corner of the reservation.

"Boy, I hope you know where you're taking me, 'cause I'm completely lost," he said while leaning over and patting the horse's neck.

Something in the sky caught Tommy's attention and he looked up to study it for a moment. When he glanced back down, they were trotting along the edge of the ocean.

"Whoa, hang on just a minute—that's absolutely impossible. The closest beach to the rez is an hour and a half away in a car."

At the sound of Tommy's 'whoa', Eaglefoot slowed and stopped in his tracks. He side-stepped a bit to get out of the cold water and stood there waiting. Bewildered, Tommy looked around. This was the same beach that he and his friends frequented. It was located about 20 minutes from Angel Grove.

'But why am I here? And how did we get here? Losing my mind again . . .'

As if being called by some unheard voice, Eaglefoot broke into a trot and then into a gallop, running along the water's edge. The late afternoon sun warmed Tommy's face as he rode along, wind whipping his long hair behind him. He pressed tighter into Eaglefoot's sides with his thighs and held onto the stallion's mane with both hands.

Tommy saw a familiar sight in the distance. It was the spot that Jason liked to visit, particularly when he was upset. He had found his best friend there several times after an argument or some life-changing event. Tommy thought about Jason and how his life hadn't been the same since his bro had left for Switzerland. He really wished he could see the former red ranger sitting there now. He needed a friendly face.

There was no Jason sitting on the rocks, but Tommy did see a figure standing a little further up the beach. They closed the distance quickly. Just as he was about to slow the big stallion down, Eaglefoot dropped out of his gallop and began to approach the man as if pre-programmed.

The figure that Tommy had seen turned out to be a man, specifically an older man that looked a lot like Sam. At first glance, he had thought it was his great-uncle, but his clothes weren't modern. The man raised his hands to the horse's head and held and stroked him as Tommy dismounted and came to stand before him.

"Falcon, I have been waiting for you."

"Are you the one my father told me about? The one that would help direct me?"

"Yes, I am. Are you ready to return?"

"Yes sir," Tommy responded and took another long look at the older man in front of him.

"Ummm sir, you remind me a lot of my uncle, Sam Trueheart. Could we be related?"

"As a matter of fact, we are. I am Thomas Trueheart—your great-great-grandfather and the one you are named after."

"Wow . . . seriously? But how . . .?" Tommy was having a lot of trouble trying to understand all these strange things that had been happening to him.

"I mean, mom and dad said that I wasn't dead, but I know that they are and so are you. How is it that I'm talking to you?"

"Tommy, I am communicating with your spirit. Your body is actually in an unconscious state. You were very badly injured and came quite close to death, but as I'm sure your parents told you, it is not your time yet. It is time for you to return and carry on with your life."

"I see. And how exactly do I go about that, grandfather?"

"You and I are going to visit the ancestral lands of our people. I am going to teach you a little about where you came from. After that, a person very well known to you will guide you back to your life."

The older man put an arm around Tommy's shoulders. "Tommy, I know that you have been deprived of your parents, the rest of your birth family, and your ancestry during your young life. I want you to use this opportunity to learn a small amount about your background and maybe it will inspire you to learn more."

Tommy smiled warmly at him. "Sir, ever since I found out who I am and where my family is, I have been soaking everything up like a sponge. Now I have met my parents and great-great-grandfather. This is incredible! I want to learn everything you have to teach me."

The elder Thomas regarded his grandson carefully. Tommy was taller and had slightly different features than the people that Thomas knew as members of his nation. The mixing of blood had changed the face of the tribe, but it was obvious to him that the young men, like Tommy and David, still carried familiar traits.

"Are you ready?" Tommy's grandfather asked.

"Yes sir."

"Then close your eyes," he said and took hold of Tommy's arm.

Tommy felt a warm wind on his face and noticed that the distinct smell of the ocean had disappeared. It took all of his restraint not to open his eyes to see what was happening and where he was going, but he successfully fought the urge.

"Okay, you can look now," Thomas said.

Tommy found himself astride Eaglefoot, riding beside his grandfather who was on a beautiful appaloosa stallion. They were riding slowly through a small traditional community in what looked to Tommy to be the high desert. Thomas told him story after story about where their people came from, their continual struggle to maintain their culture and language, and how they came to live on reservations like the one where David and Sam lived. Tommy drank it all in and was glad to finally know something of his people. They talked quite a bit and really enjoyed each other's company.

As they rode through a particularly beautiful but unpopulated area, Thomas told his grandson that they were on sacred land.

"This region has been inhabited by the spirits of our ancestors for centuries . . . and this is where I must leave you. Remember, one that you know well will guide you back. I will see that Eaglefoot gets home."

"I will remember all of this . . . and you . . . won't I, grandfather?"

"I believe you will, Falcon. Now, do you see that peak over there?" He pointed to a tall, slender formation made of red rock.

"Head toward it and use your eyes, ears, and heart to reach your destination."

Tommy stepped up a little warily and embraced his great-great-grandfather who readily hugged him back.

"I am so glad that I got to meet and talk with you, sir. I wish my brother had the same opportunity."

"Yes. Maybe one day I will talk with David." He paused. "I am proud of you, Tommy. You are an intelligent, strong, spirited young man. Be proud of who you are."

"I am, sir. Thank you for everything."

"You are welcome. Now get going, Falcon," he said with a big smile.

Tommy gave him one long last look before he turned to leave. He knew better than to bother looking back—his grandfather wouldn't be there—just like his parents weren't.

'Come to think of it, Sam does that too. Must be a family trait,' he mused to himself.

Tommy started walking across the dry, barren land, searching for some sign that would lead him back to where he was meant to be. There wasn't much in the way of landmarks or vegetation, but the arid high desert has a beauty all its own. The sky was turning red, yellow, and orange as sunset approached and the temperature was dropping. Tommy picked up the pace a bit.

He had been walking for at least a half hour with no sign of anyone.

"I wonder who it is that's supposed to help me? Someone I know well . . .? Who that I know would be out here in the middle of nowhere?"

He thought about it for a little while, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Tommy? Can you hear me? Please wake up, bro. All of your friends are here and we're all really worried about you."

The voice came from somewhere in front of Tommy. He strained his eyes looking in vain for the origin of the voice.

'That sounded like Jase! He's in Switzerland, though. Why would he be here?'

A few minutes later, he heard the voice again.

"Remember the tournaments we've won together? We make a really good team, huh? I've missed you, Tommy."

'That is Jase!'

"Jase?! Bro?! Are you here?" he called out, hoping to see his best friend. It would soon be dark and he suddenly felt quite alone.

"Jason?" he shouted again. Still no response.

'I know I heard you. Where are you, buddy?'

Tommy had nearly reached the rock formation that his grandfather had pointed out and he had yet to see a solitary soul.

'Jason must be the one that I know well that is supposed to help me—his is the only voice I've heard. But where is he?'

"Tommy? Tommy, please wake up . . . I'm so worried about you. Can you hear me?"

"Yes! I can hear you! Where are you, Jase?!"

The voice seemed to be coming from an opening in the side of the rock wall. On closer inspection, Tommy found that it was actually the mouth of a small cave. There was enough light left for him to slip inside and take a quick look around.

Apparently, someone had used the cave for shelter recently as they'd left a few things behind.

"Jase? Are you in here?"

'Why the hell would you be in here?'

"Come on, bro! I just heard you!"

Tommy walked toward the back of the cave and discovered that it was a lot deeper than it had initially looked. The voice was finally heard again.

"Tommy, you're the best friend I've ever had. I couldn't stand it if I lost you. Please come back to me."

"I'm trying to! I just can't find you! Jason?"

Tommy knew Jason's voice was coming from back there somewhere. But why? After wandering in the cool, dark silence for several minutes, Tommy found that the dim, narrow cave opened up into a much larger cavern. It had to be deep within the mountain.

'Damn, I wish I had a flashlight! I really hope there aren't any animals in here.'

He refused to let himself worry about that. He had to find Jason or at least find where his voice was coming from. His grandfather had told him to use his eyes, ears, and heart to find his way and right now, his eyes were useless. It was pitch dark in there.

His anxiety was building—he had no idea how large this cavern was or what might be in there. Did it lead somewhere? Was he on the right track? He felt along the wall and prefaced each step with a tentative toe touch. All he needed to do was fall into or over something.

He continued to call to Jason, but he hadn't heard his voice since it had led him into this inky blackness.

'Why won't he answer me?! Maybe I'm just crazy—maybe I've just completely lost my mind.'

He thought again about what his grandfather had told him.

'He said that someone I know well would lead me back. Okay, apparently that's Jason. I know that I'm not dead yet and I'm not supposed to be anytime soon, according to Mom. Grandfather said that I was in an unconscious state which I guess means a coma, so how am I hearing Jason talk to me?'

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Tommy decided to backtrack a bit to make sure that he could still find his way out if he needed to. He felt his way back along the wall, straining his eyes for any light. After several minutes though, he still hadn't found the passage that had led him here.

'Where is it?! I know I didn't go this far!'

He was trying to stay calm, but his anxiety was getting the better of him. The hair was beginning to stand on the back of his neck. He swung an arm backwards in the darkness, hoping to hit anything that might be there. Nothing.

'It's all in my mind. There's nothing there. Calm down, Tommy.'

He kept moving forward, but still couldn't find that elusive passage.

"Jason! Please help me!"

He slid down the wall and sat with his back against it and his knees pulled up to his chest. He laid his head on his arms and tried to calm down. Regardless of what he had been told, this felt real. He was upset, he was tired, and he was scared.

He concentrated on breathing and using his other senses since his eyes were useless. He tried to see if he could smell fresh air coming from one direction or the other—that could signal an opening to the outside. As he was concentrating on this, he felt, or thought he felt, something brush his leg. He swiped wildly at his leg, not knowing what, if anything, was touching him. He pushed away from the wall and stood quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. He took several steps backward, straining his eyes and ears for any clue as to what he had felt. There was nothing.

'Okay, calm down. There's nothing there.'

He held his arms out and moved forward, trying to find the wall again. He finally bumped into it.

'Okay, that's something. Now, where is that passage?'

To his horror, he couldn't remember which way he had come from. He put his back against the wall again, but he had become so disoriented and frightened in the utter darkness that he couldn't think straight. He started moving one way and then the other, not sure which was correct. His heart was beating furiously and his breathing was shallow and quick.

"Jason!" he cried out. "You're supposed to help me! I'm lost . . . and I'm scared! Please bro!" Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees.

"I need to hear your voice—why won't you talk to me? Don't leave me here! Jason . . . I'm all alone . . . please . . .I need you . . ."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Author's notes: I realize this is a departure from the story so far—I hope I haven't confused anyone. If so, email me and I'll explain myself! Thanks to my daughter for naming Eaglefoot. Now, keep those reviews coming! The next chapters are coming very soon!