Broken Wings - XXIII -
Miranda ran through the lobby in a panic. She could feel the goose bumps that had begun to cover her body. There was no way to shake the foreboding. Nita was in trouble but she didn't know who was after her. The danger felt like it was all around her. It was close. Someone was close...at the resort close.
Reaching out, she opened the door nearest to her. It was a conference room set with tables. In a corner of the room, she saw two figures. As she crept closer, she could see their faces. It was Clancy and Senor Gonzalez.
The two men did not speak but glared at each other in a silent battle of wills. As if on cue, they turned to face her.
The force of the two looks caused her to stumble back through the doors. Once again in the lobby, she felt the shadows closing in around her. She heard words over and over in her head.
"I want them and you can not have them."
It was the same thought but two distinct voices - those of the two men seated at the table. She felt like the breath was being taken from her body with every word. Then, the falling began. She didn't seem to be moving but she felt as if there was some gigantic black hole swallowing her.
Slowly, a hand cut through the cloud of darkness that was enveloping her. It was followed by a face...a girl's face. The face was kind yet determined at the same time. She clasped Miranda's hand with a remarkably strong grip and held it firmly.
"You can trust him." She whispered gently.
As she heard the words, Miranda felt the air come back into her lungs. She opened her mouth to ask a question and felt herself choke and gasp in the shock that accompanied the continuation of breathing.
Her eyes snapped open and her hand clutched at her chest where her lungs were still trying to recover from the lack oxygen.
"Who? Which one?" she gasped.
No one answered. She closed her eyes, wishing she could fall back into the dream and find out the answers to her questions...to see the girl again and find out what she was talking about.
Even as she made the wish, she knew it was impossible. It was the nature of her dreaming. Her dreams gave her bits and pieces but never the whole picture. It was up to her to put the puzzle together.
She walked into the next room where Nita was still sleeping and ran her hand over the sleeping child's hair. Nita was in danger from one of those men but she had no idea which one it was. She couldn't toss them both out of the resort because it seemed that the other was supposed to help her. How was she to know which one was which?
A chill swept through her body as the vulnerability of her position hit her. She knew what a wrong step would mean on this one. She couldn't bear to face the consequences.
Wiping tears from her face, she crawled into bed beside Nita and drew the child close against her. Then she began to pray that she would find out the truth before it was too late.
Miranda ran through the lobby in a panic. She could feel the goose bumps that had begun to cover her body. There was no way to shake the foreboding. Nita was in trouble but she didn't know who was after her. The danger felt like it was all around her. It was close. Someone was close...at the resort close.
Reaching out, she opened the door nearest to her. It was a conference room set with tables. In a corner of the room, she saw two figures. As she crept closer, she could see their faces. It was Clancy and Senor Gonzalez.
The two men did not speak but glared at each other in a silent battle of wills. As if on cue, they turned to face her.
The force of the two looks caused her to stumble back through the doors. Once again in the lobby, she felt the shadows closing in around her. She heard words over and over in her head.
"I want them and you can not have them."
It was the same thought but two distinct voices - those of the two men seated at the table. She felt like the breath was being taken from her body with every word. Then, the falling began. She didn't seem to be moving but she felt as if there was some gigantic black hole swallowing her.
Slowly, a hand cut through the cloud of darkness that was enveloping her. It was followed by a face...a girl's face. The face was kind yet determined at the same time. She clasped Miranda's hand with a remarkably strong grip and held it firmly.
"You can trust him." She whispered gently.
As she heard the words, Miranda felt the air come back into her lungs. She opened her mouth to ask a question and felt herself choke and gasp in the shock that accompanied the continuation of breathing.
Her eyes snapped open and her hand clutched at her chest where her lungs were still trying to recover from the lack oxygen.
"Who? Which one?" she gasped.
No one answered. She closed her eyes, wishing she could fall back into the dream and find out the answers to her questions...to see the girl again and find out what she was talking about.
Even as she made the wish, she knew it was impossible. It was the nature of her dreaming. Her dreams gave her bits and pieces but never the whole picture. It was up to her to put the puzzle together.
She walked into the next room where Nita was still sleeping and ran her hand over the sleeping child's hair. Nita was in danger from one of those men but she had no idea which one it was. She couldn't toss them both out of the resort because it seemed that the other was supposed to help her. How was she to know which one was which?
A chill swept through her body as the vulnerability of her position hit her. She knew what a wrong step would mean on this one. She couldn't bear to face the consequences.
Wiping tears from her face, she crawled into bed beside Nita and drew the child close against her. Then she began to pray that she would find out the truth before it was too late.
