Chapter Two:
She paced nervously, like a wild animal imprisoned in a steel cage. Her heart racing she glanced at the others across the room. They didn't believe her. She could feel it, taste it in the air. Fear raced through her. She needed them to believe her, to help her find him, to bring him home to his family, his friends, to her. 'God what the hell is wrong with them?' She screamed in her head. 'He's alive. He's not gone. Why can't they feel him?'
They stood hovered together in a tight huddle across the room from her, occasionally glancing in her direction.
"I think she's officially lost it." Michael stated glancing her way once again.
"Dame it… cut it out Michael." Isabel demanded angry. "This isn't the time for your stupid jokes." Her voice edged with the pain towering over her.
"God…" Michael covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry…I'm just so…" He turned away not wanting them to see the tears pooling in his eyes. 'I will not cry.' He told himself. 'I will not cry.' "I'm sorry." He repeated his voice caught in his chest almost choking him as he fought against his tear.
"Do you think it's possible?" Maria asked looking at Liz pacing across the room. She wanted so badly to brake down and cry, to grieve for her lost friend, but she couldn't. She had to be strong, strong for Liz, for Isabel and even for Michael.
"How the hell is that possible?" Michael shrieked, running his hands through his hair. "Valenti saw him die. God…" He yelled taking a deep breath. "He saw him disintegrate right in front of him."
"They don't believe me, Alex." Liz cried moving frantically around the room. "They don't believe me."
"Make them believe." The whispered voice echoed in her head. "Make them believe."
"How?" She demanded frustration coursing through her.
"Who the hell is she talking to?" Maria asked staring at Liz her heart pounding in her chest at the sight of her. Her hands covering her mouth she watched Liz, her best friend. Everything in her wanted to run to her and enfold her in a huge hug, but the wild look on her face, the frantic movements of her body warned her to keep away.
"We have to do something." She said tears running down her face. "We can't leave her like this, Michael…we can't."
"I know… sweetheart…I know." He said pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly against his broken heart.
"They don't believe me. How am I going to do this alone? Talk to me damn it! How am I going to do this alone?" She demanded all rationally thought escaping her. "I can do it." She reassured herself. "I can do it alone if I have to." Liz continued her pacing around the room. "I can do it."
"Maybe we should tell your parents, Isabel." Maria said wrapping her arms around herself. "Maybe it's time for them to know what's going on?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean what are we going to say?" Michael smirked. "Mr. and Mrs. Evens, you remember your son don't you? You know the one that robbed that store, the one you've been spying on for the past few months. Well he's an alien and because of it he's dead." Michael took a deep breath. "No thanks…. I can't see it."
Maria felt her heart slam against her chest at the anger in his voice. "I'm … I'm… sorry, Michael. I was just trying to help."
"Lay off Michael." Isabel demanded pinning him with her eyes. "She's just trying to help."
"God…" He yelled loudly, turning to stare at Liz. "I've had enough. He's gone. The Great King of Antar is gone and nothing we do will bring him back."
"He's not." The soft-spoken words would have gone unheard if Michael's statement hadn't brought the two women next to him to silences.
"I've had enough of you." Michael yelled turning to give Liz his full attention. "We know you love him, we all love him. But that won't bring him back… damn it. It won't bring him back." He yelled letting the tears fighting for release slide down his face.
"No!" Liz roared looking at the others across the room. "You got to believe me." She cried. "You got to believe me… he's alive. He's not dead. He's there. I felt him. I connected with him. Believe me…please." She begged. "Please help me.. help me help him. Isabel…" She stared straight into the eyes of the one person who loved him just as much as she loved him. "Believe me please… believe me. He's alive, he's out there and he needs our help."
Isabel stared back at her. So much pain radiated from her, so much grief. She wanted to believe with everything inside her. She wanted to say okay I believe you. I'll fight with you until the day I die. I'll fight to bring him back. But she knew…. she knew that Valenti saw him disintegrate right in front of him. She knew without a doubt that Max was dead.
So how can she except what Liz is saying? How can she look at her and say okay Liz let's do it, let's bring him back. But bring him back from what? Is there anything left of him to bring back? Is he really somewhere? She wasn't sure. She didn't know and it tore at her heart. So many things has happen, so many bizarre things in her life, but this… this elusion. She wanted to grab on to it. She wanted to hold it close to her heart. She wanted to make it her anchor because she missed him. She loved him and she felt like she was dieing without him. But could she make herself believe? Could she make herself want, thrive on him being alive? To try and retrieve him only to find out in the end that he's really dead? Really gone? How could she do that? Is she willing to pay the price, the pain of realizing that he is dead after everything they went through to bring him back.
God she wanted to go to Liz and hug her and say yes I believe you… he's alive… I believe you. But it isn't that simple. She love him and she would die for him if it would bring him back. She would gladly give her life no matter what it took, no matter how much pain she had to endure, but could she believe what Liz felt? Could she give herself that much when he was disintegrated to nothing, to ashes? Was she willing to deal with the pain, the agony? Was she ready to feel the hope that he was out there waiting for them to plunge him out of hell only to be disappointed when they found out that all their work, all their attempts was for nothing, because he was dead, he was really gone.
She looked at Liz and she wanted so badly to say yes I believe you. He's alive, you feel him. There hasn't been anyone more connected to him then you so I believe you. But is she ready to feel the agonizing pain surging through her again, rendering her senseless, emotionless.
So she turned away from Liz and kept her questions, her worries to herself. She didn't want to be the one to tell her no Max's is dead, he's dead, because everything in her prayed to God that she was right. That he isn't really dead. So she looked at Michael, her heart throbbing in her chest, her breathing shallow, she waited for him to response to Liz's statement, to her demand.
Liz walked up to them closing the distances between them. "You have to believe me." She said. "You have to believe me. I didn't want to believe it myself. I didn't feel him… I thought he was dead and I grieved for him. I felt his loss like a slap in the face. But a friend, a special friend told me to concentrate and I'm asking you… I'm begging you Isabel, Michael, Maria. Please concentrate. Hold my hand, close your eyes and let me show you what I felt. Let me show you that he's alive and he's waiting for us to free him. Let me… please…let me." She grabbed Maria's hand and with the other hand she took Michael's. Michael looked at her stunned but he didn't pull away. He gripped Isabel's hand as Isabel took Maria's other hand. They closed their eyes and Liz concentrated. Concentrated on the feel of Max, the smell of him and in an instance the connection was made.
"I'm still here." The soft whisper ricocheted through them. "I'm still here." It echoed throughout the circle. "I'm still here." His energy vibrated throughout them, surging from one to the other until it completed the circle. "I'm still here. Help me. I'm still here."
