(Lions and tigers and BEARS, oh my!! - Haha!!)
Chapter 2: Gretel Returns Without Hansel
Sharp branches and leaves whipped her face as she dashed through the woods like a blind person groping at the darkness. She didn't know if she was going in the right direction or if she was just wandering around in circles. Ignoring the stinging sensation left from the scratches on her soft cheeks, Delia ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
At some point, she could've sworn she heard a horrendous scream - like one bearing immense pain and torture. She wasn't certain if it was an actual scream or just one of those things one's own imagination conjures up when they are scared and alone. But whether it was real or made-up, the sound was so inhuman and distressing to her sensitive ears that she had to stop in her tracks and turn around. Fearing in her heart that she may have heard her brother's cry in her head, she wanted to head back in the direction in which she had ran from. A moment of hesitation stopped when her brother's dire instructions echoed in her head - "Run like the wind and don't look back. Find Dad."
She questioned herself whether she should follow her head or follow her heart. In the end, it was her head that gave the final whistle. She figured Ephram was hurt and needed medical attention. If she had gone back, she would not be able to help him and would have wasted precious time. She had to find her father and quickly. Her dear brother's life may very well depend on it.
Delia tripped her way through a thick patch of brush and went down in a flying heap. She jumped at the explosion of a flutter of wings as a group of wild birds flew to higher branches. Their startled loud witch-like squaws made her draw back for a brief moment. Her once silky long brown hair was now in knotted tangles while debris had adhered to her skin and clothes. Ephram's dried blood stained her cheek and matted a few clumps of hair to her neck. She had already lost her baseball cap in the scuffle with the bear.
Alone, frightened, and on the brink of panicking, she hollered as loud as she could - "DADDY!!!!!!!" She did this several times in desperation. But only the shaking of the leaves replied in an easy rustle. She cried out of fear for herself and fear for what's become of her brother.
Another shake of the leaves clashing against each other spooked Delia into running again. She sprang up like as if the seat of her pants caught fire. Never had anyone seen her move that fast. There was a time when Delia thought the forest was full of mystery and the most exciting place to be in. She could recall a countless number of Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale stories that took place in the woods. It was like a huge playground full of curiosity and intrigue. The forest was a secret place that held peace, freedom, and serenity with all that nature had to offer. Animals of all sizes lived amongst themselves in harmony and treated strangers with a timid but friendly welcome. Delia's irrational perception of the woods was cartoon-like. Horrified by this experience, she felt nothing but pure anger for the place. She saw the forest as cruel and lonely. The towering trees surrounded her in the most threatening manner like prison bars. She felt so confined and minute. The creatures that lived in this horrible place were wild and vicious. Even the small animals hiding themselves in the trees seem to mock her as she fought her way through their turf. In the end, fairy tales were just fairy tales - sweet fictional stories told at bedtime.
Delia remembered when she was about four years old, she and Ephram used to play a game called Damsel In Distress. Delia was the ever-beautiful Damsel in Distress, who was really a princess in disguise. The Damsel was always tormented by a huge fire-breathing, and evil dragon named Scale Face, who vowed to take over the Damsel's kingdom. Well in this case - a kingdom of dolls and stuffed animals. She would put on her little pink ballet tutu and tiara made of aluminum foil and prance on top of the sofas while Ephram, who was the dashing knight in shining armor, came to rescue her. Ephram was not more than eleven years old then. He had his blanket tied to his neck for a cape and a wooden ruler for his sword. He would attack a cardboard box on which, they painted the face of the evil dragon. And once the brave knight had finally defeated Scale Face in a very heated battle, he received a big kiss on the cheek from the damsel for he has saved her life and her kingdom.
As far as Delia was concerned, Ephram had always been her "knight in shining armor". Since their mother died a year ago, Ephram made it his responsibility to care for and always be there for his little sister. It was hard enough their workaholic father was never around when their mother was alive. At least then, they had mom to care for them. Things changed when she died. At the wake of the funeral, Ephram stood by the opened casket and stared at his dead mother's face caked with make up for the longest time before speaking to her. Delia, who was standing next to Ephram at the time, heard his tearful vow. She remembered his words - "Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of Delia. I won't let anything bad happen to her. She's the only family I have left now." Ephram never saw his father as part of the family picture. Ephram resented his father - the great Dr. Andy Brown - when he suddenly found an interest in his children after Julia's death. Andy didn't even know what hit him. It was like he'd just lit a row of firecrackers. Ephram couldn't find it in his heart to forgive him but Delia - she was different. She took her estranged father in with open arms. There was so much anger in Ephram that it even scared Delia at times. However, he made an effort to be the perfect big brother and care for her like he promised. It was basically a fourteen year old taking care of a seven year old - a kid taking care of a kid. Ephram learned to grow up fast - perhaps a little too fast. He tried so hard to take up where mom left off. This was why Delia put Ephram on a pedestal. He was her hero.
Delia had been running for a while now and had to stop for a breather. Puffing in deep tired breaths, she bent over and rested her small hands on her knees.
* Oh God, please guide me and lead me in the right direction. Please don't take my brother's life away. Please!!! * Delia prayed with her eyes squeezed shut.
Just when giving up was an option, she spotted a small narrow hiking trail nearly hidden by all the twigs and debris that had accumulated in the trough. Excited, she ignored her increasing thirst for water and sprinted in that direction. She was sure it would lead somewhere. There was no time to waste.
Delia must've followed the path for a good fifteen minutes when she accidentally found the trail of M&M's she had scattered earlier. She was so happy that she wanted to do a cartwheel on the spot. But there was no time for that. Quickening her pace, she followed the gleaming multi-colored buttons of salvation.
Eventually, she was beginning to see the clearing where they had pitched their tents the night before. The old smell of fried ham and burnt wood lingered in the air. She saw the tips of the four individual dome shaped green nylon tents. And down the long winding road a shiny metallic hunter green dot was visible. It was their Land Rover parked carefully on the side of the dirt road. Delia's legs refused to budge as the muscles in her calves were completely worked out. Dropping to her knees, she cussed under her breath. She knew she couldn't give up. Not when she was this close.
"DADDY!!!!!!! NINA!!!!!!" Delia screamed after sucking in a deep breath. If she can't walk, at least she can scream. She repeated her screams until Andy and Nina found her sitting by the path she and Ephram taken to gather wood that morning.
"Delia?" Andy called worriedly from afar as he and Nina approached quickly. "Where have you and your brother been? It's been over an hour - we were just about to go look for you. What did I tell you two about goofing off?? You had us worried sick! We thought you got lost out there." He rambled at the sight of his daughter sitting on her heels. "What the hell -" Andy's sentence broke off when he got a closer look at Delia. There was grass stuck in her hair as well as debris stains on her face and clothes. She looked like she'd rolled around in the dirt before coming back.
Delia was so exhausted that the poor girl thought she was going to pass out. She looked up at the two adults and started bawling. Nina crouched down in front of her.
"Oh my God - is that blood?" Nina gasped when some flaky dark red substance came into contact with her fingers as she touched Delia's jaw. Andy saw it too. As she moved her hands further down Delia's neck, she found more dried blood. Afterwards, she realized that almost the entire back of Delia's sweatshirt was stained with blood.
"Oh no, Andy. Look at this." Nina panicked. "Delia, are you bleeding?" She stammered and quickly pulled Delia's hair back to see where the blood was coming from.
"Lift your shirt, Delia." Andy demanded but lifted it himself. He checked her back and the back of her head. She wanted to speak but the dryness in her throat made talking quite difficult. A medley of emotions ran through her veins - relief, fright, fatigue, pain, thirst, anger, sadness - but most of all, thankful that she had made her way back in one piece. Delia thought of her poor brother and began to sob.
Finding no open wounds, the two adults exchanged concerned glances. They alternated looks between each other and the path that Delia came from. Seeing no signs of her brother approaching, they became alarmed.
"Delia, honey. Sweetie, where's Ephram?" Nina said seriously as she brushed the little girl's hair away from her watery eyes.
*****
Ephram felt warm and comfortable when his senses slowly returned. For a millisecond, he thought it had all been just a bad dream but reality hit and a stab of pain tore through his body when he tried to move. He couldn't tell how long he'd been unconscious, but the warm rays of the sun were already blazing through the trees and beaming on his skin. The small rocks his cheek used for a pillow were indeed warm as well. The fresh smell of dried dirt penetrated through his nose.
In addition to flying insects buzzing at his ear, he felt something itchy in his nose. With his head still on the rocks, the boy took his good hand and brushed away a couple of large black ants that were crawling across his face. He blew out several smaller ants that clogged up his nostrils. When he realized bugs had been trampling their brittle legs over him while he was unconscious, he got grossed out and squatted away whatever remaining insects were irritating his neck and ears. The boy got up slowly feeling every inch of his battered body ache. He looked around as if hoping to find a different scene than what he saw before he collapsed. Sitting on his feet, he checked his wounds again. His hands shook uncontrollably as he picked at the tatters of his sweatshirt with his bloody fingers. Apparently, lying passed out on his stomach had a slight advantage because pressure was applied to the wounds hence, slowed down the bleeding. He was aware of the purplish discoloration developing around the mouth of each of the three gashes. This worried him tremendously.
There was an outline of a big puddle of desiccated blood on the ground in front of him. Ephram wondered how many pints of blood he'd bleed out. The amount of bloodstains on his shirt scared him. He'd never seen this much blood come out of a body before. Looking around, he had to decide which way to head. He couldn't just sit there and wait to be found. What if no one comes? Dizziness hit him like a tidal wave each time he turned his head. It was so bad that he had to squint to see straight. With all his might and with the help of an old tree trunk, he pulled himself to his feet. Nearly hunched over from pain, Ephram held his side and limped onward. The gash on his right shoulder where the skin was gone throbbed and stung like mad. He couldn't see it, but his shoulder had mysteriously swelled up since the last time he checked. With his immobile right arm glued to his body, he grit his teeth and swallowed the pain.
Walking in a clumsy drunken, pigeon-toed pace, he grabbed onto trees and branches to steady himself from falling. Ephram wasn't sure how much longer he could continue as he was getting awfully tired. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out his body temperature had risen. Perspiration mixed with the dried blood made sticky sweat marks on the front and back of his already soaked and shredded sweatshirt. He pushed away a few strands of hair that fell in his glassy pale eyes.
He swallowed whatever saliva his mouth was able to produce. His parched throat yearned for a wet drop of water. Even his lips had lost their healthy rose tint. His heart raced making it more difficult to supply his lungs with an adequate amount of oxygen. The boy's footsteps became messier by the minute. He stumbled several times and caught himself before hitting the ground. He tried very hard not to fall because he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back up if he had. In ragged breaths, he continued his gruesome search for safety. His wounds were a problem, but he worried more about the bear following his scent. It was very important that he find a secure place to hide.
Growing more paranoid, Ephram looked over his shoulder frequently to see if he was being followed each time he stopped to catch his breath. There was still no relief for the boy when he realized nothing was following him. It was just a matter of time before it caught up with him.
The foliage got thicker as he went deeper into the forest. The trees were more entwined and complicated. Green grass sprouted where it had good exposure to the sun. Stone formations of various sizes were hidden in the leafy greenery. He was careful not to trip over the smaller ones. He must've been walking for quite some time when a lack of strength forced him to rest against a wall of what appeared to be made of rock. Ephram had been using the blood and guts soaked cuff of his left sleeve to apply pressure to his wound. He grunted and cursed out loud when he accidentally pressed down too hard.
Ephram needed to sit. His legs could no longer hold him up. Luckily, he noticed an opening in the wall of rocks. It was a small crawl space between the rocks hidden by thick twines of some type of ivy and green leaves. The space was tight and able to fit two adults at most. Ephram made his way to this new hiding place. He climbed through the opening and crept on all fours to the end of the tiny cave.
* Finally, I can rest. Hope that stupid bear doesn't find me. * Ephram thought as he pulled himself to a seating position up against a dirt wall. * I'm so tired. *
He was safe - at least for the moment. With his feverish head still spinning, weakness and fatigue drove him to close his heavy eyelids. He promised himself to close them for just a minute. His chin nearly touched his chest before he nodded off into a deep abnormal sleep. He slept with his arms by his side exposing his wounds.
*****
"I gotta find Ephram before the infection sets in." Andy said with a nervous air as he frantically packed the first aid kit, several bottles of water, a small thermal blanket, and a few generous handfuls of Power Bars and crackers into his backpack.
"I'll help." Nina said grabbing the heavy-duty flashlight from her tent.
"I want you and Delia to get in the car and stay there until I get back." He instructed ever so seriously.
"Andy - I can't let you go out there by yourself." Nina cried while touching Andy's arm.
"Someone's got to stay with Delia." Andy replied firmly.
"I agree. But if you go out there alone, who's going to look out for you? What if you get attacked?" Nina raised her voice. "You're gonna need the help."
"We can't leave Delia in the car by herself." Andy stressed. He took up a seven-inch carving knife and clutched the wooden handle in his fist.
"I know the way." Delia said after a long sip of water. Nina had rapidly found her a fresh change of clothes. "I made a trail of M&M's that way." Delia pointed her little index finger.
"Absolutely not. You are NOT coming with me." Andy objected. "It's too dangerous."
"Please dad, we have to find Ephram. He was bleeding a lot. He said it was nothing but I don't think it was. We have to hurry. I can help find him. I'm not afraid of the bear. Please." Delia begged with a quivering voice.
"Come on Andy, we have to act before we loose daylight. Once the sun sets, it's going to be hard to find our way." Nina looked at her watch. "It's a quarter to twelve now, so that leaves us around five hours to search." She grabbed a few more bottles of water plus some additional provisions and stuffed them into her backpack.
"OK." Andy gave in. "Delia, you stay close and don't wander off on your own. You hear?" He got a nod from Delia. "But the second we see that bear, I want you and Delia to high tail out of there. Do you understand me?" He looked at Nina and got serious nods from both Nina and Delia. "I don't want anything happening to either of you too." Andy's strong voice suddenly cracked. He almost let out a sob.
"Andy - we will find him." Nina stated with a firm and sure tone. She tried to remain calm but panic was slowly sneaking its way into her system.
"I know." Andy muttered trying to keep his hopes up. "Ready?" He puffed before heading into the wooded area the children took to that morning.
"Right behind ya." Nina replied taking hold of Delia's hand.
Following Delia's scattered M&M's, they called Ephram's name repeatedly hoping they would hear a reply. But the only sounds they heard were birds tweeting and chirping their songs in the tall aspen trees. Andy charged ahead frantically praying it wouldn't be too late before they found the boy.
"Ephram - where are you?? Ephram!!!" Andy called over and over as the others chimed in. He felt the despair as he stood hopelessly at the end of the M&M trail. Like a madman, he hollered until his sore throat forced him to stop.
"Hey, it'll be ok. We'll keep looking. We won't stop. Not until we find him." Nina put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, Nina. This is my fault. It was supposed to be a nice peaceful trip. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way." He whimpered.
"Andy, it's not your fault." Nina said with a heavy heart. She felt his pain.
"I don't know - what if he needs more than a first aid kit? What if he needs an emergency room? I don't even have a cell phone to call for help. What if we don't find him in time? What if he's already - what if -" His desperate voice trailed off.
Nina was about to say something when Delia's eyes lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. "Daddy!! We DO have a cell phone!!" She squealed as the adults looked at her in confusion. "Ephram broke the rule. He brought his phone and MP3 with him. It was in his backpack. I saw it."
"What?! Where's the backpack?" Andy said and surveyed the ground. "Did Ephram have it with him?"
"He did but I think we lost it when the bear caught up with us. It's gotta be around here somewhere." Delia answered.
"We have to find that backpack. Maybe it'll lead us to Ephram." Andy spoke with new hope. "Delia, was it this spot where you saw the bear?"
Delia nodded. "I was sitting right there on that big rock and Ephram was there on that log. Something was moving in those bushes there. Then Ephram told me to move slowly away and I came here. Then the bear came out and we ran this way." Delia pointed while retracing her steps.
"Sweetie, are you sure?" Andy kneeled down in front of Delia on one knee.
"I'm pretty sure of it. We couldn't go back on the M&M trail because the bear was blocking us. This has to be the way we ran." Delia reasoned.
"I guess that's the way we're gonna go then." Nina said having complete faith in the young girl.
Andy led the way while keeping a keen eye out for the bear. Nina tied a red string around every couple of tree trunks so they could find their way back to the campsite in case the sky grew too dark. They continued to call Ephram's name. It was well past lunchtime and the threesome feasted ravenously on Power Bars, granola bars, and water while they walked. They wasted no time.
"Waitaminute! This is where the bear clawed Ephram! I remember because I fell over here." Delia shouted. "Look!! Ephram's blood is still here. See!" She pointed to a spot on a few patches of crushed grass.
Andy went forth for a closer look. He crouched down above the spot and touched the grass and dirt with his fingers. He brought his hand up and observed the smudge between his thumb and index finger.
"It's definitely blood." Andy concurred and eyed the area. " He's not here. Ephram must've gotten away."
"Ephram told me to run this way." Delia pointed.
"There's a lot of candy wrappers and foil here." Nina poked at the litter with a long branch.
"Looks like leftovers." Andy uttered as he outlined the teeth marks on a chewed wrapper of a cherry flavored Jolly Rancher stick with the carving knife.
Andy and Delia examined the scatter of gnawed litter - some even still had traces of candy bits stuck to it that the bear missed. Andy had Delia close by as he forbid her to be more than an arm's length away.
"Andy! You'd better come have a look at this." Nina said a few feet away. Her attention was on something buried in leaves and blown debris.
"What is it, Nina?" Andy hurried over leading Delia by the hand.
"Here, behind this log." Nina was now on her hands and knees rapidly clearing away the debris from the object.
"It's Ephram's backpack!" Delia cried as the black canvas fabric came into view. "Ew." Delia cringed when Nina picked it up. The grimy backpack was mutilated into tatters. Traces of sticky old bear drool adhered to the fabric.
"Let me." Andy took the filthy and slimy bag from Nina. "You hold this." He gave the knife to her. Andy opened the flap of the bag and turned it upside down to empty all its contents. More chewed and half eaten candy fell out, along with the MP3 player, cell phone and a bunch of other miscellaneous junk.
Andy went for the cell phone. He anxiously pressed several buttons to see it was still in working condition. Never was he so glad to see the screen on Ephram's Nokia phone light up.
"It works! It works. Oh thank God." Andy exclaimed under his breath. He pressed the number for the park ranger station.
Delia, who was standing next to Nina at the time, took Nina's hand by surprise. Nina looked down to see Delia staring at her with sad eyes.
"Sweetheart, it's going to be ok. Don't you worry. Help is coming." Nina soothed Delia as Andy relayed the situation over the phone with the ranger at the other end of the phone line. Delia glanced at her tense father holding the phone with both hands like he was afraid of dropping it.
"We're in camp site section 25A." Andy said into the phone as he paced. "Huh? No, we can't wait till you arrive. We have to continue searching for my son. As far as we know, he sustained a laceration to his right shoulder. He's bleeding and we're running out of time." His voice cracked. Andy sounded more like he was arguing rather than crying for help.
"Nina, promise me Ephram will be ok." Delia looked up at Nina desperately.
"Honey -" Nina started to say as she kneeled down on her knees to face the little girl.
"Just promise me he's gonna be ok, Nina. Please. I don't want to hear anything else. Just promise me." Delia hollered with a quivering chin and trembling lips. Tears filled her eyes quickly and she sobbed.
"Delia, baby." Nina took the weeping child into her arms using extreme caution with the knife that she was still holding.
"Promise me." Delia sobbed.
"Shhhh." Nina tried to comfort her. "He's going to be fine. It's ok." She whispered softly feeling the uncontrollable heaves through Delia's wailing. They heard Andy's mumbled voice as he gave the rangers a detailed description of the missing boy.
"I want Ephram back. I don't c-care about anything else. We - we have to f- find him." Delia choked against Nina's sweatshirt.
"I know baby. I know. And we will." Nina said trying to hide her doubts.
Nina started counting all the broken promises she could be making to the child. She knew the uncertainties surrounding the issue. There were no guarantees that they were going to find Ephram at all. She had no knowledge of the boy's current condition except for what Delia told them. God forbid Ephram could already be dead. But she couldn't bring herself to telling Delia the truth. It would break her. It was hard enough to deal with picturing Ephram lying somewhere alone and dying. She prayed for a miracle.
"Ok then. We'll be in touch - yep - uh-huh. Right. And thanks." Andy responded to the phone. He then pressed the "end call" button on the phone.
"Well?" Nina asked Andy with Delia still in her arms.
"The park ranger is dispatching a search and rescue team. I had to get off the phone because the battery is running low. We have to use the power on this phone sparingly. But I told him to keep me posted if anything comes up. He wants me to check in every half an hour until we meet up with them." Andy explained. "Is Delia ok?" He added seeing the little girl clinging to Nina in a tight embrace.
"She's scared - and needed some reassurance." Nina replied.
"Kiddo, everything is going to be alright. The rangers are on their way. Daddy's taking care of everything." Andy turned to his young daughter and smoothed her hair. "Do you want me to carry you?" Sensing that the poor thing must be exhausted.
"No, I'm not tired. And I want to help find Ephram." Delia tried to be brave and wiped her nose with the cuff of her sleeve. She heaved a sigh.
"At a girl!" Andy replied giving Delia a kiss on the crown of her head. "OK, we'd better get going now. Sweetie, do you have any ideas which direction Ephram might have taken?"
"I don't know." Delia whimpered. "He was standing right here when he told me to run and don't look back. I - I didn't look back. I should've looked. But I didn't." She alternated glances between her father and Nina. The anxiety made her breathe harder. She was about to cry again.
"Delia - it's ok. Don't cry." Nina spoke with a motherly tone as she handed the knife back to Andy. "Andy - my guess is he went this way." Nina pointed to an area where the splintered wood from several branches on the foliage protruded out like as if someone had trampled across it.
Andy ventured closer to the broken twigs. "He did go this way. Look." Andy ripped off a piece of fern leaf and showed it to Nina.
"Blood." She replied.
"There's another drop of blood." Andy said nodding to the ground.
Eventually, they spotted more dried droplets of blood along the way and they followed it. There was blood that had dripped involuntarily on the soil and fallen leaves. More blood stained the tree trunks when Ephram leaned against them to rest. Flaky smears of blood appeared on lower branches where Ephram had grabbed onto with his bloody hands to steady himself. Andy and Delia continued to call for Ephram while Nina tied more strings to trees and foliage. If it weren't for the trail of dried blood Ephram left behind, they would've been completely clueless.
"Now, which way? I don't see anymore blood." Nina wiped the sweat off her brow and pushed her hair back.
"The trail seems to end here. How is that possible?" Andy asked rhetorically.
"Ephram? Are you here? Where are you Ephram?" Delia hollered. She waited to hear a reply, a sound, a noise, a moan, anything.
No answer.
"Wait. I think I see something. What's that over there?" Andy quickened his pace towards the object.
"What is it, Andy? Did you find him?" Nina shouted as she grabbed Delia by the hand and raced towards Andy. "Hey, wait for us." She called.
Jogging over, she realized what it was that Andy spotted. "Oh Andy." Nina put her hand on his shoulder.
It was a ripped piece of Ephram's gray sweatshirt that had been caught in the brush. The swatch of tattered fabric, about the size of a glove, had been doused with so much blood and debris that the original color of the fabric wasn't visible anymore.
"Ephram." Andy whispered as he stared at the cloth. He took a deep breath and sucked in the tears that welled up in his eyes. "I'm ok. I have to be strong." He told himself. His attention suddenly fell to something on the ground.
Andy dropped to his knees in front of the large outlined area of moist soil. "Oh no." Andy moaned.
"What's wrong?" Nina gasped.
"It's blood. The ground soaked it up." Andy said.
"But that's a lot of blood." Nina crouched down.
"This is not good." Andy shook his head. "I think he passed out here. That probably explains why there's so much blood at one spot. He must've regained consciousness sometime later and continued walking. This is serious, Nina." Andy rubbed his eyes. "Judging by this, he's lost a considerable amount of blood." He voice stopped. "No, no, no. We have to get to him quickly or he'll bleed to death. He may have a punctured artery."
Upon hearing the horrible news, Delia began to cry. Nina started to tear as well. She picked Delia up in her arms. They continued their frantic search. Nina and Delia called out Ephram's name through blinding tears and shaky voices.
The blue skies were dimming and the sun was starting to set in the west. Golden-orange rays of the sun hung onto the edge of the sky trying to give the humans a few more minutes of light to find their way.
* Oh please Ephram, hang on. Just hang on a while longer. Please Ephram. Don't die on me. * Andy willed in his head over and over again.
*end of Chapter 2*
A/N: So, who wants to hear more?
Chapter 2: Gretel Returns Without Hansel
Sharp branches and leaves whipped her face as she dashed through the woods like a blind person groping at the darkness. She didn't know if she was going in the right direction or if she was just wandering around in circles. Ignoring the stinging sensation left from the scratches on her soft cheeks, Delia ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
At some point, she could've sworn she heard a horrendous scream - like one bearing immense pain and torture. She wasn't certain if it was an actual scream or just one of those things one's own imagination conjures up when they are scared and alone. But whether it was real or made-up, the sound was so inhuman and distressing to her sensitive ears that she had to stop in her tracks and turn around. Fearing in her heart that she may have heard her brother's cry in her head, she wanted to head back in the direction in which she had ran from. A moment of hesitation stopped when her brother's dire instructions echoed in her head - "Run like the wind and don't look back. Find Dad."
She questioned herself whether she should follow her head or follow her heart. In the end, it was her head that gave the final whistle. She figured Ephram was hurt and needed medical attention. If she had gone back, she would not be able to help him and would have wasted precious time. She had to find her father and quickly. Her dear brother's life may very well depend on it.
Delia tripped her way through a thick patch of brush and went down in a flying heap. She jumped at the explosion of a flutter of wings as a group of wild birds flew to higher branches. Their startled loud witch-like squaws made her draw back for a brief moment. Her once silky long brown hair was now in knotted tangles while debris had adhered to her skin and clothes. Ephram's dried blood stained her cheek and matted a few clumps of hair to her neck. She had already lost her baseball cap in the scuffle with the bear.
Alone, frightened, and on the brink of panicking, she hollered as loud as she could - "DADDY!!!!!!!" She did this several times in desperation. But only the shaking of the leaves replied in an easy rustle. She cried out of fear for herself and fear for what's become of her brother.
Another shake of the leaves clashing against each other spooked Delia into running again. She sprang up like as if the seat of her pants caught fire. Never had anyone seen her move that fast. There was a time when Delia thought the forest was full of mystery and the most exciting place to be in. She could recall a countless number of Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale stories that took place in the woods. It was like a huge playground full of curiosity and intrigue. The forest was a secret place that held peace, freedom, and serenity with all that nature had to offer. Animals of all sizes lived amongst themselves in harmony and treated strangers with a timid but friendly welcome. Delia's irrational perception of the woods was cartoon-like. Horrified by this experience, she felt nothing but pure anger for the place. She saw the forest as cruel and lonely. The towering trees surrounded her in the most threatening manner like prison bars. She felt so confined and minute. The creatures that lived in this horrible place were wild and vicious. Even the small animals hiding themselves in the trees seem to mock her as she fought her way through their turf. In the end, fairy tales were just fairy tales - sweet fictional stories told at bedtime.
Delia remembered when she was about four years old, she and Ephram used to play a game called Damsel In Distress. Delia was the ever-beautiful Damsel in Distress, who was really a princess in disguise. The Damsel was always tormented by a huge fire-breathing, and evil dragon named Scale Face, who vowed to take over the Damsel's kingdom. Well in this case - a kingdom of dolls and stuffed animals. She would put on her little pink ballet tutu and tiara made of aluminum foil and prance on top of the sofas while Ephram, who was the dashing knight in shining armor, came to rescue her. Ephram was not more than eleven years old then. He had his blanket tied to his neck for a cape and a wooden ruler for his sword. He would attack a cardboard box on which, they painted the face of the evil dragon. And once the brave knight had finally defeated Scale Face in a very heated battle, he received a big kiss on the cheek from the damsel for he has saved her life and her kingdom.
As far as Delia was concerned, Ephram had always been her "knight in shining armor". Since their mother died a year ago, Ephram made it his responsibility to care for and always be there for his little sister. It was hard enough their workaholic father was never around when their mother was alive. At least then, they had mom to care for them. Things changed when she died. At the wake of the funeral, Ephram stood by the opened casket and stared at his dead mother's face caked with make up for the longest time before speaking to her. Delia, who was standing next to Ephram at the time, heard his tearful vow. She remembered his words - "Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of Delia. I won't let anything bad happen to her. She's the only family I have left now." Ephram never saw his father as part of the family picture. Ephram resented his father - the great Dr. Andy Brown - when he suddenly found an interest in his children after Julia's death. Andy didn't even know what hit him. It was like he'd just lit a row of firecrackers. Ephram couldn't find it in his heart to forgive him but Delia - she was different. She took her estranged father in with open arms. There was so much anger in Ephram that it even scared Delia at times. However, he made an effort to be the perfect big brother and care for her like he promised. It was basically a fourteen year old taking care of a seven year old - a kid taking care of a kid. Ephram learned to grow up fast - perhaps a little too fast. He tried so hard to take up where mom left off. This was why Delia put Ephram on a pedestal. He was her hero.
Delia had been running for a while now and had to stop for a breather. Puffing in deep tired breaths, she bent over and rested her small hands on her knees.
* Oh God, please guide me and lead me in the right direction. Please don't take my brother's life away. Please!!! * Delia prayed with her eyes squeezed shut.
Just when giving up was an option, she spotted a small narrow hiking trail nearly hidden by all the twigs and debris that had accumulated in the trough. Excited, she ignored her increasing thirst for water and sprinted in that direction. She was sure it would lead somewhere. There was no time to waste.
Delia must've followed the path for a good fifteen minutes when she accidentally found the trail of M&M's she had scattered earlier. She was so happy that she wanted to do a cartwheel on the spot. But there was no time for that. Quickening her pace, she followed the gleaming multi-colored buttons of salvation.
Eventually, she was beginning to see the clearing where they had pitched their tents the night before. The old smell of fried ham and burnt wood lingered in the air. She saw the tips of the four individual dome shaped green nylon tents. And down the long winding road a shiny metallic hunter green dot was visible. It was their Land Rover parked carefully on the side of the dirt road. Delia's legs refused to budge as the muscles in her calves were completely worked out. Dropping to her knees, she cussed under her breath. She knew she couldn't give up. Not when she was this close.
"DADDY!!!!!!! NINA!!!!!!" Delia screamed after sucking in a deep breath. If she can't walk, at least she can scream. She repeated her screams until Andy and Nina found her sitting by the path she and Ephram taken to gather wood that morning.
"Delia?" Andy called worriedly from afar as he and Nina approached quickly. "Where have you and your brother been? It's been over an hour - we were just about to go look for you. What did I tell you two about goofing off?? You had us worried sick! We thought you got lost out there." He rambled at the sight of his daughter sitting on her heels. "What the hell -" Andy's sentence broke off when he got a closer look at Delia. There was grass stuck in her hair as well as debris stains on her face and clothes. She looked like she'd rolled around in the dirt before coming back.
Delia was so exhausted that the poor girl thought she was going to pass out. She looked up at the two adults and started bawling. Nina crouched down in front of her.
"Oh my God - is that blood?" Nina gasped when some flaky dark red substance came into contact with her fingers as she touched Delia's jaw. Andy saw it too. As she moved her hands further down Delia's neck, she found more dried blood. Afterwards, she realized that almost the entire back of Delia's sweatshirt was stained with blood.
"Oh no, Andy. Look at this." Nina panicked. "Delia, are you bleeding?" She stammered and quickly pulled Delia's hair back to see where the blood was coming from.
"Lift your shirt, Delia." Andy demanded but lifted it himself. He checked her back and the back of her head. She wanted to speak but the dryness in her throat made talking quite difficult. A medley of emotions ran through her veins - relief, fright, fatigue, pain, thirst, anger, sadness - but most of all, thankful that she had made her way back in one piece. Delia thought of her poor brother and began to sob.
Finding no open wounds, the two adults exchanged concerned glances. They alternated looks between each other and the path that Delia came from. Seeing no signs of her brother approaching, they became alarmed.
"Delia, honey. Sweetie, where's Ephram?" Nina said seriously as she brushed the little girl's hair away from her watery eyes.
*****
Ephram felt warm and comfortable when his senses slowly returned. For a millisecond, he thought it had all been just a bad dream but reality hit and a stab of pain tore through his body when he tried to move. He couldn't tell how long he'd been unconscious, but the warm rays of the sun were already blazing through the trees and beaming on his skin. The small rocks his cheek used for a pillow were indeed warm as well. The fresh smell of dried dirt penetrated through his nose.
In addition to flying insects buzzing at his ear, he felt something itchy in his nose. With his head still on the rocks, the boy took his good hand and brushed away a couple of large black ants that were crawling across his face. He blew out several smaller ants that clogged up his nostrils. When he realized bugs had been trampling their brittle legs over him while he was unconscious, he got grossed out and squatted away whatever remaining insects were irritating his neck and ears. The boy got up slowly feeling every inch of his battered body ache. He looked around as if hoping to find a different scene than what he saw before he collapsed. Sitting on his feet, he checked his wounds again. His hands shook uncontrollably as he picked at the tatters of his sweatshirt with his bloody fingers. Apparently, lying passed out on his stomach had a slight advantage because pressure was applied to the wounds hence, slowed down the bleeding. He was aware of the purplish discoloration developing around the mouth of each of the three gashes. This worried him tremendously.
There was an outline of a big puddle of desiccated blood on the ground in front of him. Ephram wondered how many pints of blood he'd bleed out. The amount of bloodstains on his shirt scared him. He'd never seen this much blood come out of a body before. Looking around, he had to decide which way to head. He couldn't just sit there and wait to be found. What if no one comes? Dizziness hit him like a tidal wave each time he turned his head. It was so bad that he had to squint to see straight. With all his might and with the help of an old tree trunk, he pulled himself to his feet. Nearly hunched over from pain, Ephram held his side and limped onward. The gash on his right shoulder where the skin was gone throbbed and stung like mad. He couldn't see it, but his shoulder had mysteriously swelled up since the last time he checked. With his immobile right arm glued to his body, he grit his teeth and swallowed the pain.
Walking in a clumsy drunken, pigeon-toed pace, he grabbed onto trees and branches to steady himself from falling. Ephram wasn't sure how much longer he could continue as he was getting awfully tired. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out his body temperature had risen. Perspiration mixed with the dried blood made sticky sweat marks on the front and back of his already soaked and shredded sweatshirt. He pushed away a few strands of hair that fell in his glassy pale eyes.
He swallowed whatever saliva his mouth was able to produce. His parched throat yearned for a wet drop of water. Even his lips had lost their healthy rose tint. His heart raced making it more difficult to supply his lungs with an adequate amount of oxygen. The boy's footsteps became messier by the minute. He stumbled several times and caught himself before hitting the ground. He tried very hard not to fall because he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back up if he had. In ragged breaths, he continued his gruesome search for safety. His wounds were a problem, but he worried more about the bear following his scent. It was very important that he find a secure place to hide.
Growing more paranoid, Ephram looked over his shoulder frequently to see if he was being followed each time he stopped to catch his breath. There was still no relief for the boy when he realized nothing was following him. It was just a matter of time before it caught up with him.
The foliage got thicker as he went deeper into the forest. The trees were more entwined and complicated. Green grass sprouted where it had good exposure to the sun. Stone formations of various sizes were hidden in the leafy greenery. He was careful not to trip over the smaller ones. He must've been walking for quite some time when a lack of strength forced him to rest against a wall of what appeared to be made of rock. Ephram had been using the blood and guts soaked cuff of his left sleeve to apply pressure to his wound. He grunted and cursed out loud when he accidentally pressed down too hard.
Ephram needed to sit. His legs could no longer hold him up. Luckily, he noticed an opening in the wall of rocks. It was a small crawl space between the rocks hidden by thick twines of some type of ivy and green leaves. The space was tight and able to fit two adults at most. Ephram made his way to this new hiding place. He climbed through the opening and crept on all fours to the end of the tiny cave.
* Finally, I can rest. Hope that stupid bear doesn't find me. * Ephram thought as he pulled himself to a seating position up against a dirt wall. * I'm so tired. *
He was safe - at least for the moment. With his feverish head still spinning, weakness and fatigue drove him to close his heavy eyelids. He promised himself to close them for just a minute. His chin nearly touched his chest before he nodded off into a deep abnormal sleep. He slept with his arms by his side exposing his wounds.
*****
"I gotta find Ephram before the infection sets in." Andy said with a nervous air as he frantically packed the first aid kit, several bottles of water, a small thermal blanket, and a few generous handfuls of Power Bars and crackers into his backpack.
"I'll help." Nina said grabbing the heavy-duty flashlight from her tent.
"I want you and Delia to get in the car and stay there until I get back." He instructed ever so seriously.
"Andy - I can't let you go out there by yourself." Nina cried while touching Andy's arm.
"Someone's got to stay with Delia." Andy replied firmly.
"I agree. But if you go out there alone, who's going to look out for you? What if you get attacked?" Nina raised her voice. "You're gonna need the help."
"We can't leave Delia in the car by herself." Andy stressed. He took up a seven-inch carving knife and clutched the wooden handle in his fist.
"I know the way." Delia said after a long sip of water. Nina had rapidly found her a fresh change of clothes. "I made a trail of M&M's that way." Delia pointed her little index finger.
"Absolutely not. You are NOT coming with me." Andy objected. "It's too dangerous."
"Please dad, we have to find Ephram. He was bleeding a lot. He said it was nothing but I don't think it was. We have to hurry. I can help find him. I'm not afraid of the bear. Please." Delia begged with a quivering voice.
"Come on Andy, we have to act before we loose daylight. Once the sun sets, it's going to be hard to find our way." Nina looked at her watch. "It's a quarter to twelve now, so that leaves us around five hours to search." She grabbed a few more bottles of water plus some additional provisions and stuffed them into her backpack.
"OK." Andy gave in. "Delia, you stay close and don't wander off on your own. You hear?" He got a nod from Delia. "But the second we see that bear, I want you and Delia to high tail out of there. Do you understand me?" He looked at Nina and got serious nods from both Nina and Delia. "I don't want anything happening to either of you too." Andy's strong voice suddenly cracked. He almost let out a sob.
"Andy - we will find him." Nina stated with a firm and sure tone. She tried to remain calm but panic was slowly sneaking its way into her system.
"I know." Andy muttered trying to keep his hopes up. "Ready?" He puffed before heading into the wooded area the children took to that morning.
"Right behind ya." Nina replied taking hold of Delia's hand.
Following Delia's scattered M&M's, they called Ephram's name repeatedly hoping they would hear a reply. But the only sounds they heard were birds tweeting and chirping their songs in the tall aspen trees. Andy charged ahead frantically praying it wouldn't be too late before they found the boy.
"Ephram - where are you?? Ephram!!!" Andy called over and over as the others chimed in. He felt the despair as he stood hopelessly at the end of the M&M trail. Like a madman, he hollered until his sore throat forced him to stop.
"Hey, it'll be ok. We'll keep looking. We won't stop. Not until we find him." Nina put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, Nina. This is my fault. It was supposed to be a nice peaceful trip. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way." He whimpered.
"Andy, it's not your fault." Nina said with a heavy heart. She felt his pain.
"I don't know - what if he needs more than a first aid kit? What if he needs an emergency room? I don't even have a cell phone to call for help. What if we don't find him in time? What if he's already - what if -" His desperate voice trailed off.
Nina was about to say something when Delia's eyes lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. "Daddy!! We DO have a cell phone!!" She squealed as the adults looked at her in confusion. "Ephram broke the rule. He brought his phone and MP3 with him. It was in his backpack. I saw it."
"What?! Where's the backpack?" Andy said and surveyed the ground. "Did Ephram have it with him?"
"He did but I think we lost it when the bear caught up with us. It's gotta be around here somewhere." Delia answered.
"We have to find that backpack. Maybe it'll lead us to Ephram." Andy spoke with new hope. "Delia, was it this spot where you saw the bear?"
Delia nodded. "I was sitting right there on that big rock and Ephram was there on that log. Something was moving in those bushes there. Then Ephram told me to move slowly away and I came here. Then the bear came out and we ran this way." Delia pointed while retracing her steps.
"Sweetie, are you sure?" Andy kneeled down in front of Delia on one knee.
"I'm pretty sure of it. We couldn't go back on the M&M trail because the bear was blocking us. This has to be the way we ran." Delia reasoned.
"I guess that's the way we're gonna go then." Nina said having complete faith in the young girl.
Andy led the way while keeping a keen eye out for the bear. Nina tied a red string around every couple of tree trunks so they could find their way back to the campsite in case the sky grew too dark. They continued to call Ephram's name. It was well past lunchtime and the threesome feasted ravenously on Power Bars, granola bars, and water while they walked. They wasted no time.
"Waitaminute! This is where the bear clawed Ephram! I remember because I fell over here." Delia shouted. "Look!! Ephram's blood is still here. See!" She pointed to a spot on a few patches of crushed grass.
Andy went forth for a closer look. He crouched down above the spot and touched the grass and dirt with his fingers. He brought his hand up and observed the smudge between his thumb and index finger.
"It's definitely blood." Andy concurred and eyed the area. " He's not here. Ephram must've gotten away."
"Ephram told me to run this way." Delia pointed.
"There's a lot of candy wrappers and foil here." Nina poked at the litter with a long branch.
"Looks like leftovers." Andy uttered as he outlined the teeth marks on a chewed wrapper of a cherry flavored Jolly Rancher stick with the carving knife.
Andy and Delia examined the scatter of gnawed litter - some even still had traces of candy bits stuck to it that the bear missed. Andy had Delia close by as he forbid her to be more than an arm's length away.
"Andy! You'd better come have a look at this." Nina said a few feet away. Her attention was on something buried in leaves and blown debris.
"What is it, Nina?" Andy hurried over leading Delia by the hand.
"Here, behind this log." Nina was now on her hands and knees rapidly clearing away the debris from the object.
"It's Ephram's backpack!" Delia cried as the black canvas fabric came into view. "Ew." Delia cringed when Nina picked it up. The grimy backpack was mutilated into tatters. Traces of sticky old bear drool adhered to the fabric.
"Let me." Andy took the filthy and slimy bag from Nina. "You hold this." He gave the knife to her. Andy opened the flap of the bag and turned it upside down to empty all its contents. More chewed and half eaten candy fell out, along with the MP3 player, cell phone and a bunch of other miscellaneous junk.
Andy went for the cell phone. He anxiously pressed several buttons to see it was still in working condition. Never was he so glad to see the screen on Ephram's Nokia phone light up.
"It works! It works. Oh thank God." Andy exclaimed under his breath. He pressed the number for the park ranger station.
Delia, who was standing next to Nina at the time, took Nina's hand by surprise. Nina looked down to see Delia staring at her with sad eyes.
"Sweetheart, it's going to be ok. Don't you worry. Help is coming." Nina soothed Delia as Andy relayed the situation over the phone with the ranger at the other end of the phone line. Delia glanced at her tense father holding the phone with both hands like he was afraid of dropping it.
"We're in camp site section 25A." Andy said into the phone as he paced. "Huh? No, we can't wait till you arrive. We have to continue searching for my son. As far as we know, he sustained a laceration to his right shoulder. He's bleeding and we're running out of time." His voice cracked. Andy sounded more like he was arguing rather than crying for help.
"Nina, promise me Ephram will be ok." Delia looked up at Nina desperately.
"Honey -" Nina started to say as she kneeled down on her knees to face the little girl.
"Just promise me he's gonna be ok, Nina. Please. I don't want to hear anything else. Just promise me." Delia hollered with a quivering chin and trembling lips. Tears filled her eyes quickly and she sobbed.
"Delia, baby." Nina took the weeping child into her arms using extreme caution with the knife that she was still holding.
"Promise me." Delia sobbed.
"Shhhh." Nina tried to comfort her. "He's going to be fine. It's ok." She whispered softly feeling the uncontrollable heaves through Delia's wailing. They heard Andy's mumbled voice as he gave the rangers a detailed description of the missing boy.
"I want Ephram back. I don't c-care about anything else. We - we have to f- find him." Delia choked against Nina's sweatshirt.
"I know baby. I know. And we will." Nina said trying to hide her doubts.
Nina started counting all the broken promises she could be making to the child. She knew the uncertainties surrounding the issue. There were no guarantees that they were going to find Ephram at all. She had no knowledge of the boy's current condition except for what Delia told them. God forbid Ephram could already be dead. But she couldn't bring herself to telling Delia the truth. It would break her. It was hard enough to deal with picturing Ephram lying somewhere alone and dying. She prayed for a miracle.
"Ok then. We'll be in touch - yep - uh-huh. Right. And thanks." Andy responded to the phone. He then pressed the "end call" button on the phone.
"Well?" Nina asked Andy with Delia still in her arms.
"The park ranger is dispatching a search and rescue team. I had to get off the phone because the battery is running low. We have to use the power on this phone sparingly. But I told him to keep me posted if anything comes up. He wants me to check in every half an hour until we meet up with them." Andy explained. "Is Delia ok?" He added seeing the little girl clinging to Nina in a tight embrace.
"She's scared - and needed some reassurance." Nina replied.
"Kiddo, everything is going to be alright. The rangers are on their way. Daddy's taking care of everything." Andy turned to his young daughter and smoothed her hair. "Do you want me to carry you?" Sensing that the poor thing must be exhausted.
"No, I'm not tired. And I want to help find Ephram." Delia tried to be brave and wiped her nose with the cuff of her sleeve. She heaved a sigh.
"At a girl!" Andy replied giving Delia a kiss on the crown of her head. "OK, we'd better get going now. Sweetie, do you have any ideas which direction Ephram might have taken?"
"I don't know." Delia whimpered. "He was standing right here when he told me to run and don't look back. I - I didn't look back. I should've looked. But I didn't." She alternated glances between her father and Nina. The anxiety made her breathe harder. She was about to cry again.
"Delia - it's ok. Don't cry." Nina spoke with a motherly tone as she handed the knife back to Andy. "Andy - my guess is he went this way." Nina pointed to an area where the splintered wood from several branches on the foliage protruded out like as if someone had trampled across it.
Andy ventured closer to the broken twigs. "He did go this way. Look." Andy ripped off a piece of fern leaf and showed it to Nina.
"Blood." She replied.
"There's another drop of blood." Andy said nodding to the ground.
Eventually, they spotted more dried droplets of blood along the way and they followed it. There was blood that had dripped involuntarily on the soil and fallen leaves. More blood stained the tree trunks when Ephram leaned against them to rest. Flaky smears of blood appeared on lower branches where Ephram had grabbed onto with his bloody hands to steady himself. Andy and Delia continued to call for Ephram while Nina tied more strings to trees and foliage. If it weren't for the trail of dried blood Ephram left behind, they would've been completely clueless.
"Now, which way? I don't see anymore blood." Nina wiped the sweat off her brow and pushed her hair back.
"The trail seems to end here. How is that possible?" Andy asked rhetorically.
"Ephram? Are you here? Where are you Ephram?" Delia hollered. She waited to hear a reply, a sound, a noise, a moan, anything.
No answer.
"Wait. I think I see something. What's that over there?" Andy quickened his pace towards the object.
"What is it, Andy? Did you find him?" Nina shouted as she grabbed Delia by the hand and raced towards Andy. "Hey, wait for us." She called.
Jogging over, she realized what it was that Andy spotted. "Oh Andy." Nina put her hand on his shoulder.
It was a ripped piece of Ephram's gray sweatshirt that had been caught in the brush. The swatch of tattered fabric, about the size of a glove, had been doused with so much blood and debris that the original color of the fabric wasn't visible anymore.
"Ephram." Andy whispered as he stared at the cloth. He took a deep breath and sucked in the tears that welled up in his eyes. "I'm ok. I have to be strong." He told himself. His attention suddenly fell to something on the ground.
Andy dropped to his knees in front of the large outlined area of moist soil. "Oh no." Andy moaned.
"What's wrong?" Nina gasped.
"It's blood. The ground soaked it up." Andy said.
"But that's a lot of blood." Nina crouched down.
"This is not good." Andy shook his head. "I think he passed out here. That probably explains why there's so much blood at one spot. He must've regained consciousness sometime later and continued walking. This is serious, Nina." Andy rubbed his eyes. "Judging by this, he's lost a considerable amount of blood." He voice stopped. "No, no, no. We have to get to him quickly or he'll bleed to death. He may have a punctured artery."
Upon hearing the horrible news, Delia began to cry. Nina started to tear as well. She picked Delia up in her arms. They continued their frantic search. Nina and Delia called out Ephram's name through blinding tears and shaky voices.
The blue skies were dimming and the sun was starting to set in the west. Golden-orange rays of the sun hung onto the edge of the sky trying to give the humans a few more minutes of light to find their way.
* Oh please Ephram, hang on. Just hang on a while longer. Please Ephram. Don't die on me. * Andy willed in his head over and over again.
*end of Chapter 2*
A/N: So, who wants to hear more?