DISCLAIMER – Thank you, one and all, for your kind reviews and for giving this story a chance. I know that many do not like Gabriella (sniff sniff) and, I guess, that can't be helped. However, she's a tortured soul these days, filled with regret and, now, busy with something else.
I want to also thank Eastman and Laird for allowing the use of 'their' guys and letting us have momentary opportunities to craft stories and circumstances around them for the sole purpose of honing our own creative talents.
The first part of this chapter may be a little confusing. I hope so, because Gabby should be. LOL Hopefully, all of you will eventually figure out where she's at, or, at least why she's there. Chapter 11 will explain things a bit more. Yes, the muses have been extra generous, to wit I have one more chapter in me. What is it they say? Strike while the iron is hot? Yeah, something like that. Be blessed.
Chapter 10 – A Chaotic Solitude
When she opened her eyes, Gabby found herself lying in the middle of a grassy field. She was on her side, using her right arm under her head for a pillow. She suddenly sat up, startled, and then looked around.
"Where am I?" she asked herself silently.
Rolling up to a sitting position on the grass, a sudden mood came over her. It was wistful, curious, and maybe even a little expectant. She couldn't say exactly why she felt that way, she just – did.
However, maybe she should have been more surprised, considering this was completely unexpected.
Just the same, it seemed strangely and, oddly, quite familiar to her.
"Have I here before," she asked herself.
As Gabby glanced around, what she saw seemed just a little out of place compared to where she was only moments earlier. Yet, even though she was aware of that fact, she could not quite remember where 'at' was before arriving 'here'.
It was almost as if that part of her life no longer existed.
Nevertheless, the setting was pleasantly intriguing to her.
She discovered right away that she was sitting in a meadow that stretched as far as the eye could wander. Mature oak trees, full with early summer growth of dark foliage, sporadically dotted the landscape. Below the stately giants grew an endless expanse of bright green grass that intermingled with large solitary patches of yellow, pink, and purple flowers.
Although she could not see it, she could easily hear the sound of rushing water. It seemed to run just beyond where she sat, with its melodious voice echoing across the expanse. As the water joyously cascaded into what she imagined were small shallow pools, it seemed to giggle as the brook flowed lazily towards whatever destination awaited it.
Gabby smiled. She liked this place; it gave her a kind of peace that transcended serenity. For some reason, she felt as if she belonged here.
Taking in a deep cleansing breath and slowly letting it back out, she absorbed the tranquility of the moment.
Then, as she sniffed, she asked herself, "Was that - jasmine?"
Yes, she could definitely smell jasmine; its sweet perfumed scent drifted over her, surrounding Gabby like a lei of flowers.
She smiled again.
Tired of sitting, though, Gabby brought her legs under her and then clambered easily to a stand.
She felt lighter than air and happier than she could last remember. She laughed a little, quite overjoyed with just being where she was.
Now, she could see more of the meadow and immediately realized that it was much larger than she had first thought – and it seemed to go on forever, too. As she looked up, Gabby saw large cottony clouds ghosting across the cerulean sky as the golden rays from the sun whitewashed the landscape with a brilliant light, warming her face. She shielded her eyes with her hand, squinting away the brightness before casting her eyes back to the lay of the land again.
She realized, then, that the trees were the only variance in the scenery; adding height to what would have been an otherwise flat and unassuming countryside. Gabby turned around, completing a full circle as she took in the area before her. She then commented aloud when she returned to her starting point, "Strange that there aren't any mountains here."
"Would you like mountains?" a voice suddenly rang out.
Gabby whipped around, now frightened since she had not seen anyone at all when she had made her panoramic turn a moment ago. With her eyes slightly wide and her body tense, she asked nervously, "W-who's there?"
"I am." the voice stated calmly, its tone non-threatening and benign.
"W-who are you?" she asked again, now more frightened than before since she was positive she had been quite alone in the meadow.
"Who would you like me to be?" it asked sincerely.
"Don't play games with me!" she demanded sharply.
"I am not." it said simply.
After a long moment of silence and without hearing the voice again, Gabby wondered if maybe she had just imagined it. Although she was truly fine with that, it still seemed all too real to ignore. She waited; certain that 'the voice' would speak once more to her, but it did not.
All was silent again.
Gabby then looked around, but all she could see was the brook, the trees, and the endless landscape of grass and flowers. Shrugging her shoulders and believing that she had indeed imagined the voice, she decided to explore this strange and wondrous world. She focused on a point along the far horizon and began walking towards it. There, just along the edge of her view, stood a copious of trees, taller than the rest and more closely grouped together.
It seemed strangely familiar to her, as well.
As she took her first step towards her destination, she realized in that moment that she was barefoot. Her toes grabbed at the grass as she walked, the short, tender stocks jutting in-between her toes as she took each step.
It almost tickled!
In a rarified, moment of euphoria and completely forgetting her question as to why she was there, Gabby twirled around. With her arms outstretched and her head thrown back, pure joy began to overwhelm her. She felt like bursting into song. She laughed aloud, feeling the happiness bubbling up within. She had never felt like this before in her entire life.
It felt like a bit of heaven.
Calming down just a little, her hands suddenly felt the folds of the skirt she was wearing. She looked down and saw that it was blue in color, accented with a blouse that was a complimentary white. It all seemed brand new, as if in this moment she was wearing it for the very first time. Then, looking over to her right, she spied a cluster of large, shady oak trees nestled alongside the ribbon of water, while the brook worked its way through the meadow.
It looked quite inviting. It was then that she thought a little detour might be fun.
However, before she had even taken a dozen steps, she came upon a path, smooth from ancient use and free from the errant pebble or rock. Along both sides were the occasional clump of flowers, some daisies, and a few pansies. Yet, mostly they were a jumble of various species that delighted the senses.
Quite taken with the little path, Gabby decided to follow it, rather than head for the stand of oak by the stream. The more she walked the tan ribbon of hardened dirt, the more right it felt to her.
Gabby soon found that she was indeed not the only one in the meadow. There were the sounds of birds that filled the otherwise noiseless expanse with their music. She saw a few take flight from the trees, their aerial dance sporadic as they flitted through the air and onward to the next stand of growth. They called out as they flew, inviting more of their own to join in the display.
She then noticed butterflies and bees spiraling and darting from flower to flower, lost in their task of finding nectar. The butterflies, however, were the most beautiful she had ever seen. Vibrant in a rainbow of hues and larger than she thought possible, they were strikingly beautiful. She had this unexplainable desire to chase after them, too, but decided to stick to the pathway.
As she traveled along the narrow dirt road, she was soon surprised to find that the meadow was not as flat as she had first assumed. As she walked, and there was no telling how long or far Gabby did since the sun seemed to stay fixed and unmoving in the sky, she found herself descending a gentle hill. The path wound down into a small valley and around an outcropping of rock before ascending upwards to run along the top of the meadow once again.
It was an easy climb and it took hardly any breath for her to do. In fact, it was exhilarating.
As she crested the lip of the small dale, she felt a sudden presence. Gabby stopped and looked around. Squinting, she tried to see if maybe someone or something was hiding in among the trees. The stand of stately growth was well away from her. Even if someone were there and tried to sneak up to her, Gabby would have sensed them long before they could.
"Odd," she said softly aloud, but mostly to herself.
"What is odd?" the voice asked, obviously not as imaginary as Gabby had thought. In fact, it almost sounded as if it were right next to her, too.
Whirling around suddenly and looking for this stranger with all of her might, she found as she did before – absolutely nothing.
Just the same, Gabby was now certain that she was not imagining things. In fact, the more she thought about it, where she was began to seem stranger by the moment. It didn't seem right at all. How was it possible for the sun not to move? How could she be in a dress and blouse, and feel the way she was now, when earlier she was wearing…?
Gabby thought about that and, for the life of her, she just could not remember how she felt before arriving in this place or what she was wearing, for that matter. Her memory seemed to be more in the here and now, with whatever 'past' gone forever from her mind.
Yet, there was an unfinished feeling about it, as if she hadn't quite fully arrived. It was as if her very unsettled feeling kept her bound where she was. Yet, there was also this sense of 'more', as if this place was only a way station of sorts, the beginning of something greater than – 'here'.
Where was she before she came 'here' anyway? "In fact, where is 'here'", she asked herself in wonder. She looked around some more and, as much as she wanted to believe it, it just didn't make any sense.
Now, instead of joy filling her heart, a subtle unsettling fear began to grip her. As she looked around, she saw the oak trees, the grass, and the flowers; she could even see the reflected light dancing off the water as the brook meandered its way through the meadow.
Nothing had changed and, yet, in one brief moment, everything had changed.
"Please," she whimpered, "Please show yourself. It's not right to hide like that."
"You did," the voice replied, not accusingly, but as a matter-of-factly, as if it could not say anything less.
Gabby stood there and held her breath in surprise. She strangled out a single word, a question, "What?"
The voice repeated itself, but more forcibly as it emphasized, "YOU did."
She swallowed nervously. Gabby was now quite certain that wherever she was, it was not heaven. "I – don't understand, what do you mean, I did. I've been here, all the time, while you've been – hiding – somewhere." She turned around again and tried to look harder at the stand of oaks.
Did the voice come from over there?
Slowly, as she focused more, she could discern a figure, huddled within the shadows of the trees. "Are you – a friend?" she asked it. Then Gabby's eyes went wide just a little when she saw it shrug.
"Maybe, or maybe not. That would depend on you, child," the voice teased cryptically.
"On me, why me? I don't understand. Where am I?" she asked more desperately. Gabby was beginning to feel very uncomfortable, almost as if her deepest darkest secret was not so secret anymore. Yet, even she could not say what that secret was exactly.
"Why can't I remember things?" she grouched to herself.
"As for where you are, you are here. As for whether or not I am your friend; that would depend on how you react to me."
"How I would react to you?" Gabby asked irritably, standing there and staring at the shadowed figure. "Wish he'd just show himself," she grumped a little. "Why is he baiting me like this?" Gabby felt her joy turn to sudden anger.
The voice chuckled, almost amusingly, and then remarked, "So much like your father, you are." Then, the voice beckoned, "Come, child, and sit with me. There is much to discuss and we have little time for such matters."
"I'm not coming over there until you show yourself. For all I know, you might attack me." Gabby challenged.
"Hmm…what if I did, child. What would you do?"
Gabby was now somewhat stunned and more unsure than before. "I - don't know. I guess I would protect myself."
"Would you? Could you? Considering the kind of fuss you have been making of late, I'm surprised you would even try," the voice laughed lightly.
Not understanding what it meant, Gabby remarked, "Anyone would try to defend themselves if attacked. It's only natural," she countered confidently.
"Is that so? Is that what you believe?" it asked.
Gabby thought about that and cowered just a little. She did not know how, but she now remembered in that moment one event of her life that happened before she had arrived 'here'. It was almost as if 'the voice' had the power to let her remember, or not.
There was a time when she believed that it was not necessary to fight. "Those days are long gone. We're accepted now. Things can be solved without resorting to violence." Those were her words and spoken to – whom? It irritated her that she could not remember, or, maybe 'the voice' would not let her.
Finally and with her newly recalled memory conflicting with what she had just said to this stranger, Gabby replied, albeit less confidently, "I – really don't – know, now."
"Then," the voice replied kindly, "you and I must talk so that you will know what to believe."
Almost before she realized it, Gabby was standing in the midst of the giant oak grove, only it had changed. Now, they were taller, so much taller, and red, and quite familiar to her. Their branches jutted out from all around, like conifers, intertwining themselves with each other until they literally blocked out almost all of the sunlight. They surrounded her on all sides as the giants encapsulated her.
At first, she panicked.
A second ago, she was out in the open, with the meadow all around her.
Now, as if a simple thought had the power, here she was in the middle of this natural sanctuary.
"Sanctuary?" she thought, "where did that word come from?" Yet, it 'tasted' of a memory, one that made her feel safe, secure, even protected – and loved.
"How did I…?" she sputtered, unable to comprehend the impossibility of where she was.
"It is not how, my child," the voice interrupted, "But, the true question is why you are here and why you need to hide?"
Gabby's proximity sense clearly told her that she was now not alone within the confines of the cluster of trees anymore. One moment she was, while in the next she wasn't.
She could sense something or someone else in here with her and it seemed to have 'materialized' almost instantly.
Slowly, she turned around, gulping deeply in trepidation and afraid of what she might find. As she turned on her heel to look at what was behind her, the moment she saw the figure, all of her fear melted away.
The creature smiled up at her, his toothy grin showing well under his elongated snout. His rich brown coat, almost new looking, shone as if the sun itself resided within the sanctuary of trees. Then, she noticed the soft red hue of his kimono drape his frame, as if made specifically just for him.
She couldn't help but take note of his large expressive brown eyes as they sparkled in amusement at her. His whiskers twitched and his ears turned towards her in anticipation, making her smile in response. As Gabby looked closer, she saw his snake-like hairless tail pad the ground softly in amusement, the way a cat would when content.
Waving a sleeved arm to the right, he invited, "It might be better if we sat down," and then he walked over to a bench that seemed to appear magically out of thin air; as if just by wanting it was enough to bring it into existence.
Gabby stared hard at the creature and knew almost instinctively that it would not harm her. Just the same, it did seem curiously familiar, as if she had heard something about this creature before. She smiled a little and then complied, stepping over to the bench and sitting down lightly next to the being.
It was then that she remembered.
With eyes wide in recollection, "You're…" she began to ask breathlessly, but he held up a bony hand to stop her.
"I once was, but now I am more than that. However," he cleared his throat, "There is something of greater importance that I have to tell you, but we do not have much time. Please, try not to interrupt me, but listen, learn, and for once, try NOT to be like your father."
As soon they came upon the fiery crash, Don slowed the car to a stop along the center divider of the highway. Not wasting a moment, Seth barreled out from within the suburban and ran along the right edge of the eastbound road. The moment he arrived at a point of convergence with the Steese, he then clambering over the divider to race across the nearly deserted thoroughfare.
"GABBY!" he screamed out, ''GABRIELLA!" Seth yelled, his voice cracking under the weight of anticipated loss. He now ran the wrong way down the transition bridge from the Mitchell to the Steese. He ran faster still when he saw the flaming debris along the small snow-covered depression just past the ramp and wedged between it and the highway above.
Leo was immediately behind him, knowing where his son was in his panic.
As Seth raced for the broken, burning heap that was once a car, he knew it belonged to Gabby. Based on the description the informant had shared with the family, Seth knew it was hers. Yet, it was so mangled and torn apart, that it wasn't anything like its former self.
"GABBY!" he yelled again, increasing his pace even more to reach the site of the destroyed vehicle.
Leo had kept up with his frantic son, staying right behind him, all the while followed by the remaining members of the clan.
"SETH, STOP!" he ordered, catching up with his son and grabbing at him, pulling Seth back and away from the flaming wreck. "Son, if she's in there…there's nothing more we can do for her."
Seth sobbed, overwhelmed with seeing his children after such a long time, and now facing the prospect of losing his wife forever. "She can't be in there, she just can't." Facing Leo, he sobbed, "I felt her, Father, and I know she's alive." His shoulders shook as he declared through his weeping, "Gabby has to be around here somewhere," he choked out between sobs as he looked desperately over the area.
Now, the remaining members of his family joined them, trying to help Leo keep Seth away from the inferno. Raph and Don edged their way between them and the crash, their backs facing the disaster and acting like a virtual wall to keep their nephew from advancing any further.
Devon grabbed on to his brother's arm, pulling him back and holding him steady, "Hey, bro, just calm, okay? Going crazy on us won't help Gabby."
"Let's see if she is alive, first, Seth," Don whispered hoarsely. Turning around, the horrific scene and its possibilities nearly moved Don to tears as well. He knew that if Gabby had indeed died in the crash, Cassie would never forgive him. Yet, his relationship with his wife was the least of his concerns right now.
As he observed the scene, he saw how the explosion had torn the car apart. Fully engulfed in flames, the area looked more like a war zone itself than an accident. A couple of the wheels had ripped off and rocketed out beyond the wreck, their tires burning like a bonfire where they landed in the snow.
Then, some distance from the wreck, Don noticed a solitary door, obviously blown off from the explosion. It was crumpled and twisted, lying off to one side only twenty feet away. Half buried in the snow, he could see one end of the door propped up alongside a small boulder. It seemed unscathed by the fire. As he looked harder at the door, he realized it was from the driver's side, where Gabby would have been.
He steadied himself for the worse.
All six then focused their minds as one, concentrating on the faintest glint of thought. They each began taking a different angle around the accident, looking this way and that as they mentally searched for Gabriella. They ignored the few cars that slipped past them along the transition bridge heading for the other highway above.
Two cars stopped just short of the calamity, with their occupants stepping out to observe the scene. Both drivers had their cell phones out. In the distance, the whine of sirens began to fill the silent void of night.
Above the connector ramp from the Steese and along the westbound side of Mitchell Highway, one car stopped over the scene. The driver quickly leaped out and ran for the connector bridge. As they turned around the end of the ramp where it merged with the Mitchell, they then raced down to where the crumpled mass of burning metal lay.
A young woman, her face white with contrasting dark drawn around her eyes and red along her lips, ran towards the crash, calling out as she did, "GABBY, GABBY, OH MY GOD, NO!" she screamed.
Don immediately noticed the girl and at the sound of his niece's name, everyone on the team turned their attention to her. As she raced down the depression and towards the fiery crash, she tripped over some brush concealed by the snow. Tumbling and falling, she then gathered herself up once again, only to continue running towards her friend's destroyed car.
The glow from the fire illuminated the general area almost to daylight intensity. Therefore, it was easy enough to see the half-dozen people milling around the crash. In her panic, Tricia did not recognize their hooded coats from the nightclub as she screamed out "GABBY!" and sobbed more hysterically.
Don immediately intervened before the girl could get any closer. Grabbing her and, thereby stopping her, he cautioned, "No, you can't get any closer; it's too hot."
"My friend…" she sobbed, "My friend's in there. Oh my God, she's burning alive." Tricia wailed.
She fought the stranger with all of her might, but Tricia's strength dissipated as her grief took its toll. She nearly collapsed in Don's arms now. "You need to save her, you need to…" she cried desperately, looking up into the darkness of his hood.
Suddenly, before Don could console her, Devon's voice rang out excitedly, "I'VE FOUND HER!"
COMMENTS –
GEMDRIVE – Well, my job is complete if I can get you to feel what the characters feel:0) I worked long and hard on it, too. Gabby seems to be a very unpopular young lady these days. Gone are her supporters from YD, I guess. Blame my tendency to write outside the box. The girl is just a jumble of contradictions, I guess, but I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the 'ride'. As for the cliffie at the end, guess you still have to wait to find out if Gabby died or what, where my muses took extra long in crafting that 'other world' scene. Wow, did I have fun with that one, too! LOL So, in short, I refuse to say how many more chapters, but I am most positive that there won't be many more left to this story. Again, what I often plan on writing becomes something else entirely once my fingers hit the keyboard. I type my stories out, I don't write them down. Even I have a hard enough time reading my 'chicken scratch'! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
TBREADER – Wow, I thought you disappeared. Where I was throwing these updates around like breadcrumbs, and loading a new chapter almost every day and all… Anyway, I guess if I made Gabby all agreeable and sweetness and bowing to everyone's whim, she might be likeable. However, that just wouldn't be Gabby – nor is it the way I write my characters. Mary Sue she isn't, although she does come close on some level. I'm hoping for just one more chapter and the epilogue, or just the epi after chapter 10. Can't say as the muses pretty much are in charge of this story. With all of my fast updating, something other than me would have to be! LOL Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
LUNAR-NINJA – Pacphys is indeed a godsend. She corrected me on a few things. The weather is one, but I decided to go for a late winter frost, the last 'hurrah', so to speak. It happens. However, the winter gear was her input as well as letting me know that indeed they still receive airplane arrivals, even in December/January! Just not LearJets. Well, gee, Gabby's so desperate not to be left behind (thereby avoiding becoming public mutant enemy number one) that her common sense went south. Pun intended. LOL As for hospital bills, no promises. She's been a rather bad girl these past five years, so…I'm sure some readers would like for me to kill her off. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
PACPHYS – Well, thanks for the beta! I've made the changes. LOL Goodness, after a while, I can barely read English. Ever say a word repeatedly until it completely loses its meaning. Yeah, something like that. Oh, the fireball. Yeppers, I had fun with it, that's for sure. I'm trying to be more descriptive with my writing. Takes so much time, so much to review, GAH. Don is in trouble regardless of what happens to Gabby. The guy's getting senile. Enough said. LOL Hope this update was fast enough for you! Thanks for the help, too. I used globexplorer(dot)com to determine what's what considering the transition between the Mitchell and Steese highways. I just can't tell if the southbound to westbound transition has a hill or a depression between them. So, given the shadowing from the Mitchell in the picture, I can safely assume the roadway is raised a bit to allow for an underpass and for the terrain. It's an educated guess between me and my magnifying glass:0) Thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.
RAMICA – Yes in deed, I did say angst in the story descrip. And, it is a writer's responsibility to catch her readers unaware, too:0) So, where I've been waiting for your review to update, looks like I now can! Yes, dear readers, it is Ramica's fault for not reading chapter 9 earlier, to where I could upload chapter 10! Bwahaha…. Just kidding. I was actually waiting for a certain number of reviews so I could comment on them. I knew you would read it when you came home, if not this morning. As far as if Gabby lives? That's still undecided. More bwahaha's! Ah, methinks that Don is in hot water regardless if Gabby lives or not; Cassie will be ticked off he put so much pressure on her daughter, deserving as it was. So, without further adieu, thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.