Bree, Jay- 17

Haliah- 17 ½

Nature's Dark Secrets

"This way," a boring trail guide droned and led the way up part of the mountain. "Be on the look out for panthers, there are a few that live around here."

"Did everyone bring rain jackets?" The energetic trail guide asked brightly, "we may experience a rain shower tonight!"

Jay heard Bree tighten her grip on her wheelchair's wheels and felt rather bad for not remembering earlier. Bree hated rushing water, that and panthers, along with lightning and falling trees. And all of those fears had started when a normal walk through the woods turned sideways and left her paralyzed from the waist down. After taking a moment to figure out her position, silently he put one hand down on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, reminding her that he was there too.

Bree lent her head against his hand in response to his action, silently taking comfort from his silent comforting action. This is going to be a long day. Both of them inwardly sighed.

Bree yelped at the sight of the lightning flashed through the sky and swiftly rolled backward, her amber eyes focused on where the lightning bolt had been barely a few moments ago. "L-lightning!" She squeaked, amber eyes round with horror and slightly glassy with memories of the night that she was paralyzed.

"Come on Jay! I promise it'll be fun!" Bree giggled and tugged Jay by the arm toward the woods.

Jay's blind blue eyes were reluctant but amused as he allowed his friend to pull him along. "I'm supposed to be sleeping." He grumbled, "we have school tomorrow."

"I know," Bree admitted, "but this won't take to long! We're just going to walk in the rain! it's only nine!"

Jay gave a drawn-out sigh and continued to make half-hearted complaints as they went deeper into the woods, faking his reluctance, he liked the feeling of the rain hitting his skin, and Bree knew it…

"Bree, did you hear me?"

The sound of her name snapped Bree out of the memories and she gave a vigorous shake of the head to help her shove the memories back. "Yeah, sorry about that!" She chirped happily and continued to walk alongside her partner for this part of the field trip.

"Isn't this fun Jay?!" Bree laughed as they walked through the rain splattering the leaves of the trees above them and soaking their clothes.

"No," Jay grunted, but he was fighting a tiny smile from appearing on his face.

"Come on!" Bree nudged him playfully, "I know you love the rain, Jay! There's no way you can avoid having fun out here!"

"I can think of many ways," Jay grunted before he tackled his friend and started to tickle her, "but this is pretty fun too."

Bree burst into laughter, laughing extremely hard and squirming as Jay continued to tickle her, a rather soft look on his grouchy face.

A low growl startled Bree and Jay from their tickle war minutes later and the pair of ten-year-olds scrambled up and backed away from the pair of eyes gleaming in the dark. A panther slinked out of the dark trees, hunger gleaming in its predatory eyes. "Run!" Bree howled and seized Jay by the wrist as the Panther tried to pounce on him.

Bree jerked out of the memory, her amber eyes flashing open and she quickly sat up, her heart racing from the sound of the rain drumming against the entrance of the cave she and Haliah were inside. After about ten minutes of walking around, the rain had picked up, which had sent her and Haliah to find shelter in this cave. The fire had died out a little while ago, leaving the brunette in complete silence and darkness. The only sounds were her heavy breathing and Haliah's slow deep breaths, leaving Bree with nothing to distract herself with. Bree scooted over to the fire and sat near the still warm embers. I need someone to distract me, she thought desperately, as thunder crackled and rain drummed against the ground outside. I can't do this right now! She shook her head violently as more memories pressing against her mind.

The Panther snarled and Bree whimpered, waiting for the cat to pounce on her…

No! Bree shoved the memories away as tears began to well in her amber eyes, Just… think, think about happy things!

The crack of lightning was followed by the crack of a tree splitting down the center. Which was followed by a scream and a loud splash…

"Bree?"

Bree flinched and managed to lift her gaze up to look at the teen who was standing at the entrance of the cave. She gazed at her friend through tear glazed eyes, unable to get the memories to go completely away. "Jay?" she asked, her voice weak and raspy.

Bree's chest felt like it was compressing itself as the river water rushed past her face, flooding her nose and ears, then with a sharp jerk the pain in her back and legs vanished…

"Don't panic," Jay rushed over to Bree and knelt next to her before he pulled her into his lap and situated her to be leaning against him with her head tucked down toward his neck. "Just breathe," he coaxed her, his usually flat and curt voice held affection and worry as he tried to get Bree to calm down and stop blocking the memories that he knew were bothering her. He knew this was going to happen, he should've insisted for Bree to stay back and not go on the hike, he should've insisted she didn't go!

Bree crumpled against him as the barrage of memories from the night she was paralyzed rushed through her like a tidal wave.

Bree floundered, trying to push up with her arms to get out of the river, she couldn't breathe with the water rushing past her face at such a high speed.

"Hang on!" Jay's voice sounded muffled and water logged, "I'll get you out of there!"

Moments later Bree felt someone grasp her shoulders and pull upward. Bree broke the surface with a gasp and spluttered, water streaming from her face and ears, the girl scrabbled to pull herself free from the tree trunk that was crushing her lower spine beneath it. Pain filled tears welled in Bree's eyes, the pain going on above the break hurt so much, she couldn't stand it. "Jay!" She spluttered, "it hurts!" she wailed, struggling to keep her head above the water.

"I know," Jay stammered, obviously trying to think of what to do to free his best friend. "I- I don't know what to do!"

"Do something!" Bree coughed as water got into her mouth, "anything!"

Jay scrambled around, starting to throw rocks into the wide river, trying to raise the water level enough that she could get free.

"What're you doing?!" Bree spluttered as a rock caused more water to spray her face.

"I'm gonna raise the water level!"

Bree coughed, "okay, hurry!"

Bree trembled in Jay's hold, her body shaking like a leaf as she clung to her friend with her eyes squeezed shut. Jay gently rocked the terrified brunette, his arms circled snugly around her body, one arm gently pressing her head against his chest, the other keeping her close to him. "Shh," he soothed, his voice missing any traces of his usually curt of grumpy tone, "it's okay Bree, nothing's going to happen this time."

Bree buried her face into his chest and started sobbing when the flash of light from a lightning bolt illuminated the small cave they were in. "not again…" Bree mumbled through her sobbing, her eyes still tightly closed.

Jay tightened his grip around Bree's body, tightening his embrace around the terrified brunette that was his best friend.

"Hurry Jay!" Bree spluttered as the sound of the panther reached her ears, black dots were swimming across her vision which blurred every few seconds. "It's coming back!"

"I'm hurrying!" Jay responded as he continued knocking stones and rocks into the river, trying to raise the water flow enough for the tree to start floating and so Bree could get free. "I'm trying as hard as I can!"

Bree jerked and trembled, fear running through her body and making her sob harder.

Jay held her closer, his blind eyes fixed one where she was huddled in his lap.

"Ah!" Jay yelped and he scrambled to dodge the Panther, his blind eyes huge with fear as he scrambled away from the large cat while he tried to throw more rocks into the river. By now Bree could barely breath, the river water had risen like Jay had wanted, but he hadn't been able to get it high enough for Bree's pinned body to be free from the trunk that had crushed her spine. The pressure wasn't hlf as bad, now her body was just pinned, she wasn't being crushed anymore.

Bree spluttered, making inaudible sounds as she floundered in the water. Moments later her face vanished beneath the water again and she came up coughing. "Jay!"

Jay swung a rock at the Panther with all his fight, smashing it against the Panther's head with all the might of a ten-year-old-boy.

The panther howled and raced away as Jay threw the rock into the river before he threw a few more in.

With a gasp of relief Bree felt the tree above her shift and move. "Jay it's off!" She spluttered before going under the surface as she started to be pushed down the river.

Jay reached blindly, searching for her. Fabric brushed his fingers and he seized her by the shirt before scrambling to pull her out of the river. "Bree!"

Bree used her arms to pull her body out the river and continued coughing where for a few moments she gazed at her friend with exhaustion, pain, and relief glazing over her eyes. A moment later her head hit the ground and she passed out.

Jay felt Bree still in his embrace, her sobbing stopped and her breathing evened, a signal that she was now asleep.

Character Emails (all are gmail accounts)

Caylee and any other side character – youngcrazyteenageauthor

Cynthia – athleticsapphiresinger

Leon – athleticgoldenboy

Bree – cheerfulcuriosity

Jay – perfectgrumpytone

Holly – emeraldintelligencequeen

Fini – gingerandwhiteteenager

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