Chapter 8

My longest chapter yet! Read and enjoy!!!


Now in eastern Russia 5 days late Eliza is the first one out of the vehicle just thankful to be on dry land. Her leg is improving drastically each day. "Gosh I thought we were never going to get out of there and for a moment I didn't' think mom was going to give in either," she sighed to her best friend standing by her side. He is just so amazed at how cold it is in Russia during January. "No wonder your mother wanted you to stay inside it is so freaking cold out here!" Darwin exclaimed over the howl of the wind. Eliza on the other hand is ignoring him and looking out to the vast wilderness of eastern Russia in twilight. "Come on Dar besides it was getting really stuffy in there and mom has been really moody," she says taking a breath. "So why don't we just wander around a bit and look for a friendly polar bear," she finishes begging him to follow her along. "Oh you have got to be kidding me my feet are ice cycles," Darwin whines ready to sprint back to the commvee. "Whatever! Go back to the commvee you big baby!" she shouts frustrated that her best friend would cope out like this again!

She finally stomps off with her foot throbbing in pain but she doesn't care. Starting off in an easterly direction she looks back in time to see Darwin trip over a small rock in the ground. She laughs at him so hard she thinks she is dying. "What a loser!" she yells loud enough for him to shoot back a look that makes her laugh even harder. He then runs inside and out of sight. She finally calms down enough to realize that she is on the ground. Continuing her journey through the blizzard she suddenly hears an ear-piercing screech coming from the commvee and Donnie starts outside dashing towards her.

"What is it Donnie?" Eliza asks in her sweetest childlike voice even though he looks really suspicious as if he has done something Debbie doesn't approve of. They then head off into the arctic twilight. About an hour later she comes to what she thinks is the ocean and too her left she sees a polar bear and runs off in that direction. As she gets close she realizes that it is only a tree and a crazy one at that. It has limbs reaching out from all directions many of the limbs are bent and growing in loops around the tree like the tree is being choked. She looks up and see's a bird like creature sitting atop the tree as if it is watching its prey. "Hey! Hey you up there!" she shouts hoping to find a polar bear but no response not even a twitch from this creature. Suddenly Eliza gets chilly and starts freaking out a bit turning around to head back home but she can't even remember from which direction she came. Feeling pressure to her head she passes out near the tree.

Her parents are also looking for polar bears but are having no luck as well. "Why does the foundation always choose the harshest of places for us?" Marianne says to no one in particular that the foundation would put her family in so many harsh places that even the animals don't come. "Yes I'm surprised that the commvee has lasted so long in such harsh conditions," Nigel says with a chuckle trying to cheer up his wife. He just can't understand why she is being so uptight at a time like this normally she would love being in -30 F weather in twilight. "What's wrong dear?" Nigel asks after a few minutes of silence. "Nothing!" she snaps making him jump back in surprise. "Now can we please get back to work?" she asks in a begging tone. "Not until you tell me what is up with you have been so moody lately that the girls don't even want to be around you so what's up?" he says stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Wow you are stupid," she begins sighing and sits on the freezing ground continuing when he doesn't retort to her comment. "Well if you must know we are in one of the harshest places in the world, it's been a grueling 2 week trip across the world and to top that off I'm 5 months pregnant against my will! I can't believe that happened I was about to get my life back. On top of that I'm really fat!" she says before breaking down hysterical. "Now, Marianne listen up its not all bad this baby is going to be the sweetest one yet, and none of us can tell. About being here it is only for a few more days then we will probably go somewhere warm like South America," he says trying to cheer her up despite her awkward situation.

"Sure," she mumbles not in the mood for small talk. She really is trying to calm down but just can't everything is getting more and more irritating. Several minutes after she starts filming Nigel again she hears Donnie's wild jabbers off in the distance. "Donnie?" Nigel asks surprised to hear Donnie running around alone in this weather. He then runs right in Marianne trying to get her attention. He grabs her by the arm trying to get her to move. "What is it sweetie?" she says as he pulls on her harder. He finally gets them both to follow after a bit of going back and forth between the two of them. They then reach Eliza who has been out for what seems like forever. She is covered in a blanket of snow and partially blue to the face.

"Oh-no!" Marianne gasps putting her hands into her face unable to watch as Nigel lifts Eliza making a mad dash for warmth. "Is…is she dead?" Marianne gasps trying to catch her breath. "No… I felt for a pulse…" he pauses a moment. "It's very weak though but we may still have a chance," he finishes throwing whatever he can over her. As fast as he can go he knows their time is slipping away rapidly. They make it back in 30 minutes and Nigel throws all he knows over her. "She may have a severe case of hypothermia," he starts but is soon interrupted. "But we are so far from anything how can she survive?"Marianne quickly adds before he can say another word. "We have to have faith that she will overcome this," Nigel says in his quietest and calmest voice. They keep watch on her for the rest of the night hoping she will improve.

5 days later:

Debbie is watching her sister but there is still no improvement in her condition. While Debbie ponders in thought about what is happening she sees Eliza stir from the corner of her eye. "Mom! Dad! She is waking up!" she calls from her room listening to her parents bound down the stairs like an excited puppy dog. "What is she ok?" Nigel says in a rush and out of breath. "I don't know all I know is that she is waking up," Debbie says still sitting on her bed in her tiny room. A few minutes later she stirs some more and slowly opens her eyes for the first time in days. She glances around at her new surroundings and then looks at each of them. "Who are all of you?" she says as confusion takes over her mind. "What? She's joking right?" Debbie says to her parents who look as dumbfounded as she does. "Who…who are you?" she repeats trembling really hard now she feels like she has a really bad headache and reaches out to her head. "And why does my head hurt?" she adds still trembling. Everyone is still staring at her not sure how to react to such news. "Nigel what's wrong with her?" Marianne says frantically, terrified of what else he might say. "I don't know but I believe she has amnesia," he says trying to calm her down.

"What do you mean you think? Stupid had we stayed at my mother's none…none of this would be happening right now!" she yells at him with him in total shock over her second outburst today. "Marianne, calm down! She got knocked on the head. Tell me how any of us could have prevented that, huh?" he says grabbing her by the shoulders trying to keep her from going totally crazy but he fears it could be too late. Just then Eliza starts panicking and throws herself under her covers crying. "Look at what you made me do!!!" Marianne jumps at him again. "What I made you do? He says trying to recover from her sudden outburst. "You are so against me! Why did I ever marry you in the first place?" she cries out near hysteria. "Hey! Just chill for a second when did I become the bad guy?" he says afraid of what she might do next. "Mom! Dad! Chill out what about Eliza over here? And when did this become a battle between you two? So please help me calm down Eliza," Debbie intervenes the sudden outburst in the room. Eliza is still crying but back from under her covers still staring at them. "How did I get here?" she says after the fighting stops. "Eliza, that's your name and I'm your big sister," Debbie says calmly as if speaking to her for the first time. "But that doesn't sound right. What's a name anyways?" she says trembling and ducking back underneath her covers terrified of these strangers. "Let's let her get some rest and maybe it will come back later," Nigel says as the three of them leave. Eliza listens to them walk out of the room as she ponders on who they might be.

"Maybe their aliens," she says to herself "and maybe they kidnapped me and stole my brain," she says to herself under her blankets and saddened by a really strong lonely feeling. A few minutes later a crazy boy dashes in making her scream hitting her back against the wall. "Who…who are you? I don't remember you either," she says whimpering and just then the lady with the temper comes in and grabs him. "Who is that?" she says to her. "Eliza, sweetie this is Donnie your little brother," Marianne says holding him so he won't run around anymore, "my b.r.o.t.h.e.r," she says really slowly like she is learning to talk for the first time. "So he's not going to eat me?" Eliza says eying the strange looking boy. "Of course not what gave you such a silly idea?" Marianne says wondering how that came about. "Well get some rest and your memory should be back very soon," she adds before giving her daughter a tiny kiss and heads out the door.

A few hours later Eliza shoves the covers off and slowly makes her way to the door when suddenly a monkey steps out in front of her making her nearly scream and fall backwards into the ground. "Ow," she cries out still hoping no one has heard her. The monkey reaches out his hand trying to help her. "Now who are you? And who else is here that I don't know about?" she says taking Darwin's hand. "Eliza I'm your friend," he says "You talk?" She gasps in a whisper wide-eyed. "I didn't know you talk," she adds in disbelief. "Ya well I was hoping you were doing better but now I'm not so sure," he says as she just keeps staring at this new discovery. "Now this is just getting creepy you should really get some rest," Darwin adds to his friend who seems way out of it. "No way I'm getting out of here now are you in or not?" she says staring past him. "No way! Especially in the condition you're in," Darwin says blocking her path. "Well so sorry I got to do this to you but here it goes," she says as she punches him so hard in the face that he falls backwards into the wall with a great thud. Eliza slowly walks over him glancing around her parent's room. "What is this place?" she says to herself trying to find anything familiar. She finally spots the ladder to the hatch door and starts to climb it but as she does her leg gets caught and she slips cutting her knee. Gooey blood trickles down the side of her leg and it takes everything she's got to not cry out. Finally she reaches the hatch and hears moaning from below. "Great," she says to herself "he's coming to," she slightly opens the hatch and peeks around. Those people are sitting around a tiny table with worried looks on their faces and looks as if no one has eaten in weeks.

"It has to be that doesn't it?" the crazy man says to his wife with a sad expression on his face. "I know Nigel but everything will be just fine," she says to him. As they talk Eliza ever so slowly inches her way to the front door hoping to not be seen. "Hey, you can't go out there," someone says from behind. "Oh ya? Watch me," she says not even looking back and tries to run to the door when someone grabs her from behind. "You can't go out there Eliza it would be way too dangerous for you," the lady says. "Let go of me!" she screams at her mother trying to escape her hold. "I…I don't know you! You are holding me here against my will," she yells sobbing. Dropping to her knees she curls up into the fetal position and just shakes. "Leave me alone!" She cries out again terrified that she is being held against her will.


To be continued… long huh?