Whispers of Blindness Disclaimer: I own no one. I no money make, and I did this for fun mkay?
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 I scrambled away from the hot knob and shouted until my voice was hoarse, Then, I felt something hot at my back, towards the kitchen. I felt the back of my neck, and felt; Flames! My blonde hair was on fire! I screamed then croaked as I tried to put the fire on my head out. hen, someone or something clubbed me hard against the back, and I sank to my knees. I opened my eyes, but I didn't see anything. I thought about it and said "Is anyone here?" something sat on the bed next to me. It was Jessie. "I'm here." She said softly, touching my burning forehead. "When do these bandages come off? I can't see a thing." I said scratching beside my eye. My hand felt skin. "There are no bandages on your eyes Jonny." She said sadly. "Are my eyes open?" I asked stupidly. "Yes." She said. Her voice was cracking. I reached up and felt of her long red hair. I searched until I had her face cupped in my palm. "I'll be okay, I just need some of those eye drops." I said thinking my eyes were dialated to the point that I was temporarily blind. I could feel her head as it shook side to side. Then I felt her tears on my palm as she kissed it. She drew in a quaking breath and said "You're blind as a bat, Jonny. You will never see again." I slowly pulled my hand away. I put my head from side to side. I couldn't see a thing, that was for sure. I thought about Jessie, and Hadji, who had died bravely defending his mother, I thought about race and my dad. I'd never know what they looked like unless they told me. I felt hot tears pool at the edges of my blind eyes, but I would not let them spill over. I asked her what my eyes looked like. She said. "They're the same clear blue I fell in love with, but, they don't see anymore." I could hear her crying. I sat up and tried my best to pull her into a hug. I think I grabbed her waist and her arm, but I managed to wiggle her closer to me. She cried on my shoulder before I could pull away and I stared at a tremendous light. "Do you think I'll need a seeing eye dog?" I warbled. "The best in breed." Race said. I turned my head in the direction of the sound. "Christ Jonny, you look like someone took you to a Catfish live concert and left you to the bonfire!" he exclaimed. I had totally forgotten about my hair. I reached up and felt that my hair had been cut all the way up to my ears! I shouted, "My hair! Oh my God, My hair!" I broke down then, to me, my hair was my best trait, It was thick and was the color of the sun, Jessie once told me. I prided myself in knowing that I had never cut it, and I washed it every night and spent long hours making sure it was just right. I must look like a sheared sheep. I thought. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks. They burned because they were tears of self-pity, and that was another thing, I definitely did not want to feel. I watched at Jonny's trembling hand went over the braille book. "what's this thing?" he asked me. I leaned over and said "I'ts a braille book Jonny. When you're blind, this is how you read." I explained. He ran a hand through what had been his incredibly sexy hair. I sighed. "What?" He asked. "Nothing, I was just thinking about what your hair used to look like before they Cut off all the burnt stuff." I said touching his cheek. "You mean, I didn't put it out before I fainted?" He asked turning his head in the direction of my voice. "No, and you didn't faint, my dad had to put out that little fireball on your back, so he whacked you pretty hard." I laughed at the memory, then quickly steadied myself. "I suppose they'll put me in a stupid class now." He reckoned. I shook my head and then remembered he wasn't able to see me. He said "I know I'm blind. Don't rub it in." He said. I was shocked. "But I didn't say anything." I said. "Yes you did, you said that I wasn't able to see you." I got up and thought AT him that I loved him. "I know that." He replied out loud. I said "Just a minute, I'll be right back." I said, and ran out into the hall to get Dr. Quest leaving a befuddled Jonny to wonder in the hospital room. When I returned I told Dr. Quest to think AT Jonny. Jonny didn't utter a word. "what did you think?" I asked him thinking that it might have been something to do with that. "I thought that I was proud of him." He explained. I stood still then called my father in the room. When he stood in the doorway, with his toothbrush i hand, he questioned me. "what?" He said. "Daddy, think AT Jonny but think something positive." I said. He looked at me and said "There, I thought it, now what?" he asked. Jonny didn't look at my father. He looked at me. A thought entered my mind, but it wasn't my own, nor did I put it there. it said, Did you know that I love you? I said "yes." Jonny smiled for the first time in three days. "Daddy, Dr. Quest, Take one of my hands, then think AT Jonny." Dr. Quest shook his head but still took my small hands in his. Then , My father took my other one. We all thought a separate thought AT Jonny and his head snapped up. "Since when do I look like a peach?" he said. Dr. Quest said "How'd you do that?" then Jonny said, "Yes Race, I still love her." Race slowly backed up. "Hey, you're messin with dangerous stuff there Jonny, How come you can only hear us when we have contact with Jessie?" Jonny shook his head. "I don't know, I'm only nineteen!" He said. I went over to Jonny and thought that he would be ok. "I'm not 'Okay,' I'm blind for crying out loud!" He was frustrated. I decided that maybe he'd had enough excitement for ten minutes. I pointed towards the door. "Go on Dr. Quest, daddy, He needs time to think." I said. The filed out. Daddy's forgotten toothbrush on the stand. I got up and closed the door. "Are you still here Jessie?" he asked. "Yes, I'm still here. Do you know, that you read my mind?" I said. He scoffed at me . "I can't read anyone's mind. I'm just a teen." I reached over and took his hand. "Put your fingers on my lips. I said. He slowly put his warm fingers against my lips. I thought AT him that I loved him even though he couldn't see me. "Either you're a very good ventriloquist or we have made a very important discovery. I felt the sunlight on my cheeks behind my sunglasses as me and Jessie walked into the kennel. I walked past the rows of yipping dogs and I stopped at a deep throaty growling cage. I felt the fence and a cold nose reached my fingers. I smiled and sid "jessie, what does this one look like?" another voice came from behind me. "That's Sheena, our new dog." I asked "What is she?" I felt another lick at my fingers. I felt a presence at my face and I thought at Jessie. Is she looking at me? Yes. She thought back. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were blind." The voice said sincerely. I tried to smile and said, "It's ok, I get that alot." "Sheena is a siberian husky. and she would come up to your knees. I thought at Jessie; 'That would be perfect.' Jessie put a hand around my shoulders and helped me to my feet. 'Yeah. She is a beautiful dog.' Jessie thought back. "How much?" I asked threading my fingers through jessie's. "I'll knock off about three because you really need her." "Three dollars?" I asked the air. "No three hundred dollars. That would make her only one hundred." The sexless voice said. I thought at Jessie. 'I have my Columbian Swiss card, should we?' She put my hand to her mouth so I could feel her smile. 'Go for it.' was her answer. Jessie helped me put Sheena's harness on. Then I curled my hand around the handle. Jessie put her hand in mine for extra support. Then we three started to walk out of the kennel. But a hand grabbed my arm. I gasped and thought frantically, 'Jess, some ones got my arm!'But, she replied, "Don't worry, it's the owner.' I relaxed. "So, you're blind." He asked. I nodded sadly. "I know of someone who might help you." He said. Sheena started to tug on her harness. "It's ok, girl." I assured her. "you do?" Jessie asked. The man exhaled a breath. "Yeah, there's an old guy up in Shungnak. He's called the Dog tender. find him, and he can cure your blindness." I scoffed. "Alaska? Dog Tender?" The guy blew his sickly sweet breath in my face. My hand tightened around Jessie's. "Yeah, He's called the Dog Tender because he keeps Dogs and gives them to travelers who are walking.No one knows why but, he can cure every illness known to man." Then, I couldn't feel his presence in front of me anymore. "He just walked away." I said. Jessie put her arm around me and hugged me. I wonder why she cared for me even though I couldn't see..... I bent down and stared into Sheena's deep green eyes. I thought that she was the prettiest dog I'd ever seen. 'Really?' I thought barged into my mind. 'Jonny, I know you love your newfound communication skill. Do you want to carry on a conversation?' I answered. 'Sure.' Was his deep tenor reply. 'I'll go into the kitchen. Wait here.' I thought, and ran out of the room and down to the dining room. The crystal chandelier was one of the things that Jonny adored about the compound. The kitchen was scarred from the fire. "Me and my stupid toast." I said. I had accidentally set the toaster on fire when the toast dial was turned up on six instead of one. My father was the last one to use the toaster before me. 'I don't blame you for my blindness' Jonny thought at me. 'Thank you, I think that the least thing we both need right now is someone with a lot of guilt.' I answered. All of a sudden, I got a great idea.'Jonny, concentrate with me for a minute.' He answered. 'Sure, why?' I looked up at the chandelier and stared and concentrated for a minute. 'Hey! It's my mother's candle chandelier!' the thought burst into my mind. I closed my eyes and concentrated on Jonny's arms around me and he thought,'Is that a threat?' I smiled at the thought. 'No, it's a promise.' I walked slowly up the stairs projecting thoughts into jonny's head. Romantic thoughts. I could feel his arms around me as if he was there already. I finally thought at him that I was outside the door. He opened it and lovingly pulled me inside and closed the door. "Thank God I know my way around my room." he spoke out loud. "This is the first time you've spoke to me out loud since we left the kennel." I said 'I know.' He replied. He lifted his hand and put his fingers to my lips. I smiled. He caressed my jawline as he thought. 'I love to feel you smile.' He jokingly directed. I went closer to him, and he wrapped his strong arms around me. He cupped my face in his palms. I knew that it was because he needed my face where he could get to it, but it felt as if it were much more... 'I love you.' I sighed as his lips reached mine. 'It seems every time you say that, it gets better and better..' I responded while he was kissing me. I pulled back and took off his glasses and threw them on the bed. 'I'd better not sit on them later.' he warned mentally. I nestled my head on his neck. He put one of his hands in my hair and one around my waist. 'Can you turn on the CD player?' He thought as he loosened his grip on my waist. I reached over and flicked the switch and one of his many instrumental songs started to waft out and fill the room with a special tingle. 'dance?' he thought. I went back into his arms and we started to slow dance. I laid my head on his broad shoulder and smiled. 'I can feel you smiling even on my shoulder.' he thought. I just tightened my grip and inhaled sharply. I could smell his fabric softener. He put his face in my hair and muttered a little. I pulled back to stare into his unseeing eyes. They were beautiful, and clear as a summer day. 'Thank you.' he thought. He reached up and put his hands on the sides of my face and slowly traced my features as if he wanted to remember what he couldn't see. I sighed as his rough fingers felt of my eyes and lips. Then he thought one powerful thought at me. 'I can't keep it to myself any longer. . .' I heard his admission. 'What?' I asked mentally. 'This is probably coming on to strong, but, I want you.' Jessie was laying beside me, I could feel her presence with my heightened senses, ever since the fire, I began, Feeling with my fingers and nose and my mind. especially my mind. Lord, my mind was the mother of my conversation with Jessie. we almost never talked out loud to each other. our parents were beginning to wonder if we were bearing a grudge against each other. I felt around until I had Jessie in my arms. She sighed softly,and snuggled closer to me. I didn't know whether the light was on or off But, I sensed that it was dark.Jessie was the most desirable woman on earth even if I couldn't see her. I imagined her lying there, sleeping. The sweat was drying rapidly and I was getting cold. I pulled the blanket up around us and tried to fall asleep; not forgetting her sighs. I was dragged to the balls of my feet by something that smelled like english leather shaving lotion. I stuttered. "What!" My voice was hoarse. It was Race. Thank God I still had my boxers on.. My eyes looked all around before I realized I was still blind. "What happened!?" Race said holding my shoulders. "I don't know you tell me. I can't see a damn thing." I told him."Well, that didn't stop you from doing what you did with my daughter! Did it!?" Suddenly my memory was in full working order. I remembered Jessie and I dancing, and everything after that. I heard her voice in my head. 'I'm coming. Wait.' She said in my head. Suddenly, I heard Jessie open the door. "DADDY!" she shrieked. My sensitive ears hurt. Race put me down and let go of my shoulders. I stumbled backwards back onto the bed. "Why Ponchita? Why did you do it?" she reassured me she had everything under control and I relaxed. A little. "Because I wanted to." She avowed. I could almost see Race's mouth drop open. He put a firm hand on my chest and pushed me down and held me down to the point where I was beginning to choke. I put my hands on his wrists but I knew that all the strength in the world couldn't save me. Race could kill me just like this. He hissed menacingly in my ear. "If I ever catch you like that again, I won't let you up. I will crush your spine and break your ribs. I will leave this room and you will be nothing but a heap on this floor." I felt a sharp tug as jessie pulled him off of me and then I heard the sound of a hand hitting a cheek. 'Jessie?' I asked. "It's fine, he's gone." She said. I heard the wood scrape as she pulled the drawers open. Jeans and a shirt hit my body, and she thought. "i'll be back. Just think of me.' she mentally projected. I nodded and she left the room and closed the door. I put the jeans on and felt the neck of the shirt for the tag. Then I slipped it over my head and felt my head. I sighed as I felt the short hair instead of my usual long. I walked downstairs and was greeted by Sheena. The husky knocked me over and I emitted a soft 'down!' and the dog licked my face before nudging her neck under my hand. I felt the strong plastic harness and hauled myself to my feet. I told her "food." The dog made a beeline for the fridge. I opened it up and felt arms around my neck. But, they wren't Jessie's. Race pushed my head forwards until I felt like my head was going to snap off. I had seen him do it once. I heard a gasp and suddenly both race and I went backwards and I heard a fist hit flesh again and again. race started to protest and Jessie said "You should be ashamed! You could'v e killed him!" Race grunted and I sat back against the fridge and tried to regain my composure. His voice went in my direction. "That was my intention." Jessie slapped him again. "WHY?!" she demanded. "By the way, you're the one who should be ashamed. You did that in this house." I could hear his shoes clomping on the floor. "If you love someone, what should stop you? Isn't that how I got here?" She said. I imagined her standing there with her hands on her hips. His work boots squeaked on the linoleum floor. "Don't bring that up. ever." He warned. I adjusted my sunglasses and felt for Sheena's harness. "Why Not? you're the one who tried to kill Jonny!" I laughed and told her inside; "way to go. Beat me up later.' I thought. Race must'v e walked away, because I didn't hear his breathing anymore. She put a hand on my neck. "Are you alive?" She asked. "I think." I replied. She laughed a little and said. "I was thinking about what that guy at the kennel said." she said. 'and?' I thought. 'Do you think we should go?' She asked as she helped me up. 'Anytime I can get to the hangar.' I said. 'You can fly a plane blind?' She asked as we walked in 'silence'. 'Sure. I mean, I've memorized the places of all the switches and dials. All I need is someone to read off the fuel and tell me which way to go.' I thought solemnly. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me. The snow whipped around us and I heard boots crunching on the snow. I was sure it was Race coming to kill me for sure. . . . My father pressed the cold steel of his Colt 45. Against Jonny's head. I yanked away from Jonny and struck out at my father. The gun went sailing into the snow. Jonny crouched low in his white parka and Sheena started growling."What do you think you're doing!?" I said with all the dignity an eighteen year old could muster. "I'm going to kill that little bastard if it's the last thing I do." He said. I pushed him back towards the house. "Ponchita-" I whacked him for the third time that day. "Don't you 'Ponchita' me! As far as you're concerned that name is forever floating in Limbo with the way you've treated Jonny today!" He gripped my shoulders and stared deep into my skull with his steel gray eyes. "You did do what I think you did, in this house, right?" he said plainly. I squared my shoulders. "Yes." was my only reply. "Then there's only one thing to do. Tell him he'd better pack. I'm going to tell his father." He threatened. I knew there was no way to stop him. "fine! we can handel it!" I screeched back. I walked back to where jonny was standing, glaring past me with his sunglasses on. 'C'mon, let's go pack. We are leaving in ten minutes." I finalized. We ran up the stairs and Jonny ran into his room. The phone rang. I picked it up but I didn't say anything because my mother and father were on the other line."It's fine here except for one thing." dad said. "What's that?" My mother asked. "Even thought Jonny's blind as a mud catfish, he's still after Jessie." "We already knew that, what are you going to do about it?" I could hear my father breathing. "Nothing left to do they've already trysted if you could call it that. And tonight, before I go to bed, I'm going into his room and I'm gonna strangle him. I want grand kids, but, not this soon." "I don't totally agree. Remember how young we were when he had her?" I could hear the frustration in my father voice. "That's the one thing I don't want to happen to her. She's way too pretty and way to smart to be drug down with a kid. I'm gonna kill him ad that's final." He said before I heard a click. I softly let the phone down and started packing the warmest clothes I had. I also packed the rifle my father had given me on my eighth birthday. Right before I was about to write my father a note; a thought burst into my head. 'Are you ready?' 'No but I will be in a minute.' 'Ok' he thought back. I picked up my paper and started to write a letter. "Daddy, I know you may think that Jonny forced me; but you're wrong. I wanted to. And to be totally frank, I've wanted to for a very long time. But, I just want to let you know that even thought you tried to kill him three times today, I still love you. I'll miss you in the time I'm gone, and while I'm gone, if you even thing of following me, I will kill YOU. I want you to think about it. I want you to stew about it. You know that we would never go onto the trapeze without a safety net, that's just begging for a fall. there's a whole box of them under his chest of drawers. I love you and good bye for a while. Au Revoir." The engine whirring and groaned. But didn't stop. "Jonny, we're over the bering Straight, you need to go straight on for about five minutes." He nodded. "Okay, now we can land. Do we have everything?" I asked. Another nod. We descended slowly and I wondered what my father was thinking right now. I brushed the snow from Jonny's sunglasses. The I bent down and made a little snowball and threw it at him. 'Hey!' he thought but he laughed out loud. Then he bent down and I laughed so he could hear my voice. 'quit laughing and just run around. watch this.' he thought. I ran around making crunching noises while Sheena followed me. Suddenly he launched hi ball of tightly packed snow. It hit me square in the chest. I laughed both mentally and out loud. Then I ran forward and captured his hand in mine and said "C'mon, let's go find the Dog Tender." He agreed."Sheena. Come!" he said. We took what we could from the plane and started walking.. . . . . . Sheena pulled on her harness. It was weakening I knew it. We had been trudging through the ice and snow for nearly a month. I felt as if little gnomes had attached themselves to my feet and were weighing me down. Jessie and I hadn't spoken out loud in three weeks. We believed that speaking took up to much energy. Sheena seemed to be happy where it was cold and took every opportunity to romp and play. But, we barely had enough food to feed ourselves and I could feel Sheena's ribs through her skin. Even as she was happy, she was starving. Every fish Jessie or I caught, we would share with her, but, she got thinner every day. One night, we were all sitting with our fire, and Jessie and I were huddled up together. Jessie was shivering even inside her load of clothing. I felt of her face to try to 'see' what she was feeling. Her features were still and her eyelids fluttered against my cold fingers. I pulled her body into my lap and I covered her with mine. We huddled together like that until Sheena poked her nose through the hood of my parka. Her long nose nudged my face in an attempt to get me to say something. "It's o-ok S-Sheena, I-I'm F-Fine." She whined as if she knew what I was feeling. Jessie was unbearably still. I put my hands on her face hear her nose. She was still breathing. 'Jessie, are you alive?' I thought. A flicker of movement came from her arm. I leaned down and pulled her head against my chest. She clung to me and whispered in my ear. "I don't think I can remember what it's like to be warm." She said. I just hugged her closer and prayed that we would find the Dog Tender soon. The next morning I got up and Jessie was still clinging to me. I nudged her mind awake and she pulled on my hand until she could stand. Then we started walking. Sheena's harness was fraying and finally, it rotted through and Sheena had to guide me with one end in her mouth. finally, I made a makeshift leash and collar and put it around her neck. I kept up with Jessie's thoughts and whenever we spoke in telepathy we usually talked about how warm our beds were. One day, as we were again seated in the snow by our fire, (The only way I knew we had a fire,was the fact that I could feel little warmth.) and Jessie sat in my lap again. Sheena joined us and soon I had to say it. "Jessie?" I spoke out loud. "Mhhhnn?" she answered. "I don't think there will ever be a better time or place to ask you this." I could feel her hands on my face, They were so human, so warm. I felt her change positions. "what?" she asked feebly. "Would you do one thing to make a blind man happy?" She put her forehead to mine so I could feel her nod. I smiled my best in the cold. "My one wish was from the day I met you, that one day we would get married. Now, I wish we were home to do that, but, if we die here, I want our last days to be happy. So will you marry me?" Jessie shivered a little, and for the first time, I hoped that it was from the cold. She put her face close to mine and I could feel her breath on my lips. "Yes." She whispered before she kissed me. . . . . Jonny had asked me to marry him. I couldn't believe it. The snow crept into My parka and I shivered. Even though he couldn't see me I knew that that one night had only given him a taste. At times, when the temperature was well below freezing, we huddled together and he would put his face in my neck and wrap his arms around me and we would visualize in each other's heads,what we would do when he regained his sight. He imagined into my mind where he would put his hands, and I would imagine into his where my lips would be. We loved many times but, this excursion was melding us together, where other people would be blown apart. Sheena was dying. We both knew it, but, unless we got to the Dog tender soon, she would be no more than a carcass in the white snow. I was getting weaker but, Jonny was too, an sooner or later, one of us was bound to give out. . . . . I awoke to Sheena's tongue. Then I noticed that I wasn't wearing my parka. I looked down at my snow pants and green turtle neck. Then I looked around more. 'You awake?' was the thought. "Yeah.?" I muttered and sat up. Jonny was at the foot of the mat that I lay on. "We made it." He said softly. "We did?" I asked weakly. He nodded. His facial expression changed from happy to serious. "I lost my sunglasses in the snow, Jamil (Yaa-meal) had to tie a bandage around my eyes." He pointed to the cloth that was tied loosely around his eyes. I put my hands on his face and I traced his eyes through the coarse fabric. He reached into his pocket And drew out a piece of a blue napkin. he took my hand and said "I was going to give this to you when we left, but I didn't have time." I trembled. He unwrapped the object and the cloth dropped to the floor, leaving Jonny with i in his hand. It was a ring. a single emerald was nestled deep in the gold band. I gasped when he clasped my hand and felt around for my ring finger. Then he slipped the cool metal over my skin and I couldn't find the words to say. 'Don't say anything but you love me.' He thought. 'I love you.' I thought back. A thick southern voice cut through our silence. "How touching. Now I suppose you'll want something to eat?" It asked. I turned my head and Jonny thought, 'It's okay, he's Jamil.' I relaxed. The man looked like a cross between an eskimo and a football player. He held out two bowls of soup. I took one and handed the other one to Jonny. I thanked him profusely and lifted the spoon to my lips. 'Never underestimate the power of meat stew.' I thought to Jonny as he ate. He smiled and nodded. "true." Said Jamil. I looked at him. Jonny turned his head in the direction. "Excuse me?" I said. "I will never underestimate the power of momma'a meat stew." he said looking at Jonny. Jonny thought something at me. "Of course I can hear you." Jamil replied as if Jonny had spoken out loud. Jonny put his hand to my lips and I smiled. Jonny smiled too. "How long have you been searching for me?" Jamil asked. "Three months." I answered. "Long time. Did you come on foot, as told?" He asked. "Yes." I answered. "Did you tell your parents?"Jamil asked. "If they knew Jonny'd be dead. My father wants to kill him." I said. Jamil didn't ask why. He walked over to Jonny and said "Do you believe in me?" Jonny looked up past Jamil. "I believe. Why would I have come this far, just not to believe?" Jonny said. "How long have you been without sight?" "Four months." "Good, it'll be easier because you haven't been blind a year." Jamil got up and walked to a cabinet and got something that looked like a toothpaste tube. He walked back to Jonny and removed the bandages. The instructed Jonny to lean back and open his eyes. "If you believe, the ointment will heal you and you will see again. Once more I ask you. Do you believe?" Jonny nodded sincerely. Jamil put a dot of clear cream on his fingertip and rubbed it on one of Jonny's eyes. Then repeated this with the other eye. . . . . My world brightened all around me. I looked down and saw the out line of my hands, I looked over and saw Jessie's face. The face of an angel. I looked at Jamil. 'I can see. I CAN SEE!' My thoughts projected.Both jessie and Jamil cringed 'Jonny. that was so loud I thought I heard it out loud.' Jessie said. As my eyes slowly came into focus I saw everything. Sheena whined. So, this was Sheena, my beautiful husky. She was cream colored with white; and her eyes were green. Jessie came over and waved her hands in front of my face, "I can see your hands." I said happily. "Is she your sister?" Jamil asked. I looked at him. "No, she's my fiancee. Well, now anyways." I said. jamil looked sad. "The only question is how are you two going to get home." I frowned."Yeah, we left the plane outside Anchorage. And the engine will be no good after standing in the snow for four months." I said rubbing my chin. Then without notice my hand went from my chin, to my hair. It was as long as it was before the fire! "My hair." I said. "Yeah, it's really back isn't it?" Jessie asked somewhat distantly. I looked over at her. for the first time in my existence I saw jessie in perfect detail. Her nose, her eyebrows, her lips, her hair, everything I saw was perfect. 'My God but you're beautiful.' I told her mentally. Her face radiated a glow as she smiled. "I have a couple of snowmobiles in the back, you can use them to get to Anchorage and catch a plane back to wherever it was you came from." Jamil said. "It won't take you but five minutes on snow mobile that way." He pointed west. "But it took us three months to get here on foot." Jessie said. "Yeah, but that was to bring you together. I knew you were coming. I always know. But, really I live bout a mile from town." Jamil said smiling. Jessie and I just looked at each other. I watched the sun glint off of her wine red hair. I couldn't resist reaching out and touching it. She looked at me like I was one of the Gods from ancient Greece. I also saw the glint in Jessie's eyes, it gave them the impression that they were jewels instead of eyes. "I ask only one thing in return." Jamil said. We turned to him. "Your dog. Sheena." Me and Jessie looked at each other. I called Sheena to me. "Sheena you have to stay here with this man. He's a very good man. I love you for helping me. I will visit someday." I said. Sheena whined and licked my face. Then she trotted over to Jamil and sat down by his chair. He smiled. "Your parkas are over in that closet, and the Snow mobiles are in the back. You kids have fun." "Thank you sir, we will." Both Jessie and I said in unison. We were married on the plane back home. "Thank God concord airlines does this sort of thing." I said. We bought another plane ticket in Montana and rode that plane back to Rocport, where I would face hell itself for Jessie. . . . AS both Jonny and I walked back up the driveway a man came from behind us and grabbed my arm. "Have you seen-"His face was distraught. "HEY! you're Jessica Bannon! I found them! I found them!" The man went off screaming. I handed Jonny a pair of sunglasses. 'Play the part.' I warned him. He nodded. Soon, my father was running down the walkway. Jonny sat there like the blind man he used to be. My father plowed into him without saying hello to me.But, this time, Jonny fought back. My husband and my father struggled on the ground before Dad knocked Jonny's glasses off. Jonny stared up at him, wordlessly cursing my father to the deepest pit in hell. Then, with all the strength he could muster, Jonny slugged my father so hard, he went down like a rock. Dad sat on the lawn for a minute. "How in catfish's name did you do that you blind fool?" My dad asked. Jonny didn't answer him. I did. "He isn't blind anymore." My father quirked an eyebrow, "He is so blind,I seen it with my own two peepers!" He said. "Jonny stared down at him for a second. "You are wearing a red shirt with blue jeans and penny loafers, you hair is slightly longer than when we left, and your nose looks like someone beat you in an axe fight." He said. "You can't see. it's that telephonic skill or something, I know you're blind, you couldn't see if I came up and spit in your face." Jonny took my arm and we walked over my father and into the compound. we marched into the house and up the stairs and into separate bedrooms. I sat down on my bed and picked up right where I left off before the fire. Reading, One Night Stand. Jonny came into my room and thought 'It's the same as before we left.' I smiled. He pulled me into his room and showed me how everything had been torn apart. His bed was still unmade and things were thrown everywhere. He picked up his English to Swedish encyclopedia that my father had given him for christmas and found most of the pages were ripped out. Everything that reminded me of Jonny and my fathers friendship was screwed. All the books on martial arts, the weights, the goofy photo of Jonny on my father's knee when Jonny was four, and the poster of the secret service, all either ripped or broken. Jonny sat down on the bed and it fell through. He sat in his chair that he and my dad had built, and that fell in too. He finally sat down on the blue carpeted floor and sobbed. I went beside him and tried to comfort him. "We should never have..."He said brokenly. I put my arms around him and he stood up and said, "I have to find my dad." we walked hand in hand to the lighthouse and opened up the door. The Questworld console was smashed. The thirty screens all busted. The tiny microchip we had nicknamed I.R.I.S was broken in half. Jonny picked up the disconnected mouse and hurtled it against the brick wall. Then he walked out. And slammed into my father. . . . I walked into my dad's room and saw an old man siting at the window sill. "Dad?" I said. The old man turned to me. "Oh God, Jonathan, you have to leave here, he's gone insane.He will kill you." My dad said. I walked over to him and saw he was in a wheelchair. "Dad, what happened?" I asked. "I said that as long as you two were smart I didn't mind much. He paralyzed me Jonathan, think about what he'll do to you." I took the hint and mentally told Jessie to come. She came up the stairs and gasped at the sight of my pop. When she asked what happened He said "ask your mother." When Jessie asked where she was, my dad said "Plot number 4 Sunshine Valley cemetery." Jessie went pale and she said "what happened to her?" My dad said "Your father pulled the plug on her chemo and she wasted away. He believed that she didn't loathe Jonathan." Jessie cupped a hand over her mouth and made a run for th bathroom. I followed in close behind, and when I got to the out side of the door, I could hear her moaning and crying. I walked in and found her hysterical. "I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean to daddy, I'm so sorry, Daddy forgive me." she was mumbling over and over again. I picked her up and she clung to my neck and cried fierce tears. As they rolled down into my shirt I felt sorrow. She hadn't done anything wrong. It was mostly my fault. Damn telepathy! Damn desire! DAMN HIM! I made up my mind about what was going to happen. I carried Jessie downstairs and made sure she stayed inside. Then I went to the gun cabinet. I found my favorite. My 357.Magnum with the words "In God we Trust" engraved on the barrel. I walked out to the spot where I had last seen Race. I clicked open the shell case and found three chambers empty. 'Two shots left.' I thought, hoping Jessie didn't intercept. I walked to the front lawn and saw Race I yelled to him. "Race!"It was short and snappy. He turned around, with his Colt 45. in his hand. I stopped walking and lifted my pistol. A brief look of adoration crossed his eyes and he said " It's not a pity I have to kill you after what you did to my daughter." He said cocking the small gun. I shook my head. "No, I did nothing. She came to me. And after what I did to Jessie? Look at what's happened to you. You've nearly killed your best friend,you have killed your wife, and if you kill me, what will happen to Jessie then?" I asked. But I cocked my gun too. I heard a scream from behind me. I knew better than to turn my head. 'Jessie, stay back.' I warned. She didn't listen to my plea. She came running to my side and at that exact moment Race fired his gun. . . . I hit the ground with a searing pain in my face. the last thing I remeber seeing, was Jonny's sweet face over mine, telling me to wake up. Jessie hit the ground hard. I screamed and tossed my gun down and bent down to Jessie, her face was a mess of blood and seared flesh. I cried and tried to mentally contact her. Her soft emerald eyes were slowly dulling, but she struggled to whisper. "There..was going to...be...a baby...he would'v e..been..Beautiful...Just like.. h-his father.." She whispered before her eyes closed to me forever. I stood up and picked up my gun. I walked slowly towards Race, he was doing the impossible. He was begging for me not to kill him. "Have mercy for you after you killed my wife?! I think not." I cocked the gun and placed it against his sweaty brow. "You are nothing but a filthy MURDERER!" I screamed and the report was loud enough to scare the gulls off of the lighthouse. I walked away from the body of my bodyguard, my heart filled with sorrow and remorse. I picked up the body of who had been my wife, and my best friend. I carried her down to the shore, her wind pants making a flapping noise. I dug a hole in the sand, occasionally wiping my forehead with my sandy hands, tears making it mud.I closed my eyes and was blind again. I didn't want to see anymore. the world would be a gray world, no life, no sweet voice , no baby. I knew my tears were falling on her maimed face, the face of the angel. I put her body into the hole and covered her up while crying. I made loud sobs as I released my pent up anger. I cried louder as I filled in the hole, sand filled in the spaces beside and on top of, my lover. AS the job was finished I prayed that her soul would wait for me, it was just a matter of time before I followed behind. I sit on my fallen bed, with my father's Smith and Wesson pressed against the bottom of my head, knowing that she will be waiting for me. Wherever she is, she is waiting for me. I cock the gun and remember the one night that had started it all, her arms around me and love singeing the air around us, I remember her lips and the feel of her face. I remember how soft her body was, and of the moment when her spirit left her. I smile and pull the trigger. The End