I took a sip of coffee, then put on my jacket and toboggan. It was a cold, sunny, Saturday afternoon in December with temperatures in the low 20s. Melting snow had refrozen leaving a hard crunchy crust of thick ice. I walked across the field to the barn crunching through the top layer with each step. Buddy ran ahead leaping and barking at me to walk faster. I opened the door to the stripping room and headed right for the little pot belly stove. I kept a pile of dry firewood in the corner and used a few pieces to build a fire. Soon the small room was toasty warm. This past spring I’d found a cheap weight bench, squat rack and iron weights for a reasonable price in the want ads. I swept out the dirt and old tobacco leaves from the concrete floor and put down rubber mats to protect the wood floor. I turned it into a pretty decent weight room. Buddy curled up next to the stove and I turned on the radio to a station that played classic rock.

I was doing squats when I heard a knock at the door. Tap Tap Tap. I put the weight back on the rack.

“Come on in.” The door squealed opened and Hank slunk in the door. “Whats ya need Hank?”

“Uhhh, uh nothing really. Just bored. I heard the radio playing and just wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Just lifting weights,” I said.

“Do you mind if I watch?” he said timidly.

“Uhh, no you can sit over there by the stove.”

He sat down on a little wooden stool and I went back to doing squats. I did about ten reps and sat down.

“That looks really heavy Travis. Why do you do that?”

“Actually it feels really heavy and it makes me feel good afterwards.”

“Why does it have to be so heavy?”

“The heavier the weights, the stronger you get. I started doing it in high school for football and I like it.”

“Oh, it doesn’t look very fun. It looks really hard.”

“It is hard and it gives you big muscles,” I said flexing my bicep.  

Hank got quiet again and I went back to squatting.

“Remember when you found me in the woods? Did you see anything strange?”

“What do you mean strange?” I said wondering if I should tell the truth.

“Travis, when they took me to the hospital, the doctors kept asking me why I went to the woods. They kept asking if I wanted to kill myself. I kept telling them no. I told them I went to the woods just to hide from Mom, but that wasn’t really true. I didn’t want to tell them why I really went there because I was afraid they would really think I was crazy. I want to know if you saw anything, or anyone there, because I’m wondering if I really am crazy,” he said wringing his hands.

I was quiet for a moment trying to decide if I should say something, but said it anyway.

“You mean Jake?”

Hank’s eyes opened wide and he smiled. “You saw him too! You know his name!” he said all excited.

I nodded yes. “Actually soon after I moved here Mrs Watts told me a story about a ghost that haunted the woods. When she was a little girl there was a neighbor boy who lived here and disappeared in a snowstorm just like you. He was found frozen in some cabin in the woods by his father. They claimed to see a ghost of a young man sitting beside the dead boy. I didn’t really believe the story, but shorty after that I decided to explore the woods. Something happened to me there, but I don’t remember what it was. At first started having blackouts, and then I saw ghosts. I saw one in the kitchen window first, then later I saw it walking in the field. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want people to think I was crazy. But when Bella said that she saw you with a boy in the woods, that’s when I thought maybe it was real. When I went into the woods looking for you, Buddy saw something first. It was snowing hard and you were lying half buried in the snow with something dark hovering over you.”

“Yes, yes it was Jake. He asked me to go away with him. I was so cold and sleepy. I remember the crows. They were coming for me. They were going to take me, but not Jake. He was so sad, then something happened. They began calling for Jake instead of me…Was it real Travis?”

“I think it was real,” I said.

“So you don’t think I’m crazy?” said Hank.

“No more crazy than I am.”

Hank stood and walked to the window looking towards the house. “So what am I going to do when I go back to school? They probably think I’m crazy now. What can I tell them if they ask? I hate going back to school. What would you do if you were me?”

“Hmmmm, I wouldn’t tell them anything and if they ask just say you ran away from home. If I was your age again and I got teased and picked on, I think I’d start lifting weights. By the time you’re senior in high school you would be stronger and look big. You might not be able to fight, but you’d look like you could. Most people wouldn’t mess with guys that look like a bad ass.”

Hank looked over at me a bit worried and said, “I don’t know anything about lifting weights. Could you show me?”

“Sure, I kinda need a spotter now that Sam moved out. You want to try now?”

“Okay,” he smiled.

I walked out from underneath the squat rack and said. “Let’s start by taking the weights off and I will have you practice squatting by just having the bar on your back.”    

                     Friday December 14

I was curled up on the couch with Buddy at my feet. I’d just gotten stoned on the porch swing after stripping tobacco at the Farrows farm. Hank was upstairs and I suppose Bella was next door at the Watt’s house. The national news was was on TV when I heard a car coming down the driveway. Buddy jumped up and ran towards the door all excited. I sat up and looked out the window and saw Suzanne pulling on a tree sticking out the back of her car. I stood on the front porch waving.

“Suzanne, looks like you might need some help with that tree.”

“Could you Travis?”

“Be right out.” I really wasn’t one to get a Christmas tree. I really haven’t celebrated the holiday since I went to the Army. Suzanne asked me if I would mind if she got a tree. I said it didn’t matter to me. I put on my shoes and ran out the door. Bella jumped out of the car yelling.

“Momma got a Christmas tree!”

“Thanks so much Travis,” Suzanne said pulling on the stump of the tree. “This tree’s a lot harder to pick up than I thought it would be.”

The tree was tied up and I just slung it over my shoulder. The air smelled sweet of spruce. Buddy jumped with excitement in front of me.

“Down buddy down!”

I hauled it inside the door and drug it towards the TV room.

“So where do you want it?”

“Do you think we can put it there next to the window? We can see it better from the couch.” She said looking about the room with her hand on her chin.

I heard Hank running down the stairs and peeking in the door.

“Wow! You got a tree!”

I held the tree up near the window. “How does it look here?” I said.

“That looks great! Can you hold it right there while I fix the anchor? Hank could you go get a sharp knife out of the kitchen?” said Suzanne

Once the tree was in place I sat on the couch as Suzanne and the kids decorated the tree. They strung up lights, glass bulbs, and silvery string.

“We need the picture Momma!” said Bella.

Suzanne went upstairs and brought down a small picture frame decorated with festive colors.

“Can I put Daddy on the tree Momma?”

Suzanne looked at me and said, “Every year since my husband’s death we’ve put this picture of him on the tree so he can be with us at Christmas.” She stood back from the tree with a smile, but then the smile turned into tears and she quickly covered her eyes with her hands.

“Don’t cry Momma.” Bella said as she went to hug her mom. “Daddy’s here right now. Isn’t he Momma?”

“Yes Bella. He’s here watching over us.”

We turned off the lights then plugged in the tree. It lit up with colorful lights. Between the light from the fireplace and tree, it felt a bit festive in the old house.

                       Saturday December 22

It was a nice sunny afternoon with temps into the low 50s. I stood in the field between the barn and the house playing with a new plastic ball slinger I’d bought for Buddy. I could get a fair distance with this thing. Buddy would chase tennis balls all day as long as I tossed them, except I hated picking up slobbery balls. This was a perfect toy for both of us. I was ready to sling the ball again when Buddy’s ears perked up. He sprinted towards the road. It was Arnie coming down the gravel road. They were bringing Sam home for Christmas break. Buddy picked up a bad habit of running beside any car that came down the driveway. He got too excited to see company, but I was worried he might get hit in all his excitement.

“Buddy! Buddy come here boy!” He ignored me at first, then hesitated. “Come here,” I said in a more stern voice. Reluctantly he held his head down and walked towards me. “Good boy.” I was walking towards the car as they pulled up beside my truck. Sam and Arnie’s younger brother Brent got out of the back seat and raced each other to the porch. Arnie opened his door and walked towards the trunk. Cindy was getting Stevie out of the carseat in the back.

“How you doing Arnie?” I said walking towards the car.

“Doing fine. It was such a nice day we all decided to come out and give you a visit. Actually we’re here bearing gifts.”

We went inside where Suzanne greeted them and put the presents under the tree. Arnie went to the living room playing with the kids. Cindy looked at me with her hands on her hips.

“So where’s Ben today? You guys are either watching a game or fishing.”

“Ben and his band are playing at some festival in Gattinburg this weekend. He said he’d be back on Monday.”

Cindy motioned for me and Suzanne to follow her to the kitchen. When we got to the kitchen Cindy was whispering.

“I have something to tell you guys, but I’m not sure if you’re going to like what I have to tell you.”

“What happened?” I said.

Cindy let out a sigh and fumbled a bit. “Well, when we were here on Thanksgiving, I was in the hallway hanging my up my coat when I knocked Ben’s leather jacket on the floor and his wallet fell out. I know it was wrong, but I got curious and snooped. I discovered that his name is Benjamin Thomas Fisher and he was born April 9 1968. It was issued to him in April 1999. Well I decided to have him checked out and guess what? Ben’s not who he claims to be. Remember how Ben never talks about his family, well he really was born in Paintsville Kentucky over in Johnson County to a Harold and Agnes Fisher, but apparently they’re not dead, but very much alive.”

“Why would he lie to us?” said Suzanne looking shocked and upset. “I mean aren’t we his friends?”

“Wait, that’s not all I found out. When he was 17 years old he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been a patient at Eastern State starting in 1985 through 1990. He was released into the custody of his father when he was 22.”

I was shocked, but then it started to make sense. His erratic behavior, the claim of being Jesus. Suzanne looked worried.

“Oh god! I was dating a crazy person. Do you think he’s dangerous?”

Cindy shook her head. “I found his parent’s telephone number and called pretending to be a person that he went to high school with. His dad told me that Ben had a drinking problem. He said that Ben disappeared sometime in 1992 and he hasn’t seen him since then. I’m sorry that I snooped, but just thought you should know.”

Suzanne started to cry, “Am I stupid or something? Seems like I always fall for the wrong kind of guys. I thought Ben was different, and deep down I knew he was keeping something from me.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Oh well at least I found out now instead of later.”

“What are you going to say to Ben when you see him Travis?” said Cindy.

“I don’t know yet. Right now I just don’t know what to think.”

I walked back in the TV room and joined the others, but I felt distant. I tried not to reveal the pain I felt. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the holiday spirit except me and Suzanne. I looked over at Suzanne and she looked back and shook her head with a sigh. Yeah, I felt the same way, but still that didn’t explain the blood and the sprouting tree.

                        Monday December 24

I got a call from Ben around 10 pm. He said that he’d just arrived after a long drive from Tennessee. I suggested I drive to his house to get drunk and stoned. He sounded happy and told me to come on over because he had plenty of bud. Suzanne asked if I planned to tell him what we had learned about him. I said I wasn’t sure what I was going to say.

It was a cold and crisp night. Bright stars shone in the clear sky and the absence of wind made my breath hang in the air as a cloud. The windows of my truck were frosted over. I turned the defrost on and sat there until the window had cleared. I pulled out and headed down the dark roads towards Millersburg. I tried to rehearse what I was going to say to Ben on the way there. I wanted to ask him why he would lie to his friends about his past. I wanted to assure him that I wouldn’t think bad of him for being a schizophrenic. I thought of so many things to say to him, but when I pulled up in front of his house, I decided against saying anything. Ben came walking out the door smiling.

“Ahh Travis, So good to see you and you too Buddy,” Ben said as Buddy licked his face. He walked up and gave me a big warm hug. “Travis I wished you could’ve come with me. I had so much fun. Come on inside. It’s very cold out here.”

I went inside and Ben had made sandwiches and butterscotch cookies that were sitting on his coffee table. Buddy ran straight for the food.

“No Buddy no!” I said before he snagged one.

Ben laughed and said, “Hey come here Buddy. I got something for you in the kitchen.”

I heard him pouring something in a bowl and then crunch crunch crunch. Ben walked back in and said, “This is for us.” We sat down on the couch and Ben lit up the bong and took a big hit then he passed it to me. “Everything okay since I’ve been gone?”  

“Yeah, I suppose so. Suzanne got a tree and Sam is back home for Christmas break. Hank started lifting weights with me. So did you have fun at the festival?”

“Oh yeah, We had a big crowd every night. People really like Bluegrass down there. Lots of dancing, singing, pretty girls and I know you like the hot guys.”

“So Ben do you ever think of going back and seeing your family for the holidays?”

“No, I don’t really have any close living relatives.”

“So you have relatives, just not any that you are close to?”

“I guess you can say that. But that is a world away from me now.” Ben looked at me and said, “Do you miss your family Travis? Your dad is living somewhere out west isn’t he? You gonna call him on Christmas?”

“Probably not, he sorta didn’t want to talk to me much after I decided not to get married. And then after Mom died he rarely answers his phone. Just Aunt Debbie lives here with my cousins and they just want to sue me. I do miss my dad though. I just wish things were different between us. I suppose that Suzanne and the kids, Arnie, Cindy, the Watts, and especially you Ben are my family now, or as close to having a family as I’m going to get.”

“That’s the way I feel right now. I feel like ya’ll are my family. I know that Suzanne doesn’t want to see me right now, and I understand that, but I still care for her and the kids. Anyway, you’re here right now as my guest and we’re gonna have fun.” Ben reached in his pocket and pulled out a bag of pot.

“Smell this Travis,” he grinned tossing me the bag.“Lets light up this bad boy.”

After smoking that bong we dug into the sandwiches and cookies. Ben jumped up off the couch and said, “Let’s go on a midnight run! Travis trust me, it’ll be so fun.”

I was too comfortable sitting on the couch, but I couldn’t say no to him. He was usually right.

“Ben, I don’t have any comfortable clothes to run in.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve got some sweats you can borrow.”

I quickly changed into the sweats and we walked out into the brisk cold air. “Oh man! It’s freezing out here!” I said trying to get him to change his mind.

“Its great isn’t it?” Ben said racing towards the road with Buddy running beside him. I sprinted after him and found him jogging in place. “Glad you could make it. Let’s run!”

We ran side by side down the road, then he veered off and ran towards the fence post that went onto a nearby farm. He quickly climbed over the fence while I hesitated on the other side.

“Come on Travis!”

“Oh what the hell,” I mumbled as I reluctantly climbed over the fence. I caught up with Ben and Buddy running through a cow pasture. I actually felt warmer from leaping and jumping over the dirt clods. It was so dark, yet there was a heavy frost on the ground that made everything sparkle in the moonlight. Ben suddenly stopped out in the middle of the field.

“What’s up?” I said breathing heavy.

“Let’s lie here on the ground for a second.” Ben said rolling to the ground as I plopped down beside him with Buddy licking us.

“The stars look kinda bright out this far don’t you think?” Ben said lying next to me.

“Yeah, so beautiful. You think there is life out there Ben?”

“Oh yeah. I’m sure of it.”

“When I look up, I feel so tiny. Things are so very far away. Kinda like being on a tiny island in an infinite sea. Do you ever think there was a Christmas star?”

“No, I think that some things are just a myth.”

I turned to him and said, “Ben, do you still think you’re Jesus?”

He shook his head. “I’m not that person any more.”

“I really don’t care who you were Ben. Right now you’re my best friend. I don’t want that to ever change.”  

There was a long moment of silence.

“So Travis, What do you believe in?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m talking about. You’ve seen things. You’ve done things that you think’s only in your imagination, yet I know that it’s true. Look at your hand Travis. You know in your heart it’s real…”

“Ben, I have something I need to tell you. Cindy found your wallet and looked at your drivers license. She had a background check done. It said that when you were 17, you were committed to Eastern State for five years because you were diagnosed with schizophrenia.”

He looked at me calmly and said, “Do you believe it?”

“I don’t know, but I guess it really doesn’t matter. Whoever you are, you’re still my best friend. Are you mad?”

“No Travis, I’m glad we’re still friends also. Anyway, I’m getting cold. Let’s go!”

Ben jumped up and ran full speed across the field. “Bet you can’t beat me slow poke!”

I finally caught up to him as he neared the fence. I flung myself over the fence and sprinted with him back to his house. It felt exciting. By the time we reached his house we were both breathing heavy and collapsed on his lawn.

“You know what Ben? That was awesome!”

He patted me on the back and said, “It was, wasn’t it?” He jumped up and reached for my hand and pulled me up. “You ready for another toke?” he said laughing.

“Don’t mind if I do.”  

                   Monday December 31 2001

It was one of those cold rainy days with dark skies and steady drizzle. I opened the door to let Buddy go to pee and he headed straight for the mud puddles.

“Damn, I’m gonna have to clean off those muddy paws before he can come back inside.” I said shaking my head. The phone rang and Sam ran to answer it.

“Mom! Aunt Cindy’s on the phone!”

“I’m coming,” she yelled.

I stood by the front door waiting for Buddy to return. Suzanne smiled and said, “Yeah that sounds fun….Yeah I’ll ask him. Okay Bye.” She hung up the phone and announced that Cindy had invited her to a New Years Eve party in Lexington.

“Sam, could you watch Bella for me tonight?”

“Yeah I suppose,” he said rolling his eyes.

“Well I need to run some errands in Paris first. Anybody want anything?”

Bella got all excited and said, “Can I go with you? Please?”

“Sure, anybody else?” she said.

I held an old towel in my hand and watched as Buddy rolled in a mud puddle again. I opened the door and yelled. “Buddy come on in here!” He stood, shook the water off and ran towards the door.

Suzanne walked up behind me.“What are your plans for tonight?” she said.

I wiped off the water and mud from Buddy. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll head over to Ben’s house and hang out with him tonight.” I put my fingers to my mouth and sucked in air to indicate that I would probably get stoned.

She smiled and said, “I should’ve known.”

About a half hour later, I was sitting on the couch watching Groundhog Day with Hank. Sam was up in his room. Suzanne and Bella were heading out the door.

“See you later guys. I’m gonna try to be home around five. So if you get hungry, go ahead and fix something.”

I woke up a while later. I’d fallen asleep watching the movie and some other show was on. It was getting really dark outside and Hank walked in with a sandwich.

“It’s getting kinda late and Mom said she’d be back by now,” he said biting his fingernail.

“Maybe the traffic was bad or else she had more stuff to do.”

I was getting hungry myself so I headed towards the kitchen. While I was in the kitchen, the phone rang. I suppose Hank had answered it.

Suddenly Hank yelled, “Hey Travis! Aunt Cindy wants to talk to you on the phone. She said it was important.”

I walked back to the TV room and Hank handed me the phone.

“Travis, I didn’t want to tell Hank over the phone, but there’s been an accident. Suzanne and Bella were rushed to UK Chandler hospital in Lexington. I don’t know much more than that, but could you tell Sam and Hank? Will y’all meet me up there?”

“Sure, sure, we’ll be there as soon as possible.”I felt queasy and anxious.

Hank looked at me worried. “What happened Travis?”

“There’s been an accident. She said that your mom and Bella have been rushed to a hospital in Lexington. Hurry! Go upstairs and get Sam. Meet me at truck. I’m taking y’all up there.”

Hank ran up the stairs yelling for Sam. I rushed to put on my shoes and socks. I grabbed my jacket and ran out the door. I started the engine. Sam and Hank hopped in as I was pulling out. Hank sat next to me and Sam next to the window. No one said a word. Hank was crying and Sam looked to be in shock. I didn’t know what to expect when I got there.

As we pulled into the hospital parking lot, Sam sprinted for the emergency room door. Hank and I were not far behind. When we got to the door, Cindy was standing there crying. “Suzanne’s in surgery now.”

“What happened?” Sam screamed.

“Your mom and Bella was involved in a collision. Some drunk driver it seems had forced her off the road and she hit a telephone pole. The other driver died instantly when his truck ran head on into a semi. They say that your mom’s in critical condition and having surgery right now. Bella as far as I know only suffered a broken arm. She’s having a cast put on right now.”

I was stunned.

“Can we see her?” said Hank.

“No honey, your mom’s in surgery and they say we can’t see her until that’s over. All we can do is wait.”

Hank burst into tears, turned and hugged me. Sam sat down on one of the chairs and just looked straight ahead. Arnie sat down beside Sam with Stevie in his lap. I found a pay phone, put 50 cents in the slot then dialed Ben’s number. I let it ring and ring, but there was no answer.

We sat there for hours. A doctor finally came out and told us that Suzanne received massive head trauma and had internal bleeding that required surgery to sew up a ruptured artery in her chest. She also had damage to her spinal cord. He said she was stable for the moment but she would need more surgery. Cindy and I pulled the doctor aside and asked what her chances were. He said he wouldn’t lie and told us that he thought her chances were very slim and if she did survive, she would probably never walk again and perhaps remain in a coma. Cindy collapsed and broke down sobbing. Arnie jumped up and ran to her side. I went back and tried to call Ben but there was still no answer.

I looked up at the clock, it was just a few minutes till midnight. No one seemed to care as the old year ticked away and the new one arrived. Hank and Sam looked tired. Stevie had fallen asleep in Cindy’s arms. The doctor came out again and said there was no change. He advised us to go home and get some sleep. Arnie said he’d take Hank and Stevie home to their apartment. I sat up with Sam and Cindy. I fell asleep in one of the chairs.

The next morning I was jittery. Sam was asleep leaning against Cindy’s shoulder. Cindy looked at me and shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything.”

I rubbed my head, looked at the clock and sighed. It was already 7:25 in the morning. I got up and tried Ben’s number again but there was no answer. I came back and stood in front of Cindy.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I need to go home and feed Buddy.”

She nodded and said okay.

I got in my truck and drove towards Millersburg. I wondered where could Ben be. Then I remembered that he said something about his band playing for some bar in Berea on New Years Eve, yet I couldn’t remember the bar. I got back home and let Buddy out to pee, then gave him a big bowl of dog food. I got back in the truck and headed back towards Lexington. When I drove through Millersburg, I decided to stop at Ben’s house just in case he might be home. I turned off on Vimont lane towards his house. when I got there I noticed his motorcycle parked out front. I stopped the truck and ran towards the door. Ben walked out and stood on the front porch.

“Hey Travis. I just got home. What’s up?”

“Ben I have terrible news. I’ve been trying to call you all night. Suzanne and Bella were in a accident last night and Suzanne’s in critical condition. The doctors don’t expect her to live. Bella only suffered a broken arm.”

Ben looked shocked and gave me a big hug.

“I’m so sorry Travis, where are the kids?”

“Hank’s with Arnie right now and Sam’s with Cindy in the hospital.” I looked deep into Ben’s eyes. There was a long silence. “Remember when you were stoned and drunk that night of the World Series, and told me this story about a man who lived a long time ago?”

Ben looked down at his feet and started shaking his head, “No Travis. I know what you’re thinking about. Please don’t ask me to do this.”

“So is it really true? Can you really heal the sick and injured?”

“No Travis. I can’t do that anymore.”

“Is it because you can’t or you won’t?”

“Listen Travis, I know how much you love Suzanne. I love her too, but what you’re talking about is a miracle. Do you realize what would happen if a miracle were to occur in this day and age? The religious nuts would pour out of the woodwork. Scientists would try to study what had happened. Anyone close to her will be tested. There’d be consequences to doing something like this. They wanted me to be their savior. Once people know this thing about you, they come to expect you to do this all the time. You’re my friend Travis, my best friend, and if you ask me to do this, I’ll have to leave you and never come back.”

“But what about Suzanne? Don’t you love her? There’ll be three kids orphaned if she dies. What about them?”

Ben rubbed his hair and shook his head, “Arghhhhhhh! damn it! damn it!” he said running in circles and stamping his feet. He sighed, “Okay, if I agree to do this, you must promise to do certain things, okay? First I’ll need a container. Something people won’t notice. Something like a McDonald’s cup or any cup with a lid.”

“I might have one in my truck,” I said.

“Go find one now!”

I went out and looked in my truck and came back with an old McDonald’s cup with a lid and straw. I followed Ben into the kitchen where he reached into a drawer and pulled out a pocket knife. He opened the blade and quickly sliced across his wrist. Blood poured out as he held the cup underneath.

“Don’t worry Travis. I heal extremely fast.”

Within seconds the wound on his wrist closed up and the cut knitted itself together. I looked on in amazement.

“Keep the lid on this Travis. The first thing you must promise me is to never ever let my blood come in contact with dead flesh. Most important, if you get to the hospital and learn that Suzanne has died, do not under any circumstances allow my blood to come into contact with her dead body. My blood can heal the living, but if it touches the dead, it can create an abomination that the modern world has never seen. Do you promise Travis?”

“Yes Ben, I promise.”

“When you go back to the hospital, you’ll need to find a way to sneak into her room. It’s up to you how you do this, but I want you to find a syringe and inject some of this blood into her IV tubing. It doesn’t take much. Only a few drops. After you do this, I want you to destroy the rest of the blood. Don’t flush it. First you’ll need to mix it with bleach. You’ll also need to do the same thing to the syringe and needle. After that you’re free to flush it and wash it off. Promise me you’ll do this exactly the way I told you.”

“I promise Ben.”

“Now promise me you’ll never talk about this to anyone.”

“I promise that also Ben.”

“And one last thing. Once you’ve done all of that, I want you to come straight back here. Make an excuse if you have to, but I need your help once you get back.”  

I hesitated and scratched my head. “This will work, won’t it?”

“Are you having second thoughts? You aren’t wondering if I’m just some schizophrenic are you?”

“Well, uh…no I didn’t mean that.”

“I suppose this is where faith comes in, doesn’t it Travis? If you believe in me, then it’ll work. Now go. You don’t have much time.” Ben handed me a spray bottle of bleach and I ran out the door.

I pulled into the hospital parking lot. I couldn’t believe what I was attempting to do. I sat in the truck trying to figure out how I was going to do this. I couldn’t show up in the waiting room and let Cindy or Sam know I was here. I needed to go in through another door. I watched the building carefully and noticed people entering at a receiving dock. I picked up the spray bottle of bleach and decided it was too big to fit in my pocket. I fumbled through my glove compartment and found a plastic bottle of Visine. I dumped the contents, refilled the bottle with bleach and put it in my pocket. I took a deep breath, stepped out of the truck and walked towards the entrance. I approached some people in green smocks standing by the door.

“I’m supposed to start my new job here today as an orderly. I’m late and sorta lost my paperwork. I’m in so much trouble. Can you help me?” I said nervously fumbling with the paper cup.

One of the young blonde girls looked at me and said, “So who are you supposed to meet here?”

“I wish I could remember her name,” I said.

“Could it be Mrs. Boyles?”

“Yeah that sounds familiar.”

“Follow me, I’ll show you where she is.”

“Thanks so much. I’d hate to get fired on my first day at work.” I followed her to the door and she used her card key to open it. I walked right past one of the guards. She led me down a hallway.

“Stay right here. I’ll get Mrs Boyles.”

Once she was out of sight, I wandered into one of the rooms. I approached a man sitting behind a desk.

“Mrs Boyles is supposed to meet me here. Could you tell her to wait. I need to go to the restroom really bad.”

“He looked up and said,” Uh sure, Okay.” I ran towards the restroom. I was so nervous. I’d never done anything like this before. I bypassed the restroom and ducked into a room with some green smocks on a cart. I grabbed one of them, turned  and snuck back to the restroom. Some guy was standing at one of the urinals and I slipped into one of the stalls. When the guy left, I put on the green smock and stuck the McDonalds cup in one of the big pockets. I exited the restroom and walked briskly down the hallway. A break room was to my right and I walked inside. There were two orderlies sitting at the table drinking coffee. A heavy set black man and a red headed thin white woman. The black guy looked me up and down.

“I haven’t seen you here befo?” he said cocking his head to the side.

“Today’s my first day at work. It’s crazy today,” I said.

“Man, it was crazier last night. All dem drunk drivers ‘n fights. I was busy cleanin’ up blood and mopping shit up all night,” he said.

“I heard there was some woman here who was in a terrible car accident on the news,” I said.

“Yeah, they brought her in early last night. I heard that the guy who hit her was some punk ass ex boyfriend of hers”

“What? I didn’t hear that.”

“Yeah, I heard the po’leece talking ‘bout it a little while ago.”

“Wow, so is she still here?”

“Oh yeah, She’s down the hall to your right in the D wing. They ain’t expecting dat bitch to live though. She’s all fucked up.”

“Well I better get back. I told Mrs Boyles that I had to go to the restroom.”

The red headed woman looked up at me as she was eating her salad, “I sure hope you ain’t keeping Mrs Boyles waiting. She caught me outside smoking the other day and threatened to fire me.”  

“Hell, I best go then,” I said.

I left the break room and high tailed it towards the D wing. Carefully, I peeked into every room. I found a supply closet, and while no one was looking, I snuck inside, closed the door, searched the shelves, and found a syringe and a needle. I connected the needle to the syringe, then took out the cup of blood and drew some of the blood up into the syringe, then put the cap back on, and stuck it in my pocket. I cracked the door open, peeked outside, and when it seemed clear, I walked back out into the hallway and continued to look for Suzanne’s room. Near the end of the hallway, two doctors exited the room on the right. I stepped aside as they passed me and I overheard them talking.

“Yeah, they brought her in last night. If she lives, she’ll never walk again,” said the older man to the younger one.

“Man, I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell the family. Them poor children,” said the younger man.

I peeked my head inside the door to the room that they’d just walked out of, and saw Suzanne lying in a bed with tubes sticking out all over her body and her limbs bandaged up. It didn’t look much like Suzanne. Her eyes were swollen shut and there were dark blue bruises all over her face and arms. An elderly nurse walked out from behind a partition.

“May I help you?” she said sternly.

“Sorry, I was looking for Mrs Boyles.”

“Well she ain’t in here. Didn’t they tell you that you ain’t supposed to be poking your head in just any room?”

“Sorry ma’am. Today’s my first day.”

“Well if you don’t want it to be your last, you better get going.”

I walked out, grabbed a mop from a bucket and pretended to mop up a spill. I waited till the nurse left the room and then I walked back inside and closed the door behind me. I had to be quick. I stood above Suzanne and felt for a pulse. Her skin felt warm and I felt a slight flutter. I took the syringe out of my pocket, pulled off the cap and injected the blood into her IV tubing. I sped up the flow so the blood would clear the tubing, then turned it back to a normal drip. I put the syringe back in my pocket and headed towards the restroom. Once I was safely inside a stall, I poured some of the bleach from the Visine bottle into the McDonald’s cup and swirled it around. Then I took the used syringe and sucked up some of the bleach into the used syringe to sterilize it. After a few minutes, I poured the liquids down the toilet and tossed the empty syringe in the trash. Then I took off the smock and laid it on the back of the toilet. So far I’d done what I came to do. Now I just had to get out of the building without being spotted. I walked down the hallway and noticed an exit sign. I pushed open the door and I found myself in the parking lot. I walked straight to my truck and drove away.

It was around 2:30 in the afternoon when I arrived at Ben’s house. I’d gone back to my house first and got Buddy. It was still drizzling and the wind had picked up. Ben’s front door was left open and I walked inside. He’d started putting things in boxes. His entire house was torn apart. Ben looked at me with a worried look.

“So, how’d it go?”

“It was very interesting I must say. I did things today I would’ve never considered doing in my entire life.”

Ben raised his eyebrows, “Oh yeah?, tell me more!” I told Ben step by step what I had accomplished.“Wow! I’m impressed Travis. So you made sure she was alive first, right?” he said suspiciously.

“Oh yeah, she looked terrible, but she was still breathing.”

“That’s good. It should work fairly quickly. We need to move fast then.”

“So what’s the big rush?”

“Well for one thing, Suzanne’s going to improve rapidly. Not just days, but hours. From what you said, she was near death. If she’d broken bones, they’ll heal within a few days instead of the normal six weeks. This will appear to everyone to be nothing short of a miracle. When miracles happen, people want to know why. And now that Cindy has done a background check on me, there’ll be people looking for me. I can’t be found. You understand that don’t you?”

“I need to get in touch with Cindy. Can I use your phone?” I dialed the number to the reception desk and asked for Cindy. Shortly after I heard her voice on the other end.

“Travis where are you?” She said sounding excited.

“I’m over at Ben’s house. I needed to take a nap and didn’t think I could drive back as sleepy as I was.”

“Travis, I have very good news. The doctors came in a short while ago and said that Suzanne’s going to make it. Not only that, but they expect a full recovery.”

“What? seriously? I thought she was expected to die at any time.”

“That’s just it Travis, they’re calling it a miracle.”

“Well I’m so happy to hear the good news. I’ll give you a call later. I think I need to go back to bed.”

“Okay well talk to you in a few hours then. Bye Travis.”

I hung up the phone and shook my head staring at Ben in astonishment. “You really are Jesus. They expect her to make a full recovery.”

“Good, that means we gotta get back to work,” he said with a slight smile.

We spent the afternoon packing boxes of clothes, dishes and knick knacks all to be given to the Goodwill Industries. He’d lived at this house just over two years, yet he really didn’t have all that much stuff. Buddy started barking and ran down the hill.

Bill came walking up the hill saying, “Get down Buddy.”

“Hey Bill,” Ben said as we were putting his kitchen table in the truck.

“Where you goin? You movin?”

“Yeah Ben’s moving far away,” I said.

“Far away like California?” he said.

“Yeah even farther than that.”

“So you gonna come back?”

“I’m sorry Bill, I’m not. Too bad I don’t have anything to give you to eat.” Ben said putting his hand on his shoulder. I know what. Would you like another ride on the back of my motorcycle?”

Bill’s eyes lit up. “Yeah.”

Ben jumped on his bike and revved the motor. “Put on this helmet Bill and get in the back. Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight.”

Bill had some problems climbing on and then Ben pulled out of the lawn and went slowly down the road towards the railroads track and then went fast when he came back up the hill.  He pulled up next to me and Bill got off the motorcycle and was breathing heavy.

“How was it Bill?” I asked. He looked a bit shocked.

“It was fun wasn’t it Bill?” Ben said.

“Yeah, wrestlers ride motorcycles too.”

“Were you scared Bill?” Ben said patting his shoulder.

“Yeah a little bit.”

We went back to putting the last of the things in the truck. Bill sat on the porch and watched.

Ben walked up to Bill and said, “Come on Bill. Give me a big hug. Gonna be saying goodbye now.”  As they embraced, Ben said, “You be careful walking on those railroad tracks. Okay?”

“Yeah, I will.”

Most of the bigger furniture had been taken to Goodwill except for his mini-refrigerator. Everything was packed into boxes and loaded in my truck except for the two mannequins, the wooden sculptures, the motorcycle and the clothes on his back. We took the last load to Goodwill and dropped it off. Ben paid all of his bills and cancelled the water, garbage, sewer, and they were supposed to shut off electricity and the phone the next day. He told his landlord that he was moving out and gave him some extra money for not informing him two weeks in advance.

It got dark out and I gave Cindy another call. She said things were so much better and that earlier Suzanne had come out of a coma. She said the entire hospital was all a buzz about her remarkable recovery. She also told me that Rodger was the drunk driver that ran her off the road and that he died at the scene. A witness said that he did it on purpose. I told her that I wasn’t feeling good and she said it was probably best that I not come up. After I got off the phone, Ben suggested that he take me to dinner at the Cadet Inn. Everything was happening so fast.

I drove my truck and parked out front. We walked inside and the place looked empty.

Connie came out of the back and said, “Well look what the cat dragged in. I haven’t seen either one of you boys for a couple of months.”

Ben nodded and winked, “Hey Connie. I guess we’ve been busy.”  

“Oh my god! Did you hear about that terrible wreck they had last night on the road between here and Paris?”

“Yeah we saw something about that on the news,” I said acting like I didn’t know them.

“Well, I knew the driver who got killed. Knew him all my life. He was bad news and a drunk. Well from what I hear, he was at some bar and saw his ex girlfriend in Paris and followed her going towards Millersburg. He somehow came up behind her and ran her off the road and she hit a telephone pole and he ran head first into a semi and was killed instantly. The driver of the semi wasn’t hurt, but the ex girlfriend was in critical condition and she had a little girl in the car also. I heard the little girl wasn’t hurt bad.”

“Wow that’s terrible.”

“Well Rodger Workman was a mean one. He used to be a bit of a lady’s man before he became a mean drunk… So you boys want to see the menu?”

“No Connie, I think I’ll have the usual chicken salad.”

“Do you want to see the menu Travis?”

“Oh no I want the fried chicken.”

“You boys are so easy to please. You always ask for the same thing. Your food’ll be here shortly.”

When Connie walked into the back room, I leaned over and asked Ben, “Remember back to the night of the Blackberry festival? Well I was always curious about what you said to Rodger that made him piss his pants.”

Ben turned to me and sighed, “You know, I didn’t say a word to that man. I sorta became a mirror and reflected his own fears back at him. That man had a very troubled past and I felt sorry for him.”

A little while later Connie brought out our plates. I was hungry and tired. The fried chicken smelled so good.

Ben dug into his chicken salad sandwich and said, “I’m so going to miss this.”

“What do you mean you’re going to miss this?” I said.

“Oh I just meant that I was going to miss the food in this place.”

“I’m going to miss you too Ben. Will I ever see you again?”

“Travis, forever is a very long time.” I felt my eyes welling up. He looked me in the eyes, patted my shoulder and said, “I ain’t gone yet.”

I felt somewhat embarrassed and wiped my eyes and sighed, “I know, I just hate losing my best friend.”

“So do I Travis. I don’t want to leave, but I have too.”

That night we camped out with sleeping bags lying on the floor. It got rather cold inside without a stove to keep us warm. I asked if we could cuddle together and he agreed.  Buddy slept on the floor beside us. I dropped off to sleep rather easily. I had gone without sleep for over twenty four hours.

I woke up early the next morning to the sound of a guitar. I crawled out of the sleeping bag and put on my shoes and jacket. I found Ben sitting on the porch with Buddy, playing his guitar.

“How long have you been up?” I asked.

“Maybe half an hour. Not really sure. I took an early morning swim and now playing the guitar.”

It was a cold but bright and sunny morning. I sat on the porch beside Ben. The sun felt warm compared to the coldness inside. Ben played for a few minutes later and then put his guitar back in the carrier of his motorcycle.

“Travis, let’s go take a walk. There’s something I need to show you.”

Buddy and I followed him down to the main road where the highway, Hinkston Creek and the railroad tracks all intersected. We walked across the railroad bridge going east towards downtown Millersburg. It had been years since I’d walked these tracks. We passed the old Coal and Lumber Company on our left, a house with chickens running around in the yard with kids waving at us, and then the Millersburg Military Institute on the hill above the football field through the trees that lined the fence besides the tracks. Finally we passed an area that I was quite familiar with on the east side of town known as Judyville where I used to live as a child. I played on these tracks as a kid and remembered the trains that passed by, and the man who would toss candy to us kids as it sped by. It was like a lifetime ago. Just passed the town limit, we were surrounded by farmland on either side of the tracks. It was a peaceful stretch of land with only cows, groundhogs and crows to keep us company. Suddenly Ben stopped and looked around.

“Why’d we stop here?” I asked.

“Right here in this very spot over twenty years ago, there was a boy about Hank’s age. An angry boy who cursed and cried out to the heavens. “Why, why do I have to be this way? You might know that boy,” he said looking into my eyes.

A flood of emotions poured over me and I couldn’t hold back tears that welled up in my eyes. I looked away.

“I was there when this boy cried out, Oh God! If there’s a god, why did I have to be born like this? If you can’t love me for who I am, then fuck you! Fuck you! If there’s anyone, or anything out there listening, and can love me for who I am, Please help me. That’s what this boy said that day.”

I broke down in uncontrollable sobbing and sat down on the rails. Ben placed his hand on my shoulder.

“It was me Travis. I heard you.”

I looked up at Ben. “How could you have heard me? I was alone.”

“But you weren’t alone. I suppose you didn’t notice that crow sitting on the fence right there cawing at you? That was me.”

“But how? I don’t understand.”

“You will Travis. I still have one more thing to show you.”

He reached out, grabbed my hand pulling me up, and led me another mile farther east on down the tracks, past the the intersection with Carpenters Pike, till the tracks curved past a more swampy woodsy area with lots of weeds and dead wood lying about.

Ben stopped and pointed. “Over there in between the rotting logs and brush.”

I fought my way through the briars and mud. I pushed one of the rotting logs over a bit and was shocked to see an exposed rib bone, and then some rotting pieces of material.

“Ewww, it looks like a body that has been dead a long time.”  

Ben yelled out, “Keep going. You must see.”

I pulled at the material and found a spinal column connected to a human skull.”

“Oh my god! Who is this?”

“Keep searching Travis.”

I dug further and found the remains of pants and inside the back pocket was an old leather wallet wet and damp. I opened it up and found an old ID card. I wiped away the mud and looked at the picture.

“It looks like you Ben. Ben this is you! Benjamin Thomas Fisher. How can this be you when you’re standing right there in front of me in the flesh? Is this your twin?”  

He approached me shaking his head, “No, I didn’t know him. A train passed by that day and then I heard screams. I came upon a man who was dying in agony. Besides being homeless, alone, hungry and malnourished, his body was severed in two at the hip. I landed upon the ground beside him and tasted his blood. I hopped away and transformed into his likeness. I kept him company up until he took his last breath of air. So now you know. My blood that you gave Suzanne is no ordinary blood. It has the power to heal, and not only heal, but it will extend her life span. I never lied to you Travis. I did just come from Europe, but as someone else. I’d been here many times before, but not as the human you know. You saw me as a crow when you were a boy, and I returned to this area once again as a crow, and assumed the identity of the man you know as Ben Fisher. I’m sorry that I couldn’t reveal the entire truth. You wouldn’t have believed me.”

“I’m sorry I doubted you Ben.”

We got back to Ben’s house around 10 am. Ben wouldn’t tell me where he planned to go. We loaded the last remaining things left in the house, the two mannequins, two sleeping bags, a backpack with a few of Ben’s clothes, and a bag of dog food. This house held so many fun memories and now it was just an empty shell.

We sat on the porch waiting on a phone call. He plucked at his guitar for a while singing stupid songs. When the phone rang he walked inside, and came back a few minutes later.

“Well, this is it Travis.”

“This is what? What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s time to say goodbye to my little house.” He looked around the room and said, “little house, you’ve served me well.”

I felt like crying. I was losing my best friend and it was happening all too fast. I took the bungee cords and strapped down the two mannequins and put the sleeping bags behind my seat. Ben put his guitar on the passenger seat of my truck. He put on his leather jacket and helmet and straddled his bike.

“Can you follow me Travis?”

“Sure, where are we going?”

“Let’s go see Suzanne and Bella.”

I followed behind his motorcycle in my truck. I knew he couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. We arrived at the parking lot and he walked over to my truck as I was getting out. I grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the dashboard, feeling a bit nervous that someone from the nursing staff might recognize me. As we walked into the waiting room, We saw Cindy sitting in a chair next to Sam. She jumped up wiping away tears.

“Oh Travis, Ben! I have such wonderful news. It’s a miracle. The doctors came in scratching their heads saying they’d never seen anything quite like it before. They think she’ll make a full recovery!”

“What did they say was wrong with her when she was admitted?”

“Travis, they said she may have suffered permanent brain damage, and that they thought her spinal cord might have been severed, and all sorts of internal bleeding. They had her on a machine to help her breathe. I was just about to sign the papers for organ donation.”

“That’s so amazing!” I said.

Sam sat on the chair wiping tears from his eyes smiling up at us. “So where have you guys been?” he said.

I got sick yesterday with a bad migraine and some other things happened that I’ll tell you about later.”

“So where is everybody else? Ben said peeking out the door.

“Arnie took the kids back to my apartment. They released Bella yesterday afternoon with broken arm and a few bruises. She had no idea how bad Suzanne was and we just couldn’t tell her about that. It’s just me and Sam here right now,” Cindy said.

“So is there anyway we can see Suzanne?”

“Yeah, actually Suzanne woke up a few hours ago asking for you guys.”

Cindy got up and contacted a nurse who said that we could go back there. I was so nervous. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back and forth to indicate that I was scared of being noticed by the nursing staff. He nodded his head smiling. They led to her room where we found Suzanne sitting up chatting with three doctors who listened intently as she described her experience. The doctors politely excused themselves and exited the room.

“Come right in guys. We’ll give you some privacy,” said one of the doctors.

He pulled the curtain that separated Suzanne from the other patient in the room. She started to cry as we entered her room..

“Ben! Travis! You came!”

Ben sat down on the bed beside Suzanne and kissed her on the cheek. “So glad to hear that you’re alive sweetie.” She grabbed Ben’s hand and then took mine in the other.

“I was told that they didn’t expect me to live. I can’t imagine my kids without parents,” she said as tears came to her eyes again.

“But you’re alive Suzanne,” I said holding her hand tighter.

“Yes, by some miracle I am,… so why are you wearing those sunglasses?” she said.

I fumbled with my words a bit and said, “Bad migraines.”

The nurses came in about ten minutes later and said, “Okay guys time to go. This woman needs more rest. You can see her later.”  

Ben bent down and kissed her cheek, “Goodbye my sweet Suzanne,” he said wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Ben, I’m so sorry for having doubts about you. I hope you can forgive me. I miss you and hope that we can still see each other again.”

“Nothing to forgive because you did nothing wrong. I was the one keeping you in the dark. Unfortunately I need to work through some things. I’m taking an extended leave of absence.”

“When will you be back?”

“I can’t say.”

“I wish you could stay,” she said tearing up.

He kissed her hand and said, “I do too,” then he left the room.

I shrugged my shoulders, shook my head and sighed. “I’ll see you later Suzanne.”

Back in the waiting, room Ben said goodbye to Sam and Cindy with a big hug. Cindy glanced back at me confused. Sam smiled and waved as we walked out the door.

Standing in the parking lot, Ben sighed,“Follow me Travis,” as he donned his helmet.  

He got on his motorcycle again and sped out of the parking lot. At the light he pointed towards the interstate. I nodded yes. We got on I-75 going south. Good thing I’d filled up my gas tank yesterday I thought as I looked at the odometer. It was rush hour and the traffic was heavy. Having just passed the signs to Berea, he turned off on the last exit and I wondered where he was leading me. It occurred to me that he was going to say goodbye to his bandmates. We drove through the little college town and he turned left into a little suburban neighborhood. He drove a couple of blocks pulling up into someones driveway. A young man in his 20s came running out.

“Man! that’s a great looking bike. You are only selling it for 200 bucks?”

“Yeah, is that okay?” Ben said.

The kid was overjoyed as he examined the bike. I was stunned and shocked.

I whispered to Ben, “What are you doing?”

“I’m selling my bike.”

The kid walked over to us and said, “I can pay cash. Let me go inside and get it!”

I rubbed my hands over my face wondering what was Ben planning. The kid came running back out excited.

“Here you go Mister. It’s all there.”

Ben walked over to the compartment on the back of his bike and took out his guitar and backpack. He handed his helmet to the kid and said, “I guess this goes with it as well.”

“Wow! Thanks mister.”

Ben turned and walked back to my truck. He tossed the backpack in the back and got in the passenger seat holding his guitar sitting next to Buddy. I got back in the truck.

“So where to now Ben?”

He rubbed his beard in contemplation.

“Hmmm, lets go north. Take the back roads.”

It was twilight by the time we drove past the college taking highway 25 north towards Richmond. On the way north I asked something that lay heavy on my mind.

“Are people judged after they die for the lives that they led?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Travis, after all that you’ve seen so far, do you think it would be fair to judge a soul on the life it led? I know that you’ve led other lives and sometimes you made wrong choices. Life is a learning experience.”

“I wouldn’t want to be judged,” I said.

Ben grinned and leaned against me. “I’m going to miss you so much. You know that don’t you?”

He took out his guitar played old songs I’d never heard before. It was pitch black once we were past Richmond. I saw a sign for Boonesboro exit. After we turned on to 627, we crossed the river

Ben patted my knee and sighed. “Travis, this is good spot right here.”

“What good spot? We’re out in the middle of nowhere and it’s dark as hell,” I said feeling confused.

“This is it my friend. This is where I’ve come to say goodbye.”

I parked the truck well off on the side of the road. I started to cry. I couldn’t look at him. Ben got out, grabbed his guitar and handed it to me.

“I want you to have this. This is a good guitar. My hope is that you’ll learn to play it someday.”

I choked back tears. Buddy knew something was up and tried to lick me.

“Ben I don’t want you to go.”

“I know you don’t,” he said opening the passenger door. “Follow me Travis.”

I got out of the truck with Buddy. Ben took my hand and led me through the darkness towards the river. It was so dark I could barely see anything. There was cold, crisp breeze and I could hear the roar of flowing water as we got closer. He led me to a sandy beach.

“What are you planning to do Ben?”

He stood motionless staring out over the river.

“I’m going to miss you so much Travis. You’re my best friend.”

I cried and grabbed Ben in a big hug. I buried my face into his chest.

“Don’t leave me Ben. You don’t have to go.”

I didn’t want it to end this soon, so I just held him tight for the longest time hoping he might change his mind. Finally I released him and he smiled.

“This is it,” he said with a nod. He took off his leather jacket, his boots, his shirt and then his pants and let them fall to the ground.

“Will I ever see you again Ben?”

“Forever’s a very long time Travis,” he said standing naked and beautiful in the moonlight. “I imagine you’ll run into me again someday, but probably never again in this lifetime. Farewell my friend.”

He turned and walked towards the river. Buddy wanted to follow, but he ordered  Buddy to stay, and he sat rigid in his tracks. Upon entering the river his body began to glow, encased in a golden aura that made him appear heavenly. At the same moment, the symbol embedded in my left hand glowed as well. Once his head and shoulders fell beneath the surface, he transformed into a great glowing fish that sparkled and shimmered green beneath the waves, and then, in one swift undulating motion, he was gone. I dropped to my knees and wept.

I sat sobbing on the sandy shore holding Buddy in my arms looking out over the river. I gathered his clothes in my arms, and held them to my nose hoping to catch whiff of his scent. I stumbled blindly through the darkness, and with Buddy’s help, found my way back to my truck. I sat for a while still in shock. Having had no idea this journey would be my last with him. I started the engine and pulled back onto the highway. I rolled the window down because I needed a dose of reality that only the cold could provide. The thought of stopping at the hospital crossed my mind, but driving home that night kept me from exposing a sadness I wasn’t ready to share. The big house looked so empty seeing all the lights off as I parked in the driveway. I was all alone that night as the kids were staying with Cindy and Arnie.

The next morning I drove back to Lexington. The waiting room was packed. I didn’t see Cindy, but Arnie was there reading a magazine.

“Hey Arnie. Are you the only one here?”

“Yeah, Cindy needed to get some sleep. I told her I’d check on Suzanne.”

“So how is she?”

“As far as I know, she’s great. They might be releasing her today or tomorrow.”

“So can we see her?”

“I was just about to go ask.”

The lady at the front desk told us to go on back.  As we walked down the hallway, this blonde woman spoke up.

“Hey did you find Mrs Boyles?”

“Uhh, yeah I did, thanks,” I said caught off guard. She smiled and walked past us.

“Damn, she’s hot. Do you know her?”

“Oh, I put in an application with them.”  

“Oh cool, did you get a job?”

“Nah.”

We walked into Suzanne’s room while a nurse was taking her blood pressure.

“We can come back later,” said Arnie

“No, no come on in,” said Suzanne.

“So how are you doing?” I asked.”

“I think they might release me either tonight or tomorrow morning,” she said with a slight grin.

“That’s great.”

“Yeah look at all the flowers people brought me Travis. That big one with the red roses is from the channel 27 news people. They came in last night and did an interview and I’m going to be on TV,” she said bragging.

“I guess you are going to be famous for a few days.”

As she was talking, Arnie excused himself to go to the restroom. Once he had left the room Suzanne whispered.

“Travis, close the door, I don’t want no one else to hear.”

I pulled the door closed and said, “What’s up?”

“Travis, when I was unconscious, I was somewhere else, somewhere cold, dark and terrifying. I knew I was dying. My life was flashing before me just like they say, but then I saw Ben blocking the entrance to some sort of tunnel. He smiled and shook his head no. He held me in his arms and told me to look behind, and I saw you there, reaching down into the abyss begging me to take your hand. I know it don’t make any sense, and I haven’t told a soul except you.”

“I suppose your mind can play all sorts of tricks when you’re near death,” I said smiling.

It’s more than that, the doctors can’t explain it. They said that my spinal chord was severed. If that’s true, then it’s nothing short of a miracle.”

The door knob turned, and Arnie entered the room with a look of confusion, “Did I miss something?”