The Word No Part 1

Chapter 261

The Word No

Part 1

 

I had died and went to heaven, only to be woken up by the knock on our door. I felt Rhoda leave my side, not wanting to disturb my sleep, but I was a very light sleeper. The only way I truly could be dead to the world was by a tranq sleep. To the point, I wouldn’t even hear a marching band march through our room. Rhoda groaned climbing out of bed and slipped on lighthouse robe. If we were home we wouldn’t even be bothered, nor would anyone bother knocking instead they would just barge right in.

Rhoda said opening the door whispering. “Can’t you read the sign on the door? It says we don’t…”

Stringum, Tony and my adoptive parents barged into the room. Stringum said cutting her off. “It’s important Rhoda, or we would have waited until morning. We need Nate, and we need him right now.”

I groaned rolling over so I could sit up. I blinked a couple of times letting my eyes adjust to the light in the room, and then said. “Let me guess, the world is ending and you need me to put right again?”

Dad said. “In a way, yes son. I tried to tell them you haven’t slept much in the last couple of days, but they say it’s important. Our dear friend Mr. Tate and Antonio have escaped their holding pins not more than a few hours ago. Tony went down to see how the interrogation was coming along and found their guards dead, and according to Tony and Stringum Jeff needs your help in finding them, says you’re the only one that can see them.” I groaned standing up allowing Rhoda to help me on with a robe, not that it mattered much considering our lifestyle.  Stringum laid out a huge map on the floor. Indicating he wanted to do it as we did earlier, handing me a box of colored markers.

Man, I wanted to say no eyeing the bed and eyeing Rhoda knowing she was naked under that robe. Not that I had the energy to do much, but I would give it one hell of a try.  I groaned and said. “So where’s our friend Jeff? You do realize it takes him to make this work?”

Stringum and Tony looked at each other and back at me. Stringum said. “I thought you knew, considering the special link that allows you to call him whenever you need him?”

I took my hands and rubbed my face with the palms of my hands. Wishing it worked that way, but Jeff was never like that if it had been… life would be a little bit easier. Man, I so much wanted to say no, but it was the closest thing to the world ending. I rubbed my face again and said. “I needed a minute.”

Stringum and Tony looked at each other Tony said. “Tell me what you are going to need and I’ll fetch it.”

I stated, “a week's worth of sleep.” No one thought it was funny, stating again how serious this problem was. I quickly said. “Don’t know yet, but a steak and egg sandwich with a side of bacon wouldn’t go amiss and tall glass of orange juice.”

Stringum said.” No problem, would you like that now or after we find where our two bad boys went.” I didn’t say anything just went into the bathroom and closed the door so I could relieve myself and splash some water on my face. Plus the fact I wanted some privacy so I didn’t look stupid trying to contact Jeff feeling that empty cold spot inside me where he used to be. It was little after three in the morning; I had only been asleep for maybe two hours maybe three. Rhoda had set the alarm for 6 am since we didn’t need to be anywhere until 9 or even 10 am.

Mr. Kirkland wanted to shoot the lawn mowing scene around noonish. It was the first scene of the Mulberry that and the brief pool scene with my friends or should say Mr. Bronson’s victims.  The last two scenes for me for the day would be the redo of the school pep rally with me and Mark and a quick little shower scene. Then off to work I go, leaving those that needed to finish the other scenes so Mr. Kirkland had enough to put a sneak preview together; a quick 1-hour movie, introducing the main characters and the theme of Tangled Hearts.

I splashed cold water on my face as I washed my hands, looking at myself in the mirror and wanted to strangle the person I saw looking back at me. I could hear the words in mind listing all the things I have done in the name of seeing these monsters put away for the rest of their lives. I only said. “Jeff, why me?” Only to have him pop up behind me. I tried not to jump, stating he startled me, but instincts be damned I did so anyway causing him to smile at me. He seems just as tired as I was, but what I noticed most was how faded he was.

He said.  “Are you asking why I need you? Or just being figurative when the world could be ending as we know it?”

I growled angrily said. “Both if you want the truth,”

Jeff nodded taking a seat on the vanity sink next to me, said. “Actually it’s more of a life and death situation. Plus I am in need of little help myself if you can see that I am kind fallen into a trap. That I need your help to get me out, and neither Tony nor Stringum can help me because they can’t see it. Plus the bond we have, where you and I can connect seeing the physical and the spiritual world. It's part of you that I need and you need part of me to make it work.” Stringum knocked on the door asking me if I had fallen in the toilet and drowned, indicating his impatiens.

I growled opening the door hard said. “I am coming, just give me second.” I noticed right away that neither Tony nor Stringum could see Jeff; he proved it by stepping in front of them and waving his hands like a mad man in front of him. I said. “So you can’t see Jeff, or him screaming at you guys.”

Stringum and Tony shook their heads no and Stringum said. “It’s damn right annoying. He was there working out some sort of trap and then just like that he was gone,” snapping his fingers.

He continued as we walked over to the map and the floor plan of where they had been keeping Mr. Tate, Antonio, and their friends. I saw the sign of the star in a box indicating there was a big booby trap of some kind. Stringum handed me the boxes of markers as he explained that everything went to hell in hand basket.  Having no clues on what had happened; or a trail of breadcrumbs to where our prisoners went. He had hope that our friend Jeff was on their trail but, they hadn’t heard from him since when we went to dinner.

I gave a nod, said. “That’s because he is trapped, someone has found out about our little spiritual help. Most likely Mr. Tate or Antonio considering the traps we have found recently knowing that with his help we were able to disarm them and the door in the caverns. Someone very powerful has trapped Jeff, and he can’t get out without our help.” Stringum growled angrily picked up one of our pillows off the bed and threw it across the room knocking over a lamp as it crashed to the floor in a million pieces.

Everyone stared at him watching him pace to regain his calm. Once he had he said. “So, its worst then we thought. New rules, No one speaks Jeff’s name, not even in secret like we do our boy here. Not knowing who or what might be listening. If we must, we better make damn sure we have a safe room to do so. I’ll talk to my wife about it and Dora sees if they can teach us a little white magic that can hide us from whatever is tracking our actions. Even our damn dreams if necessary. Now then I am assuming we need to free our friend first. Then he can help find our naughty boys before they get back to their group and spill their guts.”

Everyone was in an agreement, I wanted to say no and go back to bed, but I owed Jeff, I owed everyone here, no wasn’t an option. I looked over at Jeff and he nodded I asked through our link what he wanted me to do. He smiled at me telling me lye down on the bed. I looked at him and the map, he said. “The map isn’t going to do you any good. You need to see the room, you need to see the trap, and then draw it, and so Tony and Stringum can work the physical world why you and I work the spiritual world side of it. Providing our help I have sent for arrives when we need them.”

Everyone in the room watched me as made myself comfortable on the bed, after placing a note pad and several colored pencils near me. Stringum paced the room until there was a knock on the door, then I watched as Dora and his wife Dr. Sars entered the room with two woman and three men wearing long white robes and hoods where I couldn’t see their faces each were carrying a white bag over their shoulder like a mans purse all wearing leather sandals.

Dr. Sars said. “I understand our friend is in trouble again, I brought some friends to help, said they owed our special friend a favor.” Stringum nodded as she pushed four hotel trolleys into the room, with the smells of food under the covered metal domes; making my tummy rumble. Jeff said there would time for me to eat once he is free from his prison.

I watched as they these strange people opened their bags and placed the items they needed on the table in the room having Stringum move his maps and was just as curious as I was in what they were going to do. I was told these were Sherman like witch doctors that work with the spiritual world. Normally I would think they were fruitcakes, but then there was Jeff and me which was hard enough to explain. Two of them started chanting and filling the room with incense, and waving feathers that looked like doves or eagles or both.

Two more started to draw on the walls, the windows and the doors with red chalk with strange symbols. One had me get off the bed, having Tony and Stringum move it. Having one of the women of their group asks me to remove my robe. I quickly stated I wasn’t wearing anything under it. Giving me a blank expression, she said. “Even better, because I would need to sprinkle oils and powders to purify you, being as you are the conduit for Jeff. Just pretend I am a nurse or a doctor we can do it in privacy if you….”

I opened my robe letting it fall to the ground, I said, “I have no problem with being nude, or aroused in front of strangers.”

As she glanced at my member making a proud solute causing Mom, and Rhoda to giggle “that’s my tiger.” The woman smiled at me and simply reached into her bag pulling out several bottles powders and oils. She asked Rhoda instead of me if she could touch me or if she would feel awkward having another female touch her husband. Rhoda said no as long as she can help.

The woman nodded and instructed Rhoda what she wanted her to do. It tickled as they lathered me up in scented oil. I turned my head watching the two men working where are bed had stood and started to draw a large circle in with a bucket of red paint. I cringed thinking of the cleaning bill, wondering if the paint they were using or the colored chalks were washable. Even Stringum seemed concerned as he conferred with his wife. Stating that the manager of the hotel won’t be pleased.

When the woman and Rhoda were done lathering me up with blessed oils and applied several symbols on my skin I didn’t recognize in the paint. She instructed Rhoda to bring me a waist robe, for modesty because it would look out of place if I lay on the bed with a pole sticking up. I knew Mom and Rhoda that wouldn’t bother them, in fact, they would enjoy every once of it, and share it together. But this was not the time or place for that.

Jeff seemed very amused as he watched everyone in the room as the men worked. They soon replaced the bed over the large circle they had just drawn; telling me to lye down on the bed making myself comfortable in the middle of the bed. I did what they asked while the rest set candles around the room and lit them watching the main lights in the room being shut off including the nightlight in the bathroom.

Dr. Sars and Dora had changed into white robes just like the rest of them. Mom and Dad and everyone else took seats out of the way. Watching Stringum, Dad and Tony lift the lids and helping themselves to my late night snack indicating that this could take awhile.

Dora placed a white silk cloth over me covering my legs and waist leaving my chest bare, with the exact symbol that they had drawn on the floor where the bed was. She had me drink something that smelled of oranges but tasted nothing like it. It tickled my insides and I started to feel strange and tingly and very warm inside. She and Dr. Sars painted another symbol on my exposed chest in red paint.

Telling me to close my eyes and concentrate on Jeff’s image while she and Dr. Sars each took a side and my hand and lay down next to me.  The strange group of men and woman circled the bed as they knelt on their knees removing their sandals. Stating it was either for comfort or the area of where my bed was, was considered scarred ground or both.

The group around me started to chant using words I didn’t understand, each time they finished a verse one of them rang a tiny bell and began again. I watched from the corner of my eyes as they swayed back and forth chanting. The candle in the rooms seemed to dance with strange shadows on the walls. The feeling of being drawn towards the floor or being lifted off the bed continued to get more aggressive as they swayed and rocked back and forth the chanting increased.

The bell became distance as did their voices. My eyes grew heavier as the smell of rosewood and cider and other smells like pine trees and other smells I didn’t recognize. My body felt light as a feather as I was bathed in white light, I could sense Jeff near me, but I couldn't see him…. yet as he called me sounding close but at a great distance.