Lauren--Part Fifty-One

Splog # 187

Fifty-One

 After a few moments, Mae gave Austin a little push and once more took up Lauren's hand. She reexamined it closely, rubbing her hands over both the front and the back and poking and squeezing it, first gently and then firmly.

 "It doesn't hurt at all?" she finally asked.

 "Uh-uh."

 "Do you feel anything unusual? Warmth? Cold, even? Anything at all?"

 Lauren ran her other hand over the glowing one and then shook it a few times.

 "If I didn't look at it, I wouldn't even know there was anything wrong with it."

 "There may not be anything wrong with it. The effect might just fade away."

 And now the three of them stood in the stream, with water running over their feet, and were silent. The woman and the girl seemed lost in thought. Austin lapped a few times at the water and then looked to his companions. When they continued to remain motionless, he finally gave a bark and, as if awaiting that signal, each moved off in a different direction. Mae crossed the stream and climbed the gully. There she paused and, while she did, the horse, as though she had called it, lifted its head from the grass and headed across the bridge towards her. Lauren, meanwhile, gathered up the cloak and wrung out the edges she'd soaked, picked up the pot and sandal, and followed Mae across the stream and up the side of the gully, accompanied by Austin.

 Here, at the far end of the bridge, they found that the boulder, which Lauren had noticed when she first came through the fence, was truly enormous. It sat a few yards from the bridge, square in the middle of the trail they'd been following. Lauren could still see a glow emanating from somewhere inside it. She handed the pot to Mae, who relieved her of the sandal and cloak also and, while she was stowing these items among the gear on her horse, Lauren approached the rock and lay her palm against it. Austin began barking and Mae turned to see Lauren with her hand pressed to the rock. Both Lauren's hand and the area of rock surrounding it were aglow and shining brilliantly. Lauren didn't seem to be experiencing pain so Mae walked calmly to her and observed. Lauren easily moved her hand over the surface of the rock and the glow slowly spread to follow it, but didn't disappear from the area her hand had vacated. Soon, there were great swaths of light covering the rock like trails of sunshine glittering on the ocean. Lauren gently moved her hand away from the rock and the space between seemed to burst with light. She gradually increased the distance and the brilliance wavered and pulsed and began to grow thinner and dimmer. Lauren remained where she was near the rock, letting her arm pull her hand farther and farther away. Just before her arm was stretched fully behind her, she felt a small shock through her whole body and the light between the rock and her hand evaporated. Her hand still glowed and the rock still looked to have been painted with light, but the connection appeared to be broken. Lauren and Mae stood gazing at the rock and Austin was again licking her hand, which had drooped to her side. Lauren and Mae took a glance at each other and Lauren suddenly jerked her hand from Austin and inspected it to see if it was still glowing. When she found it was, she grabbed Austin's face with her other hand and said, 

 "Open your mouth, Austin. Come on. I wanna see your tongue."

 Austin didn't respond so Mae removed Lauren's unlighted hand from his face. When she did, Austin's mouth naturally fell open and his tongue slid out. Lauren gave it a thorough examination, then turned to Mae.

 "I was afraid it might be glowing," she said nervously. They looked at each other for a moment solemnly and then Mae smiled.

 "Glowing, hmmm?" Lauren smiled back at her and the next thing they knew they were both giggling merrily.