Darrius recognized it almost immediately. Without saying anything, he took off to the other side, almost sliding down a small hill.
Derrick called after him, hardly able to keep up with his suddenly speedy brother. “What do you see?”
“That’s a camera, and it looks like hers from what I can see.”
They had to circle one of the larger cliffs just to get to the other side. The ground was terribly rocky, the land unused for centuries. It was no longer fertile; the ground was barren and lacking nutrients. The land was land wasting away, but for unknown reasons. The place was dangerous. And there was a camera there, a most unwelcome visitor to ancient lands.
Now closer, Darrius now knew for sure it was Justine’s camera. He frantically searched around the area, but not being convinced she wasn’t there, he moved in closer.
Derrick tried pulling him back but lost grip as Darrius kept walking. Suddenly before them was an overhang that led to a small landing where the bag was. With careful steps, Darrius directed the rescue. “Hold my arm while I reach down and get it.”
“No, it’s too dangerous. Besides, you don’t even see her there.”
“Just do it!” He thrust his arm into Derrick’s hand. “She wouldn’t just leave it here. If I know her, she tried to get it. Besides, where would she go without the truck? Hold on tight or I’m dead!”
Slowly, Darrius lowered himself to the edge and reached over. Just beyond his reach was another landing. On that landing was a ripped sandal, part of a pink dress, and farther to his right, a scarred and bloodied hand with a familiar turquoise and spiny shell bracelet attached. “Justine!”
The sound of Darrius screaming at the top of his lungs almost caused Derrick to let go. Instead, he held on tighter; Darrius had found Justine. “Is she conscious?”
“Oh, my God! Justine!”
“Is she conscious?”
“I can’t see her face! Hold me tighter and follow me.”
“These rocks are brittle, Darrius. We could both fall.”
“I have to get her, Derrick!”
He held Darrius’s wrist tighter and slid to the edge. “Damn it! I hadn’t planned on dying today. Why is she even here?”
Darrius looked back up. “Look, either you help me or I do this alone. Either way, I’m going down there.”
Without another word, Derrick slid as far to the edge as he could, counting on his strength to hold out with possibly two people dangling from him.
The front of Justine’s dress was the only thing Darrius could grip with ease. However, it ripped and her lifeless body slumped back against a cracking rock. With determination creasing his face, Darrius stretched, trying to grab her wrist. At the same time, his eyes narrowed in on the slab of sandstone beginning to fracture with each move of Justine’s body. He called back to his brother. “Down a little more. This slab is ready to slide, and she’ll go with it.”
Now with added strength, Derrick held tighter, his boots digging into the crusted sandstone. “I’ve got you. Just stretch. Get her up, for Christ’s sakes, before we all tumble to our deaths.”
Darrius again reached for skin, finally grabbing the bracelet, and then the wrist. With a firm grip and a constant eye on the cracking slab, he stretched almost far enough to pull his arm out of socket. His words were silent, but his lips trembled, as if she could hear his nervous mumblings. Come on, baby, hang in there.
He slid her closer to him and finally saw her face. Her eyes were closed, forehead bleeding, neck twisted, streaks of tears staining her face.
With sweat rolling into his eyes, he bit down on his lip and pulled. Her body dangled in the air just as the slab of sandstone below her tumbled down, cracking into a million pieces against the bed of the cliffs. Without haste he pulled harder, praying Derrick could hold his grip. His and Justine’s fates were literally in Derrick’s hands.
Justine’s limp body brushed against a jagged cliff, tearing her dress and cutting into her thigh. Blood dripped down her leg as Darrius continued to pull her to safety. The last thing on his mind was a cut thigh; he simply needed to know if his lover was still alive. From the look of her bruised forehead, the chances looked dim.
Darrius soon took her into his arms once they were on steady ground and placed her on a small patch of grass. He brushed the hair and dirt from her face, looking for any sign of life. He felt for a pulse. Nothing. His only recourse was to perform CPR. He breathed as much life as possible into her, watching frantically for even the slightest movement. Derrick was talking in the background, but Darrius could hear nothing, could see nothing and could feel nothing but pain for a love that may now be gone, forever.
Compressions achieved nothing. Darrius pulled Justine into his arms, rocking her, calling to her as he tried to make life return to a hopeless shell. His tears mixed with the sweat on her skin. He looked up at Derrick and said, “Call 911.”
22
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
The gray haze finally lifted, and then there was sight. It hurt to move, hurt to breathe, but Justine had to know where she was. All she could see was white walls. Am I dead? Is this what it looks like to be dead? Does it hurt to be dead? Immediately, her right side started to throb. Though it hurt, her hand moved to the pain and rested gently on heavy gauze covering a wound. There’s no gauze in heaven.
She strained to place her surroundings. Definitely a hospital. She looked over at the open window and saw Darrius sleeping in a chair. His clothes were dirty and torn. His face was covered in streaks of sand and sweat, his hair in disarray. She smiled, realizing Darrius had saved her from an area she had been warned to stay away from. What would he think of her when he awakened, she wondered.
She stared at his profile. He was so relaxed, at peace…so handsome. She could see that even though she felt like death itself. With the image of her perfect Darrius burned into her mind, she went back to sleep.
When she awakened hours later, Darrius was staring at her with a less than elated expression. Justine knew what she had done was wrong, and that he had every right to be mad. She spoke first. “Darrius, I’m so sorry. I only wanted to—”
“If you can manage to sit up, drink your tea. I brought a special healing brew. This will help you heal so you can hurry up and leave New Mexico.” He sat back, expecting her to defend herself; he knew her well.
His words startled her, but she did what he expected and defended herself. “I know what I did was wrong, Darrius.”
He waved his hand. “I don’t want to hear it, Justine. I asked you not to go there. The place is dangerous. And besides, the ruins—”
“I didn’t go to the ruins, as you already know.”
“Your camera was near the ruins, Justine. Don’t deny it.”
“Near the ruins, Darrius, and that was as far as I went. I wouldn’t have gone any farther, and you know it.”
“Do I?”
“Yes!”
