The Family Secret

Chapter Eighteen

I was scared that my mind was playing a trick on me and that I would wake up back in the water. Every part of me was shaking from the cold, "Is it really you?"

He smiles at me, and I could see the tears just come pouring out of him. Jon replies, "Yes! Yes, Taylor! It's me!"

I had to be sure as I reached out to him with my left-hand trembling because I was scared that all of this was a dream. My fingertips barely brush against his wrist and up his forearm. It's him! I quickly wrapped my arms around Jon as he held me close. I just happily kept crying his name, "Jon!"

He cups my face and kisses me deeply. Jon then pulls me back into a hug cradling my head with his right hand. He then says to me through all of the tears, "I love you so much! I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

I looked up at the sky, and I knew by some miracle someone was watching over me. I kissed Jon on his cheek as I told him, "I love you too!"

Jon tries to help me stand up, but I was in so much pain that it hurt to breathe. I knew it hurt Jon to see me in so much pain. He never expressed it though, but I could see it in his eyes. Jon carefully lifted me into his arms and carried me to this big beautiful cabin he was hiding out in the woods. He says to me, "Everything is going to be okay."

"I'm going to take care of you."

We get inside, and the first person I see is Jon's Dad. He asks Jon, "What the hell happened?"

"She just washed up on shore not too far from here," Jon answered. "She beat up really bad Dad."

"Ah!" I cried out.

Jon was carefully resting me on top of a workbench. Once he felt I was okay to sit upon my own, he let me go. When he did, I got a look at his arms, and they were covered in my blood. I looked up into a mirror and saw a reflection of my back. It looked like a bear attacked me.

I might throw up. Just then, Heather's voice catches me attention as she walks over to her dad with a bottle of medicine, "Your gonna have to hold her Dad. I won't be strong enough to."

"Alright." He replied.

"What is that?" I asked a little bit dazed.

Jon then explains to me, "It's first aid medicine. This heals wounds within seconds."

I was too out it to process what Jon had just told me as I felt Jon's Dad bracing me down by my shoulders, "This stuff works fast, but it burns like hell. Jon."

Jon takes my hands and tells me, "Whatever happens, just squeeze my hands."

Huh? "Ok," I answered.

Soon as I felt one drop trickle onto my back, I thought I was going to die. It felt like my skin was burning off my bones from some type of acid. I was grinding my teeth to keep myself screaming. Jon's Dad says to me, "Your doing good kiddo. Just a few more seconds."

I looked up into the mirror and saw one of the most remarkable things I may ever witness in my life. The medicine that Heather was pouring on my back was regeneration my skin. The pain at this didn't even bother me. I was just mindblown by what I had just seen. Heather put a blanket over me because I was shivering uncontrollably.

Jon asks me, "Better?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Just cold and tired."

"I'll take you up to bed so you can get some rest."

Time had passed when I had finally woken up. Three days to be exact. I opened my eyes and saw Jon was lying down next to me with his head on my stomach. I cupped the left side of his face as he asks me, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I answered.

"You should be. You've been out for three days."

"And what have you been up to all this time?"

Jon answers as he sat up, "I've been trying to get in contact with your mom."

"And have you heard anything?" I asked.

Jon cradles me in his arms as he replies, "She said that someone would be coming to find us within the next day or two. Which give us some alone time." He smiles playfully as he says, "Whatever are we going to do."

"I'm sure we can think of something."

***

Heather was downstairs with her dad brewing more first aid medicine. Jon and I had finally come downstairs. Heather says to me sounding cheerful, "Hey sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"

She walks around the counter to hug me. "Well rested," I answered. "Also relieved to know that you all are safe."

"You must be Mrs. Mason." I turned around and saw a girl with curly black hair. She shakes my hand, "My name is Elena Kane."