Finding Darkness

Chapter 51 Awake

This girl never ceased to amaze every person in the medical ward. All of them, as medical professionals were used to the swings in most people's personalities because of the stress put upon them in any medical situation. But this girl, she was different, very different. This tiny girl, it was like she had multiple personalities in her, one second, she could be calm and nice, the next, fierce and savage, and no one knew from time to time which one they would get.

Tammy had been around her the most, so she was just now beginning to understand her a tiny bit. Something had happened to her down on the planet, something horrible that had left its indelible mark on her. Somehow Malachi had found her and in the process of getting her to the ship had been injured.

She watched as Tamar sank to the floor. Hitting the floor, she continued to sink until she was spread out flat in front of her knees. Heavy sobs wracked her tiny frame. Tammy knew she was crying only because she could hear the sounds even though she couldn't see ninety percent of Tamar's body, her long black hair covered her like a tent.

The next thing Tammy knew the lights went out, all of them, all at once. The startled shouts and calls of rising panic made it plain to her that the outage went farther than the room she occupied. The outage was everywhere, the lights had failed across the entire ship.

"Central! What is this?" Captain Prey asked as he ran out of his state room.

"Something has depowered every source of illumination on board this vessel sir. All of them, all at once."

"I can see that, I need to know what could do this, and why." He strode purposefully to the front of the bridge.

"I do not have that information available at this time, sir. I am trying to get the lights back on even now, but something is blocking my attempts."

"Keep trying, we need those ligh..." He stopped mid word, his voice cut off as static rippled from ever speaker or communication circuit on the ship. A soft piano beat began throughout the ship, then.

"When I open my eyes, I can't believe it."

"How is a song being played over my comms system?"

"It's not yours right now sir, sorry."

"Who, or what, is playing this song, and why right now?"

"Malachi is." Joshua stood from his station and walked to stand beside the captain.

"He used to love this song when we were teenagers."

"He's in a coma," the captain scoffed. "Why, and how is he using my ship as his personal stereo?"

"I have no idea how, but I'm beginning to figure out why." Captain prey ached an eyebrow.

"Sir, just listen to the song. Who do you think he'd be playing this song for. If he were conscious, he'd be singing it himself." Joshua watched the realization finally dawn on the captain. Then was astonished when Tomas spun on his heels and ran from the bridge.

Tamar heard it as soft piano music. In the blackness it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"When I open my eyes, I can't believe it." Most of the words she didn't catch, the tears wouldn't stop, and she didn't try until she heard them, the words she would remember for the rest of her life.

"I can face my darkest night, cause I trust you with my life, I'm not afraid for you are my refuge. When its heavy on my chest, you're the place I catch my breath, you are the only one I hold onto, oh cause you are my refuge." Her eyes sprang open, tears still flooding from them, she pushed herself from the floor.

How could he do this. Every time she was on the bottom, he somehow was there to reach his hand down and draw her out of her depths. He was speaking to her, to her, singing to her with words he himself could not speak.

Leaping from the floor with a single high bound, she flipped in the air, her feet almost touching the ceiling before she came down on the bed. Each of her four limbs absorbed the impact so the bed moved no more than if someone bumped into it with their hip.

Then she melted onto him. Tammy still stood beside the bed but could only hear what was going on, the darkness so complete she could see nothing. Until a smoldering red light began to suffuse the room, a light that radiated from the two figures on the bed.

The instant Tamar laid herself on his chest she sent her mind on a wild flight to find him. Her desperation giving her mind a manic intensity. She had to find him; she would find him. Every time before, her attempts had been foiled by a massive cloud. Claw had told her it was his minds way of protecting him until he was ready to wake up. This time there was nothing, the landscape of his mind was as clear as a crystal bell. She breathed in the clear air and smiled.

You're awake, aren't you? She lifted her head, looking down into his face.

Nope, not me, no one here but us comatose guys.

You are awake! Her mind screamed into his.