Part I
The icy wind stung my skin as I desperately dragged my legs through deep snow. My body was shivering, clinging to the ounce of strength I had left. It was dark; I could hardly see a thing as the blizzard raged on. Four months since I had last seen a soul, and now, in the distance, I saw a light. It radiated through the night. It pierced through the storm, giving me hope. Closer it came until I heard a booming voice call out, "Is someone there?"
"Help me!" I weakly shouted at the figure before me. Before I knew it, I felt the blood drain from my body, my head became dark and cloudy, and the weight of my exhaustion came crashing down. At last, I was found. At last, I am safe. My journey was not in vain! Finally, I found him.
Warmth spread from my core, out to my head and toes. It felt as though life was entering me once more. Delicious scents filled my nostrils; light laughter surrounded me and put me at ease. Slowly, I began to open my eyes. The bright light made me want to shut them again, but further I pushed them open. My bones began to ache. Dull, throbbing pain raced through my legs and back. However, it somehow didn't seem important. I was too excited to meet my savior. I tried to sit up, but was met with a strong hand on my shoulder pushing me back down. The laughter that filled the cabin was silenced. "Easy girl." The deep voice said. It was the same man who rescued me. I only wanted to thank him. Why wouldn't he let me up?
"You've got a nasty cut on your leg. Better take it slow." Hearing him talk more, I detected a slight southern accent. It was actually quite comforting.
"Mark? Mark Eloy?" I whispered. I tried to speak normally, but a raspy voice was heard instead. I suddenly had the realization that it had been a few days since I've had water.
"The one and only." He casually replied. He noticed me grab my throat as the gnawing of dehydration began to set in. "Let me fetch you some water girl."
"Mary." I said. "Call me Mary."
"Alright. Mary." He looked me over. His steel gray eyes, laced with worry, were set in a weathered face. His brows were thick and white, much like the hair on his head. Mark grabbed a canteen that looked to be as old as he was, unscrewed the cap, placed his hand under my head, and gave me a drink. It was like I was in heaven. I wanted to drink every last drop, but he pulled the canteen away saying something about rationing. I wanted more, but I was satisfied for now. Refreshed.
"So," he began as he worked to bandage my leg. "How is it you know my name?"
"I was sent here."
"Okay.. and by whom?" He sounded a bit irritated.
"By Virginia. You're -"
"I know who she is." He cut me off. Definitely irritated. "And? What does that woman want?"
"To apologize." I sheepishly responded.
"To apologize?" His eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Of course she sends a little girl to do her work. Nearly killing ya. Just to say she's sorry. Typical." He scoffed.
"First of all, I'm not little. I'm a grown woman. Second, I chose to go. We can't exactly send a text anymore. Not since all this has happened."
"You are right about that. Still, why didn't she just come herself? Too proud to face me?"
"No. She…" I paused. "She's sick." Mark's face suddenly fell. He asked the other three men in the old cabin to leave. Once they were gone, he sat on the edge of his bed, where I lay, and put his head in his hands.
"How bad is it?" He asked solemnly.
“Pretty bad. She hasn’t got much time left to be honest. We’re all hoping she pulls through, but I’m not sure she will.” My eyes shifted across the cabin to a window. It was daylight and the sun shone through. Little snowflakes rested on the window sill. I suppose the blizzard decided to take the day off. I was trying to hold back my tears; for I loved Virginia dearly. She had been like a big sister to me.
“I would like to go see her.” His gentle, yet timber voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Mr. Eloy... It’s a four month journey and I don’t know if she’ll last that long.”
“I don’t care! I want to see her; I must try! Now, I can go with, or without you. You need only tell me which way to go. The people here in this village will look after you while ya heal.” He stood slowly from the bed. His old age was made apparent in the way he winced in pain as he rose.
“Honestly sir, she has instructed me to simply make peace with you. She is hoping that you can forgive her for abandoning and betraying you.” I paused. “Virginia told me what happened between you.”
“What did she say?” His face was hard to read.
“That you tried to warn her about what was going to happen. That she cut you out of her life because of it. She said, at the time, she thought you were ‘just some old fool who read too much into superstitious prophecies.' But now, obviously, she realizes her mistake. She said you are like a father to her, and you were always there for her when she needed you, and she feels guilty for abandoning and handing you over to… them, and is just hoping that you'll forgive her."
The memory of that night flashed through my mind. It was summertime; so warm. Five of us gathered around a fire in the dark of night, surrounded by the forest.
"Hey guys, we should get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us. Especially you Mary. You need all the strength you can get. Don't let Virginia keep you up too late." Jeremy, our group's leader, was always kind, yet firm. Tall, strong, handsome. "Nevermind that." I thought, "I have more important things to worry about."
"I'll take the first watch." He said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Just let me know when you're ready."
"Yes sir, I will." I replied.
As everyone began to leave their tents, I looked over at Virgina, who let out a stifled cough and began to shrink into herself. I moved closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, what's going on? Do you need to lie down? Can I get you anything?"
"No, no. It's not that."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if he'll forgive me."
"What do you mean? Mr. Eloy? I'm sure he will. If he's as compassionate as you say and he loves you, why wouldn't he?"
"Mary, I've done terrible, awful things behind his back. Things that just make me cringe and want to throw up."
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad --"
"I got him shot and ran away. He almost died because of me." Now the pain in his leg made sense.
"What? How? How did you 'get him shot'?"
"The people that are looking to kill us, before I realized that he was right about everything, I told them where to find him. I told them that he was the one that was going around talking about the prophecy. I thought he was just spreading fear, and if I'm honest, I didn't want to believe him. So, they found him, shot him in the leg as he was running away. If it wasn't for Jeremy, Mark would be dead. Jeremy and his crew managed to protect Mark and save him. After that, Mark left to go up north to Canada. He said he needed time to heal and wanted to warn those up there. Jeremy took me in even after what I did and said as long as I promised to join the fight, I was free to stay."
"Oh, Virgina…" I had no words as she buried her face in her hands and began to sob. I gave her a squeeze and said, "Well, I will find him, and I will tell him everything. He will forgive you, and you will have peace."
“But you can’t possibly know that! Why would he want anything to do with me? I’m the reason he has suffered so much.” the rest I was unable to decipher as it was lost in her tears.
I stayed silent, allowing her to feel.
“You’re right. I can’t know for sure what he’ll say. But we have to have hope right? Hope is what keeps us going in times like these.”
Hope. Hope is why I’ve come all this way. Hope that we can move on, that we can try and put a stop to the prophecy. Hope that Mark will forgive Virginia and she will have peace in her final moments.
“How’s Jeremy?”
Mark’s words were muddled in my brain as I thought of that night. Sounding distant and unobtainable.
“Hey now, you alright missy?”
“Hmm?” I replied. “Oh yes he’s doing okay. About as okay as any of us could be right now. Very reserved. Don’t know a shred of information about that guy.” Other than the fact that he’s gorgeous.. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and immediately felt embarrassment wash over me.
Mark studied my face and said, “Well, nice to see some color come back to ya.”
His leathery face lifted up into a smile that said he knew exactly what was on my mind. I could have died right then and there.
“So,” I said, desperate to change the subject, “how do you know so much about the prophecy?”
The light in his eyes suddenly went out and they became dark. I immediately regretted my question. The smile on his face slowly faded away as he looked away and fixed his eyes on the floor, as if he was studying the grains in the wood.
“That my dear is a long story and one we don’t have time for right now.” He glanced back up at me after a few moments and smiled, the darkness never quite leaving his eyes. “We must prepare for our journey back. We’ll have plenty of time to talk then.”
“But Mr. Eloy, I really don’t think –”
“Enough child. I am leaving to see Virginia and that’s final. You’re either with me or not.”
“Yes, sir.” I said quietly. He spoke to me in a way that made me feel like a little girl again and I don’t know if I find it comforting or irritating, but I definitely respected him too much to argue.
Over the next week or so, Mark and the three other men who followed him gather supplies for our journey. Meanwhile I was forced to be bedridden and was told that I had to, “gather my strength and heal for the long road ahead.” It made me uncomfortable to just sit around though. I’m used to being able to help and do my fair share. Day in and out I had to just watch as they did everything. Including tending to my needs. How is it that this group of men could be so compassionate to someone they’ve never met? Someone who was taking the very person they relied on, on a trip that would almost certainly lead to his death. I was, however, grateful for them. I don’t think I would be of much help right now anyway. The throbbing in my leg had slowly subsided but each time I tried to get up and walk, my leg would betray me and buckle under my weight.
I hope I’ll heal in time. I NEED to get better fast! I thought to myself. Maybe another day or two and I'll be right as rain. It didn’t matter if it was true or not, in a few days we were leaving and I had to make sure Mark made it to Victoria. Leg or no leg.
The days went quickly. Filled with lots of laughter and hard work from the men Mark was with. Being stuck in bed gave me plenty of time to get to know them all. There was John. Equally as old as dirt, but wise and spoke more in a few words than most do their whole lives. I found that when he wasn’t helping Mark he stuffed himself in a corner and his nose in a book. Then there was Adam who was probably in his late forties. He sort of seemed like Mark’s right hand man. Due to take over the movement should something happen to Mark. Finally, Zeke, Adam’s son. Who you could hardly call a man at nineteen. Nevertheless, willing to prove himself to his father. He was well versed in all things mechanics. Before the world went into the gutter he was training to be one. Top of his class; overachiever. Not much use for a mechanic these days but his skills definitely came in handy from time to time. Not to mention he did most of the heavy lifting the older gentlemen could not.
Finally, the day to head out came. I was understandably nervous for the trek home seeing how last time I almost didn’t make it. I was also excited to get out of bed and get moving. Finally feeling of use to society again. I said my goodbyes to the men I quickly got to know and would miss. Hopefully, someday, all our paths will cross again. Homesick, my mind filled with day dreams of seeing my “family” again. Especially Virginia. Especially Jeremy.
Ugh. Gross. There we go again with childish thoughts that are nothing but a distraction.
“Ya ready miss?” Mark’s timbering voice pulled me from my thoughts just in time.
“Yes! I am!” A pause, “Are you ready, Mark?” I gave him a once over. Unsure of our success with his old age and my gimpy leg.
“Listen, Mary.” Wow. First time he hasn’t called me missy, child, or little lady. Must be serious. “If I don’t make it then it is what it is. But I’ve got to try don’t I? I can’t let my Ginny leave this world thinkin’ I’ve abandoned her. It ain’t right.”
“You’re right. I understand. I would do the same. Okay then, do we have everything we need? Let’s grab our gear and get going. It’s about to be daybreak and we’ll need all the light we can get.” And so we exited the dusty old cabin and entered into the unforgiving Canadian winter. The wind immediately whipped my face and made me want to go back inside and sit by the fire but, one glance at Mark reminded me of our purpose. He nodded in my direction, signaling it was time to get a move on. The snow crunched beneath our feet and stuck to our boots. I dragged our small sled that was overburdened with supplies behind us. The sound echoing through the silence of the forest. I stopped a few feet past the cabin and looked back towards the men that had nursed me back to health and waved them goodbye. Mark turned and stopped, looking at each of them one by one and simply said, “Remember all that I’ve taught you and pray we see each other again.” Ominous, right?
“Yes, sir!” They all chimed in unison. Mark adjusted the pack on his shoulders and turned to keep walking. I lingered a second longer wondering what the fate of these men would be, then quickly caught up to the strange man before me. Deeper we went into the forest. Farther and farther from the last bit of civilization we’ll see for months. I pray we make it too.
End of Part I
