ABANDON

Chapter 40 -- Attack

    Held tightly in Jane's loving arms, Evan suddenly sat up and smiled. There is something magical about a beautiful smile in a beautiful face.  Jane and Miriam were instantly charmed.  Evan's smile grew from closed to open mouthed, the look in his eyes from delight to pure joy.

    "Miriam," Jane said, "Oh, Miriam.  Have you ever seen a smile so lovely?  It changes everything."

    "I've seen him smile like that before.  I never forget this smile."

    Jane noticed that he was looking at something far away.  His eyes moving rapidly, scanning something only he could see.  "What do you think he is looking at?"

    "Only heaven knows.  He often sees like this.  But that smile, that beautiful smile is rare.  A treasure that I've only seen two other times."

    Suddenly the air was split with screams, and before Jane could do anything the long tube of light that snaked its way throughout the entire cave system slowly faded until everything went pitch black.  Then the air was filled with gunshots.

    "What's happening?"  Jane asked.

    "Where's Evan?" The hollow horror in Miriam's voice caused Jane's heart to squeeze.

    Jane felt around her. "He's gone."

    "Evan!"  Miriam began to grope around in the dark, knocking things over.  Jane pulled the portable light from her pocket, turned it on, and shone it around the room.  She caught sight of Evan just as he disappeared through the room's exit.  Jane and Miriam hurried after him, but a call stopped them once they reached the main cave.

    "Seehoiah! Seehoiah!"  It was Tanna.

    "He's here!" Miriam breathed. 

    "Get back into the caves!"  Tanna was already leaving, searching for others, screaming out the name of death.

    "I have to find Miien, I have to find my daughter!"  Miriam glanced at Evan then away from him, and Jane could see she was being pulled in two directions.

    "I've got Evan. Go find your daughter."

    Miriam nodded and then she was gone.

    Jane turned to face the main cave.  Huge lights had been lit, more added every second, all of them directed at the monster thrashing around in the entrance of the main cave. Evan was headed straight for it.

    "Evan stop!" Jane yelled, but Evan didn't stop.  Jane ran and scooped him up, but the moment she had him, he let himself go limp and then thrashed and fought her.  "Evan, it's me; it's Jane.  Evan!"  She tried to grab him, but only ended up dragging him by the arm barely a meter backwards before he got loose and began running towards the monster. Jane looked up at it and froze in fear.

    It was difficult to say whether it had arms or legs, as it used them as both, and it was fast, grabbing people and dashing them against the sides of the cave. Already the ground was strewn with bodies.  Suddenly something flew directly into one of his long legs, it was attached to a chain and Kill was at the other end.  Seehoiah thrashed, screaming in pain, but the scream did not come from Seehoiah, it came from Evan, who was lying on the ground.

    Jane moved swiftly, scooping Evan up and throwing him over her shoulder like a sack. Then she turned and ran.  She made it to the area with the jars when Evan made her stumble.  He broke free and ran towards the monster.  Jane stopped him, knocking him down.

    "I don't want to hurt you Evan.  Don't make me hurt you!"  Jane grabbed him.  She couldn't believe how fast he moved, how strong he was!

    A waft of air flew by them, followed by the loud crack of broken glass.  Jane followed the sound with her eyes and saw old Makoyii drenched in purple soup. His eyes stared vacantly.  Jane knew he would not be getting back up. She scanned the room, looking for John.  She found him next to Michael, who also held onto a chain attached to one of the monsters legs.  They were preventing Seehoiah from moving into the main cave.

    John had a large gun aimed at the monsters head.  He fired, a long spike attached to a chain flew up and hit Seehoiah in one of his eyes.  Seehoiah fell again, screaming; yet once again, it was not Seehoiah who screamed. Jane looked down at the child writhing under her grip.  Evan clutched his eye, screaming in pain.

    And Jane understood.  "You're connected!"  The words came out in whispered wonder.

    Evan writhed and as he did she could see the confusion on his face, and the anger, and the hate.   An idea came to her, and in her desperation she had no time to think it through.  At this point she would do anything.  She cupped her hands around Evan's face.  "Evan, tell it to go.  Tell it to go!  Please Evan, tell it to go." 

    Evan closed his eyes, and for a brief moment became perfectly still.  At that same moment so did the monster.  John, Kill, and Michael wasted no time, each of them shooting the other side of the chains they were holding into the ground, immobilizing the monster. 

    Then the monster rose up, writhing greatly, more angry than before.  He broke Kill's chain in two and pulled the others from the ground.  John shot the monster in the eye again.

    Evan screamed. Holding his eye, he shrieked and thrashed.  Jane leaned over, holding him close.  Evan scratched across her neck drawing blood, but Jane hardly felt it.  She held Evan with gentle hands.  Another body flew passed, followed by the sound of shattering glass, and then purple spray landed on her and Evan.  Jane ignored everything around her, completely focused on her goal.  She cupped Evan's face.  "Evan, tell him I want him to go—Evan tell him Jane wants him to go."

    Evan looked at Jane, his stares taking on a feverish intensity.  And for a moment, just a moment, Jane saw something else in his eyes.  Staring right at her.  "Go!"  she begged.  "Save yourself."

    Evan's body pitched forward convulsively, as though he would vomit.  Jane looked up and couldn't find Seehoiah.  Evan was reaching for her, his little arms went around her neck.  Jane searched and searched in too extreme an emotional state to think about anything other than finding Seehoiah. She looked in every part of the main cave, she listened. There was nothing but those she knew. He was gone, Seehoiah was gone. 

Jane wrapped her arms around Evan, reciprocating the embrace.  They were alive!  Jane stared ahead vacantly.  They were alive!  Evan continued to cling and cry.  She closed her eyes and held him close comforting them both.

A dark silence filled the cave, the dry air too heavy and full to hold sound.  John and Kill went to fix the lights, stumbling through their home, suddenly so unfamiliar.  Michael was calling out names.  And when the lights came back on, all three looked around in despair.