IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
JOURNEY TO THE LIGHT
By; Speaker Gerald Polley
All rights reserved.
Chapter 11
The weeks went by and no one was supposed to know
they were going, but of course everybody did! Carol had constant
visitors asking for a position. She was not surprised when a
young man showed up with three female companions. "About the only
thing I know how to do is drive!" he admitted.
"Well!" Carol giggled, "Believe it or not both on
the moon and on the ship we're going to need people that can
drive! Why don't you fill out an application? I'll put my
recommendation on it and see what happens!"
The woman said "I'm a good cook!" and the girls said "We could train to be nurses."
Carol laughed. "Why don't you just put in an
application as children?" she suggested, "and let nature take its
course and see what positions you end up in?"
The girls smiled and filled out the application. After
they were done Carol took the oldest one aside. "I'm just
curious," she admitted, "but which one of you is he interested in?"
"Well," the girl answered, "as soon as mother's
friend gets her out of the picture, both of us have interest.
He's having a hard time deciding. He keeps singing this old song
about having to make up your mind. Gotta choose one, leave the other
behind. We're getting so we hate that song!"
Carol thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not too
up on The Children's ways," she finally managed, "But aren't they
allowed more than one, like the Arab guys?"
The young woman looked at Carol, wide eyed.
"Thank you!" she managed. And as soon as her sister was done
filling in the application she took her aside and they whispered for
several minutes, looking at the young man. Then the younger one
joined in the grin, nodding to her sister.
"This is going to be interesting!" Carol
muttered. The Foos' eldest son came in, a towel wrapped around
his hand.
"Carol!" he cried, "Can you help with this? A
ride is coming to take me to the clinic. But I'm bleeding an
awful lot!"
Carol quickly unwrapped the towel. "What did you
do?" she asked. She quickly stopped enough of the bleeding so the
doctors could fix up the rest later.
"We can get him to the clinic," the young man remarked.
"Certainly!" the girls' mother put in. "Come
on! We can call the ride and tell them they're not needed."
Mr. Foo's son was looking at her with considerable
interest. After they departed Carol thought "I think the man that
was interested in the lady has waited a little too long."
She checked the roster. It was filling fast!
Jerry dropped by that evening. As they were sitting and talking
Carol's eyes kept drifting to his legs. She was having a thought.
Jerry looked at her and smiled. "Don't even think of it!" he
piped. "Absolute waste of power. There's too many others
that need it. And for God's sake, be careful! You almost
opened your hand up today!"
Carol smiled. She was going to say something
but the children started crying "Doc! Doc! Doc!" and the
doctor came in. He didn't have to say anything Carol knew it was
something desperate. Without a word she got up and got her coat
as he was giving his greetings to the children, and, his usual treats.
"You're gonna give them cavities!" Carol teased. The doctor only smiled.
"Man's gotta have some joys!" he answered.
In moments they were headed for the clinic. "What is it?" Carol asked.
"I'd rather have the one that asked for you
explain," he managed. "Don't know if you can do it! It's
gonna be tricky."
They remained silent the rest of the drive, got into
the hospital, and Carol was ushered into a room where a woman was on
oxygen. She looked up and smiled as Carol entered. "What
can I do for you?" Carol asked.
"I'm pregnant," the woman answered. "We took
every precaution. I don't know how it happened. But they can't
keep me alive long enough. They just brought in a girl, an
Iranian refugee. Her father and his friends were pretty rough on
her. Her and her sister tried to make it to the border.
They were caught by a patrol. But the soldiers took pity on them,
brought them to the border, and gave them to some of our people.
They have to take everything out inside, but I had the idea may be you
could do it, transfer what's inside her into me and what's inside me
into her. I read in Your People's History of something like that
being done by someone that had the power. I don't think the girl
will mind. If she does maybe you can put it in somebody
else. But I don't want my baby to die."
Carol put her hand on the woman's forehead. "I
see!" she managed. "I've read that story too. You really didn't
think I wouldn't know, would you?"
"Of course not!" the woman answered. "But I thought it would be easier this way.
"Can you get this girl in here?" Carol asked the doctor.
He stepped outside, snapped "Bring her in!" and the
gurney was rushed in with the young woman on it. Carol examined
her. "Eech!" she remarked. She looked back to the woman on
the bed. "You didn't have anything to do with this did you?"
"No," the woman answered. "Winged and ugly
took care of the one responsible for that. Understand you've met."
Carol nodded, pulled the gurney a little bit closer
to the bed, exposed both peoples' stomachs and put her hands over
them. She concentrated for several minutes then let out a shriek
and collapsed. The woman on the bed jumped up and grabbed
something, pulling it to her. "Son of a bitch!" she screamed as she
struggled with what the others couldn't see. Suddenly the winged being
was there, grabbed what the woman was struggling with and proceeded to
viciously pound it into the concrete wall, cracking a great portion of
it.
"Now that I've got your undivided attention," it growled,
"let's take you outside. Wouldn't want you expiring in here and
contaminating all these nice people."
"I'm not going to expire," came a deep voice, "you
don't have the power to destroy us any more. You're just going to beat
the hell out of me, I'm gonna crawl off into a hole somewhere and come
back later."
"Not for twenty or thirty years!" the winged being
snapped. He looked to the woman on the bed. "Stay put!" he
ordered. Several minutes passed then he came back. Carol was
regaining consciousness. The winged being examined the girl's
stomach. "Well! He's planted his anchor!" he
remarked. "He's gonna be just fine!" He went to the woman
on the bed. "O.k., let go! Don't worry! I'm not gonna
hurt you. I'll take you some place far away from here and let you
go. If you promise not to return."
"I'm in no mood to have the hell beaten out of me!" the woman answered. I'll cooperate."
"No you won't!" Carol snapped. "You're staying
here. You owe me and I expect a period of service in exchange for
the service I provided. That is according to the rules isn't it?"
The winged being turned and looked at her.
Finally he remarked "Absolutely! What do you say? Twenty-five
years, good payment, good behavior not causing any troubles, allowing
to feed?" he remarked turning back to the woman on the bed.
"Well, I don't know," the woman answered. "Serving a girl, oh, excuse me, a woman? She's not..."
"No, she's not!" the winged being answered. "She's
extremely kind and doesn't want you to suffer. But maybe you're
right. Maybe a male would be better. How about you, doctor?"
"What?" the doctor asked.
"She'll be handy," the winged being assured.
"She'll keep other creatures of Darkness out of the hospital except the
ones we permit to feed here."
"Agree!" Carol snapped.
The doctor looked at her then sighed. "O.k.!" he managed.
"Good!" the winged being giggled. "Now!"
He lifted his hand and what appeared to be
black smoke came out of the woman's body. She shivered and went
limp. "I'd get rid of that real fast!" the winged being
suggested. "It's gonna smell real bad real quick!"
The girl on the gurney moaned and opened her eyes. "You again?" she muttered.
"Told you I wouldn't be far away!" the winged being
answered. "Now, these nice people had a problem. They saved your
life but they gave you a little burden. I wouldn't complain too
much."
The girl put her hand on her stomach.
"Oh!" she giggled, "I don't mind. I want to keep this
one! They took the others away."
"I know!" the winged being answered, "But they
helped a lot of people. Might have been a dirty way to do it, but it's
something you shouldn't feel bad about. Gotta go!"
"Glory to the morning!" the girl cried. The winged being was gone.
"Woo!" Carol cried, "Why does it always feel like I've been holding onto an exposed wire whenever he's around?"
"Because he's your energy source," the doctor answered. "The power you use comes from him."
"Well, looks like we've got another one to take home!"
"Uh uh!" came a voice from nearby. "She goes home with
you, doctor! It's about time! You've been living alone for
too long. People are beginning to talk whenever a man comes over."
Carol tried to suppress a grin. The expression on
the doctor's face was priceless! The girl reached up and took his
hand. "Please?" she begged. "Can't you show me how it can
be nice?"
Carol knew the doctor was doomed! Those eyes
had him. There was no question of it. He was totally and
completely helpless! And Carol was enjoying every moment of
it. "I'll get another ride back home," she managed, "you're
occupied!"
The doctor's expression looked like "My God! Don't leave me!" But Carol quickly did.
The next morning three people were at her house making out
applications. The young lady had been training as an electrician
until her father put a stop to it and had her start doing other
things. It wouldn't be long before she was right up to speed and
would be about the best they had. Her sister was another
question. But Carol was sure she'd find some way to be
useful. Something was troubling her about the girl, though, and
she pulled the doctor aside. "Have you found anything?" she
asked. "Is she all right?"
"Not sure!" the doctor answered. "I'm doing some tests."
"But you're worried, aren't you," Carol insisted.
The doctor would say no more. The days began
to pass. Many times Carol felt a presence around her. She knew
who it was, but as she was causing no trouble she didn't worry about
it. If she wanted to be in her house in her free time, that was
all right. But Carol wondered what next? What could
possibly happen next?
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