Our beginning

The Library

"I really didn't think this part through enough guys...." I glanced around as we walked between huge shelves filled with books, "we can't just yell for her here with not knowing what happened in this city." I had planned and planned but this wasn't part of anything I had imagined happening. Though the rattler wasn't either and I'm still a bit shacken by it I know that as long as my Kena girl is next to me I won't have to be as scared of things like that at least. As everything and anything, that could, passed through my over thinking brain, I started to wonder how everyone at home was doing and if this trip had been nothing but an adventure that we would regret. I missed my bed and my family, I wanted my children to run up and hug me when I got back, with no bad news. I wished for the moment that I could lay in my husband's arms and just make love with him all day instead of smelling like river water and not only smelling like death but feeling like it also. My thoughts trailed off and my jaw dropped as Kena stopped in her tracks and tried to pull me back towards the entrance. "Where the f*ck did that come from!?" I whispered but when I turned my head Brian and Luke were no where to be seen.

Where did they go? I never heard them run off so they must have been separated from me a while ago, I knew I shouldn't have been in my head like I was. I pulled my pocket watch out of my shirt, I had made it like a necklace for easier access, wow I had been in here for an hour already. If Cheyanne was here she was either lost in this place or never came inside but I had a feeling she was in here, somewhere.

Kena was still silent a trying to make me move away from the sight before me but it hadn't even looked up from its meal.

In many ways I was mesmerized by its gorgeous fluffy fur and its muscular body crouched over the ten point buck it was ripping apart. I wanted to run my fingers through its mane and cuddle it so badly but Kena was terrified and connected to me so I slowly walked backwards as I admired the handsome lion before me until we couldn't see him anymore.

When I turned around though, Kena was sitting pretty and wagging her tail with a little red head boy hugging onto her neck.

"Maverick? Where's your Mommy?" I whispered. "Cheyanne.... Cheyanne??" I whispered a bit louder. When he heard not only his name but his Mom's name and my voice, which he had heard through video chat, Maverick ran straight to me with arms up high telling me he knew we were going to help. I scooped him up into my arms, rubbed my nose on his and kissed his forehead, "Let's find your Mommy and get out of here, sound good?" he giggled a bit and then pointed toward an area that was extremely dark. "Ok, we'll search that way first."

I took a scarf out of my pocket that I had brought specifically for this reason and started to get it wrapped around us so I could still use both hands if I needed to plus I would know that my grandson was safely at my side. He wrapped his arms around my neck and played with my braids with his head on my shoulder. When I felt sure he was secure and comfortable we headed in the direction he had signed for us to go.

The further we went into the dark the creepier it got, I started to smell mildew and felt like it was getting colder. When I started hearing a repeated creaking sound, I almost turned around but instead I whispered, "Is anyone there?"

"Classic Mom... why would you say the one thing that kills everyone in a horror movie when you damn well know this place is scary as anywhere could be?"

"Cheyanne!! I've been looking everywhere for you....." I was almost in tears.

"Come back for me," I heard grunts of pain, "Maverick must of wondered off after whatever this is fell on my leg, I hit my head on something and must have gotten knock out."

"He found me.... well.... Kena.... but I have him." I reached down and turned the flash light, on Kena's harness, on so I could see where she was and how bad she was hurt.

"Thank God, I was so worried about him. I'm not even sure how long we've been here."

"I'm just glad you're both safe and that I found you, especially since I lost Brian and Luke while I was looking." As I got closer to her I noticed she had dried blood on her face and took my pack off so I could start off cleaning her face. I always put a water bottle and a heat pad in a special pocket so I had warm water to clean cuts or gashes out. The cut on her forehead was a bit deep so I got a butterfly bandage out and got it put together and clean the best I could for now, I would be able to see it better once I got her out of here. "Did you see the lion?"

"Oh lordy... it's still out there?? Yes, that's how this happened! I freaked out and ran back here."

"I can't do much more for your head until we get out of the car but here.... drink this." I handed her my flask and she took a big drink without questioning me at all, then I poured a bit of my antibacterial mix of oils in my palm and swiped it across the wound as she coughed.

"Ma.... what the f**k was that?" she laughed as she coughed a bit more.

"That, my dear, is fire cider..." I laughed, "It's going to help your immune system fight off anything that could cause an infection in your head or your leg. I need you to keep Maverick calm while I get this shelf off your leg and figure out what our best move is to get you out of here. I'll have to check if that lion is still where he was also. Did you see anything else before you found the lion?" Distracting her was my main concern at the moment because if she had a major break in her leg and screamed that could be the start of an adventure none of us wanted to take since I had no idea what else was within these walls.

"I couldn't really see anything through most of the wall ways but I heard things in the stairways and some of the closed doors sounded like there was scratching behind them." I could hear her grit her teeth as I started to get my footing and grip on the book case but she knew what she needed to do and why so she wrapped her hand around Kena's harness and gripped it hard, while softly caressing her son and continued talking to me. "I think there was knocking on one of the doors, I would look through the place with you if I could walk but don't think I'll be able to."

As I lifted the shelf she put Kena's rope between her teeth and bit down so she wouldn't attract attention. If Maverick wasn't here or I hadn't been separated from Brian and Luke this could have been done differently but we had to make this work the way we had been given this situation. "I have to cut the leg of your pants and slow the bleeding, don't let Maverick look over here." I got to work as fast as I could but her blood loss had me concerned. As I cut her pants above the knee I applied pressure on her thigh to slow the blood and then wrapped a handkerchief around her leg below and above her knee cap. As soon as I was done I applied an oil blend that would help her white blood cells clog the opening and start the healing process. I couldn't see bone which was good news and didn't look like anything but skin was broken, I was guessing that she hadn't tried to pull or move her leg so she had done everything right and made my job easier. I looked around for a clean book and ripped the front and back hard covers off to put on either side of her knee then took a wrap out of the pack on Kena's back and secured her leg. Once I felt she was braced firmly I got to work cleaning the wound off and getting it bandaged temporarily until I could see better. "Take another drink from the flask, please, this is going to hurt but I'll be here with you the whole was and once we get to the car I'll make sure you're comfortable for the ride home." She did as I asked and then handed it to my out stretched hand, I took a large drink and then put it and everything else away. Got a bottle of water out took a nice drink and handed it to her to drink also. I got Maverick strapped back on my one side and stood up to get in position for her to stand up with my help on the other side, "Ready?"

"If you were anyone else I would more than likely say no but I already know you aren't going to take no for an answer so let's do what we....." I picked her up as I heard rustling in the direction of the area I couldn't see, I wasn't taking any chances with her not able to walk alone and Maverick attached my other side. "f**k!" she said as softly as she could. Something was moving in the dark and I had no time to chat.

"I know you heard that, we need to move now!" I gave a tug on Kena, turned the flash light off and got Cheyannes arm around my shoulder then tied her waist to mine loosely to keep us level. "Time to go... Kena?" she glanced at me, "car.... go...." she started leading us the way we had come from and knew exactly what she was doing. My mind was on that lion and wondering what else was in here but I had to stay brave for them and not show how worried I was for them. This was not the plan, I wasn't supposed to be alone when I found her, where were those boys?

"Did you hear that?" a scratching sound was coming from the dark to the left and it was starting to echo, the sound that had been slowly following us started to go towards the scratching sounds. We made it to a lit hallway that I remembered lead to the main entrance way and I looked everyone over quickly before continuing to the next door. "Are we almost there? I'm not sure I take this much longer..."

"I know it hurts but we're almost there, put all your weight on me and pretend that I'm your other leg. We've got this! Let's go!" I shoved the door open and gave Kena's rope a bit of a wiggle so she knew to pick up the pace. The door was right there and we were so close.

"Agh!!" a scream that sounded familiar echoed through the room and I about jumped out of my skin.

"That was Brian....." I looked at Cheyanne and we picked up the pace. I couldn't help him with them attached to me, I'd have to leave them in the car until I could find him. "Hurry!" we practically ran out the door and she didn't seem to have any issues at that point, we were both freaking out knowing there was a lion in there somewhere.

When we made it to the car a hand a touched my should and I screamed, then she screamed and Maverick started crying. Kena jumped like someone had bit her and I heard a voice I knew, "Brian's still in there, let me help!" I unlocked the car and started detaching Cheyanne and Maverick from me so Kena and I could start our next adventure.

"Set the back seat up so the trunks open and get her comfortable, get them both food and lock yourselves in. I want to head home the moment after I find him so you all need to be ready for anything, there's a lion in there.... she'll fill you in." I kissed Cheyanne on the cheek and Maverick on the forehead then without another word Kena and I ran straight back in to find Brian.

I could hear Cheyanne as I ran, "She saved my life....." and we vanished back out of their sight....