Forever Bonded

Bright blinding headlights were headed straight for them on the narrow winding road. Fear wracked her body. To the left was the enormous, jagged mountainside and to the right was the edge of the cliff. The ear-piercing scream of her mother would be embedded in her mind forever. The smell of the burning rubber of the tires would also haunt her, as she was thrown violently through the windshield onto the darkened road. Her thoughts went to her parents who were tightly secured by their seatbelts. Maybe they would survive, she hoped. She watched in horror as the car careened over the side of the cliff then listened to the horrible sound of the car overturning and crashing down the mountainside. Finally, the sounds stopped, only to be replaced by a huge explosion of fire. Despair overtook her.

The oncoming car that caused the catastrophe was stopped on the road. A dark figure emerged from inside. The moonlight wouldn’t illuminate the person’s features. They stood at the edge of the cliff and watched as the fire below raged. She looked at the car and saw no license plate. She couldn’t have read it even if she tried in the darkness. The figure walked back to their car and got inside. They slowly drove past her where she lay bleeding in the blackness of the night. She didn’t try to get the driver’s attention. She somehow knew doing so would not have been in her best interest.

Her head was pounding and throbbing. She felt the warmth of blood sliding down her face and neck. She tried to pull herself up but couldn’t. All her senses started coming back to her now. The immense pain was overwhelming. She could feel a gash in her arm she hadn’t noticed a moment ago. Looking at it, she could see the moonlight hitting a shiny object protruding from the injury. Probably part of the windshield, she thought. Her head became cloudy, and she felt dizzy. She began to vomit onto the rocky ground beneath her. Then, she felt nothing.

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He bolted awake in his bed. The emotions assaulted him quickly. One right after the other. Fear, pain, terror, anguish, confusion, despair, sorrow, agony, then nothing. Something horrible happened to her. He raced to his parents’ room and began franticly telling them what he felt. Tears were streaming down his face unbidden. His parents hurried to a phone and tried to call her, then her parents. No answer. They called the guardian. He would know what to do. He would fix this.

Within minutes, at least ten people were at their home. All in robes and pajamas. A look at the clock told him it was after two in the morning. They huddled around, speculating about his experience and what it could have meant. The guardian was on the phone with someone. It sounded like their rescue team. The guardian appeared calm and in charge as always. But he could tell that it was only that, an appearance. Everyone was as confused and horrified as he was. Fear gripped him. What if she were dead? How could he go on without her? He quickly dismissed that thought. She wasn’t gone. He knew it. He couldn’t feel her anymore, but that didn’t mean she was dead. Right?

As the night drug on, and daylight started to peek through the windows, his hope was all but gone. They didn’t know exactly where she had been. How could they send a search party if they didn’t know her location? They would have to check over half the state. Contacting the police was out of the question. They would never believe he simply felt her emotions. They couldn’t be trusted with that bit of information anyway. They would be of no help.

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She awoke to the sound of voices. The throbbing in her head had intensified. She hesitated to open her eyes. The sunlight would only make it worse. She could feel the warmth on her skin—it was morning. Maybe this nightmare was over. No, this was real. She felt a hand on her face.

“I think she’s alive!” a woman’s voice said.

“Oh, thank God! I’m on hold with 911 right now,” replied a soothing male voice.

“It’s okay sweetie, help is coming,” said the woman.

Then, she went blank once again.

The next coherent moment, she was being lifted onto something and put into a vehicle. She was poked and prodded by needles and other equipment. At least she was alive. It was a long bumpy ride to what she assumed would be a hospital. She could hear the siren blaring. A man hovered over here talking to someone else and checking her with various instruments. “You are one lucky girl. We are going to get you fixed up,” she heard him say. She didn’t know if lucky was the right word in this case.

Her time at the hospital was a blur of tests and falling in and out of sleep. They must have given her some pain meds and a sedative because she couldn’t stay awake, and the pain wasn’t as severe any more. Maybe they got that shard of glass out of her arm. She couldn’t exactly remember how she got it in the first place. An accident of some sort, she thought.

What she assumed was the next day, the police came asking a lot of questions that she couldn’t answer. Why was she almost dead on the side of the road? Where was her family? What was her name? She didn’t know the answer to any of those. Her brain was so muddled. Maybe it was the drugs. They took numerous x-rays and scans of her body as well as her fingerprints. A psychologist pelted her with confusing questions. Nothing made sense.

Wouldn’t someone notice that she was missing? They started calling her Jane. She didn’t like that. The only name that kept popping into her head was Grayson. They thought it must be her last name. They searched some sort of database. It was no help. Maybe her parents would come soon and find her. They must be looking. But maybe they were stuck in a hospital somewhere too. Was she with them when she got hurt? She had no idea. It was all a blur. She was sure it would come to her soon.

But it didn’t.

Three Years Later

“I know what I felt Dad. It’s her. She’s alive.” I practically yelled. “Son, I know you want her to be alive, so do I. We all do. But their car exploded in that fire. She couldn’t have survived it.” He told me with sadness in his voice. I know he missed her too and wished she was here. But he couldn’t feel what I felt. It was her. I grasped the amber bracelet I always wore. The one that she had the other half of. It made me feel something. Nothing in this world could make me feel anything since she’d been gone. “It doesn’t seem possible, but I know it is Dad. I felt her emotions, for the first time in three years. She was afraid, and she was angry. I can’t feel anyone else but her.” “You are afraid and angry, those are your emotions Grayson, not hers.”

It was no use having this argument again. He wouldn’t believe me until I brought her home. And that is exactly what I was going to do. I turned and stormed out of the room. My anger wasn’t going to help Dad see the truth. I needed to think rationally, not emotionally. I had to go out to California and look for myself. That’s where the accident was, and that is where she will be. I could sense from the one short burst of emotion I got a few days ago, that she was far. The same distance she was the last time I ever felt her. Why hadn’t she come home to Colorado? It didn’t make sense. None of it did. How did they go over that cliff? Her Dad was a skilled driver. Something must have distracted him. But what? All my questions would be answered as soon as I found her.

I set in motion the plan I had formulated the day I felt her. I had to travel to California and get closer to where she was. I would feel her presence more strongly there. We were bonded. I would sense her. I knew I would. I had my fake I.D.s, birth certificates, and passports ready. We were always ready to go at a moment’s notice. I double checked that my bank account still had all the money I’d been saving from the apps I made. It would last me for years if I needed. But I know it won’t take me long to find her, once I’m out there.

I needed a place to stay that would be portable. A recreational vehicle was the best choice. I could have all my computer equipment safely inside wherever I went without nosy hotel staff snooping around. A home away from home. I could rent a car once I got out there. I packed clothes and other necessities into just a couple of suite cases. I went to my nightstand and took out the little photo album I kept of all her pictures. Some of just her. But many more of us together. Some of our families as well. I packed my camera, tablet, laptop, and other electronics. You can’t do any serious hacking without your gear. I grabbed all my cash as well. Sometimes cash can get you answers from people who don’t like to talk. And I had lots of questions.

I made my way into town. No one had noticed me leaving. I would park my truck someplace where they could come pick it up later. The R.V. dealership was right in town. The owner was friendly and more than happy to sell me one of his nicest motorhomes. Thanks to my fake I.D., he didn’t wonder why a 17-year-old kid would be dropping a ton of cash on it instead of a sports car. I told him I wanted to travel the United States before settling down. He bought it.

I started my journey to find the girl I loved. The one I was bonded to at birth. Her and I were born to be together. I wasn’t going to let anything stand in our way. I had wasted three years believing my family when they said she was dead. Now I had to take matters into my own hands. I had to find her and save her from whatever was keeping her from me. What had made her so scared? I hoped I would find out soon.

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Riley I sat in what looked like an interrogation room at the police station for the second time in as many days. They wanted to know what happened. The cop sitting across from me seemed nice enough. But I could see the colors of disbelief swirling around him. I could also see that he wanted to believe me. I wish I could tell them how it all happened. I just didn’t know. One minute I watched my foster father beating my 4-year-old foster sister, and the next, I was on him with such power and strength that I scared myself. I don’t know what possessed me or gave me the nerve to stand up to him like that. He had beat me before as well, and I never stood up for myself. Maybe I was just older now. But I know that wasn’t it. I had a power that I had never felt before. It just welled up inside me and came out as I watched him hurt her. I couldn’t stand by and let it happen. It had never been this bad before. I watched him beat my foster mom, but I had never come to her aid. Maybe because she was almost as bad as him. But she never looked at me the way he did lately. His gaze was much worse. He went from hurting me, to having desire in his eyes. The colors swirling around him were anger and lust. And that, I would never stand for. He disgusted me. I would die fighting him if it came to that. I wasn’t his to take.

Once again, I explained away his injuries as accidents. He broke his arm when he fell. He hit his head on the corner of the table. He was drunk, he could barely stand up. That one was true. My foster mom wasn’t there at the time. She worked the night shift at a bar across town. So, I took care of the younger ones at night. Sadly, that’s when good old Dad would wander in drunk most nights. Avoiding him had become harder and harder. He started coming home earlier. They guessed at my age when I went into the system, and I was soon to turn 18. He made me sick just thinking about his reasons for hanging around more because of my age.

The police asked me more questions, and this time, I told them all about the abuse we had all suffered for the last three years. I never wanted to start anything, to be removed from this home. I didn’t want to go back to a shelter. I would be old enough to be on my own soon. And I wanted to look after these younger girls as long as I could. But I knew it was only going to get worse for them if he was still around. I wanted him to go to jail. My foster mom wouldn’t have enough money without his income, but I could give her more of my check, if it meant locking him up.

When I finally exited the room, my foster mom, Gwen, was there still waiting. She looked mad. I could see all the dark colors swirling around her. She knew I had spilled my guts. She didn’t say a word as we got into her old, beat-up Chrysler. The drive home was painful. The air was thick with unsaid words. Her colors were a mixture or fear and hate. When she pulled into a parking spot near the apartment, she finally spoke. “You know I can’t pay the rent without his check. Why did you have to ruin everything? You’re an ungrateful brat. We give you a roof over your head and food on your plate. And how do you repay us? Getting your dad arrested.”

I sat carefully thinking about my next words. I could tell her that he wasn’t my dad and that the monthly check she got for me more than covered my expenses. But I decided to be humble instead. “I will give you all of my paycheck.” I offered. I didn’t know how I would pay for clothes or school supplies, but I would manage. “You sure will!” she yelled as she exited the car and slammed the door. Wow, I didn’t expect that.

The girls wouldn’t be home from preschool for another hour. I would be starting my senior year in a couple of months. I would have the summer to help with the girls and earn some money for the family. After that, I don’t know what will happen. I will be 18 and she won’t get a check for me anymore. I’ll have to figure out someplace else to live. She said I could stay if I babysat and paid rent. But the amount she wanted was more than I could make while in school. I guess I could quit school and work full time. Or I could find a roommate and rent a place of my own. If I got the scholarship I was working toward, that would be perfect. Some of it would go toward dorm expenses. But that seemed like a dream. Good things like that didn’t happen to me.