Jackson, Deborah: Heaven's Children (Earth Totem)

‘Shut up – you’re such a wimp…keep pushing and pray that Paul is keeping lookout. Here, look, there’s another guy in a coma in this room.’

‘How do you know he’s in a coma?’ Jay hissed. ‘There’s no sign.’

A nurse padded past the cubicle they were hiding in, and they all held their breath. They had successfully swopped, and even reattached, the heart monitors, and being a mixed ward, there shouldn’t be too much fuss. Jo-Jo stared at the old man they had place in Nevaeh’s spot. Jay picked up his board, scanning it, before shaking his head at her. She shrugged, either way he was asleep. They raced back to where Nevaeh was. A noise from the central hallway made them all gasp. Paul’s eyes were wide with horror as the footsteps that passed screeched to a halt in front of the night desk. They could hear computer keys being pressed, before a call from someone else paused them.

‘Um…what do you think you’re doing Nurse…?’

‘Hey, you’re not Nurse Prowert. Who? umphhh.’

All three of them ducked under Nevaeh’s bed. Paul and Jay pulled her top cover further over until part of it was lying on the floor. Shoes scuffed the newly washed lino making Jay push his fist into his mouth in fear. Paul mouthed an exaggerated – OMG. Jo-Jo felt she was going to scream. Whatever was going on – she had no doubt that it wasn’t a nurse that had passed them. Footsteps came closer then, and by the way they paused then continued, they could only guess who they were looking for. It was only when they heard their ward door open that Jo-Jo felt like she was going to faint and instinctively closed her eyes.

The screeching sound of the curtain as it was pulled aside, followed by the strong smell of perfume, assaulted all three of them, making them pinch their noses. They tried desperately not to sneeze. Paul was the worst one, he had hay fever and anything could set him off. But it was the voice, an old gravelly voice that made them all blink at each other. Jo-Jo was so certain that they were going to be heard as she shifted onto her haunches, ready to jump. She’d seen movies where the element of surprise worked.

‘My daughter, if you can hear me, it’s your mother, Anna.’

Jo-Jo’s jaw dropped. Amber hadn’t told her that – her Mother? Her real Mother?

‘It’s time to take you home. Return to your body and renew the covenant with Khaos and Gaia. Mika is here; I’ve brought him for you.’

She heard a moan, and knew that it was Nevaeh. Questions raced through her. Was she waking up? Who was Mika? As if in answer, another set of footsteps arrived.

‘Nevaeh, remember everything I’ve shown you. It’s time to return to me.’ Jo-Jo lifted her head slightly. The voice was hypnotic and familiar, and she felt dizzy. What were they doing to her? Jay and Paul pushed themselves as close to the back wall as possible and her mind went into overdrive - Mika? She’d heard the name before, and blinked furiously – was this the angel Amber had spoken of, who was…? She stopped and looked up in horror as the springs of the mattress moved downwards. Someone was sitting on the bed. She felt herself pull away. The springs, the mattress, everything was glowing then. Some of it was liquid enough to drip through like it was acid and she pulled her legs away. It seemed to sink into the floor. She crept closer to the boys holding onto their knees, and bent her head as Anna’s voice rose above the pounding rain. She was speaking in a strange tongue and they all felt the incantation weave around them.

An image of a fly in a web flashed through her mind. Time felt hazy, and the boys transformed into shifting mirages, their faces leaning in and out of focus. The sound of the rain no longer rapped but buzzed continuously in her ears. She only partly registered feet, moving around the side of the bed and wanted to warn the boys, but her mouth wouldn’t open. Only once they walked away, did life begin to seep back into in her bones.

She blinked, and her body felt stiff. The boys were moaning, and her arm jerked towards them. They both cringed watching her arm as if it was a separate being. It took them longer to come out of the trance.

The rain sounded like it had returned and for the first time, she felt brave enough to peer out from under the cover. She groaned loudly, after a crack of lightening made her jerk her head against the metal edge. The pain was overwhelming and she winced, holding her head. Jay moved closer, and peeked under the thin linen hospital blanket, careful to keep his face half hidden. His face came back flushed with excitement.

‘They’ve got her. There’s this guy and he’s holding her in his arms,’ he whispered. Jo-Jo felt like she had sunk to the depths of despair and this added to the weight of the headache. She had failed her friend again.

‘We have to get out of here, call someone, the police!’ Paul whispered, pulling at Jay. They waited until the coast was clear before sliding out.

‘Did you see that light?’ Jay rasped, his voice cutting off as they crept towards the doorway.

Something dragged, scraping itself along the floor, winding its way towards them and they grabbed each other. But when this was followed by a sudden cacophony of animal sounds, Jay and Paul looked like they were going to elevate.

‘I want to go home,’ Jay trembled and Paul nodded frantically next to him.

‘Jeezus, what the hell is that?’ Jo-Jo whispered, ignoring them. The alarm in the hospital sounded in time with a crack of blue lightning. It lit everything up, and Jay and Paul were finally released from the silence. They screamed in unison as a large coiling snake moved past the doorway, its head poised and mouth flickering. They watched it writhe as another flash of blue lightning coiled itself round the body. Jo-Jo felt her knees buckling and sunk to the floor, just as the alarm stopped. Someone had turned it off.

‘Jo-Jo, we can’t stay here, get up.’ Paul whispered and they both pulled at her frantically.

‘Jeezus, what is that?’ Jay screeched as a group of large wild cats stepped over the still writhing snake. The last one turned its head in their direction, pulling its mouth back to reveal dripping fangs.

‘This is just crazy shit.’ Jay whispered, just as a male voice chilled them to the core. Jo-Jo pulled her head from Paul’s shoulder and dragged herself to the doorway, peering round.

‘Put her down…or I’ll…’

‘You’ll what?’

In the hallway, Mika held Nevaeh close to his chest while, in front, Anna twirled the blue lightning in her hands coiling it round her fingers. This was the energy Quinqui spoke of – she had harnessed Gaia’s breath.

‘You fools, don’t you realise, I’m saving her - my daughter.’ Hawk recoiled at the way her face twisted, her green eyes wide and desperate.

A light from above suddenly pierced the darkness, illuminating and dispersing any traces of blue energy. If that wasn't crazy enough for Jo-Jo, she recognised the figure that hovered within it. Everyone, including Anna gasped. Even Mika stared up in shock, hugging her human form closer. Jo-Jo fainted.

‘Nevaeh?’ Hawk whispered.

The figure seemed translucent as it held its hand out to Anna. Nevaeh looked ethereal; her long golden hair moving as if a slight breeze blew from behind her. Her face seemed so different, so peaceful at that moment.

‘Is she dead?’ Andrea whispered. She had released her totem and with it the agony of the lightning. Anna knelt before her, holding her hands upwards. Hawk tried to step forward but was held back by the human form of Gabe and Garren. He pulled himself free. Whatever she was now, it was good and bad. Bad, because returning to her body might be the hardest thing to do.

‘Nevaeh'. He called and she pivoted leaving trails of pale mist from the movement. He held his breath, she was breathtaking. Her porcelain skin sparkled and her eyes shone. He watched her touch Anna’s head and the grey hair changed to gold, leaving only the blackness of her cloak on the floor.