SECOND SIGHT

Les Duncan

THE air was cool and clean, smelling of autumn. Time had been passing endlessly as i rode in the back seat of the car, drinking in the smells. Sleep, effectively playing its elusive role, was impossible to come by, one of those nights when i felt jittery without knowing why. The reason seemed to be within reach, but no matter how much i analyzed, it would not surface.

Occasionally i would ask Jean where we were or some other irrelevance just to touch base, but she knew and answered without probing. When i finally sensed she was getting tired and requested she take us home she turned the car around with a sigh.

The route home was one often traveled. I knew all the hills, valleys, swamps, and where home was in reference to them. Knowing how much travel time i had left to indulge in, i leaned closer to the open window to drink of the night air.

Then i caught the sweet scent of cologne. I asked Jean what the man looked like that we had just passed on the side of the road. Being in the frame of mind she was, she simply answered that she did not get a good look at him, but intended to call the authorities when we got home.

She snapped out of her relaxed composure when i told her to go back.

Even though we are both well aware of her capabilities as chauffeur and mechanic, as well as everything else she does for me, she does not enjoy the prospect of being an active body guard. Holding a black belt in karate, she is probably more qualified in this than any other field but qualified and enjoying are often two different things. She knows better than to try to talk me out of something that i have made my mind on, and turned the car around. En route, she powered the windows up, leaving mine open only a crack, to talk through.

The voice that greeted me had the texture of silk. The over-tones were like none i'd ever heard. He thanked us for stopping and asked us to phone the local authorities when we got to our destination. He said that he was prepared to wait with emergency equipment in his trunk.

Feeling assured that he was a gentleman, having come up with the only sensible solution, and telling him that we would make the call in less than twenty minutes, Jean started to pull away. I told her to stop being so rude and opened my door.

I knew the back of Jean's hair was standing on end. She told me in a controlled but angry voice to shut the door. What she was saying was right. I shut the door and stayed quiet while she keyed the power locks and got out of the car.

After receiving permission, she searched him and asked me to let them in. I did so immediately, though i don't know why i so readily opened my door to this total stranger. Stranger.

When he got into the car i had one of the most intense rushes i have ever felt. The composite of emotions i felt was incredible. There was no trace of the synthetic sweetness that i had smelled earlier. I don't think that registered at the time, i was too caught up in riding emotional waves.

After thanking us he said that were a Christian, we would surely have re-affirmed his faith in the good Samaritan. Unable to put her suspicions aside, Jean asked him what his religious beliefs were. He laughed quietly and stated that his beliefs did not really belong to any Church or denomination.

"You see" he said "most religions answer most questions, but to date there have been none that I have found that answered all of my questions, so I have taken the best ideas from each religion and formed my own. I don't worship in a church or with a congregation of any kind, so most people do not consider it to be a religion."

He expanded on the idea to great lengths, without sounding either rationalized or boring and the next thing i knew we were pulling into the driveway.

After phoning the local repair shop and making arrangements for his car to be towed in, he retired to the guest room. A rather graphic description of the conditions in the only hotel in town, convinced him to take me up on my offer of lodging rather than ride into town with the tow truck.

Jean was obviously tired and after securing the grounds turned in as well.

Living in this old rambling house for five years, with Jean as my only companion, had taken its toll on me. In the latter two years or so, i guess i've become more and more of a recluse. The once pleasurable trips to town died their peaceful deaths of disregard and Jean was the only outside contact i've had in longer than i care to remember. Sleep was not long in coming, but long enough to let that thought go running around in my head for a while first.

Breakfast was superb. Jean is an excellent cook and the meal she served was even better than she normally offered. It took me a minute, but then i realized that she had probably got up early and with nothing else to do had spent her time cooking, rather than thinking about our guest.

The breakfast was going well, other than the fact that Jean was being even more quiet than she usual. It was as though she were doing as i had the night before we went out for our drive, mulling over an idea that wouldn't come to the surface.

All of a sudden she burst out "Wait a minute, I know what's bothering me, i don't even know your name."

I was about to tell her how rude she was being when it hit me that she was right. It was as though her suspicious nature had suddenly become contagious. The feeling came over me in a wave. I was suddenly filled with suspicion and fear. I've never been known as an emotional person and the wave of feeling took me off guard. Before i could grasp what was happening to me, our guest eased his chair away from the table and stood, which seemed to intensify those feelings.

"I'm sorry," he said. "In the pleasure of finding friendly, accepting people I've forgotten my manners. My name, is James Conrad and I'm sorry if I have upset you. The nature of my work requires that I be fairly secretive, and sometimes I let that filter into aspects of my personal life. You have shown me friendliness and hospitality and I have no right to be so secretive that I frighten you. Some questions I'm afraid I cannot answer, but please feel free to ask me anything you want. "

My feelings of suspicion instantly faded away. I had just gone through a complete pendulum swing of moods in a shorter time than i had in years.

Jean on the other hand, did not share my feelings of acceptance and started pumping him with questions. We learned more about the man in the next fifteen minutes, than we had in the previous twelve hours.

He said that his father had been in the military, and for most of his informative years he had moved frequently. He had lived all over the globe, had enjoyed very special teachers. Having had the benefit of receiving teaching in many different styles and religions, he'd had more of a hand in what he was taught than most people. He stated that in other parts of the world, being somewhat different was not looked down upon as much as it is in this particular country. The subjects ESP, psychic ability, faith healing etc. puts most people on edge here.

He stated that the majority of his work was somewhere in that field, and because of most peoples fear of that area, he had learned to be somewhat secretive about what he did. He went on to say that many people who consider themselves to be open minded are quite put out if you even hint about ideas that do not fit into the normal, physically-oriented world of day to day life.

Most individuals' ego must be in control at all times, in order for them to feel comfortable. If that control is threatened then the ego will start doing things to get back the control that it so tenaciously clings to. It has many tricks up its voluminous sleeves, and if things like rationalization, or the closing of eyes and ears doesn't work, then it will start bringing in more powerful influences like fear. He said he had learned that with most people, it was easier to be secretive.

When he was finished there was a thick silence in the room. He let it reign for a couple of moments and then broke it with the offer of a gift.

"I would like to be able to return the hospitality that i am being shown, but it is obvious that any small gift of monetary value would seem presumptuous. I would like instead, to give a gift of a somewhat different nature. It will also help to show you what i am talking about. What I am offering, is possible peace of mind in an area of concern, but I need your individual permissions in order to give it. I know that this sounds spooky but please don't be afraid, I will not hurt you.

After receiving permission, he asked for a piece of jewelry from each of us. I immediately handed him my wedding band, which had not been off of my finger for more than two decades. I guess seeing me give him my most valued possession was enough reason for Jean, and she handed him her necklace.

He started with her and to the astonishment of both of us, proceeded to tell her things about herself that he could not possibly have known. Some of the things that he told her, i didn't even know. Not that i thought i knew everything about her, but some of the things he said, i felt i should have.

He told her that the sister she had worried about for the past six months or so, was fine and in Australia. There was a letter on the way and it would arrive in a day or two with a weighted invitation to visit her. He said that she would go and be happy with re-establishing contact. I didn't even know she had a sister.

Jean said nothing. The silence hanging in the room was answer enough from her.

After letting the tension hang for what seemed like a long time, he asked for more coffee.

While Jean was gone to get coffee, James asked me how it was that i could take things so calmly. Jean was obviously shaken, and i knew that i had just witnessed something way out of the ordinary. I thought about it and answered that i felt that he would do us no harm and that seemed reason enough.

Jean had come back with the coffee and after filling our cups sat back down at the table without a peep.

That was the last movement that occurred for a long time.

When James finally turned in his chair both Jean and i jumped. He started to talk and it sounded as though the whole world had stopped to listen to him.

"You are happy here," James started. "It has been quite a while since I've seen anyone this calm and at peace with themselves. There are certainly times when this is not so, but for the most part you are very content. There is however a rather steep price for this contentedness. You have resigned yourself to accept whatever happens to you. Too keep your calm interior you have had to shut pieces of yourself off from the world. Self preservation (or at least perceived self) is a powerful motivator. You used to enjoy going into town for small shopping sprees, or even just to enjoy a cup of Rosehips Tea at the little cafe on the corner, but that, like so many other little pleasures, seems to have fallen by the wayside. This sounds like so much doom and gloom, and that is not what I am trying to get at. There is also travel in this ring, both past and future. The small town in Mexico where you and your husband had your honeymoon, was in a dream the other night and not, as others would have you believe, because dreams are just dreams. You will be going back to the place so clear in your memory, and it will be the most beneficial trip of your life. There is a large fountain in the middle of the town square, spilling out what is perhaps the purest water on the planet. The water is reputed to have healing effects but because you were in very good physical and mental shape, you did not notice the effect it had on you. Now however the effect would be quite different. Be careful though, because just like everything else in this seemingly only physical world, healing has its costs. You must first be prepared for the changes that it could possibly make on you. The special nature of the water there, is that it will only affect the changes that the individual is willing to accept. The ability for a crippled man to get up from his wheelchair and walk, is dependent on whether he is ready and willing to accept the responsibilities of the 'miracle' of walking. You think you desire it deeply, but are you really ready to see, again? I feel that right now you are not ready to accept that gift. I am confident though, that with a little bit of work and some of that infinite well of determination that you possess, you will overcome these trivial hindrances and face your fate as you used to, with the hope and exuberance of the you that used to be, and is still inside. You have been infinitely wise in choosing not to have a guide dog. You know things intuitively. You step around things that are in front of you without questioning why.

Jean here, has accepted this little quirk and you have come to sincerely appreciate this without verbal mention from either party. The townspeople on the other hand, might not be so accepting of your 'instinct' to step over things you cannot see. Even worse, the great controller, 'ego', might come into play and make you wonder if they would laugh at you for stepping over something that wasn't there. There are lots of other things that you KNOW, without knowing. Things like, how much hot coffee to pour into your cup, or doing your hair without the aid of a mirror, or the sight that goes unspokenly with it.

You have come to accept these things with the label of intuition, but in actual fact it runs much deeper than that. This ability is what I sometimes refer to as `gifted'.

This is very strong in you. It is more accessible and more accepted, than in most people. It is also this ability that will help you prepare to be able to see again. You must however, try to use it more often and recognize when you are tapping that inner knowledge.

For an example, I want you to try to do the same thing as I am doing right now. I am going to hand you a ring, and please don't be afraid, I am here to help you if you need it."

I heard him reach into a pocket and pull something out. Fear is something that as a general rule i have learned to recognize quickly and put a stop to as soon as it starts. This time however, it was a different story. The razor sharp edge of it came with unexpected swiftness and cut swath wide enough to sail the Titanic through.

I had already boarded her and was about to sail into that well known past's future, when he broke into the whirlpool and said that he was going to touch my hand.

When the touch came i felt a wave of total calmness wash over me, chasing every trace of fear from my mind. He sat back and i was back in the dining room, with the world of smell and sound cascading into me, letting me know that i had momentarily left it. He reached over and placed a ring into my hand. Then he directed me to take three deep breaths, relax, clear my mind, think of the colour green, and try to see pictures.

After a couple of deep breaths, things started to take shape. I could barely hear him telling me to try to describe the things that i was seeing.

"This ring is made out of stone, by hand ." Only to correct myself by saying that it was jade.

"There is a little boy in it. He is the saddest person i have ever seen. He appears to be in Mexico or some other dessert area, and is playing out back of his house. His family is very large and there is hardly ever enough food on the table for all who sit at it. Being the smallest, he rarely gets his share of the meager offerings and often goes hungry.

This ring used to belong to him, having been secretly given to him by his grandmother. He traded it to you in exchange for food. It seems like a small price to pay for such a beautiful piece of jewelry, but any more food than you gave him, would probably have got him caught.

He still holds the coin you gave him with the food, and although he does not know the worth of it, he suspects that it would forever end his life of poverty if he could find some way of getting its true value from an adult world he has come to know as only cheaters and thieves.

He believes, as you told him, you will come back to collect the coin and take him away."

The confidence with which i said everything, and not only said, but knew, was to say the least unsettling. It wasn't quite like the cold gut feeling of fear, but somehow similar.

James let the tension hang for a second, then gently touched my hand and assured me that everything was ok, and that it was all true.

He then asked me if i would take him for a short stroll through the gardens and rose before i could answer him. He took my arm and walked me out before i had a chance to let it all sink in and only after we left, did it dawn on me, that Jean had not moved a muscle since she had poured the coffee.

The things that happened in the garden that day, i will remember for a long time. We were talking pleasantly, strolling along, basking in the sunlight of a beautiful morning. I was drinking in the smells i used to enjoy so much, when he suddenly burst out that he had forgot something and would be right back. He told me he would only be a moment, i should walk ahead and he would catch up. It seemed like i walked a long time, for what was supposed to be a moment. Suddenly i felt like he was standing beside me. I stopped immediately and turned to where i thought he was. I listened for breathing and casted for scents, but could not find any traces of him, (remembering and thinking again about the idea that he seemed odorless when he first got in the car, ran a number of spider tingles up my spine).

He moved and coughed. It startled me. I took one step backwards and froze.

The garden was gone and i was deep inside, fighting for control while adrenaline coursed through my veins. He touched my arm again and i felt calm wash over me, but not as quickly or completely as before. Not all of me was calm either. I was angry. But before i could say a word he asked me how i knew he was standing there.

I couldn't answer him. I spent a couple of seconds looking for an answer, but i knew that it wasn't there. My anger seemed to drift off into confusion. I stood there mute for a while and then realized that he was still waiting for an answer. I continued to stumble around in confusion for an indeterminate amount of time and then said, that i had felt him. When i said it however, it sounded more like a question than an answer.

"Yes" he said. "That's it. You felt me. Just like stepping over that thistle back there. I can be almost completely invisible when i want to be and not many people, even sighted, would have found me. Public places are easiest for me. It's something like blending in, or more importantly, not standing out. The better you get at controlling what energies you put out, the more invisible you become. You are harder to hide from than most, because you are so well tuned to receiving inputs in other ways than sight. It's easy for you to tell when a person is lying or in other ways being dishonest. The voice alone gives you more information about people than they realize, and it is not just the voice. You can sense things even through walls where you can't hear or smell. And not just people. When was the last time you ran into a snake?"

Again his question threw me. He was seeing right into me. I knew when it was. In my room years ago, i remember walking in and freezing. I stood there a long time trying to identify what had stopped me and why i was feeling fear. Jean had walked by in the hall and then came back, seeing me standing stock still. There was a large coiled snake less than three inches in front of my bare feet. That was also when i found out how fast Jean is. One moment she was behind me , and the next, she was whisking it out, down the hall. I never did ask whether it was poisonous, and to the best of my memory i had not been near one since.

I don't know that i ever got used to his seeing into parts of my life and the things i take for granted. The rest of the day was spent in the gardens with him playing hide and seek, seeming to just disappear the moment he said he was going to hide. At the end of the day i felt tired but not exhausted and after having a quick shower before dinner i felt refreshed and surprisingly good.

When i walked into the dining room there was a sharp gasp of surprise from Jean and a low whistle of approval from James. He stated without any of the usual undertone of falsehood, or trying to please, that i looked ravishing. I felt the warm glow of pride wash over me and felt better than i had in a long time. Dinner was exquisite, a small quiet affair with nothing but nice small talk and compliments. Everyone was feeling relaxed and mellow. After the meal we sat in the den over brandies in front of a small crackling fire. The evening ended early with all of us feeling tired and content, and when i retired to my large soft bed, it was with a feeling of contentment that i had not felt in years.

The room was deathly still. I sat in my bed listening intently for any clue to why i was suddenly wide awake. There was no sound or movement and yet i knew that something was amiss. I sat for what seemed like hours in the stillness of my room trying to sort it out, when i heard a soft tapping at my door.

I donned my housecoat and walked quietly to my door. I stood there for a moment listening, then i felt his presence on the other side. It was like the game in the garden earlier in the day. One moment there was nothing there and the next there was his unmistakable presence. I opened the door and without a sound he walked in. I closed the door marveling at his ability to move in total silence. I knew that there was no light in the room and that he had never been there and yet he walked through the darkness around my room like i did, avoiding all obstacles as though he knew the room intimately. I walked back to my bed and sat waiting for him to speak.

He sat in my easy chair at the foot of my bed for a short time and then quietly spoke from the darkness.

"I must leave tomorrow" he said. "As much as i try not to, in order to reach deep into people i must also stir up strong emotions. In time you will know who i was and why i couldn't stay, but not for a while yet. I am afraid that it will not be a happy time when that moment comes and would rather that we not get too close before then. There is another waiting for you in this life who desperately needs you, although neither of you know it yet. Take this ring to remember me by, and please do not feel angry at me for doing this. I know that it hardly seems fair that i walk into your life, stir all these feelings up and then just leave, but i am afraid that this has to be done. In the short time that we have spent together i have come to love you and would do anything to break from the path i walk, so that i could be with you, but i know that it is not to be. I am sorry for the pain that i will cause you, but gifts i like to give do not come cheaply and sometimes the costs involved are more than some people can bear. I hope that you can accept this and fall back on that wealth of inner strength that you hide so well."

He rose and came towards me. Taking my hand he placed the ring of which he had spoken on my finger and kissed my lips leaving the feeling of a soft spring breeze blowing through all of the me that i know. Gently he wiped away the tears running down my cheeks with his fingers and quietly turned and walked away. The ring was the one he had handed me earlier that day.

I do not remember him leaving the room, i only remember the feeling of loneliness washing through my soul, leaving my body wracked with sobs. Eventually sleep over-powered my tears and i awoke in the morning feeling more drained than i had in my entire life.

I stayed in my room all day, moving quietly so as not to let Jean know i was awake. I did not feel like seeing anyone. The day passed slowly, with me staring through sightless eyes until the sunset i could only feel, warmed my face trying to dry the small rivers of tears flowing down my cheeks forming pools of pure emotion at my feet. I don't remember going to bed, only the light tapping on my door waking me to morning again.

Jean entered after i called out to her that it was ok. I could feel the beams of joy coming from her and did my best to smile and play like everything was fine. She knew otherwise but rather than getting into it, she walked over to my bed and gave me the hug i so desperately needed. After crying there in her arms like a child, i felt better and asked her what it was all about. She said that she didn't know but he was gone when she arose the day before and she had thought it best to leave me alone for at least a day.

"This morning however, i just couldn't contain myself and had to come and see you", she said. "Just like he said i would, I got a letter from my sister today. There is also an invitation to her wedding in Australia and an airline ticket for the two of us. Please say you'll come. It is a bit of a rush. The plane leaves the day after tomorrow and the wedding is next week."

I didn't want to go. I wanted just to stay where i was and lay around in self pity for the rest of my life, quietly passing away in my house with no one to bother me, but i knew that if i said that Jean would just accept it and stay herself. As bad as i was feeling i could not do that to Jean and told her so. She bounced around the room like a teen, dancing and laughing, and before i knew it she had infected me with her enthusiasm and we were dancing together like a couple of school girls.

The next few days left no time what so ever for reflection. We had to pack, secure the grounds, clear all the necessary documents for travel and get to the airport. The first time i got a chance to slow down and think about things was on the plane. I didn't like what i found.

Something kept picking away at me and finally, having a couple of hours in quiet on the aircraft, it bubbled to the surface of my consciousness. James had lied to me. It was there, plain as black. Nothing he had said had been untrue, but there were too many things that were not said. A dark corner that i could not see around, hid the truth. I tried to find it but in the end had to give up because of a headache. Something about the whole thing just wasn't quite right, but i couldn't find it so put it out of my mind for a while. With the rush of everything, there was no time anyway.

The wedding was spectacular. Sunset's soft warming rays beaming on a party on the beach. It felt great to be alive. One of the wedding party, the groom's best man, was paying court to Jean, and although i'm not sure she knew it at the time, she was answering in kind.

The two week vacation turned into a month and a half. It was a glorious time and after her suitor got used to my "spooky intuition" as he called it, we got along fabulously. I liked the man a lot and was empathizing with Jean's sorrowful good-bye, when we left. I had decided the day before we were to leave that a side trip to Mexico would be good therapy for Jean. Maybe i did remember the foretelling of the trip and was rushing things along, but at the time my foremost concern was for Jean.

The flight to Mexico was one of tears. Jean did not cry aloud, perhaps thinking that if i could not hear it, i would not know. It is funny, but even people who know better try to shelter the ones they love from things that they cannot..

After we landed and cleared customs, we were standing out front of the airport. Jean was fascinated by everything and the pace change we went through arriving in Mexico from Australia. Who said you have to be a qualified therapist to know what is good for someone? I was about to hail a cab when someone tugged at my skirt.

A boy's voice from my side asked where i wanted to go and if he could guide me. Feeling somewhat jet-lagged and a little cranky from the heat i told him that i was perfectly able to get where i was going and turned away.

"Por favor senora," he said. "You have the ring of senor James, please let me help you."

My heart froze as i made the jump from deja vu to precognition. I felt who he was and that our paths were linked far more strongly than i suspected. I also knew that i had to find out where this path lead.

"Yes, of course you can," i said. "Please get us a taxi."

He achieved this in a tenth of the time it would have taken me and after telling him our destination we were off.

Juan was a fountain of energy. He talked a mile a minute and was excited beyond belief to meet someone who knew James. He answered any question i asked without hesitation, no matter how personal, and i wondered if it was just the presence of the ring, or whether he knew, as i did, that neither of us would harm the other in any way.

When we arrived at the hotel the manager was about to throw the boy out, and he was obviously intending to do it himself, physically, when Jean spoke out. She only said one word, stop, but either the authority of her voice, or the look in her eyes was enough, for she had to do no more than that.

Our young friend grabbed all of our luggage, no simple trick, and showed us to our room. Once there, Juan started talking excitedly.

"I know that the fountain will grant your wish senora. You are a wise kind person who will not fail. Will you go now?"

"No, i will not go now," i said. "I am tired from my flight and wish to sleep for a couple of hours. I will go to the fountain at sunset. Will you meet me then? I was told you have a coin i want to see."

"Si Senora i will be at the fountain at sunset. Grasias."

I did not even see him out. I guess Jean did, because the last thing i remember was lying down. I awoke about three hours later, Jean asleep on the bed beside mine. I walked to the window and knew that i did not have a lot of time before sunset was over and that if i moved quietly i could get outside without Jean. Figuring that her disappointment on top of mine would only make it worse if i did not succeed, i crept from the room and out to the front door of the hotel.

Juan was standing just outside and greeted me as i came out. I held out my hand and he took me out to the edge of the fountain.

I did not hesitate. I was too scared. I leaned forward and drank thirstily from the fountain with my hands. The water was cool and sweet. It felt sparkling on my tongue. but without the bubbles of effervescence. After drinking my fill i bathed my eyes with my hands at first, then stuck my face in the water, opening my eyes.

The first sensation was pain. I'd say a blinding pain, but i don't think the metaphor fits. Besides, my eyes were not open long in the water before pain closed them, but i thought for a moment, i saw.

I opened them again and sensed red. I didn't see it, i sensed it. Pain was searing my eyes and it took everything i had, to keep them open. The pain subsided a little, and suddenly i could see.

The bottom of the pool was clear through the waters and bubbles. I pulled my head from the water and looked up.

James was standing on the other side of the fountain. I heard Juan gasp beside me and looked down at him. He looked back at me in sheer joy and grabbed my hands. The touch was James'. I looked back across the fountain and James was gone. Out of the corner of my eye i saw Juan look the same way. He bolted across the square into the crowd, searching.

I looked up to the window of our room and Jean was standing there. She smiled at me, and everything went black. I covered my eyes and wept.

That was the first day. It took seven days of almost the same ritual before sight would stay. Each time i could see a little longer, until on the seventh day, which also coincided with a blood red full moon, i could see. James, however, did not appear again after the first day.

In the short time i was there, Juan and i become very close. I am financially comfortable and that is almost all that it takes to get someone out of Mexico. Permission from his family was easily granted especially seeing as they had not even looked for him after he had left them. The custom official was very helpful in getting us the needed papers after Juan gave him a certain gold coin that he had in his possession. I had earlier convinced Juan that although he would get no money for it, the freedom he would have at my home would be well worth the coin and that James would be quite pleased with the deal.

Keeping him home would be the harder of the two, but money has influence everywhere and my husband had been a friend of a friend to someone in a position to help. I had called him from Mexico before we left and he got us cleared through customs with less time delay or hassle than usual. It helps to have friends in high places.

On the way through our home town, a couple of hours from the airport we stopped in to claim our mail and a few incidentals.

Jean was ecstatic. There was a letter there from her beau in Australia, asking if he could visit.

It was all i could do to keep my eyes in my head with all the changes that had happened in the village since i had first lost my sight. Even the way home from the village had changed. The changes were more subtle, but they were there just the same. Juan was asleep beside me and Jean and i were feeling pretty wiped out from all the excitement.

I had a flash of deja vu so strong i gasped. Juan lifted his head, but i reached out, touched him, and told him it was ok. He laid his head back down. I looked at the rear view mirror and into Jeans questioning eyes. I silently mouthed the words "Keep Driving" to her and got her recognition.

As we came over the hill before the small valley where we had first met James, every muscle in my body tensed. It was as it was before, almost.

His car was at the side of the road where it had been, but he was not standing beside it. I wondered if this was the true cost of sight, or just another test. Maybe he had tried to flag someone else down, waiting for me, completing his journey; i don't know, but at any rate his body lay off to the side with a scarlet trail, intensified by the red sunset, leading fifty feet or so to the body and pooling away from it.

I did not see any more of it. I locked my eyes on the mirror and caught Jean's terrified look, demanding that she drive on. We drove on.