By the time you get outside the cave, the guilt is almost choking you. Walter is silent, but you’re positive a sound scolding and probably sounder spanking is in your very near future.
You turn to Walter and begin checking over his wound, unable to look into his eyes and see the hurt and disappointment that’s there.
The cuts aren’t too deep, but Walter doesn’t let you check him over for long before he steps away from you. He doesn’t speak to you or look at you and the distance between the two of you feels like a gulf the size of the Grand Canyon.
“Do you have it?”
You look over your shoulder, taking in Anubis standing several feet away. He’s holding a wooden box in his hands, identical in appearance to the one that splintered and broke back in the cave you exited from. On one side of him stands Dorian, close enough to his partner that their hips brush together. On the other side is Grant, with red eyes and tear stains on his cheeks.
“Do you know what it is?” Walter asks Anubis.
The guardian nods. “Two pieces of a heart, cleaved in two with a poisoned blade. The heart belongs to the guardian of this reservation.”
“She’s the one who was in the cave, isn’t she?” Walter continues to question him.
“Yes,” Anubis answers. “Though I’m not sure she remembers that anymore, or knows anything other than pain and suffering.”
Walter gives you a hard, nearly stern look before directing, “Give him the heart.”
You want to say you’re sorry. You even open your mouth to voice the words. But then Walter glances back over his shoulder at the mouth of the cave, growing visibly tense, and you realise you can’t waste the time, even if it’s something your husband needs to hear. So you carry the wrapped heart towards Anubis and desperately try to avoid thinking about the damage the leaking pus is doing to the earth around you. “Is that going to damage the land here even more?” you ask, as you stop in front of the guardian.
Anubis shakes his head as he kneels to place the box on the ground and then takes the wrapped heart from you. “It’s painful as hell, but unless it gets deep into the lifeblood of a living thing, it’ll live.”
Still obviously tense, Walter mutters, “Where is she?”
Anubis unwraps the heart as slowly and carefully as if it were a fragile, precious object, even as he answers, “The land is pushing back. Trying to contain the corruption. The caves will hold them. Not for long, but it should be enough time.”
“Them?” you repeat.
“Paul and Martin are in the other cave,” Grant whispers, his voice low and hollow.
You wince, taking a step back as Anubis opens the box and withdraws the other heart, placing the two side by side on the ground. “I’m sorry, Grant.”
Hunching over, wrapping his arms around his own body for comfort, Grant doesn’t answer. And you can’t blame him.
You retreat back, standing next to Walter, who wraps an arm possessively around your waist. You let out your breath in a quiet sigh and allow yourself to snuggle into him. Because if he’s touching you, it means you haven’t ruined everything. At least not completely.
Anubis places a hand on each of the hearts and closes his eyes. His whole body grows tense and begins shaking, like he’s experiencing an electric shock. After a few minutes, cuts and bruises begin forming on his exposed skin.
You start forward, but before you can reach his side, Dorian crouches down next to Anubis. He places his hand on his partner’s shoulder and then grows stiff, his eyes rolling back in his head before he slumps to the ground.
For what feels like an eternity, you watch the two tremble and shake as bruises and cuts cover their bodies. Finally, though, the hearts begin to spin as the slow, steady heartbeat continues. They spin so fast, they become a blur…and when they slow down, the charred, black spots have turned red and healthy.
Anubis stirs first and then Dorian does. Dorian reaches out and wraps his arm around his partner, supporting Anubis as the two of them climb to their feet, Anubis leaning heavily on the other man. A rumbling sound behind you draws your attention to the caves as they retreat back under the ground…leaving two men standing there: Paul and Martin.
Grant gives a sound that’s a half-sob and runs towards the other two men, hitting them in a three-way hug.
You turn back to Anubis and Dorian, in time to see the hearts sink into the ground and the damage the pus caused fade from view. You look at the two guardians. “I thought Paul and Martin would stay dead.”
“It’s a gift,” Anubis whispers, swaying on his feet, only keeping upright thanks to Dorian’s grip on him. “Don’t question it.”
Walter steps up to your side. “What about everyone else who died?”
“They have a new lease on life.” Anubis gives a quick grin. “So long as they don’t get themselves killed again, of course.”
“I don’t know how far you’ve got to travel, but why don’t you come back to our house?” Walter suggests. “You can eat something. Rest before you return to your duties.” He makes eye contact with Anubis. “We are very grateful for your help.”
“Thank you.” The words you speak seem inadequate, but they’re all you have.
Anubis glances at Dorian, who nods and says, “That would be good, thank you. We can get in the car and drive there now.”
“I’ll go and invite Martin, Grant and Paul as well.” Walter turns to you and hands you a pocketknife. “While I’m doing that, you go and cut me a switch,” he directs.
You flinch, but slowly take the knife from him, your face burning hot as you feel Anubis and Dorian watching you. As your husband heads over to Martin, Paul and Grant and the other couple head to their car, you walk over to one of the trees that hasn’t been touched by the corruption.
There are several branches you know will be acceptable for Walter and you select one that looks sturdy enough. After testing its strength, you strip it of all leaves and twigs and, once it’s as smooth as you can make it, you walk over to join your husband.
He takes the switch from you and tests it, swinging it through the air a few times. Trying to ignore the tremble that goes down your spine each time it swishes through the air, you glance around the site, noticing it’s just the two of you now. “Everyone’s gone.”
“They’ll be meeting us back home.” Walter walks over to the car and you follow, butterflies swarming in your stomach that only grow stronger as he points the switch at the hood of the car.
You bend over, placing your hands on the hood and arching your back enough to allow Walter to get a good swing at your backside. Still, when the switch whistles through the air and collides with your backside, it’s hard enough to make you jump.
“What you did in the cave was foolish and dangerous in the extreme, Ray.” Walter lets the switch land on every other word, emphasising his scolding. “We work together as a team. You do not go off and do your own thing without checking with me first.”
Your breath hitches in a sob, both at the pain from the switch and from Walter’s words. “I’m sorry!” you burst out. “I didn’t mean to get you hurt!”
Walter is silent for a full circuit of strokes, the switch lashing down to your thighs and leaving burning trails of fire in its wake. Then, as he starts over from the top, he says, “I might have been hurt anyway. You weren’t responsible for that. But you should have stopped to plan with me. We’re a team, Ray. And you need to remember that.”
Your whole body slumps and you begin to sob. “I’m sorry, Walter!” You get the words out through your tears and then you just start sobbing without pausing, your backside burning and your eyes stinging as the tears fall.
Walter delivers one final round of strikes to your entire bottom and then stops. He helps you to stand and he wraps his arms around you in a tight hug, kissing your lips.
You wrap your arms tightly around your husband, clinging on. “I’m so sorry,” you whisper. “Forgive me. Please?”
“Always.” Walter kisses you again. “I love you so much. Are you ready to go home and spend the rest of the day with the only ones who will ever truly understand what happened here?”
“Yeah,” you agree. “But I might need to lay down in the backseat.” You snuggle into Walter as the two of you walk back to your car.
Yes, your bottom is sore…but everyone’s alive. And that’s the best outcome you could have asked for.
The End