Lang carried Amanda
over to a large rock and leaned her against it. Fred and
Andy staggered toward them with their heads tilted back. Bob
tried lifting Ellen but ended up guiding her by the elbow
over to where the rest of them were.
“Is everyone okay?”
Lang asked.
Charlie jumped. He
put his front paws on Fred’s shoulders and affectionately
licked his chin.
“Down Charlie,”
Fred’s voice was nearly inaudible behind the wad of shirt
smashed against his nose.
“Did you feel that?”
Ellen asked. “It was like lightning was going off inside
me.” She touched her hands to her cheeks as if she were
checking for fever.
Lang had seen enough
snap peas to know that Ellen’s complexion had turned the
exact shade of green.
Bob looked at his
palm then held it up. “Look at this, there’s going to be a
blister. That damn thing was hotter than hell, burned me
right through her shirt.”
Lang searched the
ground until he located a stick. He walked with purpose back
into the circle and began poking around in the grass.
Amanda eyed him
nervously. “Lang, I don’t think you should be in there.”
“Why? My nose isn’t
bleeding.” He found the necklace and wiggled the tip of the
stick under the chain and lifted it from the ground. He
walked slowly with the stick out in front of him until he
was well outside the circle then let it drop to the ground.
“Let’s see if it
cools off.” He knelt down and nudged the crystal with the
tip of his index finger. He frowned and touched the crystal
again. It was cool. He took it between his thumb and
forefinger and raised it to the light. “Cool as a cucumber.
Are you sure this is what was burning you?”
Ellen reached out.
“Let me see.”
Lang offered it to
her. “Seems fine now.” He shrugged.
Ellen looked at the
crystal, and then pulled the neck of her tee-shirt down to
expose her upper chest.
“Yes, I’m sure. The
burns are the same size and it feels like the chain burned a
line up the side of my neck. She lifted her hair and turned
to Bob. “Is my neck burned in the back?”
Bob stepped behind her. “Medium rare, I’d say.”
