The Revival

Chapter One - Part I

Chapter One

Troy opened his eyes as he rolled over to see Jessica on the other side of the bed. She lied there, still and peaceful. Her calm and rhythmic breaths relaxed him. Troy let go a subtle smile. It was the first time in almost two weeks he’d slept in his own bed.

Ah admired Troy. This is more like it. Not like that tiny, stiff cot at the hospital.

Jessica’s steady breathing hiccupped, then she sat up.

“Troy? Hun?” she concerned, using her hands to quickly reposition herself in an upright sitting position, her back against the headboard. She placed her hand on Troy’s forehead, feeling her way down his face as her eyes motioned back and forth, scanning his skin as if it were hot with visible pain.

“Yeah,” said Troy through a long yawn. “I’m fine, hun. I finally feel back to normal.”

Jessica let out a winded sigh of relief, her shoulders lowered a little.

“Good, good!” she said excitedly. She leaned over and hugged Troy, burying her head into his chest and arm. “I’m so happy you’re home now,” she admitted. “I missed sleeping with you. I missed talking with you. I felt like you were a million miles away, even though you were you right next to me.”

She began to tear, realizing her love for Troy was even more than she imagined before the incident. “I love you, babe,” she said before Troy had time to reply.

“I love you more,” he insisted, squeezing her tight with both arms.

Troy noticed his neon green bracelet on his wrist. “Oh God!” he raised his voice. “This thing needs to come off!”

He unraveled his arms from Jessica’s tight hug, then ripped and tugged at the bracelet, stretching it as it turned white and imprinted his skin as a thin rope.

“Ah!” he grunted as it finally snapped off his pale wrist.

He tossed the thin bracelet onto the ground.

“Now I’m free,” he affirmed to himself, relieved he was back home with no trace of the hospital on him.

“What was that for?” concerned Jessica.

“I hate hospitals,” snided Troy. “I don’t ever want to go back or ever have another wrap, pill, bracelet, or anything else associated with that hell of a place.”

“Then you better get that bandage off of your leg,” she said sarcastically. “Before it’s too late.”

Troy jokingly shoved her and smiled, realizing his heightened dramatics.

“Are you hungry?” she asked as she stood up and jumped on the bed like a child. “Come on, I’ll make us breakfast and coffee.”

“That sounds wonderful,” said Troy as his stomach growled. “When was the last time I ate a real meal?” His tone sounded kiddish and he jumped out of bed.

“Ow!” he yelped.

“What? What’s the matter?” she snapped into an athletic posture, standing on the bed behind him.

“My leg,” he groaned. “It hurts like hell.” He reached down and touched his left leg, rubbing his thigh with both hands.

“Be careful, hun,” said Jessica. “Come on, don’t be a baby,” she teased.

She smiled at Troy as she jumped off the bed and turned out of the bedroom doorway. “Maybe it’ll be done by the time you get downstairs.”

“It’ll probably be cold by then,” he played along. “Or maybe it’ll be time for dinner then.”

Troy sat on the bed by himself, leaning back against the headboard. He threw the heavy quilt off from his lap, uncovering his leg wrapped in white bandage. He pinched a segment of the tape and pulled, beginning to unravel the long, soft cast. He tossed the bandage to the floor along the bedside. Before he used his strong shoulders and hands to turn himself out of bed, feet first, he noticed something stuck to his leg. What is that? he asked himself, releasing a subtle grunt. He reached down to touch it. Thin green paper was taped around his left calf. What the-- he said silently. He peeled off the small piece of tape. A thin stack of moist one hundred dollar bills were suctioned onto his leg. He noticed the itching, suffocating sensation it was causing him. He peeled back the paper, and a cool breeze of freshness raged across his leg and through his hairs. He peeled each bill from the other, as the moisture had caused them to glue together. Large red words were handwritten across each bill. the first two bills read:

YOU KNOW

THE RULES

Troy grimaced in confusion. “I know the rules?” he whispered. He began to read the final messages:

REVIVE

THE MOVEMENT

“Revive The Movement?” he repeated. “There’s no way I can do that--or will do that!” He continued reading the next three bills.

OR YOUR FAMILY

IS MINE

Troy’s heart dropped. He crumpled the bills in his fist. He started reading the last few bills in disgust and anger.

MEET ME AT

CPB 12AM

Meet him? said Troy silently. “I’ll kill him!” he shouted in a fury.

“Hun?” shouted Jessica from the downstairs kitchen. “Is everything alright up there?”

Troy ignored her concern. He squeezed the wet bills in his clammy hands. Sweat beads emerged on his forehead and neck.

“Hun, what’s the matter?” asked Jessica, peering her head through the doorway.

“Nothing, sorry,” he replied quickly, covering up the money under the bed sheets.

“Okay, but you know you just screamed ‘I’ll kill you,’ right?” she inquired.

“Yeah, I was just kidding,” he said, blushing.

“Alright, breakfast is almost ready,” she said, giving him a final glare of concern before departing back downstairs.

Still seated on the edge of the bed, Troy leaned forward and placed one hand against the wall. He picked up his crutches with his free hand, propping himself up from the bed.

“You made it!” shouted Jessica in jubilee.

“Yeah, I made it alright,” he replied sarcastically.

Troy pulled a chair out from underneath the dining table with his uninjured foot and took a seat.

“Smells nice,” complimented Troy.

“Thanks, hun,” she said. “I haven’t cooked for you in a little while, this seems a bit odd.”

“You didn’t leave me any leftovers?” joked Troy.

“Ha!” she replied, serving Troy his plate of sausage links and pancakes, taking her own seat across the table. “So, what should we do on your first day back home?”

“I’m perfectly happy right where I am,” admitted Troy in an honest, relieved tone.