Sugarcane and Indigo

Resurrection

So I answered, "He's worth it, Grammie. He just is."

Grammie didn't say anything and after a moment I turned back around and kept walking down the hall and out the door. It was coming down hard outside, like the sky was weeping but I just hurried on. I had unlocked Indigo's car before going back to my house and I quickly threw the ingredients into the passenger side seat.

Next, I ran into Indigo's house and to the kitchen. Indigo was still splayed out across the floor, his blood having developed a film over it by now. I reached down and hooked my arms under his armpits, trying to lift him. I got him maybe two feet off the floor before I was forced to drop him back down again. He was too heavy. So, I grabbed his ankles and started dragging him towards the car.

The sky was pitch black and all of the neighbors were asleep so no one was around to see me moving a dead body. I thanked whatever God was watching over me before I dragged Indigo down the stairs and to the car. I propped open the back door with my foot and after some maneuvering I got him into the backseat. I hesitated for a moment before I buckled him in. That was how I was coping with the whole situation - by pretending that Indigo was just sleeping and not actually dead.

I jumped into the driver's seat and quickly started the car. It choked for a second before the engine turned over and roared to life. I pulled out of the driveway and quickly started heading towards the edge of town. I kept the headlights off as I drove, I didn't want anyone to see me.

Grammie's words echoed in my head as I maneuvered through the twists and turns of Nowhere.

"Head towards the heart of the sugarcane fields, there's much power to be had there."

The drive went much faster this time than the first time around. It was probably because I was going twenty over the speed limit. I could barely see five feet ahead of me with the rain coming down as it was and the headlights being off. I kept slowly starting to swerve into the other lane and would have to jerk the car back at the last minute to correct myself. Indigo's head thrashed from side to side with the movements of the car, his eyes still open.

Finally, I came to the long driveway that signified the start of the property. I couldn't see the trees with the spiders this time; I didn't know if it was because it was too dark or if it was because they had sought shelter from the rain, but either way, I didn't see them.

I drove down that long road, over the bumps and dips in the path, towards the house backlit by the storm. I skidded to a halt right in front of the doors and, giving myself a pep talk, I got out of the car.

The rain immediately whipped me in the face, stinging my eyes. The sky thundered and shrieked but I didn't pause for a second. I grabbed the basket of ingredients and hoisted it up to the crook of my arm. Then I opened the back door and unbuckled Indigo.

His eyes were still open, staring out at nothing. I ran a thumb across his cheek for a quick moment.

"It's going to be okay, Indigo. I promise," I whispered into his ear.

He didn't say anything back.

I grabbed him by the armpits and dragged him out of the car, his body quickly sagging towards the soggy earth. His dried blood flaked off against my hands, but I did my best to ignore it. I slowly - very slowly - dragged him towards the fields of sugarcane. I glanced up at the house and noticed a single window was lit by a candle. My eyes narrowed but I didn't stop; no mystery was going to deter me from helping Indigo.

It took forever - actually, forever might have passed quicker. I'd have to take breaks every few steps to catch my breath before I began to drag Indigo again. My arms were quaking by the time I got deep enough into the field to feel that throb of power again. It crashed into the base of my skull like a hammer, beating its way down my spine. I clenched my teeth against the pain of it but kept dragging Indigo. Grammie had told me that that's where I needed to do the spell, that that spot was where all the magic of Nowhere radiated from. I vaguely wondered what made that spot so special but I quickly pushed forward; I couldn't afford to be distracted right now.