Enlightenment

Part Four

The spot of light on the cavern floor faded away. Razor gulped and quavered, "Oh, God---we're dead! There's no light, and no way to see how to get out of this deathtrap!"

Tommy sounded strangely calm. "No---I think I know who that was that led you to me. If it is him, he wouldn't just dump us here. He probably had to go off and talk to Wish about somethin'. He'll be back."

That last part sounded somewhat less confident than the rest of his statement had. Razor kept a hand locked around Tommy's arm. He wasn't about to lose track of his friend again, even if it meant that both of them ended up falling into a bottomless pit somewhere along the way. "I hope you know what you're talkin' about, man…'cause this place is major creepy! A guy could die of fright in a place like this!"

Tommy sighed; it had a sound of unutterable weariness to it. "I hope so too, man…'cause if that wasn't Shaun, we're in deep doggie-doo."

So, they stood and waited. After a long moment, Razor ventured, "Uh, who was that dude that led me to you, anyway?"

Tommy took a deep breath. Explaining this wasn't going to be easy. Razor was his best friend, but he had a head of solid rock when it came to anything but rock music, musical instruments, booze, fast cars and even faster women. Like everyone else in the band, he was dense as a brick when it came to the paranormal. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, man."

Razor was fidgeting a mile a minute by then. He needed distraction, but bad. "Try me. I'm startin' to believe in spooks."

Tommy almost laughed. "Okay, man---you asked for it. Shaun is Wish's Guardian. Think Guardian Angel; it's pretty close."

Razor snorted derisively. "Yeah---right. And I'm Casper the Friendly Ghost. So, who was he? And how'd he pull that light-himself-up gag?"

The tone of Tommy's reply stopped Razor dead in his tracks: "I knew it. Damn, if you can't accept somethin' new, then just don't say anythin' about it at all. Every time you do, you cram that big foot of yours into that stupid mouth!"

Razor was stunned. He was used to the others calling him "Damn"; he couldn't care less what everyone else thought of him, but Tommy's opinion was important to him. The fact that he'd just called him by that despised nickname hurt---a lot. He tried to snap something back, but his voice failed him. He tried again---and it still refused to function properly. He throttled back a little and decided to try a little calmer approach---and this time his voice worked. "That don't sound like you, Tommy. Why're you actin' like this?"

Tommy growled something under his breath, then sighed and grunted, "I can't expect you to understand. There's just too much about the universe you don't get, yet---and until you do, tryin' to explain all this to you would just leave you confused, and even more convinced that Wish and Rain and me are nuts."

Dead silence from Razor for a long moment. Finally, just as he was about to say something, that glowing square of light appeared before them on the floor again, and he forgot whatever it was he was going to say. And then the light began to move. The right-hand half of it faded away and then reappeared about a foot farther away from them. Then the left-hand half disappeared, and reappeared a foot farther onward past the right-hand patch of light. It was as if someone were walking away ahead of them, and they were seeing his footsteps instead of hearing them.

Tommy inhaled sharply at the sight of all this, then asked, "Shaun"?

The glowing footsteps froze in place. Tommy sighed, "Probably used up too much of his strength just gettin' you to me. This may be all he can manage, right now. Shaun, if that's you, stomp your left foot twice."

The left-hand patch of light winked out---then back on---then out again---then on again, and remained.

Tommy sighed in relief and murmured, "Okay, pal---lead on. And try not to run us into Nicodemus, if you can avoid it."

The left-hand footprint blinked twice again. Tommy grunted, "That must mean 'yes', or 'okay'. Two stomps from the right foot can mean 'no'. Fair enough?"

The left-hand footprint blinked twice again. Then the footprints began moving again. As the two followed the glowing patches of light, Razor cleared his throat uncertainly and quavered, "Uh---y'know that stuff you were sayin' I wouldn't understand? Why don't'cha try me? I am beginnin' to believe in spooks!"

Tommy almost laughed. "Okay, chum---but one smart crack out of you about any of this, and I punch your lights out and leave you here for the trolls to feast on."

Razor gulped---loudly. "Hey man---I ain't got enough wind left to crack wise! Just keep talkin' 'til we're outta here---okay?"

Tommy began explaining the paranormal to his friend as they followed the silent, glowing footsteps through the lightless cavern.