It was a hot summer day and Jack and his best
friend, Paul, were playing in the field behind Jack’s
house. The five-acre field seemed gigantic to the
boys and they made the field their own private
world. They spent many a day playing and hiding
from each other among the tall green grass and wild
yellow wild flowers. They dug trenches and built
forts, they pretended to be Tarzan or Warriors of the
Lost City of Atlantis. This kept them busy for hours
on end.

They were on the small side, as ten-year-old
boys go, but their imagination and fortitude made
up for any stature they may have lacked. Paul was
average height for his age, though he tried to look
taller by standing up very straight. Jack teased him
about this every chance he got. His blonde hair
turned almost white during the summer months, and
he was very proud of the cleft in his chin because
his father and grandfather both had a cleft as well.

Jack outweighed Paul by just a few pounds.
His soft brown hair fell over his left eye, giving him
that rugged look of a street kid. He inherited deep
dimples from his mother that nestled in both cheeks,
softening that street look a little.

The field was covered with little yellow flowers
in the summertime that went on forever. A breeze
made it look like a green and yellow ocean of
waves. Jack would stand in the middle of this
flowery field with his eyes closed, and as the wind
blew past him, the fragrance of the flowers would
make him think of his mother’s hair. Before going
to bed, his mother would come to his room and kiss
him good night. As she leaned over Jack for that
goodnight kiss, she would purposely let her hair fall
across his face, tickling his nose and making him
laugh; and he could smell that flowery fragrance in
her hair when she did this.

Just beyond the tall grass was a clearing with a
large rock in its center. Jack and Paul called this
large rock ‘Their Mountain.’ It seemed so big to
them when they first came upon it more than 5 years
ago. They loved to climb all over it. Sometimes,
while standing on top of their mountain, they would
act like Tarzan. Standing straight and tall, they
would give off a Tarzan yell, and then jump down,
roll and of course capture some large ferocious
animal. Both boys had quite an imagination,
however, unlike those playful summer days in
their past, this particular day was going to be as no
other day had ever been for these two small boys
and their friend Bob, as well.

“Check this out, Jack,” Paul said as he pulled a
rubber knife from his back pocket.

“Wow! That looks really real.”

“I know. I won it at the county fair last night.
I'm going again tonight, ya wanna come? I bet my
dad could talk your dad into going. I tried to win
you a knife too, but I missed on the second try.”

“Of course I would like to come. Can I see it for a minute, Paul?”

“Sure. Here, you can carry it around for a while if you like.”

“Gee thanks!” Jack held the rubber knife tightly in his right hand,
then, thrusting it high in the air he stabbed at an imaginary bear.
He and Paul laughed.

Paul, suddenly whispered, "Set the knife down quick! Look!
He's huge.” Paul pointed at a large horned-toad on the ground in
front of them. “Come on, let’s get’em’." Paul sneaked around the backside
of the rock.

Jack, trying not to startle the horned-toad, gently laid the knife down and joined Paul in trying to capture the horned-toad. He began to herd the horned-toad across the ground.

Horned-toads were funny little creatures with a crown of thorns around their head, like the ones on the Statue of Liberty. As a defense, they could shoot blood from their eyes making them look scary or mean; when in reality, they are quite harmless. It was a ploy to scare their-would-be-captors into letting them go. They were fast and very hard to catch. That was what made it so much fun, for the boys to chase and try to catch the little creatures.

Jack ran after the horned-toad with his arms spread wide so as not to let it get past him. Herding it across the ground, he chased it over to Their Mountain. Jack got on one side, while Paul sneaked to the other side.

They had the routine down pat, and the horned-toads always fell for this trick. Jack would stay in front of the little creature keeping the horned-toad distracted, so Paul could sneak up from behind and grab it. After all, they were pros at this; they had been doing this since they were three or four years old. Paul would lie in ambush around the back of the rock and wait for Jack’s signal. When the horned-toad was close to the far side of the rock, yet still somewhat in the center, Jack would signal to Paul that the horned-toad was in position for the capture.

They went through all the usual motions, and Jack gave the signal for Paul to grab the unsuspecting horned-toad. Paul slowly peeked around the rock, careful not to let the horned-toad see him, then reached for the horned-toad and grabbed it. The horn-toad wiggled frantically trying to get loose. Paul kept a tight grip on it, so as to not let it escape.

Jack ran toward Their Mountain knowing that Paul had captured the toad. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, not believing what he saw. Paul’s hand had disappeared, as though it melted and become one with the rock.

Paul had a strange look on his face, a look of total panic. He slowly turned and looked at Jack, who had a disquieting look of his own by now.

Not wanting to touch the rock, Jack backed away, with his hands raised high in the air, staring at Paul’s arm. For a minute, he froze at the sight of Paul’s missing hand.

"My hand is stuck."

“I can see that, Paul, but what the heck.” Jack’s body shuddered as he slowly walked a little closer looking carefully at Paul’s hand, or rather where Paul’s hand should have been. “Oh my God, Paul, your hand is… it’s really, gone.”

When Paul reached for the horned-toad, he grabbed for it as he had done hundreds of times before. But this time, his hand, like a hot knife through butter, went right through the rock. The rock was no longer solid, it was like a hologram. He tried to pull his arm back out, but everything was going one way, and that way was in! He tried not to move the hand that was stuck in the rock; he shuffled his feet trying to get a better footing. Unfortunately, his arm slipped further into the rock despite his caution. His arm was now in the rock, clear up to his elbow. He kept trying to pull his arm back out, but it was no use. In a shaky voice, he whined, "I can't get my arm back out, Jack. I can push it in, but I can't pull it out."

“Can you feel anything with your hand? Can you move your fingers?”

“Yeah, I still have the horned-toad in my hand, and I can feel him struggling.”

“Let’em go, see if that will let you pull your arm back out.”

Paul opened his hand, releasing the horned-toad. He wiggled his fingers and tried again to pull his arm out. "That didn't work, Jack, I’m still stuck."

Jack walked around to the other side of Paul. Then standing behind him, he slipped his arms around his friend’s waist, clasping his hands in front of him. He then locked his fingers together. "I'm going to pull on the count of three, okay? We'll both pull as hard as we can."

Paul reluctantly nodded his head, as he hesitantly said, “Okay."

Jack took a deep breath, "Ya Ready?"

“Ah ha”

“Okay Paul, here it goes, 1…2… 3eeee!” Jack pulled hard.

“Stop! That hurts." Paul screamed, as he pulled at Jacks arm with his one free hand. “Don’t pull anymore, you’re gonna tear my arm off!”

Jack stepped away from Paul, trying hard to think of a solution.

Paul was afraid to even breathe now. His foot slid slowly across the ground as he again tried to get comfortable. His loose shoe came off, showing his dirty little sock with a hole in the heel.

“It’ll be alright, Paul. I'm going for help. I'll be back as fast as I can, I promise. Don't move anything; keep your arm still. You hear me Paul? Stay still!" Jack looked over his shoulder at Paul as he went for help and could hear Paul pleading.

“Don't leave me, Jack! Please Jack! Don't go and leave me here alone!" But Paul knew Jack had to go for help, even though he didn’t want to be left out there alone. He looked at his arm, held fast in the rock, he was terrified. His heart pounded then sank. His mouth was dry, and he had a sick feeling in his stomach. He stared at his missing hand then looked away. It was so quite out there without Jack; so very quiet. Looking back at his arm once more, he tried not to move any part of his body, just as Jack had instructed. But his chest began to quickly heave in and out, as he began to sob.

Jack ran as fast as he could, which was not easy for him. It was hard for him to run very fast, because of an injury to his leg, the result of an accident when he was five years old.

He had been on a camping trip with his dad and his dad had fallen down a large incline. Jack had gone down after his dad, and had fallen as well. When he finally came to a stop, from the fall, he was horrified at the sight of his shinbone sticking out from a large hole in his jeans. The pain was so great that Jack lost his breath before he could scream. He saw his dad clawing at the hillside trying to get to him. Jack looked at his dad once more; then blacked out.

While recovering in the hospital, the doctors warned him he could re-break his leg if he ran too fast. They also told him, that if he did re-break it, he would most likely end up in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. But he couldn't worry about that now; he had to hurry."

"Please God. Let me go faster, please." The trip home was taking longer than it had ever taken him before, at least it seemed that way to Jack. As he ran in the house he was sweaty and out of breath. He could hardly talk, all that came out was, "Paul, rock ...his hand is stuck."

Jack's dad squatted down on the balls of the feet directly in front of Jack. Holding on to Jack's arms, he said calmly, "Okay now son, just calm down. I can't understand a thing you're saying. I want you to take a deep breath, and then explain just what has happened to Paul."

Jack’s eyes filled with tears as he explained how he and Paul were looking for horned-toads and how Paul’s hand had vanished and his arm was now stuck in the rock.

Jack’s dad gave him a worried frown. "Explain on the way—take me to Paul now." He followed him back to the rock where Jack had left Paul not more than ten minutes before."

When they arrived at the rock, Paul was gone. Jack’s imagination went wild. The rock had eaten Paul! Something came along and ripped him off the rock, then ate him! As Jack imagined all sorts of horrible things, he realized there was no blood.

Paul was all right. He must be all right, maybe he did get away. He started looking around. The rubber knife was gone. This, Jack imagined, was a good thing. Jack thought Paul probably picked it up when he got loose. Yes! He got away! All this went through Jack's head in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly, he saw Paul's shoe still lying on the ground, next to the rock. “Oh no! If Paul had gotten away he wouldn’t have left his shoe there on the ground,” Jack said to himself.

His dad asked, "Exactly where did you last see Paul?"

“Right there, Dad!” Jack pointed at the front of the rock.

"Here?" His dad asked, as he moved toward the rock and reached out to touch it.

“DON’T TOUCH IT, DAD! I'm telling you, I think it swallowed Paul.”

“Jack, Paul is not in that rock. That's impossible.”

Jacks eyes were still fixed on the rock as fear rose in his voice again. “Yes he is, he's in that rock, Dad, I know he is. I watched his arm slide further into that rock, and I knew I had to go for help. He must have slipped the rest of the way into the rock when I left to go get you. I tell you, he's in there! Why won’t you believe me?” Jack felt a little crazy, actually he felt a lot crazy, but he knew what he had seen. He saw Paul going into that rock and no one could make him believe otherwise. Trying to convince his dad of this, was going to be quite another thing

His dad tapped and touched the rock everywhere. "See Jack, its solid. Paul couldn't be in there. He's around here somewhere, Son, we'll find him. Don't worry."

But they looked everywhere, and Paul was nowhere to be found. They searched the field thoroughly, but still found no trace of Paul. "He's probably already home. Let's go check Son."

Jack wished his dad was right, but he knew the truth, inside he knew. As strange as it seemed, Paul was inside that rock.

Jack picked up Paul's shoe and looked directly at the rock. “If you can hear me, Paul, I’ll be back. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” Jack felt helpless as he and his dad walked toward their house.

Paul's parents were at the house when Jack and his dad arrived. Jack's mom, Lisa, had called them when Jack and his dad had left earlier.

"Where is Paul?" Jenny asked, as she twisted a small dishtowel in her hands.

"Jack and I looked everywhere, Jenny," said Ray,"We can't find him. We thought he might have already come home."

He turned toward Paul's father, "Ted, I'll go back out there with you, just let me get Shep. Maybe she can help track him down.” Ray turned back to Lisa. “Honey, call Sheriff Wells and fill him in on what’s going on here. Tell him where Ted and I are going, and ask him to bring as much help as he can. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

Jack slowly walked across the room, and stood in front of Jenny. "Shep is a real good huntin' dog, Mrs. Stewart. She can spot a quail a hundred yards. I bet she can smell one even farther away. Don't worry, she'll find Paul."

Jenny pulled Jack close to her and hugged him tight. She kissed him on the forehead then let go of him. She raised the kitchen towel to her face, and softly cried into it.

Ray returned with Shep and looked at Paul’s mother. "Don't worry, Jenny, we will find him."

"He's right, Hon, he couldn't have gotten far," said Ted.

Jenny rose from the chair. "I'm going, too! I'll go crazy sitting around here."

Lisa held on to Jenny’s arm trying to calm her. “You should be here, just in case Paul should show up at home. He would need you here, if he were to come home ahead of the men. Besides, you’re too upset, you would only slow down the search.”

"Please don't worry, Hon," Ted said supportively. "Ray and I will find him. You know how Paul is always forgetting about the time. You stay here and we'll be back as soon as we can.

"Very well, but please hurry and find him." Jenny slowly sat down on the couch, and resigned herself to the fact that she should stay.

Jack knew just how Mrs. Stewart felt. Paul was like his little brother. Paul had always wished for a brother, as well. In fact they had taken a pact in blood just like the Indians had done, in one of those old John Wayne movies. They had watched a lot of the old John Wayne movies; they loved his deep voice, the gunfights, and of course, the big white hat he always wore. Paul was always trying to walk and talk like John Wayne. Jack thought he did a pretty good job of it, too.

When they were five years old, they watched one movie in particular, where John Wayne and Chief Sitting Bull became blood brothers. Chief Sitting Bull made a small cut in John Wayne's thumb, and did the same to his own thumb. Then, by pressing their two thumbs together, they had made their blood mix, thus making them blood brothers.

This gave the two boys a GREAT idea; they could do that too! They knew it would make them real brothers, so they thought. However, when they had made that little cut in their thumbs, it seemed to hurt much more than John Wayne and the Chief had led them to believe it would. But they laughed anyway, trying to keep from crying in front of each other. Lucky for them it was a dull knife or they probably would have cut at least one of their thumbs off.

Jack’s finger was so sore the next day that he dropped his ice cream bar on the ground. Paul had laughed at him when he picked up the ice cream bar, looked to see if there was a lot of dirt on it, then brushed it off and ate it anyway.

            

Jack remembered the ritual as he looked at the scar on his thumb and rubbed across it with his finger. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Paul. He had to do something, and he had to do it quick. What would he do if they never found Paul? He couldn’t bear the thought of loosing Paul. His heart sank as these thoughts went spinning through his mind. He closed his eyes and wished for all of it to just, go away.

Beyone The Rock, released... July 2006, available NOW at amazon.com...or for a signed copy e-mail shanice
shanice2006@comcast.net